Simple Meals

Winger’s Copy Cat Sauce for sticky fingers (or what ever you like it on)

**Covers about 8 sticky fingers
3 Tbsp. Franks Hot Sauce (It has to be Franks Hot Sauce… no other sauce will taste as good)
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. water

Heat up hot sauce, brown sugar and water in a sauce pot until all the sugar dissolves ( I brought it to a boil and let it boil for a minute or two). That’s it.
You can use it to coat wings, popcorn chicken, etc. I used Tyson breaded chicken strips. You can get a big box of them at Sam’s Club or just get them at your local grocery store. Once you chicken is cooked pour sauce over or put chicken in a container with a lid, pour sauce over the chicken, cover with the lid and shake to coat chicken in the sauce.

Ranch Dipping Sauce

1 pk Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

Make according to package directions, except substitute buttermilk for the milk.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

This is my new favorite way to make enchiladas! They are SO delicious and cheesy! Don’t skimp out on the cheese, seriously, get the one pound block and shred it up. You won’t regret it. A special thanks to my cousin, Angela, for sharing this recipe!

1 small, onion, peeled & diced (use a sweet onion if you can find it)
3 chicken breast halves
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)
salt & pepper (to taste)
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 lb. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce (we like Las Palmas brand, but any brand is great)
1/2 c. heavy cream

Saute onion in a little butter until it becomes transparent and soft. In a crock pot* add chicken, chicken broth, sauteed onion, chili powder, garlic, and salt & pepper. Cook on low for about 8 hours (or high for 3-4) adding more broth if needed (you don’t want it to cook out completely). Remove chicken from crock pot and shred, then return to crock pot and simmer another 5 min. Drain out some of the juices (but not all of it… keep about 1/4 c.) and add honey and lime. Place seasoned, shredded chicken in a Ziploc bag and seal tightly, pressing out as much air as you can. Marinate at least 30-40 minutes.. longer if you can (I did about an hour). While chicken is marinating spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, then pour about 1/2 c. of enchilada sauce over the bottom. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and shredded cheese, saving about 1 c. of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with heavy cream. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. Serve hot and top with your favorite enchilada toppings.

*If you don’t have a crock-pot, just boil chicken in the same ingredients in a large pot with a little extra chicken broth until cooked through and can shred.

When you get ready to eat, simply fold and enjoy! No utensils necessary.

I see a lot more of this flatbread in my future.

Hamburger + taco seasoning + cheddar = Taco Flatbread Melt.
Hamburger + spaghetti sauce + mozzarella = Lasagna Flatbread Melt.
Flatbread + fresh rosemary + sea salt = *faint*

Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts

1/2 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
11 oz thin crust pizza dough
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown and drain ground beef. Add water, vinegar, onion soup mix, ketchup, mustard and garlic. Stir to combine and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp canola oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Divide the pizza dough into six equal portions and roll into a round, tortilla-like shape. Fry the dough for one minute on each side or until golden brown and bubbly. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Top with beef mixture and shredded cheese.

Makes 6 flatbread melts. Nutritional Information for this recipe can be found at CalorieCount.com.

(To double this recipe, double everything except the dry onion soup mix)

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Quesadillas

4 medium-sized flour tortilla shells
1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper
1/2 cup scallions, diced
8 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 avocado, diced
mild cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp butter

Arrange bacon on a cooling rack (like for cookies) and set it on top of sheet pan. If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can just put the bacon straight on the sheet pan. Or in a 9×13 baking dish. Either way will work. Place bacon in a cold oven, turn heat to 400, and cook 15 mins per side.

Add 1/2 tbsp bacon drippings to a skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and saute about 2-3 mins until softened. Add the chicken in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 mins or until chicken is golden and cooked through, flipping just once during cooking. Remove the chicken and scallions to a plate and rinse out the skillet.

Add about 1/2 tbsp butter to the skillet over medium heat. When foamy, add a tortilla and swirl it around to get it nice and buttery. Layer one side of the tortilla with chicken, bacon, avocado, and a little cheese. Use tongs to flip the other half of the tortilla over and press down. Cook the tortilla for about 1-2 mins on each side or until golden brown and crispy.

Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, adding a little more butter for each tortilla as needed. Eat & enjoy!

Makes 4 quesadillas.

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/cheesy-chicken-bacon-avocado-quesadillas.html#ixzz1XUQEnIWP

 

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie PastaTime: 45 minutesYield: 6 servingsRecipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

3 large chicken breasts5 C corn flakes3/4 C flour1/2 t salt1/2 C milk6 T olive oil 1   12 oz package bowtie noodles (farfalle)
Sauce:1   10 oz container Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb Flavor)2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 C chicken broth1/2 C milk 
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs adapted fromEveryday with Rachael Ray and Cassie Craves

Printer Friendly Version

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• pinch of salt (my addition, optional)
• pinch of red pepper flakes (my addition, optional)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cubed pepperoni
• 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) ; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

NOTE: All my batter did not fit into the 24-mini muffin pan. So I made a full size muffin with the leftover batter. Some pans are larger than others so you may not have have an issue.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Creamy Caprese Pasta

serves 4-6

1 pound whole wheat pasta (noodles such as penne work best)

1 cup of your favorite pasta/tomato sauce

1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes

1 pint of grape tomatoes (I cut some in half and left some whole)

1 bunch of fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream and grated parmesan. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and dump into the sauce, mixing to coat and turning off heat. Fold in mozzarella cubes and tomatoes, then chop 3-4 fresh basil leaves and add them in too. Once combined, spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire pasta mixture into the dish. Top with fresh mozzarella rounds. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Top with additional fresh basil and grated cheese. Serve with garlic bread. You can also add in chicken, steak or seafood for some protein.

Oh. My. Word. These were awesome. First, the chicken is marinated in buttermilk, dredged in seasoned flour, fried until golden and placed on a toasted kaiser roll with all the fixin’s. Then, just when you think that it couldn’t possibly get any better,  a little honey is drizzled over the top for a kiss of sweetness. I kid you not, I made these for Ryan and I the other day and after he finished his in an astonishing 5 minutes his quick little fingers grabbed mine while I had set it down in between bites. They were that good.

 

I would be lying if I told you that I am a huge sweets fan. Really, I’m not. I’m more of a salty food kind of person. That is why the fact that I liked this sandwich so much may seem weird to a few of you who know that I would prefer a pickle to a cookie any day. But this sandwich has just the right balance of salty and sweet to please just about any palate.

Please note that there is a little planning ahead required when making this recipe. The chicken needs to marinate in the buttermilk mixture for at least 2 hours.

Serves 2

You will need:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and pat dry
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• oil for frying
• 2 kaiser rolls
• mayonnaise
• About 2 teaspoons honey
• tomato slices
• lettuce leaves
• sliced red onion

1. Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag.Pound with the flat side of meat mallet until flattened to 1/4  inch thick (a rolling pin would work too).
2. In a bowl whisk together buttermilk, egg,  1 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt and Tabasco. Place chicken breasts in the bowl, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. After marinating the chicken, place flour, baking powder and 1 tablespoon of seasoning salt in a resealable plastic bag. Remove chicken from marinade and transfer to flour. Shake to coat. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
4. Heat 1/ 2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, sprinkle a little flour over it. If it sizzles its ready. Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
5. Toast kaiser rolls. Spread mayonnaise on roll. Place chicken breast on bottom half of roll, drizzle 1 teaspoon of honey over each chicken breast. Add tomato, lettuce, onion and top half of roll.
6. Serve.

As I learned, if you happen to be eating this with anyone else at the table, hang on to your sandwich or it just might disappear. Enjoy!

Folks today I would like to share with you what is sure to be my go-to pasta salad this summer for all the pot-lucks, BBQs and patio dinners that are sure to come up. With this recipe I challenge you to forget the box; forget the pre-made stuff at your deli grocer. You aren’t going to want it after you give this a try. Just think, creamy refreshing lemon dill dressing coats perfect pasta, creamy avocados, sweet tomatoes and crispy bacon. It’s like summer in a bowl.

 
I actually got the idea for this salad from one of my favorite sandwiches: Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado. Sure the traditional BLT is great, but add some avocado and I’ll love you for life. What can I say? Avocado just does that to me. But enough about my slightly odd obsession with one of California’s greatest exports aside from Mickey Mouse, let’s get back to this salad. It really is quick; you just need to let the flavors mingle for about 30 minutes or so. If you want to make it a little more in advance, my advice is to add the avocado about 30 minutes before serving. You don’t want it to start to turn brown.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 6 slices bacon, chopped into one inch pieces
• 1/2 pound dried rotini pasta
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 avocado pitted and sliced

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain. Run cold water over the top until the pasta is cooled.
3. While your bacon and pasta are cooking, whisk mayonnaise, lemon, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dill together in a bowl.
4. Stir cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and reserved bacon into the dressing. Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Serve.

Enjoy!

Here’s another healthy recipe for you! I love how fresh and summer-y these taste. Yum. You just can’t go wrong with cilantro and lime!

1 1/2 Lbs. chicken, cubed
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4-5 green onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp fresh cilantro (or to taste)
Flour tortillas

Optional toppings:
Pico de gallo
cheese
onions
tomatoes
jalapeno
guacamole
cilantro
sour cream

Sauté chicken in a medium skillet in a little oil for a few minutes until chicken becomes white all around. Combine vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and cilantro and add to chicken. Simmer for an extra 10-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add chicken to tortillas and top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, or any other taco topping you like!

Back in college our friend Jeff was famous for his Hawaiian grilled chicken that was inspired from some tips from his Hawaiian buddy. One weekend Jeff threw a big Kirkland (Costco’s brand) sponsored BBQ serving only foods with the Kirkland brand. That’s when I tasted this chicken and fell in love. It’s honestly one of my favorite grilled chicken dishes to serve a crowd. And grilling season is here!

Don’t be a chicken thigh hater. I used to be but really the chicken does not soak up the marinade unless you use thighs. I like to marinate this overnight if I have the time so the flavors really get absorbed.
Jeff’s recipe is for a ton of chicken so here is my downsized version.
Hawaiian Grilled ChickenSource: Jeff Tibbitts
3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs2 cups soy sauce  (the soy sauce and water just needs to be a 1:1 ratio)2 cups water1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1/4 cup of a white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk

Note: Jeff says the real key is the soy sauce. Kikomen’s is way too salty. He prefers the Aloha Shoyu soy sauce. If you can only find Kikomen at least get the low sodium kind.
Trim chicken thighs of any visible fat. Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and 
coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinade chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight to make sure the flavor gets infused.

Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan.

Serve over a platter of coconut rice and garnish with green onions and a some additional soy sauce.

*Coconut rice can be made by just replacing half of the water in your rice recipe with coconut milk. A trick my SIL told me!

This dish was served to us at our wedding luncheon. We try to make it every year on or around our anniversary (thus the name…) We just had it last week (Happy Anniversary Sweetheart)! It has turned out perfect every time we have made it. This chicken is so tender and flavorful it doesn’t need any kind of sauce or gravy. Serve with Anniversary Bowtie & Asparagus Pasta (click HERE).

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs (you can also use Panko bread crumbs and add Italian seasoning)
1 1/2 cubes (3/4 cup) melted butter
Paprika

Combine Parmesan cheese with breadcrumbs. Dip chicken breast in melted butter. Roll in crumb mixture until completely coated. Place in baking dish and sprinkle generously with paprika. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes @ 375 degrees - Do not overcook!