Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

- 1 Chicken Breast, Cooked and Cubed

- 8 oz Cream Cheese, Whipped

- 1 T Chives, Finely Chopped

- 1 Small Can Green Chiles

- 1/2 C Pineapple Tidbits

- 1 Small Can Green Enchilada Sauce

- 1 Small Can Sliced Black Olives

- 1 C Cheddar-Jack Cheeses, Shredded

- 1/2 C Heavy Whipping Cream

- 8 Fresh Corn Tortillas

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first five ingredients until cream cheese is blended in well. Fill the eight tortillas and roll into enchiladas. Cover the enchiladas with the whipping cream, then enchilada sauce, then olives, and finally the cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes; remove foil and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly on top. Serve hot.

Potato Chicken Chowder

I love making soup in the fall. What I really like to do is make up my own versions or variations of common soups, stews and chowders. I made this one up this morning and we just had it for lunch. There is so much of it, about 12 servings, I'm giving some to my mother-in-law and freezing the rest for a meal later in the month.

Ingredients:

3 T - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 - Medium Yellow Onion, diced

3 - Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

2 - Celery Stalks w/Leaves, diced

1 - Large Carrot, diced

2 - Broccoli Crowns, chopped

6 - Potatoes, small to medium, diced

8 - Cups Ham Broth

1 - Rotisserie Chicken, skin, fat and bones removed, chopped

4 - Cups Milk

1/4 - Cup Flour

1/4 - Lb. Gruyere Cheese, Shredded

1/3 - Lb. Cotswold Double Gloucester with Chives and Onions, Shredded

Ground Black Pepper

In a large stock pot (with lid), cook the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and broccoli in olive oil over medium heat until onions are nearly transparent. Add the potatoes and ham broth, bring to a low boil, stirring constantly to avoid burning ingredients on the bottom of the pot. Lower heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat the milk using a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. Slowly whisk in the flour to the milk so that it is completely combined and there are no lumps.

Add the milk mixture to the stock pot and bring back to a low boil, stirring constantly. When steam begins to form, add the chicken and cheese. Stir to combine until cheese is melted. Lower heat to low. Pepper to taste.

This soup is not overly cheesy nor creamy. If you want a cheesier or creamier chowder, add more cheese to the chowder or more flour to your milk.

Kielbasa Potato Chowder

This is a great chowder, super easy and fast!! I served it with grilled panini's (tomato, mozzarella, spinach, hummus, and pesto on ciabatta). I also modified the original recipe by adding a small, cooked chicken breast and decreasing the amount of sausage.

Servings: 4
Time: Prep - 15 minutes, Cook 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 pound smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 bacon strips, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used Turkey and it was great.)
1-1/2 cups water
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 teaspoon chicken bullion granules
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 kale leaves, torn or 1/3 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or 2% milk

Directions:
In a large non-stick skillet, brown kielbasa and bacon; drain, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings. Ad onion and garlic; cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender.

In a large saucepan, bring broth and water to a boil. Add the potatoes, bullion and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add the meat mixture and kale or spinach; cook over medium heat for 2 minutes or until leaves are wilted. Reduce heat. Add the cream; cook 1 minute longer or until heated through. Yield: 4 cups.

Note: If you decide to add a small chicken breast, decrease the amount of sausage to about 1/3 lb if you want to. Also, I cooked the finely cubed, cooked chicken with the sausage, bacon, onion, and garlic all at the same time to let the chicken soak up some of the flavor from the other ingredients. I also added all of it to the cooked potatoes portion, including drippings (with the chicken, there really aren't much as far as drippings are concerned).

Chicken or Veggie Pot Pies

I made these pot pies for our New Year's Eve party. I made 15 of these pies, so you will need to break down the recipe for the amount of servings you need. These are not traditional pot pies. They are baked in large ramekins with a crusted top only, not like a pie. The size of the ramekins I used were 1 1/2 cup.

For the basic filling:
2 pound bag of carrots, peeled and sliced
6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (small cubes)
2 hearts of celery, leaves removed, sliced
8 oz. Crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
6-8 leaves of fresh basil, cleaned and finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Poultry Seasoning
1 teaspoon pepper
Kosher Salt, a few large pinches
1/2 Cup Olive oil
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Chicken Bullion

For the topping:
15 frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls, raised
Flour for rolling out the dough
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk

For the meat pies:
6 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced

Putting these pies together is actually pretty simple. The hardest part is the time it takes to roll out the dough. My measurements are also approximate. If you want to add or subtract from what is listed, or increase/decrease amounts, that is fine.

To start, place your 15 frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls in greased muffin tins, cover with greased plastic wrap and keep in a warm, dark place for about 4 hours. I use Pam to grease the tins and plastic.

In a large, heavy pot, add the olive oil and butter with the heat at medium. Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Increase the temperature to medium-high and cook, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and shallots. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Add the basil, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, stir to blend the seasonings completely. Finally, add the heavy whipping cream and chicken bullion. Stir to combine all ingredients and bring to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.

While the filling is doing the last bit of cooking, dice your chicken breasts and place at the bottom of your ramekins. You do not need to prepare your ramekins at all. Once the filling is ready, fill your ramekins nearly to the top.

On a floured board, roll out the dinner rolls one at a time so they are like small 6 inch pizza crusts. If you want to, cut a design into the middle of the dough now, as it will be more difficult once they are placed on the ramekins. Using an egg wash (2 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons milk) create a seal around the edge of the ramekin for the dough to stick to. After all of the pies are covered with dough, use the wash to cover all exposed dough (this will keep the dough from drying out, shrinking, and make it look prettier after baking.)

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes per batch. I put my ramekins on a large jelly roll pan to catch any leaking from the pies.

* I used three whole rotisserie chickens from the market that were already cooked to help cut down on cooking time. I mainly used the breasts and any good leg meat, avoiding the skin completely.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

- 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded*

- 8 oz. whipped cream cheese (can be low fat)

- 1/2 yellow onion, diced

- 1/2 cup salsa (choose your favorite!)

- 8 large flour tortillas

- 8 oz. Jack Cheese, shredded

- 2 small cans enchilada sauce

Instructions

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9 X 13 inch baking dish, coat with cooking spray. In a medium sized bowl, combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, onion and salsa. Dividing the chicken mixture evenly among the 8 tortillas, roll into enchiladas, closing the ends as you roll (to help them fit in the pan). After all enchiladas are prepared and in the pan, pour the two cans of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas to completely cover. Sprinkle on the cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

*I use the precooked rotisserie chickens from the grocery store for this, which saves a lot of time and energy.

Party Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I recently made these for an open house. The recipe came from my mother-in-law and she made them for my baby shower (over nine years ago). The recipe makes about 30 small sandwiches or about 15 sandwiches on croissants.

Ingredients

2 lbs cooked chicken, cubed

1 can sliced water chestnuts

2 cups red grapes, halved

1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained

2 cups celery, diced

1 1/2 cups toasted almonds, sliced

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon powdered curry

Mix all ingredients together and stuff between almost completely sliced dinner rolls (makes about 30) or croissants (makes about 15 to 20). This salad is also great by itself with crackers for lunch on the go!

Chile Chicken and Rice

I created this recipe last night with what I had in the cupboard and fridge.

Ingredients:

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cubed
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 4 oz. Can Condensed Milk
1 4 oz. Can Green Chile's, Diced
1/2 Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
1 Celery Stem, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

In a large, deep pan heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the cubed chicken. Stir to coat with the oil/butter mixture and cook until no pink is visible. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Stir to cook down the onion and celery. Stirring will also prevent the garlic from burning. Once the onion is slightly translucent, add the chile's, soup, and condensed milk. Stir until completely blended. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Before serving, add pepper to taste. Serve over rice.

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

A World Series Dinner

For the last several years, my family (the three of us) have watched the World Series on television. We sit around and root for the underdog, unless the Yankees are in. (Even then, some would say we would still be rooting for the underdog.) Well, I only make this meal once per year, and this year we are mixing it up a little bit more. Here is the menu:

• Hot Dogs with Tyler Florence's "Hot Dog Chili"
• Honey Jalapeno Wings
• Lesley's Creamy Coleslaw (see previous post)
• Cracker Jacks (during the 7th inning stretch)

No. It is not the healthiest dinner I have ever put together. Then again, we only eat like this once a year. Here are the recipes for the Hot Dog Chili and the Honey Jalapeno Wings.

Tyler Florence's Hot Dog Chili
www.foodnetwork.com

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium jar ketchup, about 2 1/2 cups
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put a skillet over medium heat and drizzle in a 2-count of olive oil. When the oil gets hazy, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until it is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, and cook until nicely browned, about 10 more minutes. Stir in the ketchup, chili powder, and mustard and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Devil Dawn's Honey Jalapeno Wings
AOL food - Dawn M a long-time Charger fan in San Diego

I cut this recipe down to one quarter the original for our small group. The recipe below makes 15 wings.

7 jalapenos
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/1 cups water
1 1/4 cups honey
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice
3/4 cup yellow mustard
15 chicken wings

Before the Game: Roast (or boil) the jalapenos until tender, then blend with all ingredients, except chicken of course, in a blender or food processor. (You can seed the jalapenos to get the flavor, but not as much of the heat if you desire.) Marinate the chicken for at least one hour, the longer the better, in most of the sauce, saving some sauce for brushing during grilling.

At the Game: Grill until done. Dawn says she doesn't know how long since the men won't let her near the grill anymore, but when they look done, that's when you're supposed to take them off the grill (apparently).

Even better, Dawn usually starts the day before, marinate several hours, and then bake right in the marinade for 25 minutes, brushing with saved marinade, just to get that great, caramelized finish.

Egg Rolls w/Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

This is a recipe I was sent via an email recipe exchange. Thank you Amy! I will be trying this one on Saturday night-

Egg Rolls

Sautee either cut up cabbage or bagged cole slaw in sesame oil (or any other oil) seasoned with Lawry's seasoned salt until slightly wilted (maybe just still a bit crunchy). Sautee chicken in Lawry's seasoned salt, shred and combine with cabbage/cole slaw.

Wrap tightly in egg roll wrappers and seal with egg white. Deep fry in peanut oil until golden brown. Drain and enjoy!!!

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup pineapple juice
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix together brown sugar and corn starch in a small sauce pan.

Stir in rest of the ingredients.

Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly until slightly thickened and bubbly.

Homeade Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken Stock:

1 whole chicken, cut up
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bunch of celery, finely chopped
3 large carrots, finely chopped
5 chicken bouillon cubes
Salt & Pepper

Put all ingredients in a large pot, cover with water. Cook on medium to low heat until chicken is done and falling off the bone, about 1 1/2 hours. Once chicken is done, take out and let it cool off. When chicken is cool, pull the meat off of the bone and put it back into the pot. Cover and simmer.

Dumplings:

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
3 Tbl. butter flavored shortening, soft
3/4 C. milk

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening. Mix the milk in just a little bit at a time, until a nice dough forms. Roll out dough on a floured surface, roll out nice and flat because they will puff up when cooking. Cut into squares. Bring the chicken stock back to a boil and drop in the dumplings one at a time, right into the boiling part. When all of the dumplings are in, cover and turn heat down to a medium/low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the dumplings will cook away to nothing. It is a tough line to walk, cook them long enough so that they are not doughy, but don't overcook them.
Enjoy.