Easy Farmhouse Chicken Chowder

This recipe was fabulous! I adapted it from a Cooks Country Recipe (again!) and it was a hit at our house! go ahead and wipe the drool off your laptop or computer desk...it is really as delicious as it seems!

Easy Farmhouse Chicken Chowder
adapted from "Farmhouse Chicken Chowder" in the April/May 2011 Cook's Country Magazine

6 slices bacon, chopped
6 scallions, white parts chopped fine and green parts
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 celery rib, cliced thin
salt & pepper
6 tablespoons flour
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast (I boiled mine first, then shredded it)
1 cup half and half

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Cook scallion whites, carrots, celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bacon fat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add chicken and half and half. Simmer for about 2 minutes until the chicken is heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon and scallion greens and serve!

Chicken Enchiladas with Cream Sauce

This has been one of my favorites since childhood....my mom never made them (because she makes some other delicious enchiladas) but, I had them all the time at church functions...it was a favorite. So here it is...
Chicken Enchiladas with Cream Sauce
1 small can chopped green chiles (I use Ortega)
1 medium onion, diced
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
12 white corn tortillas (you can use yellow too)
1 cup grated cheese (I use cheddar, but you can use Monterrey Jack...whatever floats your boat)
Sauce:
2 cans reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 (15oz) can fat free evaporated milk
8 oz fat free sour cream (or you can use plain yogurt)

Warm oven to 350*. Grease a 9x13 pan with Pam.
Saute chicken with onion. While the chicken is cooking, toast (brown) corn tortillas in a hot frying pan (make sure you get both sides!). Once the onion is cooked through and chicken is toasty brown, add the chiles and warm until fragrant. Take chicken mixture off the burner.
In a bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together. Add about 1/3 of the sauce to the chicken mixture.
Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture in a tortilla. Roll up and place in the pan. Repeat and place each roll next to the other in the pan, side by side. Spread sauce over the top of the enchiladas in your pan (I don't use all the rest of the sauce because I don't like mine to be soupy, but it is your call to how much you want to add).
Bake at 350* for 20 minutes, Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Another variation: I make this like a lasagna using the tortillas like noodles and the sauce and chicken like the filling adding a little cheese on each layer. It is good both ways! 

ENJOY!

Crispy Ranch Chicken

Well...this recipe was taken from a Penzey Spice magazine. I order some of my spices from them. They are pretty cheap and always have good recipes in their magazine. They have European spices that you just cannot find in the stores. And their shallot salt rocks on baked potato wedges!

Crispy Ranch Chicken
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter (melted)
3/4 cup lightly crushed cornflakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing (the small one)


Preheat oven to 350*. Combine cornflakes, Parmesan and ranch packet in a shallow bowl or plate. Dip the chicken into the butter and then into the cornflake mixture. Spray an aluminum foiled cookie sheet with cooking spray and place chicken strips onto the pan. Bake, uncovered for 30-45 minutes until crispy brown.


Next time I am going to try this recipe a little different. I think I am going to dunk the chicken in fat free buttermilk and I am going to use olive oil to sprinkle over the top...this recipe was dripping with butter (even though I cut the butter in half! it was originally a whole stick!!!) I will tell you how it goes in the future. Of course the husband and munckins devoured the chicken in seconds. It was VERY tasty...maybe just a little unhealthy!    

Tex-Mex Chicken & Rice

Looking for a quick meal tonight?! Here is an easy crowd pleaser! YUMMY! And it is healthy to boot...just don't go overboard on the Fritos!

Tex-Mex Chicken & Rice (adapted from Cook's Country 2011)
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup long grain white rice
salt & pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Pam
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (10 oz)
1 can black beans (16 oz), drained & rinsed
Fritos
Shredded Mexican Cheese blend

1. Combine 1 cup broth and rice in a large bowl. Cover with plastic and microwave until liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Spray a large saucepan with Pam. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
3. Add remaining broth, parcooked rice from the microwave, tomatoes, and beans to now empty skillet. Bring to a boil. Return chicken and juices to skillet and cook, covered over medium low heat until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove chicken from the rice and let it rest on a plate tented with foil, for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, letrice mixture stand covered for 5 minutes.
5. Cut chicken into bite size slices. Serve with crushed Fritos and cheese.