Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken

8 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2-1/2 pounds total)
8 thin slices prosciutto or 4 pieces Canadian-style bacon, halved
6 cups cooked long grain white and wild rice blend* or cooked white rice
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sliced green onions (8)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh asparagus (about 12 spears) or chopped fresh broccoli
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry sherry, white wine, or milk
3/4 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. With a small sharp knife, make a 2-inch-wide horizontal slit in the side of each chicken breast to create a deep pocket. Stuff each pocket with 1 piece of the prosciutto or half of a piece of the Canadian bacon, folding or cutting as needed to fit.
2. Spread rice in a lightly greased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Top with chicken. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add green onions; cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Whisk in flour and pepper until well mixed. Add milk all at once, whisking to combine. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir in asparagus, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and the sherry. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, the panko, and Italian seasoning.
4. pour sauce over chicken; sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Chicken Parmesan

5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat and dried
1 bag of Caesar Salad croutons
1/4 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 package of fresh mozzarella  (one large ball or loaf)
1 batch of Gena's Red Sauce (see recipe on this blog)
Canola oil

Place croutons in food processor and pulse until they are fine crumbs. Pour into a bowl with the Italian breadcrumbs and stir to combine, add Parmesan cheese.

Add oil to a skillet and heat slowly on medium. You only want the oil hot enough to fry slowly, not burn!

Crack eggs into a bowl and add about 1 tsp. of water, whisk until smooth. Dredge chicken breast in breadcrumbs, then into egg mixture, and back into breadcrumbs until coated well on both sides.
Place chicken in hot oil and fry just until lightly golden on both sides.  Remove from oil and place on cookie sheet. The chicken will not be cooked through. 

Top each breast with a spoonful of red sauce. Slice fresh mozzarella and place on top of chicken to cover each breast. Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serve immediately with pasta of your choice and the rest of the red sauce.

Supper Club: I would make one breast for each guest. You can buy fresh mozzarella at Costco for about $7.50 for two.  The reason I use croutons with the breadcrumbs is because they add so much flavor and tend to get very crispy when fried so they chicken stays crispy when its baked in the sauce.  Be careful not to let the oil get to hot and burn the chicken when frying or all the other pieces you cook will taste burned.
Feel free to call me with any questions..or better yet come over and we will make it together!

Hot and Spicy Peanut Chicken

2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
1-1/2 cups sliced carrot (3 medium)
1 small red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 to 3 tsp. red curry paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
Hot cooked Jasmine rice
Chopped peanuts (optional)
Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions :

1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, place onions, carrot, and sweet pepper. Top with chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, peanut butter, lime peel, lime juice, soy sauce, tapioca, ginger, curry paste, and garlic until smooth. Pour over all in cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in coconut milk and peas. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
3. Serve chicken mixture over hot cooked rice. If desired, sprinkle each serving with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Makes 6 servings.

I leave out the curry paste when I make this for my family, it is just to spicy! This is a really good, easy one dish meal!

Tomatillo Chicken Soup

6 medium tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
1-1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 32-oz. box chicken broth
1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced*
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Dairy sour cream, chopped green onion, chopped red sweet pepper, sliced jalapeño peppers, snipped fresh cilantro, and/or tortilla chips (optional)

Directions :

1. Chop three tomatillos. Place remaining tomatillos in blender. Cover; blend until smooth. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine pureed and chopped tomatillos, chicken, broth, sweet pepper, onion, celery, chiles, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, and 1 tsp. each salt and pepper.
2. Cover; cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Remove chicken; let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken; return to soup. If desired, top with sour cream, additional chopped red sweet pepper or jalapeño peppers, snipped cilantro, and/or tortilla chips. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

General Tso's Chicken

Sauce: make ahead and refrigerate until needed
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/4 Cup Water
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh Garlic
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh Ginger
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Sherry, optional
1 can condensed Chicken Broth
Put everything into a quart jar with a lid and shake it up, then put in the fridge. Just shake it up again when you are ready to use it.

Chicken:
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into chunks
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 Cup Cornstarch
2 Cup sliced Green Onions
1 Tsp. red pepper seeds
Peanut or Canola oil for frying

Mix chicken, soy sauce, and 1/2 Tsp. pepper seeds. Stir in egg. Add cornstarch, and mix until chicken pieces are coated. Deep fry 7 or 8 chicken pieces at a time in 350 degree oil until chicken pieces are crispy. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all chicken chunks are fried.
Place a small amount of oil (1 Tbsp.) in wok, and heat to 400 degrees. Add onions and remaining pepper seeds. Stir fry about 30 seconds. Shake sauce mixture, and then add to wok. Cook until thick. If it gets too thick, add water to right consistency. Add chicken pieces to sauce in wok, and cook until all is hot and bubbly. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with fried or steamed rice.

*I make a tame version of this recipe for my family, but you can kick it up a bit by adding more pepper seeds or using small dried red peppers with the seeds removed. I serve this with Jasmine rice.**

Chicken Nuggets

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 Cup Flour
1 1/2 Cup Cracker Meal
1/4 tsp. Paprika
2 Cup Water
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
2 1/2 tsp. Fines Herbs
Peanut Oil for frying

Place water in large bowl; add 1/4 teaspoon Fines herbs and dissolve bouillon cubes in mixture. Place cubed chicken in water, mix, cover and place in refrigerator for 12 hours.
Mix flour, cracker meal, 2 teaspoon fines herbs, and paprika in large bowl. Heat peanut oil for deep frying. Drain chicken from water mixture. Coat nuggets in flour and cracker mixture and fry in small batches until golden. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Be careful not to get the oil to hot and burn the chicken or all the remaining chicken will taste burned.

"I use Fines Herbs in my chicken recipe because that is the seasoning that Kentucky Fried Chicken uses in their original recipe chicken. If you can't find it you can order it online from Penzeys Spices here in Minneapolis or you can use McCormick garlic and herb seasoning.

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
parmesan cheese, grated
1 pound potato gnocchi

Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil, over medium heat when the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a roux, let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
Into the roux add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings, simmer until soup is heated through.

Chicken and Rice

1 - 6oz. box uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice original recipe, cooked according to package directions
4 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 - 10 3/4 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
1 - 8oz. package Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing mix (the little crouton looking things)
1 stick real unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer the rice in the bottom of a greased 2 quart baking dish. Layer the chicken on top of rice. Mix soup, sour cream, and curry powder and pour evenly over chicken. Sprinkle stuffing mix over top of casserole and dot with small pats of butter. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

I have not made this recipe in ages, but I got an order for something like it so I thought I would add it to my blog! It is so easy to just throw together. The stuffing on top soaks up the butter and adds a little crunch and lots of flavor! I use Rotisserie chicken to save myself some time. I always buy 2 chickens when I go to costco.  I bring them home, take all the chicken off the bone and freeze it in baggies. Then I always have cooked chicken on hand to whip up any recipe!

Chicken and Wild Rice Hot Dish

4 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 medium onion, diced and sauteed in a little butter
1- 8oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 - 14 1/2oz. cans French green beans, rinsed and drained
1 small container of mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 - 10 3/4oz. can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup real mayonnaise
1 - 6oz. box Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice original recipe, cooked according to package directions
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into greased  13x9 pan. Bake for 30 mintues or until bubbly and heated through.

** Now you can use reduced fat mayo, soup, and cheese in this recipe to lighten it up a bit. If you dont like mushrooms you can substitute some pimentos for them! Curt loved this dish when I made it!**

Orange Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
white pepper
peanut oil (for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili pepper
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil


Orange Sauce for Stir Fry

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
Zest of 1 orange

Directions:

1.  Place chicken pieces in large bowl. 2.  Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well. 3.  Stir cornstarch and flour together. 4  Mix flour mixture and egg mixture. 5.  Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat. 6.  Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees. 7.  Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp. 8.  (Do not overcook chicken). 9.  Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside. 10.  Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat.
11.  Add 1 tablespoon oil. 12.  Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds. 13.  Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions. 14.  Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. 15.  Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. 16.  Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. 17.  Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken. 18.  Heat until sauce is thickned. 19.  Stir in sesame oil and orange zest if desired. 20.  Serve over jasmine rice.

Lemony Chicken

1 quart buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders removed, cut in strips
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
Vegetable oil, for frying

For Sauce:
1 (11-ounce) jar lemon curd
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions :

Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a large frying pan by 1/4 to 1/2-inch depth. Heat oil to
365 degrees F.
Meanwhile, whisk buttermilk and zest together in a medium bowl. Add chicken and set aside. Sift together flour and cornstarch into a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and dredge in flour mixture. Fry chicken strips until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip chicken and continue cooking another 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
While chicken is frying, make the sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt lemon curd, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Drizzle sauce over chicken and serve.

LIGHT & LEMONY CHICKEN

4 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons Butter
1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 (1 cup) green onions, sliced 1-inch
1 cup fresh mushrooms, halved
Lemon slices
Fresh parsley


Flatten each chicken breast half to about 1/4-inch thickness by pounding between sheets of waxed paper.

Melt Butter in 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add chicken, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, turning chicken occasionally, until no longer pink (5 to 6 minutes). Place chicken on serving platter; keep warm.

Add lemon juice to drippings in pan. Add green onions and mushrooms. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until heated through (2 to 3 minutes). Spoon mixture over chicken. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.

*I like to add capers to this dish and serve it with lemon Orzo*

Beer-in-the-Rear Chicken

1 (3-pound) chicken
Seasoned salt (I use Lawrys)
House Seasoning
1 (12-ounce) can beer (I use Bud Light)
1 sprig rosemary

Directions
Wash and drain the chicken and pat dry. Season the chicken inside and out with the seasoned salt and House Seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Prepare the charcoal grill. When the coals are hot and glowing, carefully push them over to the sides of the grill, leaving an open space in the middle of the grill. Open the can of beer and pour off approximately 1/4 cup. Insert the sprig of rosemary into the can, then place the beer can, keeping it upright, into the rear cavity of the chicken. Carefully place the chicken, standing up on the beer can, in the center of the grill, making sure not to spill the beer. Cover the grill and cook the chicken for approximately 1 hour, rotating the chicken as necessary. The chicken is done when the juice runs clear when pierced with a fork.
Carefully remove the beer can from the chicken using mitts and discard the can. Cut the chicken into halves or quarters.
1 chicken serves 2 to 4.

Chicken Tetrazzini

1 (7-ounce) package uncooked dried spaghetti, broken in half
5 tablespoons Butter
1 (8-ounce) package (2 cups) sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups diced cooked chicken
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Heat oven to 350ºF. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Keep warm. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet until sizzling; add mushrooms, green pepper and onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisply tender (4 to 5 minutes). Set aside.

Melt remaining butter in 3-quart saucepan; stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in milk with wire whisk until smooth. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil (6 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in cooked spaghetti and vegetables, chicken, bouillon granules and pepper.

Spoon into greased 2-quart casserole or 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Poppy Seed Chicken

4 to 5 Chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
Olive Oil
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
2 cups seasoned Pepperidge Farms Stuffing mix (little cubes, not instant)
1 stick of butter or margarine

Broil the chicken with a little olive oil and salt and pepper until done, cool slightly and chop. spray a 9 x 13' pan with Pam and place the chopped chicken in it. Mix soup, sour cream and poppy seeds. Pour over the chicken and stir to blend. Sprinkle the stuffing mix over the top of chicken mixture. Cut up the butter into 'pats' and place evenly over the stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until bubbly

My Sister caters a business luncheon every Wednesday and when this is on the menu she always has double the amout of people RSVP! Hope your family enjoys this really easy and yummy recipe!

Catalina Cranberry Chicken

4 pounds bone-in chicken (I use thighs)
1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 bottle Kraft catalina dressing
1 envelope lipton onion soup mix

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in a 13X9 baking dish. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake 1 hour until chicken is done (165degrees). Very Yummy!

This recipe is from my Kraft Food and Family magazine. If you do not get these you can go onto www.Kraftfoods.com and sign up, they will send you this great magazine for FREE every other month full of EASY recipes!

King Ranch Casserole

4 to 5 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (save the broth)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can of Rotel original diced Chilies and Tomatoes
4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 package of Yellow Corn tortillas (about 20)

Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
Soak tortillas in chicken broth to soften (about 5 minutes). Cut tortilla into pieces and place on bottom of greased 9 x 13' pan. Place shredded chicken on top of tortillas. Layer onion, peppers and cheese on top of chicken. Mix together soups and Rotel tomatoes, pour over the top of the chicken - cheese mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

My family has been making this casserole for years! It is a South Texas Staple. The King Ranch is a huge ranch in South Texas not far from where I grew up in Corpus Christi. I don't know if this recipe originated from there, but it sure brings me back to Texas when I make it!

Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans

6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, very thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon Asian spice blend
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup roughly chopped cashews
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon lightly toasted white sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons roasted garlic-red pepper sauce (recommended: Sriracha)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Chopped green onions, for garnish

In a bowl, combine the chicken, 4 1/2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, and Asian spice blend. Toss to coat and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a large wok or saute pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and stirring constantly, cook until brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beans and stir-fry until wrinkled, stirring, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add the cashews, hoisin, remaining 3 teaspoons of soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, red pepper sauce and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and serve immediately, over white or basmati rice. Garnish with green onions.
Yield: 4 servings

One of my favorite meals! My husband is not a huge fan of Asian quisine, so when he goes out of town we eat a ton of it!

Skillet Chicken and Potato Dinner

3 Tablespoons Butter
6 new red potatoes, quartered
1 medium onion, cut into 6 wedges
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
6 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 (14-ounce) package frozen whole green beans
Salt, if desired
Pepper, if desired
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, if desired


Melt butter in 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add potatoes, onion and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are browned (12 to 14 minutes). Remove from skillet. Keep warm.

Place chicken in same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until lightly browned and no longer pink (10 to 12 minutes). Remove chicken from skillet. Keep warm.

Place potato mixture and green beans in same skillet. Cover; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until beans are crisply tender (6 to 9 minutes). Return chicken to skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through (1 to 3 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Greek Chicken Skewers

1/2 cup Greek Vinaigrette dressing
2 Tbsp. real mayo
2 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 lemon, halved

Combine dressing and mayo in large plastic bag, add chicken and marinate at least 4 hours in refrigerator.
Thread chicken and onion onto wooden skewers. Grill 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Squeeze lemon juice over kabobs and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

This is a staple on my summer menu. We are always so busy with soccer and baseball and this is quick and tasty! I serve it with Greek Isle Pasta Salad that I can make ahead!