Category Archives: chicken

Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes

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I hit on this dinner a few weeks ago and it was a smashing success. I’ve made it twice so far. Leftovers have been served over baked sweet potatoes for lunch. And then I made the barbecue sauce again to go over meatloaf another night.  Considering how often I repeat recipes (read: not very!) the fact that this keeps popping up is a testament to how much we’re enjoying it.

This really couldn’t be easier to pull off on a week night – mix everything for the sauce together, brown up the meat and veggies, combine them and done! It also reheats really well so it’s great to make ahead for nights when you literately just have time to microwave something.

Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes

Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes
(from The Foodie and the Fix)
Makes 5

1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
2/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
4 tsp. pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. liquid smoke

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
Whole wheat buns, for serving

In a bowl, whisk together the first 9 ingredients – tomato paste to liquid smoke.

In a large non-stick skillet, brown together the turkey, bell pepper, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Break up the turkey as it cooks. When the turkey is cooked through and the vegetables are soft, stir in the sauce and cook until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve on rolls.

Barbecue Turkey Sloppy Joes

 

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Lighter Chicken Pot Pie #ComfortFood

Posted in chicken, main dishes, one dish meals by

January. The month when I’m torn between all the comfort food and trying to eat health. (Because, New Year’s resolutions and all that.) This dish is pretty much the ultimate compromise. And right now I’m all about compromise.

I, like 90% of the population, dream big on New Year’s. I’m going to eat better! I’m going to exercise every day! I’m going to be organized! And wash the curtains regularly! And floss! And sleep more! And then mid-January rolls around and I’m like, resolutions? What resolutions?!

This year I’m trying to be more gently with myself. I’ve washed the curtains once, and I’ll put it out of my mind until the summer. I’m definitely not exercising every day, but I am wearing my fitbit to try to be more aware of how much I’m moving (or not). And I’m trying to plan some more healthy meals so when something less than great sneaks on to the menu, I’m not sweating it.

This tastes just like your traditional pot pie, but the secret ingredient is almond milk! The almond milk makes the filling rich and creamy for only a fraction of the calories. It also uses only a top crust, but you won’t miss the usually-soggy bottom crust here. And using a dairy-free pie crust will make the whole thing dairy free! Such a win.

And if you’re looking for more comfort food, I’m linking up with some other bloggers today to bring you some great options.

Enjoy these great #ComfortFood ideas from #FestiveFoodies!

 

TurkeyPotPie

Lighter Chicken Pot Pie
(adapted from Well Plated)
Serves 4

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken or turkey breast
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen pearl onions
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 prepared pie crust
1 egg, lightly beaten, with 1 Tbsp. water for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9″ pie dish with nonstick spray.

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add carrots, celery, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes, until carrots begin to soften.

Sprinkle the flour over and stir in, cook an additional 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the almond milk, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Bring to a boil and cook 3-5 minutes, until it thickens. Stir in the chicken, peas, onions, and thyme. Spoon the mixture into the pie dish.

Roll the pie dough out so it will cover your dish. Brush the edges of the dish with egg wash, then lay the pie crust over. Gently press the dough into the sides of the dish so it sticks and trim as needed. Cut Egg wash the top of the pie crust. 3-4 slits in the top to vent.

Bake about 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Lighter Chicken Pot Pie

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Creamy Mustard Sauce #Tresomega #OrganicsForLife

Posted in chicken, main dishes, pasta by

MustardSaucePasta1.jpgDisclosure: This post is part of the Tresomega Nutrition Blogger Recipe Challenge. I received complimentary products to use in this post. All opinions are my own.

My last  Tresomega for the week is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that’s also healthy! This mustard sauce is a great way to add a lot of flavor without adding a lot of calories. My kids (and us adults) gobbled it up!

Again, I was super impressed with Tresomega’s pasta. It’s gluten free, but we honestly wouldn’t be able to tell if we didn’t already know!

For more recipe inspiration, you can visit them on Facebook and Twitter. You can purchase Tresomega products at: Tresomega.com. Sams.com, Amazon.com and Walmart.com.

 

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Creamy Mustard Sauce
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original)
Serves 4

1 box Tresomega Gluten-Free Organic Quinoa Fusilli Pasta
1 Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. chicken apple sausage, coin sliced
2 green peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Prepare the pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add in sausage, peppers, and onion and cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in the mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the pasta and serve.

MustardSaucePasta2

Freezer-Friendly Chicken Fried Rice

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I love a good freezer recipe – and I love that this one isn’t your typical casserole or soup. Now, don’t get me wrong – there are plenty of casseroles and soups in my freezer – but this is a great choice for nights when you just want something different.

I generally make these in batches of 4-5 dinners. You can swap out the protein, too – pork, beef, and shrimp all work well here! It’s also a great one to get the kids to help with. Jake can help with the measuring and dumping; Julie helps shake all the ingredients up!

ChickenFriedRice

Freezer-Friendly Chicken Fried Rice
(A Kate’s Recipe Box Original)
Serves 4

5 cups cooked rice
1 ½ cups peas and carrots
½ cup diced onions
2 cups chicken– cooked and diced
2 Tbsp. fried rice seasoning

2 Tbsp. oil
4 eggs
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 dashes pepper

In a gallon zipper bag, toss together the rice, peas and carrots, onions, chicken, and seasoning. Shake well to combine. Seal, label, and freeze.

Thaw in refrigerator overnight.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet. Dump rice mixture into the skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat, breaking up any chunks of rice, until hot – about five minutes. Push rice mixture to the side of the skillet. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to the empty side of the skillet and add eggs. Cook and stir until eggs are thickened but still moist. Combine eggs with the rice mixture. Turn off the heat. Stir in soy sauce and pepper. Serve.

Fried Rice Seasoning

¼ cup garlic powder
4 tsp. ginger powder
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper

Whisk together and stir in an airtight container.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sliders with Dill Pickle Slaw #Crocktober

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Fall always seems like the perfect time for slow cooker recipes. It seems like we’re squeezing more and more into these shortening days, and being able to have a warm meal minutes within walking through the door is both convenient and comforting.

Today, I’m linking up with a few other bloggers for #Crocktober! You can check out their perfect-for-fall meals here:

 

BBQ chicken in the slow cooker is nothing new – but a few extra steps and this makes a really special meal. After you pull the chicken, it gets added to slider rolls, covered in glaze, and baked. A quick pickle slaw tops it off.

My pickle-loving crew loved this – a perfect little meal for a busy night or a perfect tailgate dish!

DillPickleSliders

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sliders with Dill Pickle Slaw
(slightly adapted from Southern Bite)
Makes 12 sliders

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup barbecue sauce
12 sweet Hawaiian rolls
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. barbecue seasoning
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. pickle juice
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Add the chicken to the slow cooker and cover with barbecue sauce. Turn to coat. Cook on low for 4 hours. Remove chicken and shred.

Preheat the oven for 350 and spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.

Leaving the rolls together, cut in half. Place the bottom half in the greased pan. Top with chicken. Add the top half of the rolls.

In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, barbecue seasoning, Worcestershire, brown sugar, and yellow mustard. Brush evenly over all of the sliders.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle juice, sugar, salt, and garlic powder.

Toss the cabbage and chopped dill pickle with enough of the dressing to coat. Refrigerate until serving.

When the sliders are done, serve with the dill pickle slaw.

Chicken Ranchiladas

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Mark and I love Tex-Mex. I used to cook it at home a lot, but then kids happened. We’re lucky that neither of ours are overly-picky eaters, but they’re not into spicy and that nixes a lot of my go-to Tex-Mex.

These were a great in-between. They’re spiced enough that Mark and I enjoyed them, but the kids didn’t find them spicy. (And, served with extra ranch for dipping, they were a huge hit.)

I sped up the prep time by using cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie works great!), but you could also cook chicken breasts in a pot or slow cooker with the broth and seasoning and shred once cooked.

ChickenRanchiladas

Chicken Ranchiladas
(A Kate’s Recipe Box Original)
Serves 4-6

5 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. taco-ranch seasoning
3/4 cup salsa
3/4 cup ranch dressing + additional for topping
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
10 tortillas
Shredded lettuce, for serving, optional
Chopped tomato, for serving, optional

Taco-ranch seasoning:
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix

Mix all seasonings together and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×11″ pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large pot, add chicken, broth and 2 Tbsp. taco-ranch seasoning and heat over low heat until well combined. Remove from heat.

Stir together the salsa and ranch dressing. Pour 1/2 cup into the bottom of the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Mix the remaining salsa-ranch mixture into the chicken, along with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Stir to combine evenly.

Divide chicken mixture between tortillas and wrap up tightly. Place in the pan seam-side down. Top with additional cheese.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Top with lettuce and tomatoes before serving.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Kabobs

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Despite the leaves starting to change, summer weather has been hanging on around here. We had several days in the 90s this week! I’ve been doing a little scrambling to get in some last-minute summer dishes on our weekly menu, because I know this won’t last.

I’m loving these afternoons where I can let the kids play in the backyard while I get dinner going on the grill. We’ve been eating on the deck a ton. I’m going to miss it terribly when the weather cools down.

LemonPepperKabobs

 

Lemon Pepper Chicken Kabobs
(adapted slightly from The Gunny Sack)
Serves 4

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ pieces
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning, divided
1 bunch of asparagus
1 lb. new potatoes
2 lemons

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, vinegar, and 2 Tbsp. of lemon pepper seasoning. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

While the chicken marinades, cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and add them to another bowl. Toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning.

Poke each potato with a fork and add to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. If the potatoes are larger than your chunks of chicken, cut in half once they’re cool enough to handle, then toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. lemon pepper.

Cut the lemon into wedges.

When the chicken is finished marinating, thread all the prepared ingredients onto skewers and grill over medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked through.

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu #RecipeMakeover

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Disclosure: I received this product for free as part of #RecipeMakeover week. All opinions are my own.

We are grill-obsessed in the summer, so when the opportunity came up to work with Smokin-Os, I was beyond excited. I tend to slather my grill creations in sauce – usually one that’s loaded with sugar. Barbecue, teriyaki, and sweet and sour sauces end up in heavy rotation. With Smokin-Os, though, that’s not necessary.

Smokin-Os are a ridiculously easy way to get all the flavor of smoking with minimal effort. They pack a huge flavor punch without adding any calories. You can see how to use them here.

SmokinOs

When I started brainstorming what I wanted to try and makeover for #RecipeMakeover week, I kept coming back to Chicken Cordon Bleu. I love it, but it’s usually fried and often comes with a heavy sauce. As soon as I got my hands on the Smokin-Os, I knew they’d be a great way to pack a lot of flavor into my dish, while ditching the frying. I was so excited how these turned out!

To find out more about Smokin-Os, like them on Facebook!

GrilledChickenCordonBleu

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu with Smokin-Os
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original
Serves 4

4 thin-cut, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt, pepper, and oregano, to taste
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. olive oil
4 slices deli ham
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 Original Smokin-Os

Prepare the grill according to the Smokin-Os package directions.

Season chicken breasts to taste with salt, pepper, and oregano. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, and olive oil.

When the grill is ready, spray with non-stick spray and add chicken breasts. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip, brushing the top with the honey-mustard mixture. Cook another 3-4 minutes, flip and brush again. Add 1 slice of ham, topped with one slice of Swiss cheese to each chicken breast and cook for another minute, until the cheese melts.

 

Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta

Posted in chicken, main dishes, one dish meals, pasta by

‘Tis the season for comfort food. I’m not sure if it’s holiday stress or the weather getting colder but I now want all of my food to be warm and cheesy. Which totally does not agree with losing the baby weight. And knowing that I’m going to totally blow any good eating at holiday parties, I’ve been trying to be a little more careful with family dinners.

Luckily, I have some awesome blogger friends to lean on! This lightened-up comfort food dish from Prevention RD‘s cookbook totally hit the spot. This was warm and cheesy and perfect – without the guilt.

SkilletBBQChickenPasta

Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta
(from Prevention RD’s Everyday Healthy Cooking)
Serves 4-6

1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 red onion, diced
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
12 oz. whole wheat penne
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/3 cup cheddar, shredded

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet until shimmering. Add the chicken and onions and cook until chicken is cooking through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, at the water, chicken broth, penne and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer 12-15 minutes, until liquid is mostly absorbed and pasta is tender. Stir in barbecue sauce and Greek yogurt. When well combined, stir in the cheeses and reserved chicken mixture. Cook until heated through. Serve immediately.

Instant Pot Brown Sugar & Garlic Chicken

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Raise your hand if you bought an Instant Pot on Black Friday! I’m guessing there are quite a few of you because the requests for IP recipes have pretty much tripled in the last week.

I grabbed an Instant Pot a few months ago and I’ve been loving it for quick side dishes but I’ve been slow to use it for meals. That’s changing, though, as I’m forever forgetting to throw things in the slow cooker as planned. Mom brain is real, you guys.

This chicken was one of my first main dishes in the IP and man, was it a winner. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. We paired it with Hibachi Style Noodles and roasted broccoli for a great dinner.

BrownSugarGarlicChickenIP

Instant Pot Brown Sugar & Garlic Chicken
(from Once a Month Meals)
Serves 4

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon lime soda
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. black pepper

Place chicken in the Instant Pot. Mix remaining ingredients together in a small ball and pour over the chicken. Cook on manual for 15 minutes, then release the pressure and serve.