Prosciutto Wrapped Rosemary, Sage Chicken with Fontiago Cheese

This dish was inspired by one of my favorite meals at an Italian restaurant that I would frequent a few times a month. They called it Emily Anna. I called it Heaven on a plate. Imagine a large chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and fontina cheese and grilled to perfection, then topped with a mouth watering lemon basil sauce. Sadly, the place has been closed for a few years now, but I still get a craving for that delicious chicken dish. So, I came up with my own version.

Instead of stuffing the prosciutto inside the chicken, I wrapped it around the chicken to give it a nice, crispy texture. No, there is no basil lemon sauce here, but a butter rosemary-sage compound that is smeared…can’t think of a more elegant word than smeared…all over the top of the chicken, then stuffed with Fontiago cheese. No, that is not a typo. I myself had never heard of Fontiago cheese before until we had a chance meeting at my local gourmet grocery store. It’s a combination of Fontina and Asiago cheese. The best of both cheese worlds in my opinion.

Hubby has asked for this chicken version several occasions, so to me that’s two forks up in my kitchen. I hope you feel the same.

Here’s what you need:

 

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, dried sage, dried cracked rosemary, butter, Fontiago or Fontina cheese, thin slices of prosciutto.

Set out 3 Tbs. of butter for about 30 minutes to soften.

You can try softening it in the microwave, but if you are like me, it ends up going way beyond soft….more like an exploding melted puddle.

 

Place butter in a small dish, and add sage and rosemary.

Mix to incorporate the herbs into the butter.

I know, looking at the picture it does look a little…well…non desirable. But I can assure you, the taste is amazing.

Cut a small pocket on one side of a chicken breast.

This, for me, took practice. Those cooking shows make it look so easy don’t they? Most of the time I ended up cutting through the pocket and just made a huge hole. I learned that for me, it’s easier to use a small knife instead of a larger one, like a paring knife.

Look ma, no holes.

Take one slice of cheese and insert it into the pocket.

As I know you have probably noticed my fingers are covered in butter and you are probably thinking…hmmm she didn’t say rub the butter onto the chicken yet. I have to admit that when I made this, I smeared the butter onto the chicken before adding the cheese, and..well…it was messy. Then I had that -waaaait a minute duh- moment when I realized I should add the cheese, then the butter.

Next, smear the butter on top of the chicken.

 

 

Lay one slice of proscuitto over the chicken breast. If the slice is too short to wrap around the whole breast, tuck the edges under the chicken.

 

Then take another slice and lay it across the first slice of prosciutto, also tucking the edges under the chicken breast if it does not go completely around.

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large oven proof pan, add 1 Tbs. of butter and olive oil. Heat to medium high.

Add the chicken with the prosciutto covered side down, in the pan. Cook about 5 minutes, then carefully turn the chicken over and cook 5 minutes more on the other side.

Turn chicken over one more time and place into the oven. Cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Serve with your favorite side dish.

Enjoy!

 

Prosciutto Wrapped Rosemary, Sage Chicken with Fontiago Cheese

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 1/2 tsp. dried sage
2 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
3 Tbs. butter plus 1 Tbs
Fontiago or Fontina cheese, sliced
Thinly sliced prosciutto

Directions:

Set out 3 Tbs. of butter for about 30 minutes to soften. Place butter in a small dish, and add sage and rosemary; mix to incorporate the herbs into the butter.

Cut a small pocket on one side of a chicken breast. Take one slice of cheese and insert it into the pocket. Next, smear the butter mixture on top of the chicken.

Lay one slice of prosciutto over the chicken breast. If the slice is too short to wrap around the whole breast, tuck the edges under the chicken.Place another slice across the first slice of prosciutto, also tucking the edges under the chicken breast if it does not go completely around.
Preheat oven to 400.

In a large oven proof pan, add 1 Tbs. of butter and olive oil. Heat to medium high.
Add the chicken with the prosciutto covered side down, in the pan. Cook about 5 minutes, then carefully turn the chicken over and cook 5 minutes more on the other side.

Turn chicken over one more time and place into the oven. Cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Hashbrown Bake

Pintrest has become a bit of an addiction for me. Last week as I was glancing at the delicious recipes there, I came across this one that looked rather interesting: Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole. Who doesn’t love anything that’s smothered in cheese, toss in some bacon and I’m drooling. Not to mention the ease of throwing it all in the slow cooker. So this is my spin on this recipe. I’m still tweaking it a bit, but this seemed to be a winner with hubby, so that’s a thumbs up in my book.

Here’s what you need:

 

skinless chicken tenders (boneless, skinless chicken breasts will work also), onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cracked pepper, shredded hash browns, milk, shredded cheese ( I used a blend of sharp cheddar, american and mozzarella plus some Colby jack) and bacon.

First off you need to crisp up some of that beautiful bacon. You can fry the strips in the pan, but when I need to cook a lot of bacon at one time, I like doing it in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cooling rack with no stick spray, then place the cooling rack on top of the baking sheet. Place the bacon on the cooling rack. I used about 7 slices. Cook for about 15 minutes or longer depending on how crispy you like your bacon.

Let it cool….

then crumble into pieces and place in a bowl; set aside
Yes, I did steal a few bites of bacon. What can I say, I’m weak when it comes to this stuff.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.

Place the chicken pieces into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt……

then the pepper…..

then the onion powder and garlic powder.

Toss the chicken to coat…yes I used my hands. You can use a spoon if you prefer.

Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with no stick spray. Place enough hashbrowns to cover the bottom.

 

Place 1/2 of the bacon pieces on top of the hashbrowns.

Sprinkle some of the cheese over the bacon.

Next, add all of the chicken pieces on top of the cheese.

Add more cheese…..

then the rest of that yummy bacon.

Then yep, you guessed it, another layer….of hashbrowns. My this is a lot of layers.

Sprinkle more cheese on top of the hashbrowns.

Pour the milk over the cheese.

Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

Enjoy!

 

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Hashbrown Bake

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen hashbrowns
Bacon pieces
1 Ib. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite size pieces
1 Tbs. onion powder or more to taste
1 Tsp. garlic powder or more to taste
salt and cracked ppepper to taste
1C. Milk
1C. shredded cheddar cheese or any other desired kind

Directions:

Crisp about 6 or more strips of bacon and tear into pieces; set aside. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl. Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper; toss to coat.
Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with no stick spray. Place enough hasbrowns to cover the bottom. Place 1/2 of the bacon pieces ontop of the hasbrowns, then layer about 1/3 of the cheese.

Next, add all of the chicken pieces on top of the cheese. Add another 1/3C. of the cheese, then sprinkle in the rest of the bacon. Now add another layer of the hashbrowns. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese ontop, then pour the milk over the cheese.

Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

 

 

 

 

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is a regular at my house with hubby and I. I usually fry the chicken in a skillet, then throw it all together in a baking dish, but this time I thought I’d keep it simple and all in one pan. Easy clean up right?

Here’s what you need:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, bread crumbs (Italian or plain is fine), Shredded mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs, and your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce– the jar kind or homemade.

First off, place the chicken between two sheets of waxed paper and pound thin. As I have said before, this is a great tension reliever. My cat is usually running out of the kitchen when I am doing this. Now that I think about it, hubby seems to stay far away as well.

Now that’s a nice big, flattened piece of chicken.

In a dish, add bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Mix together.

In another dish, crack two eggs and whisk lightly.

In a oven proof skillet, preferably cast iron, drizzle in canola oil, enough to cover the bottom. Heat to medium high heat.

Now, back to the chicken. Dip chicken first into the egg, coating both sides….

then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides as well. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.

Place chicken into the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes. Now this can be the tricky part, turn chicken over. I say tricky because many times I have separated that delicious golden crust from the chicken. I think I may have even shed a tear or two from doing so.

Continue cooking about 2 minutes.

Spread some of the sauce onto each chicken breast. I like a lot of sauce on mine, but you can use a little or a lot depending on your taste.

Next, sprinkle on the Mozzarella cheese. Don’t be stingy with the cheese, the more the merrier I say.

Then add some of the Parmesan cheese on top as well. Slide it all into the oven and at 400 degrees and continue cooking for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Now doesn’t that make you just want to dive right in with a fork in one hand?

Serve with spaghetti on the side if desired.

Enjoy!

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 C. bread crumbs
1/2 C. grated parmesan plus more for ontop of chicken
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Spaghetti Sauce

Directions:

In a dish, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. In another dish, crack two eggs and whisk lightly.

In a oven proof skillet, prefrably cast iron, drizzle in canola oil, enough to cover the bottom. Heat to medium high heat.
Dip chicken first into the egg, coating both sides, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides as well. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Place chicken into the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and continue cooking about 2 minutes. Spread some of the sauce onto each chicken breast, a little or a lot depending on your taste. Next, sprinkle on the Mozzarella cheese, then some of the Parmesan cheese on top as well. Place in the oven at 400 degrees and continue cooking for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Serve with spaghetti on the side if desired.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

When I first heard of a BBQ chicken pizza, my first thought was.. I like BBQ chicken…but on a pizza??? I was the traditional pizza lover. You know the kind, cheese, peperoni, maybe some bacon and onions…ok and perhaps throw in some mushrooms, but that was it. Then I became more adventerous with my pizza topping consumption, so I threw caution to the wind and tried a BBQ chicken pizza. That was a few years ago and I can say I have been hooked ever since. So to all those BBQ Chicken pizza skeptics out there….try it you might like it.

Here’s what you need:

boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs; dried thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, red onion, dried cilantro, shredded colby jack cheese, pizza crust and a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.

First off sprinkle the chicken with the thyme, onion powder and garlic powder on both sides.

Drizzle a little olive oil in a large pan and heat to medium high heat.

Place chicken in the pan and cook about 5 minutes.

Turn the chicken over and cover. Continue cooking another 5 to 8 minutes on medium until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from the pan and Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Chop 1/2 of the red onion.

Add about 1 Tbs of olive oil in a small sauce pot and throw in the onions.

Cook over medium high heat stirring occasionally until the onions are soft.

Slice the chicken into small bite size pieces.

Place chicken in a small bowl with 2 Tbs of BBQ sauce.

Toss well to coat.

Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce onto pizza dough.

You can use homemade pizza dough if you like. I was going for the easy way so I bought the pre-made kind.

Sprinkle on the cheese over the BBQ sauce….

then the onions…..

then the chicken.

Next, sprinkle the Cilantro over the chicken.

Top with more cheese.

Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

3 to 4 Bonless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
dried Thyme to taste
onion powder to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 to 3 Cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
1 bottle of BBQ sauce
dried cilantro to taste
pre made or homemade pizza crust

Directions:

Sprinkle the chicken with the thyme, onion powder and garlic powder on both sides. Drizzle a little olive oil in a large pan and heat to medium high heat. Place chicken in the pan and cook abut 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and cover. Continue cooking another 5 to 8 minutes on medium until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from pan and cool for about 10 minutes.

Add about 1 Tbs of olive oil in a small sauce pot and add chicken. Cook over medium high heat stirring occasionally until the onions are soft. Slice the chicken into small bite size pieces then place in a small bowl. Toss chicken with 2 Tbs. of BBQ sauce until coated. Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce onto pizza dough.
Sprinkle cheese over the BBQ sauce, then the onions, then the chicken. Next , sprinkle the Cilantro over the chicken. Top with more cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Slice and serve.

Chicken Quesadillas

I have had quite a few different kinds of quesadillas out there in Mexican restaurant land…chicken, steak, caramelized onion and cheese, cheese and mushroom, potato and cheese…yes I said potato….and pork to name a few. They make great appetizers or can be the star of the meal. My hubby prefers chicken, so that’s mostly what I make at home. You can also add jalapenos, red onions or anything else you like to yours.

For the chicken:

I use the same marinating ingredients and cooking method as I do for the Chicken Burrito Bake.
After the chicken has finished cooking, shred using two forks, set aside.

Other than the chicken, you will need flour tortillas, shredded cheese – I sometimes use Monterey Jack or pepper jack, but this time I am using a Mexican blend. You can use any combination you want. I also use dried Cilantro if I don’t have the fresh kind on hand.

On a large baking sheet, lay out one flour tortilla. Add some of the shredded chicken on one side of the tortilla. If you’re like me, you’ll be sampling some of the chicken before you actually get it on the tortillas so hold yourself back.

Sprinkle on cilantro.

Then pile on the cheese.

Fold the tortilla over.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Remove and cut each Quesadilla in half.

Serve with sour cream and guacamole.

Enjoy!

Chicken Quesadillas

For the marinade
Ingredients:

2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 Tbs (more or less to taste)oregano
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp.cumin
1/2 tsp.salt
1 cup chicken stock
juice of 1 lime

For the Quesadilla:
Ingredients:

8 to 10 large flour tortillas
Shredded Cheese
Dried Cilantro to taste

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients, place in a large zip lock bag. Add chicken stock and lime juice, mix well. Add chicken and marinate over night in refrigerator or for a few hours.

Place chicken and marinading liquid into a slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours. Shred chicken.

On a large baking sheet, lay out one flour tortilla. Add some of the shredded chicken on one side of the tortilla.Next, Sprinkle on cilantro over chicken, then top with cheese.

Fold the tortilla over.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Pan Fried Chicken

I love fried chicken. I guess it’s the Southern in me. When I was a kid, mom made fried chicken a lot for Sunday dinner. Then when I was in college, my grandmother lived near by, so on some days I would stop by for lunch. She would have fried chicken legs waiting….I’m a leg gal. That heavenly smell would make my mouth water before I even stepped through her front door. Ahhh memories. To this day I’m still a sucker for good fried chicken. Every once in a while I will cook up a batch just like my mom and grandmother taught me, but mostly if hubby and I are in the mood for the fried stuff, I try to lighten it up a little. So I use a little oil and skinless chicken. The results are still quite tasty.

Here’s what you need:

Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts or thighs, 3/4 Cup flour, 1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs, 1 Tbs. paprika, 2 tsp. salt, cracked pepper, 2 eggs, a few shots of Tabasco sauce, 2 garlic cloves and canola oil.

Peel and smash the garlic gloves and set aside.

In a shallow dish combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika.

In another dish, add eggs and Tabasco sauce and slightly whisk together.

Last dish I promise, add bread crumbs. Yep, there was supposed to be a picture of bread crumbs but it seems to have disappeared .

Take chicken and dredge it in the flour mixture. Shake of any excess flour.

Then dunk it into the eggs, coating both sides.

Then dredge in bread crumbs. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a large pan. Heat on medium high heat. Throw in the garlic cloves. Cook garlic about 1 to 2 minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic. This will flavor the oil. Remove garlic.

Add chicken to the pan. Cook about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook about 1 minute more.

Turn heat down to medium low. Put a lid on the pan and cook about 10 minutes more or until chicken is done. This helps the chicken stay nice and moist on the inside.

But wait, it’s not done but we are almost there. Turn heat back to medium high, cook about 1 minute, then turn chicken pieces over once again and cook for another minute. This helps the crust…well…get crusty again.

Remove from pan and serve with Oven Baked Herb Potatoes or any other side dish of your choice.

Enjoy!

Pan Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 C. Italian bread crumbs
1 Tbs. Paprika
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cracked pepper
2 eggs
tabasco sauce to taste
2 garlic cloves. peeled and smashed
canola oil

Directions:

Peel and smash the garlic gloves and set aside.

In a shallow dish combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika. In another dish, add eggs and tabasco sauce and slightly whisk together. In a third shallow dish, add bread crumbs. Take chicken and dredge it in the flour mixture. Shake of any excess flour. Next, place chicken in eggs, coating both sides, then dredge in bread crumbs. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a large pan. Heat on medium high heat. Throw in the garlic cloves. Cook garlic about 1 to 2 minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic. This will flavor the oil. Remove garlic. Add chicken to the pan. Cook about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook about 1 minute more. Turn heat down to medium low. Put a lid on the pan and cook about 10 minutes more or until chicken is done. This helps the chicken stay nice and moist on the inside. Turn heat back to medium high, cook about 1 minute, then turn chicken pieces over once again and cook for another minute.

Remove from pan and serve with oven baked herb potatoes are any other side dish of your choice.

Chicken Burrito Bake

When I make chicken burritos, I seem to never do the same recipe twice. I always feel the need to tweak it a bit, but I think this one, as my husband pointed out is a keeper. But if you feel the need to tweak, go right ahead.

Here’s what you need for the chicken portion of this recipe:

2 lbs or more boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder,chili powder, paprika,cumin, coarse salt, juice of 1 lime (or as you can see I like using those little squirt bottles of lime juice) and chicken stock- the kind that comes in a box or a can is fine. I like using homemade if I have it on hand, but just remember if you use the kind that comes in a box or can, you will not need to as as much salt.

Mix together 1 Tbs (more or less to taste)oregano, 2 tsp. onion and garlic powder, 1/2 Tbs. chili powder, 2 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp.cumin and 1/2 tsp.salt. Dump that into a large zip lock bag.

Add 1 cup chicken stock and lime juice to the bag. Carefully shake to combine all ingredients. I do mean shake carefully because the liquid can splash out…trust me on this.

Add chicken to the bag, seal and refrigerate. You can marinate the chicken over night or for a few hours. I actually use this same marinade for when I’m making chicken Tostadas or chicken Quesadillas.

Place chicken and liquid into a slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours.
I like cooking the chicken in the slow cooker because the chicken comes out so tender it basically falls apart.That means less work for for me…. That’s always a good thing.

When the chicken is done, with a big spoon, scoop out and place in a large dish. Reserve the cooking liquid from slow cooker.

Using two forks, shred the chicken. As I stated before, the chicken is so tender that it falls apart, so shredding is very easy and takes no time at all.

Now, just refrain from eating some of that delicious looking chicken. After smelling it for 5 hours I know it’s hard not to take a bite or two…or three….

Next you will need:

8 to 10 large flour tortillas, refried beans- I used black but regular refried beans works just fine- shredded Colby jack cheese (or any other kind of cheese you prefer), 1 can of condensed chicken soup and 1 8oz. can of Ranchera sauce. I do want to warn that ranchera sauce is very spicy, but if you like a milder sauce use enchilada sauce instead. Either works great.

In a bowl, start out with 1/2 can of the chicken soup. You can add more later if you like. Yes, I know a lot of you out there are cringing over the use of caned condensed soup, but it works…and it tastes pretty darn good if mixed right. Ok, yes the picture doesn’t make it look appetizing but in the end it looks better…honest.

Pour in Ranchera sauce to taste. I used about 1/4 cup.

Ladle in reserved liquid from slow cooker, about 1/4 cup. Stir  to mix well. If you like a thinner sauce, keep adding cooking liquid or ranchera sauce until desired consistency.

Take 1 flour tortilla, spread some of the refried beans over about half the shell. Use as little or as much as you want.

Next add the shredded chicken.

Then top with cheese. You can also add chopped chilies, green onions, chopped tomatoes…whatever your heart desires.

Fold over the ends.

and roll the tortilla over.

I remember the first time I ever tried to stuff and roll a burrito….lets just say it exploded. too much goodies on the inside and rolled it too tightly until…well it didn’t hold together too well.

hmmm…stuff and roll…I like that….

As a side note, these can be frozen. I have frozen chicken, beef and breakfast burritos several times. Just do not add the sauce on top. wrap the burrito in wax paper, then tin foil, then place in a freezer safe bag. Place in the refrigerator the day before reheating to thaw.

Place burrito in a large casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray seam side down.

Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Top with ranchera sauce mixture.

Then add the cheese. You can never go wrong with more cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle on some fresh cilantro if desired or top with sour cream…or be bold like I will and do both.

Enjoy!

Chicken Burrito Bake

For the marinade
Ingredients:

2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 Tbs (more or less to taste)oregano
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp.cumin
1/2 tsp.salt
1 cup chicken stock
juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients, place in a large zip lock bag. Add chicken stock and lime juice, mix well. Add chicken and marinate over night in refrigerator or for a few hours.

Place chicken and marinading liquid into a slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours. Shred chicken and reserve liquid from slow cooker.

For the burrito
Ingredients:

8 to 10 large flour tortillas
refried beans
shredded colby jack cheese
1 can of condensed chicken soup
1 8oz. can of ranchera or enchilada sauce

Directions:

Mix together 1/2 can of the chicken soup( you can more later to taste if you prefer), 1/4 C. ranchera sauce (or more to taste), 1/4 c. reserved liquid. If you like a thinner sauce, keep adding cooking liquid or ranchera sauce until desired consistancy.

Take 1 flour tortilla, spread some of the refried beans over about half the shell. Then add shredded chicken, then the cheese.

Fold over the ends and roll the tortilla over.

Place burrito in a large casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray seam side down.

Reapeat with remaining tortillas.

Top with ranchera sauce mixture. Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle on some fresh cilantro if desired or top with sour cream.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Sometimes I crave a really good chicken salad sandwich. I do confess…I seem to have many food confessions lately….I do at times make homemade chicken salad using canned chicken. Not that there is anything wrong with that of course, it can be quick, but there is nothing better than using fresh chicken. Most of the time I use chicken breasts, but if I find boneless, skinless chicken thighs on sale, I will use that.

One other food confession I must make, I forgot to get some good bread to make the sandwiches, but as you can see in the picture, I had some hamburger buns on hand. They were just as tasty too. 

Here’s what you need:

2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken, mayonnaise, salt, cracked pepper, celery seed and dill weed.

Place chicken in a roasting pan.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the chicken. Yes, I noticed that I was so intent on taking the picture while drizzling the olive oil, that the oil completely missed the chicken in that shot. I promise, in the end, all the chicken was well oiled. 

Sprinkle on a little salt. 

Then the pepper, celery seed and dill weed. Use as much or as little as you like. Turn chicken pieces over and repeat with oil, salt, pepper, celery seed and dill.

Cook chicken in oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until no longer pink.

Let chicken cool.

Chop chicken into small pieces.

Place in a large bowl.

Add mayonnaise. I used about 1 cup, but again you can use as little or more if you prefer.

Mix well. Taste after mixing and add more celery seed or dill if needed. I like lots of dill in mine, so I always end up adding more. 

Serve on bread

Enjoy!

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 lbs. bonless, skinless chicken

salt and cracked pepper to taste

1 tsp. celery seed (more or less to taste)

1 tsp dill weed (more or less to taste)

1 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

Place chicken in a roasting pan. Drizzle a little olive oil over the chicken. Sprinkle on salt, pepper, celery seed and dill. Turn chicken pieces over and repeat with oil, salt, pepper, celery seed and dill.

Cook chicken in oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Let cool. Chop chicken into small pieces, then place in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise. Mix well. Taste after mixing and add more celery seed or dill if needed.

Serve on bread.

 

Honey BBQ Chicken

My husband came up with this recipe…I did tweak it a bit…with his knowledge of course.This is one of those “pull together” recipes. You know the kind, when you’re feeling lazy and you know you’ve got to cook something so you grab a few things that you have in the pantry. This is super easy and tasty. 

Here’s what you will need:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, 1 bottle of BBQ sauce, honey and Penzey’s Barbecue of the Americas.

This is optional, but it gives this dish a little kick with the allspice, cinnamon, ginger and white pepper in the seasoning. If you don’t have this, you can mix a little cinnamon and ginger to taste. Or you can leave it out all together.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.

Sprinkle about 1 Tbs. of Barbecue of the Americas seasoning onto the chicken.

Mix to coat well.

Add olive oil in a large skillet and heat on medium high heat.

Add chicken to the pan.

Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, turn each piece and continue cooking for another 3 minutes or until the chicken starts to turn a golden color.

Add about 1/4 Cup of honey to the chicken. Stir, then cook about 3 minutes more.

Pour in 1 bottle of BBQ sauce.

 Stir well. 

Cover pan and reduce heat to medium low. Continue cooking for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve over rice or on hamburger buns.

Enjoy!

Honey BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:
1 to 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into bite size pieces
1 Tbs. Penzey’s Barbecue of the Americas seasoning
1/4 cup Honey
1 bottle of BBQ sauce

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil to medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, turn each piece and continue cooking for another 3 minutes or until the chicken starts to turn a golden color. Add honey, stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add BBQ sauce, stir well. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve over rice or on Hambuger buns.

Saucy Parmesan Chicken Sandwich with Swiss, Bacon and Caramelized Onions

This sandwich is a great way to use up that left over spaghetti sauce that you might have. You know what I’m talking about, when you don’t have enough to use over noodles, but enough left over that you just can’t bring yourself to throw away.

I do have to warn you, this sandwich is messy but oh so good. 

Start by slicing one small onion.

In a small sauce pot, melt some butter and add olive oil.

Throw in the onions. Stir, then cook on low.

Stir occasionally until they are soft and turn a nice golden color. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes.

Spray a wire baking rack with non stick spray. Place on a baking sheet. Lay 2 slices of bacon per sandwich on rack. 

If you are a bacon addict like me, you may want to throw on a few more slices because you know you will end up eating some before it goes on the sandwich. 

cook in the oven at 375 degrees until crispy.

In a shallow dish, combine 2 eggs.

Give them a little whisk. 

Add a few drops of hot sauce. This is optional, but it adds a little flavor to the eggs.

In another shallow dish add some Panko bread crumbs…you can use Italian if you like. I like panko for the crunchiness. Is crunchiness even a word?

Throw in some dried parsley.

then add in some cheesy goodness in the form of shredded Parmesan cheese. 

You can shred your own as I do at times, or you can get the preshredded. I like to keep this on hand when I don’t feel like pulling out the grater….ok when I’m feeling lazy and want results now.

Mix the bread crumbs, parsley and cheese together.

Next you will need boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts which ever you prefer. For this recipe I had some chicken thighs on hand. They are cheaper and to me, have a little more flavor. 

dip chicken in egg.

Then dredge in bread crumb mixture coating both sides.

Add some oil to the bottom of a frying pan (just enough to cover the bottom). 

Add chicken to the pan and cook on med. high heat for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook about 2 minutes. 

turn the heat down to med. low. Cover the pan and continue to cook about 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

As the chicken is cooking, check to make sure that the crust is not getting too brown. I learned this the hard way. If so, turn the chicken over. 

Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside. Yes, I know it’s hard after smelling that delicious aroma of fried chicken, but don’t eat it just yet….you’re in the homestretch…..it will be worth the wait I promise.

Now for the assembly. 

you will need a sturdier bread then plain loaf of bread. I used Italian, but you can use sourdough as well. Butter each piece. On a baking sheet, lay what will be the bottom of the sandwich buttered side up.

Place chicken on the bread.

add a slice of Swiss cheese on top of chicken.

Warm up spaghetti sauce and spoon some over cheese. 

add caramelized onions over the sauce.

next comes the bacon.

top with bread butter side down.

Place in oven at 425 degrees. Cook until top of bread becomes lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Grab plenty of napkins and enjoy!

Saucy Parmesan Chicken Sandwich with Swiss, Bacon and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

Sliced Bread, Italian or sourdough

1 small onion, sliced

1 TBs. Butter (for the onions)

bacon, 2 slices per sandwich

2 eggs

hot sauce (optional)

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 Tbs. dried parsley

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (1 per sandwich)

spaghetti sauce

sliced Swiss cheese

soft butter for the bread

In a small sauce pan, melt butter and add some olive oil. Add onions and cook on low until caramelized. Set aside.

Spray a wire baking rack with non stick spray. Place on a baking sheet. Lay 2 slices of bacon per sandwich on rack. Cook in the oven at 375 degrees until crispy. Set aside.

In a shallow dish, add eggs and hot sauce. Whisk until blended.

In another shallow dish add some Panko bread crumbs, parsley, and cheese. Blend well. Dip chicken in egg, then dredge in bread crumb mixture coating both sides. Add oil to a frying pan. cook chicken on med. high heat for 5 minutes. Turn over and cook about 2 minutes more. Cover, continue cooking chicken on med. low heat for about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. 

Butter each piece of bread.  On a baking sheet, lay what will be the bottom of the sandwich buttered side up.Place chicken on the bread, then Swiss cheese, sauce, onions and lastly the bacon. Top with bread butter side down. Place in oven at 425 degrees. Cook until top of bread becomes lightly browned and cheese is melted.