Creamy Chicken & Quinoa Soup

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, sliced very thin
1 envelope of dry chicken gravy
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 cup uncooked quinoa

Bring the broth, onion and gravy mix to a boil.  Cut cream cheese into small pieces and add to liquid.  Whisk until blended.  Bring back to a boil and add quinoa.  Lower heat to a slow simmer.  Add chicken.  Cook 20-25 minutes or until quinoa is tender and has white, spiral-like threads around each grain.  Easily serves 8.

Comment:  This was a clean out my pantry recipe that I made up as I went along finding ingredients.  It is creamy and so delicious.  The gravy mix had enough salt that I didn't have to add anymore.  The gravy and cream cheese gave it the creamy texture that made it perfect.  If you don't like quinoa, try making this using small pasta noodles.  Either way you make it, I believe you'll like it enough to make over and over.  You can also add a little cheese for another added flavor.  When not eaten immediately, this becomes a side dish with the quinoa soaking up the liquids.  I have a friend who ate it both ways and loved it both ways.

Chicken Spinach Logs/Burgers

1 lbs. ground chicken
1 cup chopped spinach

1 tsp. finely chopped garlic

1 small red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. oil
½ cup shredded cheese

spray oil for frying

In a medium frying pan saute onions and garlic until transparent in oil.  Add spinach and saute until limp.  Allow to cool completely.  In a large bowl combine all ingredients.  Shape into logs/patties.  Heat a non-stick pan over med-high heat until hot.  Add logs/patties.  Use spray oil only if needed.  Cook on all sides until brown.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook an additional 10 minutes or until the center reads 165 degrees.  Serves 4

Comments:  I wasn’t sure I would like this but decided to give it a try.  The original recipe didn’t use the cheese but I thought it would make everything stick together better so I added just a light amount of cheese.  The original also had the logs resting on a pressed out, grilled biscuit.  I passed on that.  I made these the 1^st time as logs and after tasting them I decided they would be delicious as burgers so I made them a 2^nd time as burgers, adding my favorite condiments and they were delicious!  This is now my go-to healthy burger.  My 3 food testers also loved it both as a log as well as on a bun.  One of my testers stopped me and said he wanted the recipe.  He wants to start making them for himself.

Crescent Chicken

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

8 frozen breaded chicken strips

8 slices precooked bacon

8 slices Cheddar cheese

ranch dressing

Steps

1

Heat oven to 375°F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place 1 chicken strip on wide end of each triangle; fold 1 slice bacon in half, placing on top of chicken strip, and add 1 slice of cheese folded into thirds.

2

Roll up each crescent, ending at tip of triangle. Place cheese side up on cookie sheet.

3

Bake 17 to 21 minutes or until deep golden brown and chicken is heated through. Serve warm with ranch dressing.

Comment:  This is really good and so easy to make.  The original recipe called for 4 slices of cheese, but I didn’t read that part and added the whole slice folded into thirds.  A really good mistake!  I loved the slight sweetness from the crescents.  Each ingredient was well blended allowing you to taste each flavor.  This would be great dipped in pizza sauce.

Loaded Chicken & Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cubed (1″)
6-8 medium skin on red potatoes, cut in 1/2″ cubes
1/3 c olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp hot sauce (more if you like it HOT)

Topping:

2 c fiesta blend cheese
1 c crumbled bacon

1 c diced green onion

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9X13″ baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and chicken and stir to coat. Carefully scoop the potatoes and chicken into the prepared baking dish..
3. Bake the potatoes and chicken for 55-60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until cooked through, crispy, and browned on the outside. While the potatoes are cooking, fry your bacon (about half a pound).
4. Once the potatoes and chicken are fully cooked, remove from the oven. Top the cooked potatoes with the cheese, bacon, and green onion. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve With: extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing or sour cream!

Comment:  This was a recipe my beautiful granddaughter Skyler posted.  I couldn’t wait to give it a try and boy was I glad I did.   It makes enough to serve at least 6 so I had plenty to pass on to 3 of my neighbor friends who raved about it too.  Of course, it wouldn’t be natural for me if I didn’t made a couple of changes.  I didn’t have green onions, so I decided to mix some dehydrated onions in with my seasonings.  I also decided to add some French fried onions on top with the bacon and cheese.  Both were great changes.  This is a dish that could be made with ground beef too.  If using ground beef, I would suggest cutting the oil down at least half.  You would want just enough to lightly coat the potatoes.  Actually, this can be done with a spray type oil which would allow you to use even less oil.  After spraying add the seasonings and toss to coat.  About half way through baking, add the ground beef and return to the oven until the potatoes are completely cooked.  This can be sped up by covering the dish with foil.  I can’t wait to give this dish using the ground beef a try.  I know it’s going to be delicious.

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

Hide Images

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 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 & Dumpling Casserole

1/2 cup butter 1 stick

1 cup small onion chopped

2 ribs celery chopped

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 cup Self-Rising Flour

1 cup milk 2% or higher

2 cups chicken broth

1 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup undiluted

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add chopped onion and celery.

Cook for about 8-10 minutes (until veggies are soft).

Pour the butter and veggie mixture into your prepared baking dish.

Add the chicken in a layer on top of the vegetables.

In a small bowl, combine self-rising flour with milk.

Pour this mixture over chicken (do not stir mixture).

In another small bowl combine the chicken broth with the cream of chicken soup.

Season this with a bit of salt & pepper (optional).

Pour this mixture over the chicken.

Do not mix the layers.

Then bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the casserole is set.

Comment:  This is one of the best recipes I've found in a long time!    The only changes I made was to use rotisserie chicken that was garlic seasoned and I used only 1 cup of chicken broth instead of 2 which turned out perfect.  This is moist, tender, but mostly simply delicious.  This will be a dish I make quite often.  P.S. - add a small can of drained English peas or peas and carrots before adding the chicken layer for a chicken pot pie!

Simple Chicken with Spinach, Artichoke and Rice

1/2 cup Wild Rice Blend
2 (6 oz. each) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. TGI Fridays Spinach & Artichoke Cheese Dip
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Make cuts in chicken that go the full width but not completely through allowing the chicken to 'butterfly'.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken until juice runs clear.  While chicken is cooking cook rice according to package directions.  When chicken is done top with Spinach & Artichoke Dip.  Cook 10 minutes or until heated and bubbly.  Serve over rice.

Martha:  This is one of the easiest dishes you'll find that is busting with flavor.  The spinach and artichokes give this dish a full flavor that can't be beat.  The cooking time depends on the thickness of your chicken but mine cooked in about 15 minutes.  The cuts speed up the process too.  This is perfect for a quick, after work dish that looks like you spent all evening making.

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

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

1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1 box (1 lb.) spaghetti

1 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
French Fried Onions, crushed

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook spaghetti according to directions, drain and set aside.  Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix soup, water chestnuts,  sour cream and milk until blended. Stir in chicken, cheese and bell pepper.   Bake 30-40 minutes or until bubbly in the center.  Sprinkle with French Fried onions and bake another 5-10 minutes allowing the onions to brown slightly.  Serve on top of spaghetti.  Sprinkle with a little cheese (optional).

Martha:  This dish was originally a recipe for a Chicken Tortillas Casserole but as I started putting it together I decided to make a couple changes.  I added the chestnuts for their texture.  The chicken breasts were sprinkled with Greek seasoning to give added flavor and baked.  I actually decreased the cheese to 1 cup instead of 1 1/2 (yeah, can you believe I did that!).  Instead of using broken tortillas I decided to use spaghetti.  I was afraid the tortillas would become soggy.  And last I added the crushed French Fried onions.  I've heard so many raves on those who had the joy of trying this one.  It is simply delicious!  The only change I can think of would be to add celery.  It's actually perfect the way it is.

Food Tester Carol:  Hi Martha, that was one delicious dish you made!  We had it last night and yummed our way through it! It was light and fresh tasting, I'm sure, partly because of the water-chestnuts, tender, moist chicken and sauce.

Mediterranean Chicken & Potatoes

4-5 medium potatoes, cubed
2 chicken breasts, cubed

1 head broccoli, cut into large chunks

2 Tbsp. olive oil - divided

2 Tbsp. butter, melted - divided

2 Tbsp. Greek seasoning - divided
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice

Dash garlic seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl toss potatoes with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. butter, melted, and 1 Tbsp. Greek seasoning.  Pour into a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and bake 30 minutes turn occasionally.  In the same bowl toss together chicken breast and broccoli with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. butter, melted, and 1 Tbsp. Greek seasoning.  Add this to the potatoes and bake another 20-25 minutes or until potatoes and chicken are done and slightly browned, tossing occasionally.  While all is still hot, sprinkle with cheese and toss to mix.  Serves 6.

Martha:  I found a recipe for the potatoes but decided to give this dish a try adding chicken and broccoli.  This turned out really good.  The cooking time will vary depending on how large you cut up your potatoes and chicken.  I used an Italian blend cheese which worked deliciously.  I also topped mine with a little sour cream.

Chicken Shangri-La With a Twist

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
2 cans (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms, drained
1 can (6 oz.) water chestnuts, sliced
2 cans Chinese noodles (or 2 cups cooked egg noodles)
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced onions
1 small can cashew nuts (or 1/2 cup almond slivers)
Butter
Crushed potato chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine first 8 ingredients.  Spoon into a large (9 x 12 x 2 approx.) baking dish sprayed with non-stick.  Dot the top with butter then sprinkle with crushed potato chips, as desired.  Bake uncovered for 1 hr.

Martha:  This sounded like a really good dish and decided on an impulse to give it a try.  I thought I had all of the ingredients - not.  So I decided to 'Think With My Taste Buds' and see what I could use in place of what I didn't have.  The chicken came from 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves that I baked.  I had the soup, mushrooms and chestnuts but when it came to the Chinese noodles I found that I only had 1 can but I had plenty of egg noodles so I cooked up what ended up being about 2 cups.  The celery I cut down to 2 stalks and the onion I cut down to 1 medium and instead of slicing, I chopped.  Then came the cashews.  I had about a handful.  I always keep almond slivers in the refrigerator so decided to use them instead.  For the butter it took about 1/2 a stick and I used about 3/4 cup of crushed to cover the dish well.  Now for cooking.  Since I used egg noodles I knew those exposed to the heat would become 'crispy' when cooked so I took a piece of foil and laid it on top of the dish, removing it the last 10 minutes to allow the chips to brown.  This dish turned out simply delicious!  So see - if you Think With Your Taste Buds you can usually come up with something to add in place of what you don't have or don't like.

The original recipe came from a cookbook titled Seasonal Sampling from the American Cancer Society in Michigan, dating 1981.  Bringing back the old dishes is fun and tasty!

Carol:  Your Chicken Shangri-La With a Twist is delicious.  Noodles and chicken are always good together but paired with the water chestnuts and other cruncy bits (haven't figured that out) it is a very appealing meal.  I know you  will say this is easy to put together but I guess it will be because you have done the hard work of thinking through such a good combination!

Chicken Spinach Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles
1 pkg (10 oz.) chopped spinach, thawed and very well drained (I squeeze mine between paper towels)
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. carton sour cream
1 can (4-6 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup almond slivers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish with non-stick spray.  In a large bowl combine the spinach, chicken, 2 cups cheddar, onions, nutmeg, cornstarch, salt, pepper, soy sauce, soup, sour cream, mushrooms, and mayonnaise.  Mix until well blended.  Place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of the baking dish.  Top with 1/2 of the chicken mixture.  Top with 3 more lasagna noodles and then the remaining chicken mix.  Top with the last 3 noodles.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and almond slivers.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serves 6-8

Martha:  I found this recipe in a community cookbook put out by one of the real estate companies here in Charlotte.  The only changes I made was to increase the noodles from 6 to 9 and I also added the almond slivers.  My chicken came from 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I baked.  The original recipe called for 2 cups, this gave me about 3 cups.  I did cut my chicken into pieces but then pulled the pieces apart virtually making it shredded more so than chopped.  The addition of the almonds added another texture making it even more appealing to the mouth.  I served this dish to 6 of my food testers and I've received nothing but comments like 'is there any more?'  'when will you be making this again?'  'this is going to be one of my favorites!'  and of course 'this was simply the best yet!'  It may look like a lot of ingredients but each one adds just a touch of flavor which when combined become something so good you'll want more.

Carol:  First of all, I'm writing about the chicken lasagna.  Frances and I thought it was one of the best recipes you have developed!  We loved the filling you put in the lasagna, the topping of cheese and almonds, and that special something that makes it all so flavorful!  It is definitely our favorite "Martha" recipe to date!!!!!  I don't know whether all of that flavor is because of the pinch of nutmeg, but whatever it is, it's all delicious!

Chicken & Potato Casserole

4 med. potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 med. onion, sliced
6 slices cheese
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a baking dish (9 x 13 x 2) with non-stick spray.  place potato slices in dish.  Top with onions.  Top onions with cheese.  Cut chicken into thin strips.  In a large frying pan heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil.  Brown chicken on both sides.  Place on top of cheese.  Add soup and milk to the frying pan.  Whisk together and heat.  Pour over chicken.  Cover with foil.  Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are done.  Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes to brown top.  Serves 4 - 6.

Martha:  I found a version of this recipe in a 1983 cookbook.  It actually called for pork chops, not chicken but when I decided to Think With My Taste Buds I knew the switch would work, and it did.  The original called for American cheese, I used cheddar.  I also increased the oven temp from 325 to 350 and increased the cooking time from 1/2 hr. to 45 minutes.  When I checked my potatoes after 1/2 hr. they weren't quite done so I added the additional 15 minutes.  This dish is delicious and you can, of course, change it back to pork chops.  This would also be good made with ground beef.

Chicken Hash

3 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. grated onion

1 1/2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup Chicken stock or broth

1/2 cup cream

2 to 3 cups chopped, cooked chicken

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup grated cheese

Dash of Paprika

Heat the butter, add onion and cook over low heat until soft but not browned.  Add flour and stir until blended; slowly add the stock and stir until thickened and smooth.  Add cream and chicken, season to taste. 

Slowly add a little of the hot sauce to the beaten eggs; add to remaining chicken mixture, stirring constantly. 

Turn into a shallow baking dish, sprayed with non-stick spray, and sprinkle with cheese and a dash of Paprika.  Heat under the broiler until lightly browned and bubbly.  

Serves 6

Lillian:  This is a dish from the early 1940'S and is still a great family or pot luck dish.  You can add some buttered bread crumbs or buttery crackers, crushed, if you like a crumb topping.  You can divide it into smaller casseroles and freeze some for a later meal.  This is just good plain cooking and eating.

Martha:  Lillian is right.  This is just good, plain cooking and eating!  The flavors blend together creating a comforting feeling with each bite.  This recipe is so simple, yet so good that I really believe it would be delicious made with pork or beef.  And I like the idea of adding the buttery crackers or better yet some cheezy crackers crumbled over the top.  Everytime I make a dish from the past I can't help but wonder why we quit cooking like our mothers and grandmothers did.  When did we lose this simple but beautiful art of cooking?  I'm ready to bring it back.

One Pot Chicken and Rice

1 1/2 cups raw rice
1 cup water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup melted oleo (margarine or butter)
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix
8 - 10 pieces of chicken
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Lightly grease a shallow 3 qt. baking dish.  Sprinkle rice and 1 cup of water over the bottom.  Combine soups, oleo, 1/4 cup water and dry soup mix.  Pour half soup mixture on top of rice.  Place chicken in one layer, skin side up on top of rice.  Pour remaining soup mixture over chicken.  Sprinkle with almonds.  Cover and bake 2 1/2 hrs.  To brown chicken, uncover last 20 minutes and bake at 400 degrees.  Yield: 6 - 8 servings.

Martha:  This recipe came from a cookbook with no name.  It's a spiral paperback that is very poorly put together and there is a hand written date of Jan. 1983 on the top of the 1st page.  It may be in poor condition but the recipes inside aren't.  I made very little change in making this dish.  I used a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and instead of white rice I used a wild rice blend that I find at Harris Teeter and love dearly.  I also used 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts which I cut down the center creating 6 pieces.  And of course I used butter instead of the oleo (not sure you can even find that anymore).  I must say that this dish is one of the best I've had, especially the rice combined with the soup.  I could make this and completely leave out the chicken!  It's that good.  Or you could cook the chicken, chunk it up and just mix it in with the soups creating a casserole.  No matter how you make this, I really feel that you'll love it as much as I do.  The rice blend has a nutty taste and the almonds give it a slight crunch.  Sooooo good!

Chicken Scaloppine

2 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" strips
1 pkg. McCormick Gourmet Garlic & White Wine Chicken Scaloppine
1/4 cup flour
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can sliced mushrooms, undrained
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup orzo pasta

In a gallon plastic bag mix flour and 2 Tbsp. of the McCormick Gourmet mix.  Place chicken strips in bag and shake coating chicken completely.  Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over med. high heat.  Add the chicken to the pan in batches allowing each to cook about 3 minutes on each side or until brown but don't allow the chicken pieces to touch while cooking.  Remove from pan and add next batch until all chicken is browned.  Into the pan stir in mushrooms with liquid, remaining seasoning mix, chicken broth and orzo.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat to simmer.  Place chicken over orzo.  Cover and cook 10 minutes or until the orzo is done and the liquid has been absorbed.  Serves 6

Martha:  I found this package of McCormick Gourmet Garlic & White Wine Chicken Scaloppine on sale and decided to give it a try.  Sure glad I did.  This is one of the best chicken dishes I've had in a long time.  The flavors are perfectly blended and absorb into the chicken and orzo giving both a wonderful taste.  The original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of water or chicken stock and 1/2 cup of white wine.  I increased the broth and eliminated the wine.  My food testers that were given this to try have all raved about how good this turned out.  And it's so simple to make.

Complete Chicken Dinner

1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen broccoli, chopped
4 med. potatoes
2 large chicken breasts, cooked
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup Panko

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook broccoli until tender.  Drain well and place in the bottom of a 3 qt. baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Peel and slice potatoes.  Cook until tender, drain, place on top of broccoli.  Break chicken up into bite size pieces and place on top of potatoes.  In a large bowl combine both soups and mayonnaise.  Pour over chicken.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has melted.  Sprinkle with Panko and cook an additional 5 minutes or until Panko starts to lightly brown.  Serves 4-6 depending upon how hungry you are.

Martha:  I have a neighbor who had a stroke so I decided to make a dish for she and her sister to eat on for a couple of days.  I found this recipe in an old cookbook and made just a couple of changes.  The original didn't call for the potatoes which I added to really make this a complete meal.  It called for curry powder and lemon juice which I left out and it called for 2 cans of cream of chicken.  I made the change to use 1 chicken and 1 mushroom.  My chicken I actually sprinkled with salt, pepper and crushed rosemary and let it refrigerate overnight baking it in the oven the next day.  This added another flavor that fit very well.  That combined with the mayonnaise mixed with the soups add yet another touch to the flavor.    The dish came out simply delicious!  It's simple to make and is perfect to take to a shut-in, take to a pot luck or serve at your own home.

Orzo Chicken

1 cup uncooked orzo

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup shredded cheese

2 tbsp. butter, softened

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

Panko & another 1/4 cup of shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook orzo according to package and drain.  Combine all ingredients (except panko and extra 1/4 cup of cheese) in a large bowl, and spoon into a 2-quart casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Top with 1/4 cup of cheese and enough Panko to cover dish.  Bake another 5 minutes or until Panko has browned slightly and cheese has melted.

Martha:  I found a recipe for broccoli and rice that sounded good but it called for instant rice.  I spotted the box of Orzo and thought why not.  I did cook the orzo and cut down the amount of broccoli called for in the recipe, which was 2 frozen packages.  And of course I added the chicken.  I baked 3 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts using enough to make a cup and also used the drippings as my broth.  If you don't have a full 1/4 cup of drippings, add a little water.  The balance of the chicken I ground and have made a 'Chicken Cheese Ball' that I'll post later.  This dish really turned out great!  It's simple to make and very tasty.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

2 lbs. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
½ lb Ham chopped into thin chunks Very Thinly Sliced Black Forest Ham, Rough Chopped

6-8 slices Sliced Swiss Cheese

4 Tablespoons Butter

4 Tablespoons Flour

3 cups Heavy Cream

4 oz Seasoned Parmesan Cheese (jar type)

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tsp.  Paprika

Panko Bread Crumbs

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 9- x 13-inch baking dish.  Put shredded chicken on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with chopped ham. Lay the Swiss cheese on top of the ham.

Sauce:

Melt butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a lump-free roux. When roux begins to heat and slight bubble, slowly pour in heavy cream and whisk until smooth.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in garlic. Parmesan cheese, Dijon mustard, salt & pepper, and paprika. Stirring constantly bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole.

Top with enough Panko to evenly cover the dish.  Bake casserole uncovered for 25 - 30 minutes until hot and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot over egg noodles.

Martha:  I watched a Chef on a local TV show make Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole.  I waited for her to give the recipe measurements but instead she said to go to her site.  Well I did but there had been nothing published on her site since 2012 so I went searching with only a partial list of her ingredients to go by.  I found several recipes but none that were like hers so I had to do a lot of guessing and this is what I came up with.  I doubt that I got 'her' recipe correct but I did come up with a pretty good dish.  I do believe she used shredded Parmesan cheese but I also know how easily it will lump when melting so I decided to use the jar type which worked great.  I also used the seasoned type to give it added flavor.  She served her dish over noodles but my sauce was thick enough that I decided to serve mine without noodles.  I will be making this dish again!

Food Tester Carol:  Moist strips of chicken breast baked in a cream and cheese sauce with diced ham and a hearty covering of Parmesan are a delight.  This is a delicious main dish and served as the evening meal, lifts everyone’s spirits!  I like this better than the traditional chicken breast stuffed with ham and cheese, which can be a bit heavy.  The casserole variation with pieces of chicken breast covered in the sauce is, to me, a more pleasing meal.

Chicken Paprika - from old cookbook

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked (about 1 1/2 lb.), cut into chunks
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter


1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
4 tsp. paprika
1 can (4 oz.) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. poppy seed
2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. egg noodles

Melt 1/2 stick butter in skillet.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Blend in flour and salt.  Remove form heat.  Gradually add milk, stirring constantly.  Stir 1/4 cup of sauce into egg yolks.  Stir into remaining sauce and return to heat.  Cook over med. heat until mixture thickens stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low and stir in paprika.  Add mushrooms and chicken.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in sour cream and heat just until sauce is hot.  Cook noodles according to package.  Drain and add 2 Tbsp. butter and poppy seeds.  Serve chicken and sauce over noodles.  Serves 6

Martha:  This recipe came form an old Swif Food Guide cookbook.  I have no idea as to how old this book is but I would guess around the 60-70s.  I've never eaten this dish before now and found it really delicious, especially the sauce.  When I took some to one of my food testers she was so excited.  Apparently she hasn't had this dish in years.  For future making of this dish I will eliminate the poppy seeds.  They didn't seem to add anything to the flavor and I found myself having to brush my teeth twice to get them out.  I also want to try serving this over rice, especially wild rice and maybe even a rice mixture.  This is a dish that is not only easy to make but I think everyone that tastes it will love it.