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.

Chicken & Spinach Alfredo

8 oz uncooked spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. chicken tenders (not breaded), cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1 ½ cup chopped spinach

1 jars (16 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce

1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese, optional
¼ cup Panko

Steps

1 Heat oven to 350°F.

2 Cook pasta as directed on box; drain.

3 Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, salt and pepper; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add spinach, saute 2-3 minutes.  Add Alfredo sauce; carefully stir until well blended.

4 Spoon spaghetti evenly into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick; sprinkle mozzarella cheese over spaghetti.  Evenly spoon Alfredo mix over the cheese. 

5 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and thoroughly heated.
6 Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Panko.  Put back in the oven and turn the oven off, allowing the cheese to melt.

Serves 6-8

Comment:  This recipe originally used broccoli, which I can’t eat, so I substituted it with spinach.  I used frozen ‘bag’ spinach which is easier to work with.  The original had everything mixed together and then placed in a baking dish.  I made the separation which made ‘cutting’ a serving so much easier.  I also added the parmesan and panko.  So delicious!  So easy!

Chicken Lazone

2 teaspoons kosher (coarse) salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 lb uncooked chicken breast tenders (not breaded)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup whipping cream

In small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder and 2 teaspoons chili powder. Sprinkle over 1 lb uncooked chicken breast tenders (not breaded) to completely coat.

In 10-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter over medium-low or medium heat. Add coated chicken tenders; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned and no longer pink in center. Transfer chicken to plate; set aside.

In same skillet, heat 1 cup whipping cream, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet. Increase heat to simmer or until cream comes to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until cream is reduced by half. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Season to taste with salt. Return chicken to skillet.
Serves 4

Comments:  I forgot to buy the whipping cream so I used 1 1/4 cups of milk and 1 Tbsp. flour, mixed until smooth and I also added 1/4 cup of soft cream cheese with chives & onions.  I added the cream cheese to the frying pan after taking the chicken out, stirring until melted.  I then added the milk with flour cooking until it started to thicken.  Then I replaced the chicken, heating everything and poured over the pasta.  This dish is different.  I took one bite and wasn't sure I liked it but found myself wanting another bite, then another, then another.  It really is good.

Chicken Spinach Artichoke for One

1 chicken breast, baked
1/4 cup Spinach Artichoke Dip
1/2 cup boiling bag rice, cooked

Preheat oven to 400.  In an ovenproof dish sprayed with non-stick spray, place the rice, top with all but a tablespoon of the Spinach Artichoke Dip on the rice, top with the chicken, top that with the tablespoon of Spinach Artichoke Dip.  Place in the oven 5 minutes or until the dip is hot and lightly melting.

Comment:  This is so easy and so good.  You can actually use deli baked or fried chicken or bake your own.  The dip I buy is in the produce section.  It's creamy and full of chunks of artichoke and lots of spinach.  This is such a simple dish as well as delicious.