Chicken Parmesan

¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat

4 chicken breast cutlets (4 ounces each, about ½ inch thick), trimmed

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ cup chopped onions (I like red)

1 can cream of chicken soup with herbs
1 soup can of water

¾ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season chicken with salt & pepper to taste.  Place panko in a shallow dish and dredge cutlets in it, pressing gently to fully coat.

Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat; add half the cutlets and cook until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with 1½ tablespoons oil and the remaining cutlets.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and onion to the pan; cook, stirring often, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in soup and water, bring to a boil over medium-high.   Pour into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick.  Nestle the cutlets into the sauce in the pan. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has melted.

Comments:  Due to a digestive problem I can no longer eat tomatoes but love Chicken Parmesan.  When I ran across a recipe for this delicious dish I decided to make it into one that I could actually eat without the tomatoes.  I did this by simply thinking with my taste buds, substituting the cream of chicken soup for the tomatoes.  And by using the soup with herbs it gave this dish a wonderful taste.  So, even if you still like your Chicken Parmesan with tomatoes, give this one a try too.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Easy Chicken & Dumplins

2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

1 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken 

3 – 4 frozen buttermilk biscuits

½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In 1 1/2- or 2-quart saucepan, heat broth and chicken to boiling. Cut each biscuit in half and cut each half into 4 pieces; add to boiling mixture. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until dumplings are cooked through and mixture is slightly thickened. Stir in Cheddar cheese until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Comment:  During cooking some of the biscuits will dissolve during cooking which will make the soup nice and thick.  I used the frozen biscuits but I feel sure you could probably use canned too.  For my chicken I used butter garlic rotisserie from Walmart.  This dish is quick and sooooo easy to make.  And best of all, it’s delicious.  I made a double batch and ended up giving nice servings to 3 of my food testers who wanted more.

Tetrazzini Casserole

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 ½ cups milk

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 cups cubed cooked chicken  or turkey

1 small can English peas, drained

8 ounces (1/2 of a 1-pound package) spaghetti, prepared according to package directions (about 4 cups)

1/3cup Panko

Set the oven to 400°F.  Melt half the butter.  Stir the melted butter and bread crumbs in a small bowl.

Heat the remaining butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in the soup, milk and Parmesan cheese. Add the chicken, peas and spaghetti and toss to coat. Pour the spaghetti into a 13x9x2-inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick.  Evenly spread the chicken mixture over the spaghetti.  Sprinkle the Panko over the chicken mixture.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

Comments:  The original recipe called for mushrooms and cream of chicken soup.  When I went to my pantry I found I was out of mushrooms but did have a can of cream of mushroom soup.  I used it instead of the cream of chicken.  For my chicken I used a garlic and butter rotisserie chicken.  The original called for 2 Tbsp. of sherry which I didn’t have so I simply eliminated it from the dish.  I didn’t have frozen peas that the recipe called for but did have a small can which I think worked even better.  I also changed the original bread crumbs to Panko.  This dish is simply delicious.  It’s even better the next day after all of the flavors have blended.  And the garlic, butter rotisserie chicken was a great addition.  Simple, easy and great to make with leftovers.

Cheesy Chicken Potato Casserole

1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup with herbs

1 (8 oz) container of sour cream

1 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 (3 oz) package dehydrated hash brown potatoes
½ cup French fried onions with red bell peppers

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup crushed croutons

1 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 3 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray and set aside.  Place the hash browns and French fried onions with peppers in a small bowl.  Add 1 cup of water to the potatoes.  In a large bowl combine the condensed soup and sour cream, whisk until smooth. Add in the cheese, hash brown potatoes and chicken. Stir until combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

Combine the crushed croutons with the melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 50 minutes or until heated through and center is bubbly.

Comments.  This is a delicious dish.  I had a container of the French fried onions with peppers which were perfect for this dish but you can use regular French fried onions if you want.  This is also something that can be made with left over turkey.  I've even thought about trying it using ground beef and cream of mushroom soup instead of the chicken.

Cheezy Chicken Pot Pie

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

1 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz)

¾ cup milk 

1 small can Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits

2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup carrots and peas (drained if using a can)

butter

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Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

To large microwavable bowl, add cream cheese and shredded cheese. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds, until softened and cheese is starting to melt; add additional 30-second increments as needed. Beat in milk with whisk until mostly smooth; mixture may still be slightly lumpy.  Separate dough into biscuits; cut each into sixths. Gently stir into cream cheese mixture; stir in chicken, carrots and peas. Spoon into baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with small pieces of butter.  Bake until top is golden brown.

Comment:  This dish is simply delicious!  I found a recipe for a cheezy chicken casserole and made my usual changes.  I cut the cheese and biscuits in half, eliminated the onion and ham from the original recipe and added the carrots and peas.  You can use a can of peas and carrots or a cup of frozen peas and carrots.  I’m not saying 1 can of peas and 1 cup of carrots but the combined blend.  The flavors of the cream cheese mixed with the cheese gives this dish the special taste, as does the slight sweetness of the biscuits.  You can make changes by adding back the onions and ham or even some diced potatoes, which I think I would cook until almost done before adding.

Chicken and Spinach Calzone

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 pkg (6 oz.) frozen baby spinach, thawed and drained
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 pie shell

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a piece of parchment paper or foil on a baking dish.  Spray with cooking spray.  Lay out the pie shell.  Spread the cream cheese over the crust up to about 1” from the edge.  In a pan saute spinach and garlic until the spinach is wilted, draining completely.  In a large bowl combine spinach, chicken and mozzarella cheese.  Place on half of the pie shell.  Fold over and seal the edges with the tongs of a fork.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and cheese inside has melted.  Sprinkle with more cheese if desired. 

Comments:  I know that the last few recipes have been chicken and spinach but there is a reason.  I have a medical problem that forbids me from eating any greens except spinach.  So, I'm working on different variations using the spinach.  I promise to try making something with pork and even beef in the near future.

Anyway, this dish was so easy to make and boy was it delicious!  I actually had some of the mixture left over that I'll be putting in crescent rolls.  I have no doubt that version will be delicious too.  Give this one a try.  You'll love it.

Chicken Crescent Roll

2 cans crescent rolls

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ bag (1 lb. pkg) frozen chopped spinach leaves

1 can or jar spaghetti sauce (your choice of taste)

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked & shredded

1/2 cup Italian Blend shredded cheese

1/4 cup grated part mozzarella cheese (can use Italian Blend)
Italian seasoning blend

Press the crescent rolls on separate sheets of parchment paper or foil sprayed with oil making sure to seal the seams.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning blend.  I like using Garlic Tuscan by Kingsford.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the rolls on 2 separate baking dishes.  

Add oil and garlic to a large skillet and cook over low-medium heat, until garlic is slightly golden, about 3 minutes. Be sure to stir it and watch it so that it does not burn.  Add spinach to the skillet and cook over medium-high. Use tongs to toss it. Cook until just wilted, about a minute and a half (you don't want to overcook it or have a lot of liquid released). Add the shredded chicken and spaghetti sauce mixing everything together until everything is coated with the sauce.  

Put half the mixture down the center of both of the crescent dough leaving about 2.5 inches on each side.  Sprinkle the top of the mixture with cheese.  

Bring the sides over the mixture and seal.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  

Sprinkle the center with a little more cheese and return to oven to melt (about 1 minute).  

Comment:  This dish was originally using puff pastry which if you’ve priced it lately, you’ll agree it can be quite expensive.  I used the crescent rolls (store brand) mainly because that is what I had in my refrigerator.  I’m glad I did.  The crescent roll dough ‘melts in your mouth’ with every bite.  Of course, I changed several ingredients, adding here and there, as well as eliminating a couple of the original ingredients until I came up with this dish.  All 3 of my food testers that had the pleasure of trying this dish loved it. So did I!  When working this up I had no idea it would make enough for 2 dishes and only had 1 roll of crescents, so the remaining half was frozen for another day which I feel will be used very soon. This is a must try dish.

Chicken & Spinach Casserole

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small chunks
1 pkg (16 oz) cut leaf spinach
½ red onion sliced & chunked chopped onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 8-ounce package cottage cheese
1 cup Cheddar & Pepper Jack shredded cheese
About 1 dozen large garlic croutons, crushed
Cheese for top

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large frying pan heat the oil.  Add chicken and onions.  Cook until chicken is lightly brown and onions are softened.  Add spinach and cook until wilted (5-8 minutes).  Add cottage cheese and cheese.  Pour into 2 qt. casserole dish and bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has melted.  Sprinkle with crushed croutons and sprinkle with enough cheese to very lightly cover croutons.  Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese melts.  Serves 4-6.

Comments:  I found a basic recipe for spinach dip using cottage and feta cheese.  To it I added the chicken and red onions.  Eliminated the feta and lemon juice and added the cheddar & pepper jack blend which has just a small amount of jalapeno peppers.  I also added the croutons and enough cheese for the top to barely hold the croutons in place.  The 2 food testers that had the pleasure of enjoying this wanted more.  It is delicious!

Cauliflower Chicken Cheese Bake

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
1 small head cauliflower, cut into chunks

1/2 red/purple onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup cheddar (shredded, or jack cheese)

Heat large skillet with oil over medium heat. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Saute until brown on both sides, adding onions and cauliflower about halfway through.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add sour cream, blending well. Top with shredded cheddar or jack cheese, turn off heat and cover to allow cheese to melt.  Serve when cheese melts.

Comments:  The original recipe called for regular onions, diced, heavy cream and hot peppers.  I added the cauliflower, used sliced red onions and sour cream instead of heavy cream.  I also eliminated the hot peppers using cheddar & pepper jack blend cheese giving it just a slight touch of heat.  This is so good!  You can make changes such as using broccoli, broccoli and cauliflower or maybe even spinach.  Hum, that sounds like a tasty change.  Also, if you want the cheese slightly browned, instead of putting a lid on, put the whole pan under the broiler until lightly browned.

Chicken Spinach Bake

2 to 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise and then into 4 pieces each to form thinner cutlets

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1-2 tsp. Garlic & Herb Seasoning or Italian seasonings (your choice of seasonings)

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 bag (1 lb.) cut spinach leaves, frozen

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese or Italian Blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Sprinkle chicken pieces with seasoning.  Heat oil in non-stick frying pan.  Saute chicken on both sides.  Layer chicken evenly in baking dish.  Add cream cheese over all the tops of chicken.  

In the pan used for the chicken, add the spinach.  Cook until thawed and you aren't seeing any water in the pan.  Place evenly over the cream cheese.  

Top with cheese.  

Bake 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.  Serves 6

Comment:  The 2 food testers that I took this dish to loved it.  One took a bite when I 1st took it to her while it was still hot and couldn't quit eating.  The other ate her dish for dinner and loved it too.  I was worried about it being dry but I assume there was still some water in the spinach that didn't cook out and maybe the cream cheese added some too.  It wasn't dry at all.  Just delicious.

Chicken, Broccoli, and Wild Rice Casserole

Top of Form

Total Time 45 min
Prep 15 min. Cooking 30 min.
Servings 9 (1 cup each)

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups frozen broccoli florets

1 tablespoon whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups skim milk

3/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated, divided

2 cups cooked whole grain wild rice blend

Cooking spray

1/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 350F. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch cubes. Season with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

In a large skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a large bowl.

In the same skillet, heat another 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Add garlic, onion, and broccoli. Cook, stirring until onion is soft and broccoli is bright green. Pour into bowl with chicken.

Turn heat to low and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Sprinkle flour over oil and whisk to make a paste. Slowly add milk, whisking to combine. Stir in cheese and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Remove from heat.

Add rice to chicken and broccoli in the large bowl. Stir to combine. Gently stir in cheese sauce.

Spray a 9x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread rice mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Remove from the oven and serve hot

Comments:  I found this dish on-line and had to give it a try.  The only changes I made were to use a whole medium onion chopped and a frozen package of chopped broccoli, thawed.  My purpose of making this was to take it to a neighbor who's mother was in the hospital.  Well, it made quite a bit so I divided it into 3 casserole dishes.  One medium size and 2 smaller.  I have gotten nothing but raves about this dish from my neighbor, who is also a food tester and another food tester that was lucky enough to enjoy this dish.  It does take some time, but it's worth every minute.

I used a Wild Rice that I've never tried before in this dish.  Its Lundberg Wild Blend Rice.  It contains - Long Grain Brown Rice, Sweet Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Wehani, Red Rice, and Black Rice.  I found this at Walmart and you can bet I'll be buying it again.  

Ritzy Chicken Casserole

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1 can Cream of Chicken or Mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

¾ cup chicken broth

Chopped chicken

4 oz melted butter

2 med. Red potatoes sliced thin.
½ - ¾  cup shredded cheese (to taste)

Crumble one sleeve of Ritz crackers in the bottom of a 2 ½ quart casserole dish.  Drizzle half of the melted butter over crackers.  Layer potato slices over crackers.  Mix chicken with soup, sour cream, broth and rice.  Pour over potatoes.  Top with cheese.  Crush the other sleeve of crackers over mixture.  Drizzle with remaining butter. Cover with foil and place a bread pan over the foil to hold in heat, allowing the potatoes to bake.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  Serves 6-8