Sweet & Sour Chicken Broccoli With Brown Rice

INGREDIENTS

4 - Boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 - Heads of broccoli florets

1 - Cup of sweet and sour sauce

1/4 - Cup of soy sauce

1/4 - Cup extra virgin olive oil

3 - Cups brown rice (instant)

1 - Tbsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

PREP

Cut broccoli into bite sized pieces. In a large pot fill with water two inches up the side wall. Add 1 tbsp salt. Add broccoli florets and steam until fork tender. Set aside to cool.

Precook instant rice to box directions and set aside. 

Chicken thighs should be thawed and sliced into two inch pieces.

In a large skilled set to medium high add olive oil and swirl pan to coat the bottom. Add chicken thighs, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking chicken until half way done and add garlic powder, sweet and sour sauce, and soy sauce. Continue to cook chicken until done. Add broccoli and make sure everything is coated with the sauce. Serve with a side of brown rice or mix all together.

Serves 6

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 6-8)

3-4 medium sized boneless skinless chicken breast

2 - 48 oz. boxes of chicken broth (College Inn Lite)

2 cups diced carrots

2 cups diced celery

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

1/2 package of egg noodles

PREP:

This recipe takes 4 hours to cook on high with your chicken frozen. I dice the chicken breast in one inch cubes prior to freezing.

Dice the carrots and celery the same size so they cook evenly.

DIRECTIONS:

Add frozen diced chicken breast, carrots, celery, SNP (salt and pepper), and Italian seasoning in the slow cooker. Add both containers of chicken broth. Set slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours.

When you're ready to serve, cook egg noodles to the package's direction, BUT slightly undercook the noodles and add them to the soup. Turn off slow cooker and let sit for 10 minutes. Ready to serve.

Santa Fe Chicken & Brown Rice (Slow Cooker)

Hey mamas! Got a busy day ahead of you and no time for dinner? This recipe is an easy one. All you have to do is take five minutes to prep your slow cooker and this meal puts itself together when it's time to hit the table.

Since I plan on using the leftovers for chicken quesadillas the next night, I use four boneless skinless chicken breasts. I layer them in the slow cooker with one cup of water, salt, pepper, 1 TBSP of cumin powder, 1 TBSP of garlic powder, and 1 TBSP of chili powder. If you're going to be away all day, then set your slow cooker to low for 8hrs. Set it to high for 4hrs.

After cook time: Shred the chicken with two forks, stir in one bag of corn, one can of black beans, and 1 cup of store bought salsa. Serve over brown rice (I use instant to save time).

Grilled Chicken Pasta Primavera

My family loved this quick dish. It's ready in as little time it takes to boil your pasta. This is one of those dishes that you throw in anything you have from the pantry or fridge. I added whole black olives, chopped tomatoes, chopped spring onions, and sliced cucumbers. I added one of those Italian seasoning salad dressing packs to the the liquid I steamed my leftover chicken in the microwave. There's a tip for ya. If you have leftover grilled chicken breast and you plan on using it for a quick dish, then add about a quarter of a cup of water and let it steam in the microwave on high for a few minutes. Your chicken will be moist. So I added the salad dressing mix packet to that leftover water and then mixed it all together with the pasta. I topped this dish with some fresh Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Some torn basil leaves would go well with this dish also. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Broccoli & Rice

 INGREDIENTS:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 Cups Vegetable Stock

1 16oz Package Frozen Broccoli

2 Cups Brown or White Rice

Salt & Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

For frozen or thawed chicken: Add to slow cooker with vegetable stock. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.

Cook rice to directions or use instant. Shred chicken and add frozen broccoli to mixture and cover for ten minutes. Add rice and mix thoroughly. Serves 4-6.

Chicken Piccata & Salad

 Chicken Piccata (The kid friendly version)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

2 cups vegetable broth

1 Tbsp chopped capers

1/2 fresh lemon juice (zest optional)

1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Chicken Prep: Make sure chicken is thawed. Tenderize to 1/2 thickness. Salt and pepper both sides and dip into breadcrumbs. You can can follow a traditional egg and flour dip also, but I'm cutting those steps out. In a nonstick skillet coat the bottom of saucepan with cooking spray. Cook chicken thoroughly and set aside to rest. Chop capers and add to pan along with garlic. Add vegetable broth and let simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens.  Add the squeezed lemon juice (and optional lemon zest). Dice chicken and add to sauce. Can be served alone or over rice or mashed potatoes with a side salad.

Chicken Picante (With Thanksgiving Turkey)

This is usually called Chicken Picante, but we're using leftover turkey so it's Turkey Picante. It's super easy to make and it's been handed down to me from my mom.

I heat up the leftover turkey in a skillet. Toss in your favorite jarred salsa and mixed veggies. Add salt and pepper and that's it. I serve over rice which is super convenient to stop at my local Chinese takeout and grab a pint for less than $2. Dinner is ready in 15 minutes!

Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Chicken

I like to use boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs.  Depending on the size I use two large chicken breast for my family of four.

Now I was born in Florida and even though I live in Indiana I know everything about the awesome BBQ joint, Sonny's. It's been a family favorite for years. The closest one to me is in Corbin, KY so when we're anywhere close we stock up on our favorite sauces.  My family loves the Sizzlin' Sweet sauce.

I pour half the bottle with the chicken and set the slow cooker to low for 8 hours. The chicken is tender and easy to pull apart. You can have it as a sandwich or on its own paired with beans and veggies.

Chicken Chili (Leftover Baked Enchiladas)

It's faster to make meals when majority of it is already cooked.  This is the previous night's baked enchiladas in soup/chili form.

PREP 4 hrs slow cooker time (low heat)
I throw one large boneless skinless chicken breast in the crockpot with one whole box of low sodium chicken salt.  Do NOT add any seasonings.

DIRECTIONS
Shred chicken with two forks while still in crockpot.  

Add 1 1/2 cups of precooked brown rice. It helps thicken the soup.

Stir in leftover baked enchiladas. 
Click here for the baked enchiladas recipe.

General Tso Chicken, Broccoli, & Brown Rice

I chose to use the slow cooker this week, but you can bake your chicken and broccoli together in the oven.  This was a crowd pleaser with no leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

Boneless skinless chicken breast/tenderloins
1 12oz. jar General Tso sauce
1/2 cup water
1 12oz. bag of frozen broccoli
1-2 cups brown rice - precooked/instant/your preference


DIRECTIONS

I used boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins, but you can sub in whole chicken breast or thighs.  I use 6-7 tenderloins for my family.  The General Tso sauce is from Aldi.  Pour half the bottle over the chicken.  Add 1/2 cup of water in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on medium heat for 4 hours.

I steamed the broccoli in the bag in the microwave for two minutes.  We used the leftover "Mexican" rice from the previous night's dinner.  The rice is only flavored with salt, pepper, and diced tomatoes for color.

After the broccoli is done steaming, add them to the chicken. Pour the rest of the jar in with the chicken and broccoli.  Serve over rice.

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Quesadillas & Mexican Rice

This is the perfect meal if you're on the go. I like to make this in the slow cooker so it's ready after we get home in the evenings. It's an assembly job after the chicken is ready to go.  

INGREDIENTS

6 Chicken breast tenderloins (Change amount depending on servings)

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin powder

1 Tbsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

3 Cups brown rice (I make enough to use with another meal)

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 Cup salsa

2 Tbsp sour cream

4 8" tortilla wrappers

(Typical taco toppings - can vary)

I put the chicken in the slow cooker frozen. It makes the prep time fast so I do this on my lunch break. Add the seasonings and set to medium heat. It will be ready in 4-5 hours. The chicken will thaw itself during the cooking process and will provide moisture.  

Cook the rice according to the directions. My way: I eyeball the amount of rice I want and then fill water to an inch above the rice. Stir in the dice tomatoes and add a pinch of salt. Brown rice takes longer to cook so allow 20-25 minutes into your time before you're ready to assemble the quesadillas.

While the rice is cooking it's time to prep the toppings. I like to mix sour cream and salsa together to act as the "glue" for the quesadillas. Chop your favorite taco toppings and set aside.

Shred the chicken. Add chicken and toppings to the flour tortilla. I like the fold-over method to keep everything intact. I use cooking spray in a nonstick pan to brown and crisp the outside of the quesadilla. Cut into thirds and serve with a side of rice.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

You know what's good about these?  They are an easy make ahead meal.  You have the option of boiling your chicken breast (that's what I did) or cooking your chicken mixture in a slow cooker.  Your choice depending on your schedule.  Since I plan my meals in advance, I knew I would be coming home late today so I made these last night.  This is such and easy fix for lunch too.  Throw this in your 20 minutes or less category for recipes.  

You can add any veggies that you like, but we kept it simple with lettuce since I was making the wraps and sticking them in the fridge.  Note: If you want to make this ahead of time and plan on using a lot of veggies (tomatoes/cucumbers that are watery), then make sure you don't assemble them until you're ready to serve.

Mix 1/2 cup of light sour cream with 1/4 cup of buffalo wing sauce. Mix a whole packet of ranch mix and add 1/4 cup of water to thin out the mixture. The sauce is really up to your taste buds.  I don't make it too spicy because of the kiddos, but they love these wraps with a hint of wing sauce. So all you do is shred your chicken to bite size pieces and then assemble them in flour tortillas.  Boom...another week night dinner in the books.