Garlic Cheddar Chicken

So, I have this lovely menu all typed out on my blog for this week - to make things easy on myself. Um, yeah. Except for when I don't want what is on my menu. LOL I was going to make chicken parmesan except that T and I both had baked ziti leftovers for lunch. I couldn't do pasta twice in a row, so I spent the afternoon begging my foodie friends for recipes and scouring every blog I could find. I finally found a recipe that looked pretty yummy on Katorade's blog.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.
Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Pig Rating: The pig thought this was pretty good for something different. He was just excited that I was making roasted red potatoes again. LOL

Mrs. Pig Rating: I like this for an easy chicken recipe that I typically have all of the ingredients on hand for. It had a really good flavor to it and was pretty good. I think I'll definitely save this one for the make again list. :)

Rachel's "Chicken Dorito"

So, I have seen a recipe for "Dorito chicken" floating around out on foodie blogs. I was pretty leary of this. I mean, throwing Doritos on chicken seemed a little odd to me even though I love Doritos and I love chicken, therefore I never really thought much about this one.

When my friend Clara asked a question on her blog this week about her readers' favorite proteins AND made them put recipes down (geez...so needy), I found that the "Chicken Dorito" made the list from our great friend Rachel. The recipe that Rachel posted is from her grandmother and it looked a lot better to me than a lot of the other recipes I had seen for this. So, why the heck not try it right? I'm always willing to try new chicken recipes to shake things up a bit. My changes are in red.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded (I didn't shred - I cut into strips)

Cheddar cheese, grated

2 cans cream of chicken soup

milk (1/2 a soup can’s worth)

1 can diced green chilis (you decide the spicy level)

1 bag Toasted Corn Doritos

(I only made 2 breasts so I halved everything)

Directions

Combine soup, milk and green chili’s in a sauce pan and cook until blended and warm.
In a 9×13 pan (or use a casserole dish) layer 1/3 amount of the Doritos, Chicken, Soup, and Cheese. Repeat twice ending with cheese on top. Cover and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Pig Rating: The pig took his first bite and was like, "Eh, it's okay," but then he had a 2nd bite and actually got some of the "dorito crust" in it and he said it was much better. Plate was cleaned by the pig. : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: I think that this would be great with the shredded chicken and put over nachos. Now, of course, anything on nachos is good to me, but I think this would be awesome. I like it pretty well though I have to say. I retract my previous thoughts about Dorito Chicken now. Thanks Rachey : )

PS- the pictures of this suck. It's just not pretty. Sorry. : )

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Cordon Bleu means “blue ribbon” in French, and in French culinary tradition, the Cordon Bleu is awarded to food or chefs of particularly high quality. Neat huh? : ) I have never really even thought about eating chicken cordon bleu because I am not a huge ham fan. However, I saw this on a blog a week or so ago and thought I would give it a try since I know Tommy likes it. I wasn't so sure about it but I made sure to get really thin shaved ham so it wouldn't freak me out too much... : ) I served this with corn and salad.

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices cooked ham
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 7x11 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness.
3. Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with bread crumbs.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately.

Pig Rating: He said, "This is good!". I told him it makes me proud when I make something and he likes it so he said, "Then you should be proud of this!", so he must really like it. : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: Like I said, I was kind of worried about the ham, but it gave it a really good taste. I'm glad I tried this one - a new chicken recipe to add to our collection of "save to make again" : )

Recipe from allrecipes.com

As for the picture...well...for some reason I couldn't hold my hand steady enough tonight to take a good picture, so I just didn't put one on here. Just trust me on this - it is good. You must try it!

Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts

There are so many blogs that I just love to look through every day. One of my favorite's is One Tiny Pink Kitchen. She has great healthy recipes and I just love it. There was a recipe for Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts on there that looked so super yummy that I knew I had to try it. When one of my other fellow foodies Nina tried it recently and I saw it on her blog, I knew it had to be soon! So tonight I decided to try it. It was the first time I have ever made stuffed chicken of any sort but it sounded yummy so....

Ingredients

4 – 4 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/8 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Dried Basil – divided - I used about 2 tsp total
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 cup Minced Green Bell Pepper I omitted
4 (3/4 oz) Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
2 Tbsp. Fat-Free Italian Dressing
1/8 tsp. Paprika - I used 1 tsp
1/4 cup Dry Breadcrumbs
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
Cooking Spray

Directions

Pound chicken to 1/4” thickness; sprinkle with salt, 1/4 tsp basil (I didn't really measure), and crushed red pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle each breast with 1 Tbsp. minced bell pepper. Place 1 cheese stick lengthwise down the center; roll up jelly roll fashion. Brush rolls evenly with Italian dressing. Combine paprika and breadcrumbs, and a dash of oregano and basil; dredge chicken breasts rolls in mixture, turn to coat. Place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray – seam side down. Lightly coat with non-stick spray; sprinkle with remaining basil. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until done (mine took about 22 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Pig Rating: He liked this but he is kind of weird about textures and breading on the outside of meats kind of freaks him out sometimes. He said he did like it but maybe not so much breading next time.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I really liked this one!!! I love chicken and cheese and everything that is in this one! I would eat it every night. : ) Definitely try this one!

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

As part of my new "back on the wagon" phase (again, don't be fooled by "back on the wagon"...I have a glass of wine in my hand as I'm typing this), I decided to make some different recipes this week. I saw a recipe on Clara's blog awhile back that I though I should try since we like chicken and T likes mushrooms. And in my attempt to not make every meal include butter, heavy cream and pasta....

Ingredients

2 tsp Vegetable or olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 pound uncooked chicken breasts

2 cups small halved mushrooms

1/3 cup chicken broth or white wine

1/4 tsp dried thyme

[NOTES: I used about 4-5 tbsp balsamic vinegar b/c I love the flavor.]COOKING

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix 2 tblespoons vinegar, mustard and garlic. Add chicken to mixture and turn to coat. Heat 1 tsp oil in nonstick skillet. Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. sautee chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to platter and keep warm. Heat remaining oiland saute mushrooms for about one minute. Add broth, thyme and remaining vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about two minutes. Serve chicken topped with mushrooms

Pig Rating: He said this was okay. He said it was like something I would have made before I "became a professional chef". HA! Okay, brownie points for Tommy. : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: I kind of felt the same as Tommy. This was okay - the chicken was really moist and it was good, it just wasn't anything special really to me. Maybe I needed to add more vinegar?

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

I haven't updated my blog in so long it seems like! Christmas is such a busy time for us with all the running around and having the kids all week. Fun, but busy. I did manage to make a few new things over the past week though. However, I wasn't so great at remembering to take pictures. Usually by the time I had dinner ready I was ready to just eat and didn't really care about a picture, so sorry about that. : )

My friend Mary made these awesome quesadillas one night when we were at their house for dinner and I had to have the recipe. Again, sorry for no picture, but these are super easy and super yummy!!

Ingredients
1/4 C thinly sliced green onions (about 2)
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
1 C chopped cooked chicken
4 (8") flour tortillas
3/4 C reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
Cooking spray
3/4 C salsa

Directions
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until blended.
2. Pace 1/4 C chopped chicken over half of each tortilla. Sprinkle each with 3 T cheese and 1 T onion mixture; fold tortillas in half.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in a pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla in half. Serve with salsa.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 quesadilla and 3 talbespoons salsa).

Recipe from the Cooking Light cookbook

Pig Rating: Tommy really liked these a lot. He loved them with dipping them in the salsa. I made these and tacos and he didn't even touch the tacos.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I really loved these! They were easy to make and they tasted so good for something different. I recommend this recipe if you like chicken quesadillas.

Alfredo Bake

I first saw this recipe on Amber's Delectable Delights and it was immediately put on my "must make" list. However, Tommy isn't a broccoli fan, so while he is traveling I figured it was a great time to try this one out.

Ingredients

8 oz pasta, cooked and drained

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup mushrooms

1.5 cups chicken, cooked and shredded or diced

1 jar alfredo sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tbls butter

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees-

Coat the bottom of the two small or one medium baking dish with a thin layer of alfredo sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken, garlic and alfredo sauce until combined.

Place mixture into baking dish and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter on top of the cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Mrs. Pig Rating: OMG. This is now one of my favorite recipes ever. I am so excited that I made enough to take in my lunch this week!!! Tommy wouldn't like this one, but I think it is AWESOME!!!!

Recipe from Amber's Delectable Delights, picture from my kitchen

Cajun Chicken Pasta

We love Cajun food and we love pasta and chicken so this one seemed like it would be really good for us to try. I usually eat a very similar dish when I am dragged to Red Lobster since I am allergic to seafood. : )

Ingredients'
4 ounces linguine pasta
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 red bell pepper, sliced (I left this out)
1 green bell pepper, sliced (I left this out)
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Place the chicken and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or margarine until almost tender (5 to 7 minutes).
Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms and green onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat.
Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Heat through. Add the cooked linguine, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Pig Rating: He thought it was too salty, but he thought if I hadn't added salt, that he really would have liked it.

Mrs. Pig Rating: This smelled so good while it was cooking, but I do agree it tasted too salty. I think that I added Cajun seasoning salt instead of just seasoning. Oops....I am definitely going to make this again with the appropriate seasoning though. I think we will love it!

Recipes from www.allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen

Chicken and Potato Pizza

My great friend Clara who is also a foodie (she has 3 food blogs....THREE!!!), had this pizza on her blog and it intrigued me. Her hubby likes this one from CPK and I figured that mine would as well so I thought I would give it a whirl. At first I was a little scared...I mean, potatoes on a pizza?!? But, I like potatoes and I like pizza, so why the heck not?? : )

Thanks for the recipe Clara!! I changed it a bit from her recipe so we'll call this Clara's recipe modified to April's taste.. ; )

Ingredients

1 pizza crust (I cheated and bought Pillsbury refrigerated crust)

1 jar pizza sauce

mozzerella and/or cheddar cheese

1 large potato (fry in oil until potatoes start turning golden brown)

1 chicken breast (I shredded the chicken but you can cut it into chunks if you prefer)

1/4 or 1/2 cup onion (to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat oven 400F

Roll out dough on pan (I used a big cookie sheet as my crust was more rectangle than round). At this point, I baked my dough in the oven first for about 8 minutes before putting on toppings. I think it depends on the crust that you use.

Spoon on the pizza sauce & sprinkle with cheese. Add all other toppings. (Clara uses tomato chunks on hers but Tommy isn't a huge tomato fan so I omitted but I bet it is yummy!)

Bake for 15-20 minutes

Pig Rating: He really liked this a lot. He said, "Pig says this one is REAALLLLY good! Put that on your blog!". LOL Definitely a keeper (the recipe and the Pig ; )

Mrs. Pig Rating: I really liked this one a lot. I think I might try it with something other than pizza sauce....maybe a white sauce of some type. This is a really awesome easy recipe though. YUMMMM!!!

Recipe from Clara's blog, picture from my kitchen

The Chicken Enchilada Incident of 2007

Tonight I was so excited to get home and make chicken enchiladas. I had a recipe for enchiladas that I made awhile back with ground turkey and I decided this time I would try chicken. They were so good the last time I made them and we love Mexican food.

I came home at lunch today so that I could go ahead and boil and shred the chicken so it wouldn't take me so long to make dinner tonight. Good job for me for putting in so much effort huh? : ) Tonight when I got home from work I started making the enchiladas. I was so craving them all day at work and I couldn't wait for them to be finished!

I mixed the shredded chicken in with the taco seasoning and water just as the recipe said, then I looked and it said to add 2 cups of brown rice. So, me, doing ten things at once, without even thinking about what I was doing measured out two cups of brown rice and dumped it in with the chicken and stirred vigourously.

Only when I was about to put the mixture into the tortillas did I stop and think, "Oh my gosh. I am the biggest dumba** ever. I just put 2 cups of uncooked rice in to bake with these enchiladas." I mean, what was I thinking? That the rice would just automatically fluff up and cook while baking? As if rice does that?! I wanted to kick myself. But, I stuck it in the oven anyway thinking that maybe, just maybe with all of the sauce, etc. it would be okay (when in the back of my mind I knew it wouldn't).

And of course, I warned Tommy before they were finished..."Um, I think I messed up our dinner." At least I warned him. If there is one thing he hates it's crunchy rice. And, as expected, I yanked the beautiful enchiladas out of the oven, took a big bite and....::CRUNCH:: Awesome.

Needless to say, I was really unhappy with myself. I hate messing up something when I'm cooking. HATE it. So...it was frozen pizza for us tonight. : ( I am already currently in the process of boiling more chicken and COOKING brown rice so I can make this again tomorrow night...

Sorry so long. Had to vent...anyway, here is the awesome recipe!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken) 2 cups of cheddar cheese divided
1 pack of taco seasoning 10 tortillas
1 cup water salsa
2 cups of brown rice (COOKED RICE!!) 1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of refried beans

Directions
Fry ground beef or cook chicken and shred. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in (COOKED) rice and cook until liquid is gone. Spread 2 tbsp. Of beans, ¼ cup beef, 1 tbsp. Cheese down center of tortillas and then roll them up. Place them in a 9 x 13 pan seam side down. Combine salsa and soup. Pour down center of enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Serves 6-10 depending on how many your guests can eat ; )

Pig Rating: Crunchy. LOL Update:::Second time around- The pig said they were good and even ate seconds : )

Mrs. Pig Rating: Crunchy and I am mad at myself. Stay tuned for the real thing tomorrow night...:::Second time around - Definitely yummy and super filling. I will make these again for sure!

Recipes from http://www.allrecipes.com/ (I think), picture from my kitchen

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Pasta

I am always looking for new ideas for chicken and pasta dinners. We love them! I found this one on the blog of Orange Kitchen and it looked really different and really yummy.

(I am copying straight from her blog)

Ingredients

1 cup chicken broth

1.5 tbls lime juice (adjusting amount to your liking)

1 tbls corn starch (I used more like a tbsp and a half)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I used a lot more than this, I like things spicy!)

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder (I used dried onion flakes instead)

1/4 tsp dried thyme (I ommitted this)

1/4 tsp dried parsley (I ommitted this)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)

1 tbls butter

Few drizzles of olive oil

8 oz pasta (I used whole campanelli)

1-2 cups broccoli florets

Optional - Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1) Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 5 minutes of pasta cook time add the broccoli into the boiling water. Drain.

2) Mix together all the sauce ingredients (chicken broth through parsley) and set aside. (I actually cut the chicken into pieces and then put the spices right on the chicken like a dry rub)

3) Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add bite size chicken pieces into heated pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Pour the sauce ingredients into the pan with the chicken and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened. (When the chicken was finished I added the cornstarch then when that was dissolved I added the lime juice and then the chicken broth)

4) Toss cooked broccoli and pasta with the chicken and sauce (I let it simmer for another 2 minutes in the sauce!). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired and serve.

Pig Rating: The pig took one bite of this and almost threw up. No, seriously. LOL I ended up making him a sandwich for dinner. I think the lime probably freaked him out.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I liked this one! Not my favorite, but definitely not bad. I ate leftovers the next day even. : )

Recipe from Orange Kitchen, picture from my kitchen

Kat's "Fast Fancy Chicken"

My friend Kat always has great recipes on her blog -I have so many on my list that I want to try! She is a nutritionist so the good thing about most of her recipes is that they are healthy. And yummy! Double score! : )

Tonight we tried her "Fast Fancy Chicken". My menu is all out of order this week, but oh well.

Ingredients

6 Boneless Chicken Breasts
6 Slices Swiss Cheese
1/4 lb. Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 Cup White Wine
2 Cups Herbed Stuffing Mix
1 Stick Butter/Margerine

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350. Place chicken in lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Top each piece with a slice of swiss cheese. Arrange mushrooms over cheese. Mix soup and wine and pour over chicken. Sprinkle stuffing mix over top and drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Note: I only cooked 2 chicken breasts as it was just DH and I. Therefore I halved the wine, margarine, and soup.

Pig Rating: The first thing he said was, "Wow baby, that looks impressive! Did you take a picture?" LOL : ) He really REALLY liked this a lot. He said it might even be better than smothered pork chops which is his favorite thing I have made so far. Thanks for the recipe Kat! If the Pig is happy, I am happy!

Mrs. Pig Rating: This was REALLY good. I will definitely be making this one again. I served with zesty red potatoes and corn. Such a good meal. The chicken turns out really juicy and full of flavor. If you like chicken, you HAVE to try this one.

Recipe from http://anirishgirlwhocancookanddrink.blogspot.com/; Picture from my kitchen

Chicken Marsala

Yes, another pasta and chicken dish...no surprise there, huh? : ) And pasta and chicken with wine nonetheless...how me! Tommy eats this sometimes at our favorite Italian restaurant and I came across a recipe for it on another foodie blog so I thought I would give it a shot.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 but used the same amount of sauce)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

kosher salt (I used regular salt)

ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 slices of bacon or pancetta, chopped

2 cups white or cremini mushrooms

2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp.)

1 tbsp. minced shallot

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 1/2 cups Marsala wine (sweet)

1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (1 small lemon)

4 tbsp. unsalted butter cut into 4pieces, room temperature

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place large heatproof dinner plate on oven rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot (you can hold your hand 2 inches above pan surface for 3 to 4 seconds), about 3 minutes. Pat chicken breasts dry. Meanwhile, place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour. Lift breast from tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside.

Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering. Place floured cutlets in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 3 minutes longer.

Transfer chicken to heated plate and return plate to oven.

2. Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; saute, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel--lined plate. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; saute, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and shallot Saute for 1 minute. Add cooked pancetta and tomato paste. Stir while sauteing, until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, add Marsala; return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

My tips: I will add some cornstarch and cold water next time after the butter to make the sauce a little thicker. I will also use thinner chicken breasts next time (or beat them a little more than I did with the mallet) as they were not finished cooking in the oven on only the 200 degree heat. I had to crank up the oven a bit to get them to cook all the way through.

Pig Rating: He thought this was really good! He agrees that thicker sauce and thinner chicken breasts would make this dish perfect. Definitely a keeper.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I liked this one pretty well. My tips are above but I think those will make this a real winner. It is in my box of things to make again!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Some of my friends have raved about this crockpot salsa chicken recipe that has been floating around. I loved the sound of it because I love to use the crockpot and we really like Mexican food so I thought this would be a winner. And it is beyond easy. It smelled SOOO good when I got home from work today. YUM! : )

This is taken from my friend Nikki's blog...I believe she got it from Sparkpeople.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts - put in frozen if you’re worried about overcooking

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning

1 16 oz jar salsa

1 can corn (I didn't use corn)

1 can rinsed and drained black beans

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

PS - this recipe makes a ton. I will half it next time.

Directions

Mix soup, salsa, and taco seasoning together and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken, add corn, beans, and sour cream. Cook for a few more minutes until everything is heated through. Serve with tortilla chips or in a tortilla.

Pig Rating: He said it was good but it wasn't something that he will crave. He said it was a little too Tex Mex for him. He says that a lot lately - all that is in this is taco seasoning and he likes regular tacos, so who knows. : ) Anyway, he thought it was okay but he likes my chicken nachos way better.

Mrs. Pig Rating: Super easy recipe which is always good. I liked this one pretty well, but I probably won't make it again for awhile. Not my favorite, but I didn't hate it either. I am still getting used to chicken in Mexican food so maybe that was why I wasn't in love with it.

Recipe from Nikki's blog, picture from my kitchen

Salsa Chicken

We love Mexican food but it always makes us feel so full and well, let's be honest - it isn't really that good for you most of the time. But, I found this awesome recipe on another foodie blog (One Tiny Pink Kitchen) and it is actually a WW recipe. We really liked this one a lot - I really recommend cooking it if you like Mexican food and chicken. It's really good and not too bad for you.

With my new cooking phase, Tommy has kind of been the "guinea pig" for a lot of things. I always shorten this and just call him the "pig" and we think it's pretty funny. When I bring out something new I always say, "Okay, you get to be a pig tonight again" and he knows that he is going to have something new. : ) So, I will now be adding a "pig rating" to all of my new foods that he tries. I mean "pig" in the most lovable way possible : )

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, skinless

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tbsp cumin

1 green pepper, sliced (I used chopped up jalapeno pepper instead)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Brown chicken in skillet (no need to cook through). Toss chicken with seasonings, then add to casserole or baking dish. Add salsa and green pepper. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Add cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

I served this with Spanish rice (recipe to come).

Pig Rating: Really good but he doesn't like "Tex Mex" food and the chili powder was a little too "Tex Mex" for him so next time I will leave that out. He cleaned his plate though so...he liked it pretty well. : )

Recipe from "One Tiny Pink Kitchen", picture from my kitchen

Faux Jerk Chicken

Tommy and I went to Jamaica a couple of years ago and had such a fabulous time. One of the things we remember most about the trip is the tour bus ride that we took to Dunn's River Falls. On the way back to the resort we stopped at this random little road side shack/bar/restaurant. I do mean shack. Well, the guy cooking was standing over this grill looking thing saying, "We have jerk chicken, jerk pork, jerk goat, jerk this, jerk that..." and we thought it was hilarious. The hilarious part was when at that time a wild goat chose to cross the road. Uh...no way was I going to watch my dinner cross the road then become "jerk".

But, I do love chicken so I decided to try this recipe for "Faux Jerk Chicken" that I found on http://www.allrecipes.com/. We will be having this for dinner tomorrow night, but it has to marinate for 24 hours so I just completed that part of the process.

I will update tomorrow night once this is a finished product!

UPDATE: We had the jerk chicken tonight with rice and beans. The chicken was just okay in our opinion. I don't think we liked the cinnamon flavor that it had. It was decent though...we both cleaned our plates so it couldn't have been too bad. :)

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 scotch bonnet chile pepper, minced (I couldn't find this so I used a jalapeno)
1/4 cup minced green onions with tops
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

In a large dish, mix the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the scotch bonnet pepper, green onions, and garlic. Pierce chicken on all sides with a fork, and place in the dish. Cover, and marinate up to 24 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
Preheat the grill for high heat.
Lightly oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Chicken with Cream Cheese Sauce

I love pretty much anything with chicken so I thought this would be a good one to try - cheese and chicken? What's not to like right?? : ) I liked this one okay. Not my favorite, but definitely a keeper nonetheless. I served this over brown rice and had a side of sauteed mushrooms (well, my husband did anyway...I can't deal with mushrooms just yet).

I think I will try serving it over wheat pasta next time - I am much more of a pasta person.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

1 can of chicken broth (or about 2 cups

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Crushed red pepper flakes (a good shake! Probably about 1/4 tsp. - you can add as much or as little as you like)

4 ounces of cream cheese (I used light)

1 1/2 tbsp. flour (I ended up adding a little extra to help it thicken up)

2 tsp. white wine

Extra-virgin olive oil

Cooked pasta/egg noodles/rice

Directions

Season chicken and cook in a large pan with some of the olive oil (medium heat).

Add the red pepper flakes and crushed garlic to the chicken. Cook about 1-2 minutes more, then add the white wine and 3/4 of the can of chicken broth. Bring this mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (if you use thin chicken breasts or strips, it might only take 10-15 minutes)

Remove the chicken breasts from the broth and place them on a plate with a cover to keep them warm.

Mix the remaining broth with the flour. Add this mixture to the broth in the pan and mix well. Add the cream cheese and mix until the sauce is thick and bubbly. You may need to add some more flour to help it thicken - do so a little bit at a time.

I cut my chicken into small strips, placed the strips on top of a bed of rice.

Original recipe from Amber's Delectable Delights (or at least where I saw it first!), picture from my kitchen

Chicken & Mushrooms in Roasted Garlic Sauce

I LOOVE pasta so I am always willing to try out a new pasta recipe. I am not a mushroom fan but my husband is so I have learned to just pick around them when I add them to recipes. : )

I made this recipe tonight and I can't remember where I found it - on someone else's blog, but not sure which one. This is a pretty good recipe. We both liked it a lot and I will be making it again.

I doubled the sauce in this as we like quite a bit of sauce. Doubling it led to the perfect amount for us.

Ingredients

1 pound of chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp flour

1 tsp dry sage

1 tsp dry parsley flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 bulb of garlic roasted (400 degree oven for 1 hour with a drizzle of EVOO)

2 tbsp butter

a drizzle of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 bag of No-Yolk egg noodles

Directions

Start by combining the flour, sage, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss the bite size chunks of chicken in the flour mixture to coat. In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp of butter and a drizzle of evoo. Saute the chicken for a minute then add the mushrooms and some of the roasted garlic (I think I squeezed in 3 cloves for this part). Continue to saute for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover in foil. (Now is also a good time to cook your egg noodles)

To the skillet add the remaining tbsp of butter and flour. Then add the chicken broth, white wine and remaining roasted garlic. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly add the half and half and let it reduce. When the sauce has thickened return the chicken and mushrooms to pan and let simmer. Serve with the egg noodles.

Chicken Parmesan

Tonight I decided to try chicken parmesan. I LOVE eating chicken parmesan in restaurants but I had never tried to make it. Turns out, it is pretty easy and really yummy! I served this with linguine, a salad, and of course white wine. :) Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc-delish!

I will definitely be making this one again. I think my brother would be impressed with it, so maybe I'll make it for him sometime if he makes the time to come visit me ever again (He is 18 and WAAAY too busy for his big sis now...ha!) Maybe this is how I can get him to come...hmm...

(The picture does this no justice - I should have taken a picture of it on our plates, but I took one when it came right out of the oven.)

Ingredients

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 per person)
italian breadcrumbs (comes in a large canister, with the shake n bake at the store)

powdered parmesan cheese (the kind you sprinkle on spaghetti)

garlic powder

large bowl or plastic storage bag

a glass baking dish

marinara sauce (any kind)

mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix crumbs, cheese, and garlic powder together (enough crumbs to cover the chicken) in bowl or plastic bag

Rinse chicken breasts, then coat in crumb mixture. Put in pan and set timer for 45 minutes. After baking for 30 minutes, pull out chicken and cover each breast in sauce. Return to oven for 10 more minutes.

Final touch: in the last 5 minutes, add the cheese so that it will melt. Do not worry about skimping on the cheese.

When finished, serve with pasta in marinara, garlic bread, and a good green salad.

Helpful tip: If you're making the pasta side dish, start your water when there's 10 mins. left on your timer and it should be ready when you are!

Recipe from Jessi, picture from my kitchen!