Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

All I can say is AMAZING!!!  These kabobs are so delicious. The first time I made these I thought the marinade was a little odd but after taking my first bite I was just blown away. You should definitely give this recipe a try and see if your family will love it as much as mine does.

Recipe:

1 cup olive oil
1 cup ranch dressing
6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons white vinegar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white sugar
5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - halved, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 green bell pepper, cut into into 1-inch squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into into 1-inch squares
1 (8 ounce) package baby bella mushrooms
15-20 whole pearl onions, peeled with ends cut
1 yellow squash, sliced ½-inch thick
1 zucchini, sliced ½-inch thick

1) In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes.

2) Take 2 large bowls, place the chicken in one and the vegetables in the other. Pour one half of the marinade over the chicken and the other half over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

3) Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers and discard marinade.

4) Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Tip: If using bamboo/wood skewers soak them in water for 30 minutes before using.

Prep Time: 50 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Other Time: Overnight marinade | Yields: 15 to 18 kabobs

Grilled Tuscan Chicken Tacos

Wow, the flavors of this taco shocked me. I loved the taste of the grilled chicken strips and the artichoke hearts were not something I am used to seeing in a taco but they fit perfectly with the other seasonings. The only thing we hated about this meal was the flour tortillas. They tasted disgusting but that had nothing to do with the recipe itself just the brand of shell we chose.

This meal is also great because of the amount of time it takes to prepare. I love making meals that are true to the 30 minutes or less. This meal took no time at all which made it another keeper in my book because after working all day sometimes I just want a fast and easy meal for dinner.


Recipe

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces total)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh button mushrooms
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 tablespoons snipped dried tomatoes (not-oil packed)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup dry white wine
3 to 4 tablespoons bottled Caesar salad dressing
8 (7 to 8 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1) Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; sprinkle with lemon-pepper seasoning. For a charcoal grill, grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170°F), turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place chicken on grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above.) Cut chicken into thin strips. Cover; keep warm.

2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; cook about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Carefully add wine. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3) Spread salad dressing over half of each tortilla. Top with chicken strips and mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold other tortilla half over filling.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Yields: 8 tacos

Source: BHG

Lemon Chicken with Capers

I loved how this was so simple and fast. My husband loved this recipe, but I thought it was very lemony - I guess that is why this recipe is called lemon chicken. So if you are not a huge lemon fan, I would not recommend this meal to you.

Recipe:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-½ lb.)
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
¼ cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
8 ounce green beans, trimmed
2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 juiced
1 tablespoon capers

1) Place one chicken breast half between sheets of plastic wrap. Lightly pound with flat side of meat mallet to even thickness. Repeat. Brush chicken with mustard; sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and bread crumbs to coat.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook 4 minutes per side or until no pink remains (170°F). Transfer to plates. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet. Cook green beans in oil 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; add lemon slices the last minute. Transfer to plates. Add juice and capers to skillet; heat through. Drizzle on chicken.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

Source: BHG

Slow Cooker Curried Chicken

This slow cooker meal made my house smell so GOOD and it tasted amazing. I made this for 3 people and we almost devoured the entire meal ourselves.

Recipe:

2½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch strips
2 red sweet peppers, chopped
2 yellow sweet peppers, chopped
2 small onions, sliced
2 fresh jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup shredded coconut
6 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Hot cooked rice
¾ cup coarsely chopped lightly salted cashews

1) In a 7-quart slow cooker place chicken, sweet peppers, onions, jalapenos, garlic, broth, raisins, coconut, curry powder, salt, cinnamon, and, if desired, cayenne. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8½ to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 4½ hours.

2) Whisk together coconut milk and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into chicken mixture. If cooking on low-heat setting, adjust to high-heat setting. Cover; cook for 15 to 20 minutes more or until slightly thickened. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with cashews.

Note: Because hot chile peppers, such as jalapenos, contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with chiles as much as possible. If your bare hands do touch the chile peppers, wash your hands well with soap and water.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 8½ hours (low) or 4 hours (high) + 15 minutes | Total Time: 9 hours (low) or 4½ hours (high) | Yields: 8 servings

Source: BHG

Chicken, Greens, and Brie

Dinner for Two!!! I absolutely love this recipe. Everything from the chicken, to the pesto, and the brie; it all melts in your mouth... Yum!!  The first time I made this recipe I used a spring salad mix which made it very colorful with the red and green leaves, but the second time I made it (as shown in the photo) my husband bought only a green salad mix. Both salad mixes tasted great, but I loved how the red and green salad mix made it so colorful and pretty. So from here on out I will stick with the more visually appealing salad greens, lol. Enjoy!

Recipe:

3 cups torn mixed salad greens
1 cup seedless green grapes
½ cup walnut halves, toasted
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar, white vinegar, or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon strawberry spreadable fruit
¼ cup basil pesto
¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (8 ounces total)
1 cup chicken broth
2 (1 to 2 ounce) Brie wedges, sliced

1) For salad, in a large bowl combine greens, grapes, and nut halves; set aside. For dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the ¼ cup oil, vinegar, and spreadable fruit; set aside. For pesto, in a small bowl combine pesto and chopped nuts; set aside.
2) In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook about 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove skillet from heat; drain fat. Carefully add broth (liquid may spatter). Return skillet to heat. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from skillet; discard broth.
3) Toss together salad and dressing Transfer salad to dinner plates. Arrange chicken and Brie on top of greens. Spoon pesto mixture over chicken.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 16 minutes | Total Time: 26 minutes | Yields: 2 servings

Source: BHG

Chicken Pesto

This is another quick meal for those of us that come home from work and want something easy and homemade. You can use jarred basil pesto from the store but I am in the process of searching for a homemade version that I like and once I find it I will add it to this recipe for you.

Recipe:

4 large carrots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup basil pesto
¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Olive oil (optional)
Fresh basil (optional)

1) In a 12-inch skillet cook carrots in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add chicken; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until no pink remains in chicken. Add pesto; toss to coat.
2) To serve: Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with basil.

Note: Once chicken has been added, add more olive oil to skillet if needed.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

Source: BHG

Garlic Chicken

For all of you garlic lovers out there, this recipe is a must have. You can taste the yummy garlic in every bite. Enjoy!!

Recipe:

4 skinless boneless chicken breast, halves
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
¼ cup olive oil
⅓ cup dry bread crumbs
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Montreal chicken seasoning

1) Preheat oven to 425°F.
2) Add garlic and olive oil to a small dish and warm in the microwave to blend the flavors. In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and Montreal chicken seasoning. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture until completely covered. Place the chicken in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3) Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Notes: If you have some leftover bread crumbs you can pat more onto each chicken breast.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this meal for the first time for my boyfriend on our 1 year anniversary. It was one of the best weekends of my life since little did I know that he planned on proposing to me to following day.

This soup originally did not have black beans in it, so if you are not a black bean fan I'm sure it will still taste great without them.  I on the other-hand felt like it needed them as well as some other spices.  So for our family this recipe has been perfected to our liking but can always be changed around to suit yours.

Recipe:

4 chicken breasts
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can mild enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 gloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed

1) Place all ingredients into a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on the Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on the High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2) One hour before it is done, remove all the chicken breasts and shred them. Place shredded chicken back into the slow cooker for the remaining hour.
3) To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Notes: Remove the bay leaf before serving. Add more chicken broth if needed.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 8 hours | Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes |
Yield: 8 servings

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

I have made this recipe several times and believe that I have finally perfected it. It is great comfort food and would warm anyone up on a cold winter night. It is very filling and definitely hits the spot. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Recipe:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cut into small pieces)
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (14.5 ounce) can reduced sodium chicken broth
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into small pieces
Salt to taste

1) Place the chicken, butter, and onion into a 5-quart slow cooker.
2) In a medium bowl stir together the soups, broth, and black pepper. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken and stir together.
3) Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High.
4) About 2 hours before serving, add the peas, carrots, and celery. Drop the torn biscuit dough pieces into the slow cooker and gently push them down into the liquid.
5) Cover, and cook for the remaining 2 hours or until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Notes: Occasionally push the dumplings into the liquid to help them cook through. If it looks too thick for your liking, add some water or more chicken broth to thin it out.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 6 hours | Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes |
Yields: 8 servings