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.

Chicken-Spinach-Artichoke Casserole

1 pkg. cream spinach (Green Giant)
1 can artichokes (drained and not seasoned)
1 cup cooked chicken (cut into bite size pieces)
1 boiling bag of rice (boiled)
1/2 cup cheese (shredded)
French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook spinach according to package (microwave).  When done, place in a large bowl.  Chop the drained artichokes and add to the spinach.  Add the chicken and cheese.  Spray a baking dish or pie pan with non-stick spray.  Evenly spread the rice on the bottom of the pan.  Top with the spinach/cheese mixture spreading it over the rice.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with French fried onions.  Bake another 5 minutes.

Comments:  This is delicious and healthy!  Since spinach is the only green I'm allowed to eat (due to a health problem) I try to find creative, healthy and tasty ways to change it up.  Rotisserie chicken works great and cuts prep time too.  If you want, you can add another sprinkle of cheese before adding the onions. This helps them 'stick' to the dish.  I made this in a glass pie pan so it wouldn't be too thick nor too thin.  It worked perfectly.

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.

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 

CHICKEN, BROCCOLI, QUINOA CASSEROLE RECIPE

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts (sliced into strips)

1 16 oz bag fresh broccoli florets

1 cup quinoa (uncooked and rinsed)

1 cup 2% milk

3 cups fat free chicken broth

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tsp poultry seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonfat cooking spray.

Place a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat, and pour in 2 cups of the broth and 1/2 cup milk. Bring to a boil, then whisk in the flour, poultry seasoning and remaining 1/2 cup milk. Whisk well until the sauce is creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Pour into a large bowl.  To the large bowl of sauce, add remaining 1 cup broth and quinoa, and mix well.

Place broccoli florets evenly into baking dish, pour quinoa and sauce mixture over the broccoli.

Season chicken strips with salt and pepper and lay them evenly over top of the casserole.

Cover with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir around a bit.

Return to oven, uncovered this time, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until chicken is golden brown, and quinoa grains are cooked and tender.

Remove from oven and top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Makes 6 servings – 1 cup each

Comment:  I made this using cooked chicken and it worked great.  The combined flavors of the chicken, broccoli and quinoa are simply delicious.  The 2 food testers that were fortunate enough to try this both loved it.  It does make a lot and I had enough left over for the next day and it was even better reheated.  The flavors had blended and I enjoyed it even more.  I did use colby cheese instead of the mozzarella but that was the only change I made.

Broccoli/Cauliflower Chicken Casserole

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts - cooked, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets

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

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water

1-1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl combine all ingredients except the cheese.  Pour into casserole dish.  Cover with foil and bake 45-50 minutes or until rice is done.  Cover with cheese and cook another 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.  Serves 6-8

Comment:  This recipe started out using broccoli only but I had some cauliflower that needed to be used so I combined the 2.  It was also cooked on top of the stove but I decided to make mine in the oven which actually took longer due to the rice.  I also added the can of cream of chicken soup to make it creamer.  This turned out so good.  The 2 'food testers' that tried it simply wanted more.

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Wild Rice Casserole

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 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

Comment:  This is totally delicious!  I did make one change.  I sprinkled mine with French fried onions instead of the panko breadcrumbs.  So, so good.  And healthy too.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 9 servings (1 cup each)
Amount per serving
Calories	218
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g	10%
Saturated Fat 3g	15%
Cholesterol 34mg	11%
Sodium 189mg	8%
Total Carbohydrate 22g	8%
Dietary Fiber 3g	11%
Total Sugars 4g
Includes 0g Added Sugars	0%
Protein 17g
Vitamin D 1mcg	5%
Calcium 146mg	11%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 283mg	6%

Chicken & Spinach Alfredo

8 oz. egg noodles 2 cups Alfredo Sauce 1 cup Ricotta Cheese 1 pkg (10 oz.) spinach, chopped, thawed and drained 1 egg ½ cup Parmesan Cheese 2 cups Italian Cheese Blend 1 tsp. garlic powder ¼ tsp. pepper ½ tsp. salt 2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Cook egg noodles according to package directions and set aside. In a medium bowl combine egg and ricotta cheese. Whisk in the parmesan and half the Italian cheese. Add the seasonings.  In a large bowl mix the chicken, noodles and spinach.  Fold in cheese mix and Alfredo sauce.  Pour into a large baking dish and bake for 15-20  minutes or until hot in the center.  Sprinkle with remaining Italian cheese and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese melts.  Serves 8-10

Comment:  I made this and froze half for another day.  The flavor is delicious and the only thing I might change would be to add a few mushrooms. 

Chicken Alfredo and Rice Casserole

1 10 ounce container refrigerated light Alfredo pasta sauce (I used 1 jar of garlic Alfredo)

½ cup milk

2 ½ cups cooked white rice or wild rice 

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 cup frozen peas (did not have frozen so I eliminated this ingredient)

1/3 cup chopped bottled roasted red sweet peppers (I used fresh orange and green bell peppers that I sauteed)

¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1/2 tsp. dried basil,  crushed

1 cup soft bread crumbs (I used crushed croutons)

1 tablespoon butter, melted (I did not use but used 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese instead) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl combine pasta sauce and milk. Stir in rice, chicken, peas, sweet peppers, nuts, and basil. Transfer to 1-1/2-quart baking dish.

Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Uncover and stir. Combine bread crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle atop. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes more or until heated through and crumbs are golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Martha:  As you can see I made a few changes, as always.  I used the garlic Alfredo sauce which is a staple in my pantry.  I like the sweet taste of orange and yellow bell peppers as well as the taste of the green so I decided to do as I recommend in my cookbooks and 'Think With My Taste Buds.'  The peppers I sauteed in about 1 Tbsp. of olive oil until they were tender and starting to brown lightly.  The croutons and Parmesan I sprinkled over the dish before the 2nd baking giving the dish another texture.  

This dish turned out so good!  There was a slight sweetness from the peppers, the garlic in the Alfredo gave it another taste with both of them combining beautifully.  My food testers ALL loved it.  

Chicken Florentine

·      

           4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, sliced in half

·         1/4 cup butter

·         3 teaspoons minced garlic

·         1 tablespoon lemon juice

·         1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

·         1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

·         1/2 cup half-and-half

·         1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·         1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed & drained

·         4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

·         6 slices precooked bacon, cut into pieces

·         1 cups shredded Italian blend cheese

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the chicken breast halves on a baking sheet; bake 20 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat, and set aside.

2.    Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3.    Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese.

4.    Arrange the spinach over the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish. Cover the spinach with the mushrooms. Pour half the mixture from the saucepan over the mushrooms. Arrange chicken breasts in the dish, and cover with the remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits, and top with mozzarella cheese.

5.    Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Martha:  I found this recipe online after seeing a picture and couldn't wait to give it a try.  It's actually simple and so delicious!  The only changes I made was using Italian blend cheese instead of Mozzarella and I used pre-cooked bacon instead of bacon bits.  I also cut the cheese from 2 cups to 1.  Yes!  I you read that correctly.  This was passed on to 4 of my Food Testers and they gave nothing but high praise for this dish.  It's one I will make often!  One more thing.  I cut the chicken through the thickness making it thinner and it worked perfectly.  And don't salt this dish. Due to the cheese and bacon, it won't need it.