Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken

I have made jalepeno chicken a few times.  The first time I just put diced jalapeno in with some cream cheese, it was okay, but nothing to really brag about - the cream was okay, but it didn't bring an abundance of flavor, and I was left with the gently spicy bits of Jalapeno.  The other night I was really craving some chicken and jalapenos, and made my own version that is much more flavorful.

Ingredients: 

Two large chicken breasts that have been butterflied.

filling:

2 jalapeños,  diced small

1 tsp dry ranch mix

1 cup shredded cheddar

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp garlic

2 tsp bbq sauce

Mix together,  spread on the inside of both pieces of chicken. Close the chicken. 

 

Topping:

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp ranch

12 saltines,  finely crushed

4 tbsp shredded cheddar

Paprika

seasoned salt

2 tbsp butter,  sliced thin

Rub the ranch on the top of the chicken, sprinkle cheese on top, cover with saltines and add seasoning,  top with the thin pats of butter. 

Place in a covered dish, cook at 400° for 20 minutes.  

Tomato Basil Chicken

                                                             Tomato Basil Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Large chicken breast, or two normal sized chicken breasts, sliced thin.
Fistful of grape tomatoes, quartered.
6 Cloves garlic, chopped.
1 - 2 Tablespoon basil.
2 Tablespoons oil.
1 Tsp Italian seasoning
1 Cup spinach.
1 Jar pasta sauce.
1/4 brick cream cheese.
Dash of sugar
Linguine, cooked and drained.


Directions:
In a pan heat oil on medium ,once it's heated, cook the chicken, then add spices, add tomatoes and spinach and cook until hot, add sauce, and add cream cheese until well incorporated in the sauce, stir in sugar. Add the noodles to the sauce and toss until everything is well incorporated. 

Serves  6

Wild West Chicken with Avocado Ranch Dip

This recipe is a combo of a few different recipes put together and inspired from Longhorn Steak House. :) My mom works at Longhorn so any chance I can get I ask her to bring home the famous Wild West Shrimp they have. They serve this with ranch dip. Another appetizer they have there is the firecracker chicken wraps, which they serve with avocado ranch dip. So that's where I got the dip idea from. 

Soooo one night Kt gave me the idea of wild west chicken instead of the shrimp. I looked up a few different recipes and then put this together :) I wanted to bake the chicken instead of frying it, and I wanted to do almond crust instead of regular breadcrumb crust. I decided to make baked almond chicken bites... with side of avocado ranch dip. I used the spices from the Longhorn recipe, and the only other thing I changed was I used yogurt ranch recipe instead of using pre-made ranch :D

Chicken:

1lb+ chicken

1 c. almond meal

1/2 c. breadcrumbs

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp seasoned salt 

1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375

Mix all dry ingredients from above in a bowl

Put 1 egg, beaten in a separate bowl

Cut chicken into small bite size pieces

Dip chicken in egg, then into dry mix

Place chicken on baking sheet or oiled dish

Bake 20-25min

Meanwhile, simmer the sauce on stovetop

Sauce: 

1/2 c. peppercinis

1/4 c. cherry peppers

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp seasoned salt (instead of longhorn's "prairie dust")

Once chicken in done, remove from oven and top with the sauce

Avocado Ranch Dip:

3/4 c. yogurt

2 tsp hidden valley ranch mix

1 avocado

3/4 tsp tabasco sauce

3/4 tsp cumin

S+P

Blend in food processor 

(Prepare dip ahead of time, before cooking chicken & refrigerate)

And enjoy! :)

Servings: about 4

Alfredo Sauce

         I love cheese, and any time I go to  Olive Garden, I always get Alfredo. I dip my bread sticks in it, I have it on my chicken, I drink it out of the bowl.  Mostly, I make it at home, and I have been for years. I don't have to wait 20 minutes to sit down, just to wait another 40 minutes to get my food, and it's much more cost effective.



Ingredients:

1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded. Don't be lazy, buy a wedge and grate it yourself.
1/2 Stick Butter
4 Tbsp Flour
3+ Cups Milk
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper, if desired.

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium heat until slightly browned.



2. Add flour and garlic, whisk until incorporated.




3. Add 1/4 of the cheese , slowly add in 1/2 the milk


4.  Add remainder of cheese , and slowly  add the rest of the milk, whisk until  cheese has melted, you may need to add additonal milk if you see fit.

Saaaaaaauce.

Serve on top of noodles with  seasoned chicken, and bread sticks.



Serves 4 - 6

Cheerio Chicken

I came up with this recipe a few years ago, and my husband loves it. Chicken coated in cheerios, it may seem weird, buuut....
It's crunchy.
It's saucy.
It's sweet.
It's delicious.





Serves 4

Helping crush the cheerios. Takes forever.

Ingredients:
1 Pound boneless skinless chicken, cut into strips
1/2 Cup Flour
2 Tsp Seasoned Salt
1 Egg, beaten
2 Cups Honey Nut Cheerios
1/2 cup BBQ sauce ( or any kind of sauce you would like)
Oil for frying





Directions:
1. In a  deep edged pan, or fryer, heat oil to 350º
2. Place cheerios in a bowl, crush until it's in course pieces.

About how they should look.

3. Dredge chicken in flour, tap off excess.
4.  Dip chicken pieces into egg
5. Transfer chicken into bowl with  crushed up cheerios, shake until all pieces are coated with cheerios.
6. Place chicken into heated oil, fry for  about 7 minutes each side.(keep an eye on it, you don't want to start a fire) * place chicken onto a cookie sheet, and keep in a warm oven until all the chicken is cooked.

I love my cast iron skillet for pretty much anything.

Chicken should be golden on each side.

7. In another bowl,  place BBQ sauce,  add cooked chicken  to it, and gently toss until chicken is coated.

 

Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ

So Good!

 Enjoy! 

Onion Cheddar Chicken

Onion Cheddar Chicken with an herbed pumpkin sauce, tomato pie, and mashed potatoes.

I saw a recipe for Ritz cheddar chicken on Pinterest, I made it ,and it was okay. I felt it  needed something, but what?  Frenches onions, of course!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Chicken breast, cut in half.
1/3 cup flour
1 Egg, beaten.
1 Cup Cheddar cheese, shredded.
1 Cup Frenches Onions, crushed.
1/2 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs. Combine with crushed onions.

Sauce:
1/2 Cup Cream of Chicken
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Tsp Dry Ranch Mix




Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º

1. Dredge chicken in flour,  shake off excess.

2.  Dip chicken into beaten egg.

3. Coat chicken with 1/4 cup of cheese. Make sure it's sticking to the chicken

4.  Bread chicken with onion and bread crumb mixture , press onto chicken  to ensure it stays. Place chicken onto a cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Make sauce while it cools.

6. To make sauce, combine all the ingredients into sauce pan ,mix, and cook on medium heat until hot. Pour over chicken.

Enjoy!