Rolled Up Chicken Dinner

Can you say YUMMY?? I can & did! My family LOOOOOVED this dinner!! Loved with a capital L-O-V-E-D. It is a little messy to make, but totally worth it! It's dinner all wrapped up in a chicken breast. Stuffed with mashed potatoes, broccoli & cheese! After they're each rolled in panko bread crumbs, they're drizzled with a yummy gravy! Told you it was delicious! I say go for it & take this recipe for a spin!

rolled up chicken dinner:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
1 1/2 C. prepared mashed potatoes, on the thick side (I used the frozen steamer kind of potatoes that you make in the microwave)
2 C. steamed broccoli, chopped into very small pieces, almost minced
1/2-1 C. shredded cheddar

1. Pound chicken breasts out flat (I used my rolling pin), then place on cookie sheet that's been sprayed with non-stick spray or line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread a thin layer of mashed potatoes on chicken breast, then sprinkle broccoli bits on, then add cheese on top.

3. Fold chicken breast in half (long ways) as much as you can securing with 3-4 toothpicks.

coating:

1/2 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 beaten egg

1 1/2 C. panko bread crumbs

1 1/2 T. dry ranch dressing mix

4. Mix flour, salt & pepper in one shallow bowl.

5. Put beaten egg in another shallow bowl.

6. Mix panko bread crumbs & ranch dressing mix in 3rd shallow bowl.

7. Dip/roll/sprinkle chicken carefully in flour mixture, then in egg, then in panko bread crumb mix. Use your fingers to spread egg onto chicken & sprinkle bread crumbs onto chicken. This will get MESSY & stuff starts falling out, but don't fret, it will taste wonderful regardless!

8. After you've dipped/rolled/sprinkled your chicken rolls in the 3 mixtures, place back on cookie sheet lined w parchment paper (or sprayed with non-stick spray). Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

sauce:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 C. milk

approx. 1/4-1/2 C. finely chopped broccoli (whatever is left from filling the chicken rolls)

2 dollops of sour cream (optional....I just added it to thicken up my sauce).

1. Heat soup, milk, chopped broccoli (& sour cream if you want) in a small sauce pan until warmed. Pour spoonfuls of sauce over each chicken roll before you serve.

MMMMMMMM! Sooooo good! Butter a roll, toss a salad and WALLA, you've gotta a dinner from heaven my friends! Let me know if you loved this dish as much as we did.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I've made these for years & they are always a delight. They are super easy & really good without being too spicy (depending how many green chiles you add) because they have no red enchilada sauce. They have more of a sour cream enchilada sauce on them...anyway every one of my kids will eat these so they have stayed in the recipe rotation for a long time & I predict they will be continuing their successful run over in the Brenay kitchen for many more moons.

creamy chicken enchiladas:

2- 12.5 oz. (large) cans of chunk chicken or 3-4 chicken breasts shredded
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans full of milk (or add more to reach desired consistency)
1/2-1 small can of green chiles (depending on your desired spice level)
shredded cheese
10-12 flour tortillas
diced onions (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl empty 2 cans of soup, milk & chicken. Mix well breaking up chunks of chicken with a wisk. Pour just enough of this mixture into a 9x13 pan to cover the bottom.

2. If you prefer to saute the onion & green chiles you can (I leave out the onion & just drain & dump the green chiles in), add into the chicken mixture.

3. Hold one tortilla flat in your hand and spoon a good amount into the tortilla & spread it into a line. Sprinle some cheese inside and then carefully roll it up and place it in the dish.

4. Continue filling tortillas until your pan is lined with 8-12 enchiladas, leaving a little bit of the chicken mixture to gently spoon over the top of the enchiladas (especially wetting the ends of the tortillas so they don't get too crispy while baking). Sprinle with cheese.

5. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Top with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, olives or whatever you enjoy. Serve.

Impossibly Easy Chicken Pot Pie

SURPRISE, Surprise!! We have a guest chef!! Introducing the always funny Monda! Monda has 3 little girls & makes jewelry & furniture & who knows what else :) She's multi-talented as you will see with her delicious sounding recipe for chicken pot pie! Go check out her other endeavors, click here. Thanks for stopping by Monda, you did not disappoint!

I decided to put myself out there and be subjected to the snickering and criticism of the blogging world.

On Monday night we had friends over for GAME 5 of the Phoenix Suns playoffs and I made chicken pot pie. The fans went crazy....even the super picky 8 yr.old we call Abbi. Well... maybe not crazy but she did manage to eat more than 2 bites and didn't do her usual choke and gag routine. I hope your fans like it as much as mine did.

impossibly easy chicken pot pie:

1 2/3 cups of Green Giant frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup cut up cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix vegetables, chicken and soup,in ungreased glass pie plate. 9x1 1/4 inches.
2. Stir together remaining ingredients with fork until blended. Pour on top of chicken mixture.
3. Bake 30 mins. or until golden brown.

That is the OFFICIAL recipe: I doubled the recipe because it says it serves 6. Yeah right !! I used 3 large chicken breast cooked in my pressure cooker.(because it's super fast) and I also added potatoes, salt, pepper and garlic. If the mixture looks thick add milk or water depending on your tastes or diet.

I asked the fans to let me take a picture of the meal on a plate but this is all I was able to get. The crowd was getting restless. Guess it looked a little better before we cut into it. Oh well... it was good and the fam wants it again. So Monday night, not only were the Suns a winner so was I.
your guest chef,
Monda

Sweet & Sour Chicken Over Rice

I've been making this recipe for probably 10 years now & still love it! Easy, yummy & instantly makes you look 10lbs thinner......ok that's a lie but it's good.

sweet & sour chicken over rice:

3 chicken breasts cooked & cubed
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1 TB cornstarch
1 can pineapple tidbits
1/3 C. vinegar

1 TB soy sauce
1 small green pepper chopped (optional...I leave it out)

1. Cook cubed chicken, set aside. Saute green pepper & set aside with chicken.

2. Mix brown sugar & cornstarch in skillet, stir in pineapple with syrup, vinegar & soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, reduce heat.

3. Add chicken & green pepper to sauce, cover, simmer stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Serve over rice.

Ranch Spaghetti with BBQ Shredded Chicken

How can you go wrong?? BBQ chicken, pasta & ranch??? Throw in a side of garlic bread & I think it sounds divine!! My family was mixed. Some ate it and wanted more chicken on top, some thought the 2 didn't belong together. If it sounds tempting, give it a whirl!

ranch spaghetti w bbq shredded chicken:

1 lb. thin spaghetti noodles
4 TB extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large red onion, peeled & finely chopped (I used about 1/8 onion)
2 TB dry Ranch dressing mix
3/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro ( I used about 1/2 C.)
Shredded BBQ chicken (click here for recipe)

1. Cook spaghetti noodles according to pkg. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
2. Place olive oil into a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until softened and golden.
3. Add cooked spaghetti noodles to onions, mix and then add dry ranch seasoning & cilantro leaves.
4. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Place noodles on plate and top with warm shredded BBQ chicken, serve.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

We ate this for dinner tonight......at 7:00.....I can't wait for soccer season to end. Anyway we ate. That's what good mom's do ya know......they feed their kids. I know you're a good mom too.

pizza pasta casserole:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion chopped (optional)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1/2-1 pkg (16oz) rotini pasta, cooked and drained
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
mini pepperonis

1. Cook & drain pasta.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet cook beef & onion over medium heat until meat is cooked through, drain.
3. Mix in spaghetti sauce, pasta & mini pepperonis (as many as you'd like).
4. Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray and then transfer pasta mixture into pan.
5. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Stromboli

Guest Chef Time Ladies!
Today our guest chef is my dear friend Stephanie! Stephanie is a fantastic mother to 4 children & a very talented photographer! Lucky for us, she has finally given into my constant nagging (hehehe) & given us her secret recipe for Stromboli!! My mouth is watering already! Seriously, look at that picture! I know I'll be adding this to my menu this week! Thanks Steph!
Here is a super easy recipe for a yummy finger food appetizer or if you want it as a meal, just cut them into bigger slices! Here's what you'll need:

stromboli:

Can of pizza dough (or if you're really talented, make the pizza dough yourself. But trust me, the refrigerated dough makes it so much quicker!)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 egg yolks
1 cup or more of mozzarella cheese
Whatever toppings you like!

1. Spread out your pizza dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Mix the other ingredients (except for the toppings) and spread over the dough. Top with cheese and your toppings. My kids are very plain pizza eaters. Half of them like cheese only, the other half require pepperoni. But I've had it with ham and pineapple or sausage and that is yummy too!

2. Roll up your pizza dough:

3. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Just watch it until it turns golden brown like this. Once you take it out of the oven, brush with butter.

And here's what the gooey inside looks like:

If you want to serve it as an appetizer, you can slice it up like so:

Oh yes - and it's yummy to dip it in ranch or pizza sauce. Enjoy!

your guest chef,

Steph

Lasagna

I've had this lasagna recipe for years & whenever I make it, it gets rave reviews! I got it from the wife of a guy Scott used to work with who I can't even remember their names...it was one of those "you have to go over & fake conversation" over dinner, but her lasagna was really good so I asked for her recipe & we've been enjoying it ever since!

lasagna:

sauce: bring to a simmer.

1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained

3 1/2 C. Prego

1 1/2 C. water

olives (optional)

cheese mixture: mix together in a separate bowl.

2 C. cottage cheese

3 C. mozzarella cheese

1/2 C. Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1/4 C. chopped parsley

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

uncooked lasagna noodles

1. In a 9x13 pan pour about 1 C. sauce in the bottom of the pan, 3-4 noodles, more sauce, then 1/2 the cheese mixture, 3-4 more noodles, more sauce, other 1/2 of cheese mixture, noodles, rest of the sauce then sprinkle with a little mozzarella cheese.

2. Cover with foil & bake 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Uncover & bake an additional 10 minutes.

3. Lasagna is more runny the first day, the second day (when you are thrilled you are eating leftovers) the noodles soak up a lot of the juices & we like it better the 2nd day because it's a little more set.

Shredded Roast Sandwiches

We've made these a million times. Still a family favorite! Sometimes we put the meat on hamburger buns tonight we put it on french rolls & melted swiss cheese on them. Scott loves to put thousand island salad dressing on them & the kids and I like ketchup on them. Always good. Give em a try, you won't be disappointed!

shredded roast sandwiches:

3 lb. (approx) beef chuck pot roast
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
3 bay leaves
1 onion sliced
1/3 C. vinegar

1. Combine all ingredients in crock pot, then add roast. Cover, cook on low 8-10 hours or high 6-8 hours flipping over half way through.

2. Remove chunks of roast & shred in a bowl (removing fat as you can), add juices & onions to bowl, stir. Put meat on buns, melt cheese on top add whatever else you'd like.

Crock Pot Black Bean Salsa Chicken

New recipe test. Another super easy recipe. My only change would be adding a little bit of chili powder or cajun seasoning or maybe a 1/2-1 package of taco seasoning mix to spice it up a bit. I'll dabble in a solution to the lack of "kick" this had. It does have 2 cups of salsa in it, but I think the addition of cream cheese mellows it out. Anywho, everyone ate it & thought it was good, just thought it could use a little spice. So if you make an alteration to the recipe you find a success, let me know!

crock pot black bean salsa chicken:

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can corn drained
1 can black beans drained
2 C. salsa
8 oz cream cheese
tortilla chips
shredded cheese

1. Place chicken in crock pot. Cover with drained corn, drained beans & salsa.
2. Cook for a few hours until chicken is done.
3. Place cream cheese in crock pot & cook additional 30 mins.
4. Remove chicken and shred in separate bowl, add back into crock pot, stir.
5. Serve over tortilla chips or rice. Top with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, olives or salsa.

Honey Lemon Chicken

It's Guest Chef time again & lo & behold it's my adorable little pregnant sister Kallie again! This looks really delish & I know I'll be trying it soon! Leave a comment on the blog when you're ready to delight us with one of your recipes! Your old, boring recipe is NEW & EXCITING to the rest of us so don't be shy & share your easy or difficult dessert, cookie, appetizer, main dish or soup recipe with us!

My family loves this chicken and it's healthy too! Even the 2 year old ate it with out ANY whining.

honey lemon chicken:

5 chicken breast halves

1/3 C. Honey
1/4 C. Lemon Juice
2 tsp. dried Rosemary leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper

Combine honey, lemon juice, rosemary and crushed red pepper. Pour over chicken and baked uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

My tips:

• I like to turn my chicken over half way through the cooking time.
• I only use 1/2 tsp. of rosemary, because I'm not a huge fan of it.
• The last 5 minutes of cooking I drizzle a little extra honey on top of the chicken to give it a little crust.

I love to have leftovers because this chicken and sauce is amazing in a salad. I like to add just a drop of ranch for the creamy texture and use the honey sauce for the rest of the dressing.

your guest chef,
Kallie

Chicken Tomato Alfredo Over Noodles

Every single one of my kids loved this dish! They all gave it a thumbs up & Scott had two bowls! So simple & smells divine! Let me count the ways I love you crock pot!

chicken tomato alfredo over noodles:

2-15oz jars of Classico (recommended brand) Alfredo sauce
1-14.5oz can of petite diced stewed tomatoes drained (I forgot to drain it was fine)
2-3 chicken breasts
1. Place chicken breasts in crock pot, cover with sauce & tomatoes. Stir.

2. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6 hours (mine cooks hot so didn't take that long)

3. Remove chicken from crock pot when cooked & shred with 2 forks. Add back into sauce & mix together.

4. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Jamaican Jerk Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Today I am proud to present our VERY FIRST EVER

Guest Chef......my little (& sweeter) sister Kallie!!!

Kallie lives in Utah with her husband McKay & their adorable 2 year old daughter Addison. Kallie is due in June with their 2nd baby...a BOY! Thank you Kallie for Guest Chef-ing! It looks delish! Hope you'll come again!

(Er, I tried to make the picture look as delicious as I could)

This is what the family had last night. Even Addison ate it without complaining (the chips might have helped a little). It smells fantastic while it is cooking. The meat is a little more sweet then spicy, which I like. It is one of the easiest crock pot recipes; all you need is 6 ingredients and buns!

jamaican jerk pulled pork sandwiches:

2 1/2 lbs. pork boneless shoulder
1 tbsp. Jamaican Jerk seasoning (I use Caribbean style jerk)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup cola
2 cups barbecue sauce
8 sandwich buns

1. If pork comes in netting or is tied, do not remove. Spray crock pot with cooking spray (or use a crock pot bag - best thing ever!). Rub jerk seasoning over pork; sprinkle with thyme. Place pork in cooker. Sprinkle with onion. Pour cola over pork.

2. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours. (My pork was done in 7 hours)

3. Remove pork from cooker; place on cutting board. Remove juices from cooker and reserve 1/2 cup. Remove netting or strings and pull pork into shreds.

4. Pour barbeque sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved juices into the crock pot. Add pork mix well. Cover and increase the heat to High for 30 to 45 minutes until it's heated through.

5. Serve on sandwich buns and enjoy!

FYI - this freezes really well. I cooked a 4 lb. pork last night so I'm freezing the leftovers for 2 meals later. If you buy a big shoulder roast you can cut it to size and rub the jerk seasoning and thyme on it and freeze it so you don't have to touch it twice before you cook it.

your guest chef,
Kallie

Creamy Chicken & Broccoli over Rice

I tried this out on my family last night...Scott & Owen really liked it, Tori & Ava thought it was pretty good & Boston made me feed him like a baby and complained....what's new. While I was preparing it, Boston saw me holding a bag of cheese & asked "What are we having for dinner?" I answered & then he said "Well, I don't like it" so I wasn't surprised he didn't give it a fair shake.

creamy chicken & broccoli over rice:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar soup
8oz chicken broth
1/4 tsp. cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
3/4 C. sour cream
2-3 C. broccoli florets
shredded cheddar (optional)

1. Place soups, chicken broth, cajun & garlic seasoning into a crock pot over low heat, whisk until smooth.

2. Place chicken in crock pot, pressing to bottom. Cover & cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

3. When chicken is cooked through, remove into separate bowl & shred chicken w forks into bite size pieces. Stir in sour cream & add chicken back in.

4. Steam broccoli in microwave or steamer, drain & add to crock pot.

5. Serve over steamed rice, sprinkle w cheese.

crock pot bbq chicken sandwiches

I've made a version of these by just putting BBQ sauce over chicken in a crock pot, but tonight when I made this new recipe, Scott took one bite & looked at me and said, "These are good! Like restaraunt good!" He loved them & all my kids did too (bonus)!

crock pot barbecue chicken sandwiches:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (18oz) bottle of barbecue sauce
1/2 C. Italian salad dressing
1/4 C. brown sugar
2 TB Worcestershire sauce

1. Place chicken in bottom of crock pot.
2. Mix other ingredients in bowl & then pour over chicken.
3. Cover & cook on low 6 hours or high 3-4 hours.
4. When done, remove chicken & shred in bowl with forks.
5. Pour as much sauce from crock pot over chicken until you have it as juicy as you want.
6. Place on buns & serve!

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

chicken enchiladas :

2 cans (12.5oz) chunk white chicken drained
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (4oz) chopped green chiles drained
1 small onion chopped (optional)
1 (29oz) can enchilada sauce
corn tortillas room temp
sour cream, lettuce, tomato optional

1. In bowl combine chicken (smash), 1 C cheese, chiles & onion

2. In bottom of 9x13 pan spread 1/3 can enchilada sauce

3. Spoon in a few spoonfuls of chicken mixture into tortilla, roll up and place seam side down into pan.

4. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over filled tortillas, sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Bake 350 for 25 minutes.

6. Serve with lettuce, tomato and top with sour cream.

Cheddar Broccoli Noodles

cheddar broccoli noodles:

4 C water
2 pkgs of Ramen Noodles Chicken flavor
1 1/2 C fresh broccoli flowerets
1 can Cheddar Cheese soup
1/4 C sour cream or plain yogurt
1/8 tsp pepper

1. In saucepan heat water to boiling. (Sometimes I find if I cut the broccoli off at the ends so there's hardly any stalk, my kids eat it better because it mixes into the noodles better.) Add noodles and broccoli to boiling water & return to boiling then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 10 mins stirring occasionally to separate noodles.

2. Stir in ONE seasoning packet from Ramen, drain off nearly all liquid.

3. Add cheese soup, sour cream and pepper, stir til mixed and heat thoroughly and serve.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

I'm stating the obvious.....apparently it's comforting for me to talk about food right now. So I'm talking, blogging, thinking about & smelling food, retrying & testing new recipes. Here's an old one I made last night.

I bet I haven't made this recipe for 8 years! I do NOT like stuffing so that's probably why I don't make it much, but Scott does soooo I thought I'd make it for him. I told each of my kids they had to at least have 2 bites of it and then they could decide if they wanted to eat it for dinner or if they wanted to opt out for a sandwich instead. Surprisingly 3 of my 4 kids ate it for dinner last night! It's super easy and if you like stuffing, I don't know how you couldn't like this. Here goes:

chicken stuffing casserole:

2-60z boxes of chicken flavored stuffing
4 chicken breasts cubed
1-16oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup

1. Cook stuffing in microwave/stove top & place half on bottom of 9x13 pan.
2. Brown chicken chunks in skillet.
3. Mix soup & sour cream together and then add browned chicken chunks.
4. Pour over stuffing in pan
5. Add other half of the stuffing over the top of the soup/chicken mixture.
6. Sprinkle a bit of cheese over the top (optional)
7. Bake @ 375 for 30 minutes....serve.