Bisquick Ultimate Chicken Tenders

Chicken can be so boring. There are so many ways to season and cook it up, but it seems like I always do the same old thing. I look to pinterest for inspiration as much as I can, but in this case it turned out that all I really needed to do was turn to the back of my bisquick box. These tenders were juicy and flavorful and EASY - which is what I'm all about on weekdays. You could even toss them in a sauce and put them on top of a salad, or leave them as is and make a yummy cobb salad. Or a wrap! So many possibilities.

Sometimes the best recipes are on the back of a package, like nestle tollhouse chocolate chip cookies! I pounded out 2 chicken breasts and cut them each into 4 strips. I baked them on an oven rack on top of a baking pan so that they got crisp and didnt cook in the juices.

Bisquick Ultimate Chicken Tenders (from Bisquick)
2/3 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt or garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted   Heat oven to 450ºF. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.

Mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika in 1-gallon resealable plastic food-storage bag. Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

If you're looking for the perfect game day food, look no further! This is grilled cheese taken to a whole new level of goodness. Being another pinned recipe that I tried out and immediately fell in love with, I don't see how I could ever leave pinterest. Although to be fair, this blogger is in my blogger reader....I just never seem to go there since Pinning has entered my radar. So I guess Ill be lucky if anyone reads my blog again!

Buffalo anything makes you think football and grilled cheese makes you think fall - so how could this not be the most appropriate sandwich for Sundays? I still think you could pair this with some tomato soup to keep a little bit of tradition to it. And throw a plate of sweet potato fries or roasted carrots into the mix. Hmmm now you see my food mind coming out - no wonder I can't lose my flab, right?!

The buffalo chicken salad is great the next day, too, straight from the bowl in the fridge that you put it in! (hint, hint - make extra)

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese (from Closet Cooking)
1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken, warm
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 tablespoon mayo (optional)
1 tablespoon carrot, grated
1 tablespoon celery, sliced
1 tablespoon green or red onion, sliced or diced (I used red and green onion)
1 tablespoon blue cheese, room temperature, crumbled (i left this out)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, room temperature, grated
2 slices bread (go get yourself some good bakery bread)
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

Mix the chicken, hot sauce, mayo, carrot, celery and onion in a small bowl.


Butter the outside of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheeses on the inside of one slice of bread, top with the buffalo chicken salad, the remaining cheese and finally the other slice of bread.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.

Add the sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

Salsa Chicken Quesadilla

So you know by now that I am back to work, we started daycare, and nights are crazy. Seriously, on work days I get home, have to throw the diapers in the laundry, clean 5 bottles, clean all of my pump parts (Im not sparing you the deets of my day!), package my milk from the day, empty my gym bag, clean my coffee mug and water bottles, bathe Remy, play with Rem and attempt to eat at some point. It's a routine that will take some time to perfect, but makes me happy for easy meals to throw together.

I used the salsa chicken from the freezer to make this quick meal that is also so delicious, which probably has a lot to do with the gooey ooey cheese :)

Salsa Chicken Quesadillas
Red Onion, sliced into thin rings and then cut in half
Green Pepper, sliced into strips and then cut in half
Mushrooms, sliced
dash of Olive Oil
Whole Wheat Tortilla Shell
Salsa Chicken
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
dash of Cumin
Fat Free Sour Cream & Salsa, for topping

In a small pan add oil, onion, pepper and mushrooms. Cook on medium/low for 25 minutes, until everything is softened up. Heat up your salsa chicken a bit (I use the microwave). Remove veggies from pan and wipe oil out.

Spray your pan with nonstick spray and place your tortilla shell, folded in half, into the pan. Add cheese, veggies, chicken and then more cheese. Fold the top half of the tortilla over. Once bottom cheese has melted, flip and cook through on the other side.

Ta-Da!

Chipotle Honey Chicken Poppers

One day during my pinning frenzy I came across these yummy looking little chicken nuggets - err, poppers. I happily pinned them to 'Food!' and after making then, they definitely deserve the exclamation point! Who would have thought that these bite size chicken poppers could pack such flavor and make an awesome meal for two grown adults?

The breading on these is just the best - we have started to use it as our go-to berading recipe. It leaves a crisp shell and really sticks well to your food. The sauce on these is great. It had a little kick at the end but nothing too powerful. I can definitely see myself serving these as an app or party food, plus it's going into our dinner rotation. Since there's a breading I just left out a carb side and we had the chicken and veggies - filling enough!

*Note - I subbed 2 ingredients, which I have shown below. It still came out really yummy and I didn't have to go buy more ingredients from the store which is always a plus!

Chipotle Honey Chicken Poppers (from Table for Two)
5 chicken tenderloins, cubed

For the Sauce:

2/3 cup honey (I used agave)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tbsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. chipotle powder (I used Mexican Chili Powder. Regular Chili Powder would work also)

1/2 tsp. salt

For the Egg Mix:

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

For the Breading:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. dried basil

Prepare a plate lined with paper towels for the chicken after it’s done cooking in the oil. Set aside.

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to mix. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a small, shallow dish, combine the egg and milk. Set aside.

In another shallow dish, combine the ingredients for the breading. Set aside.

Bread the chicken cubes by first coating it in the bread mixture then the egg wash then back in the breading. Put the coated chicken cubes on a plate. Continue until all the chicken have been breaded.

Pop the plate of chicken in the fridge for about 20 minutes. It’ll help the breading stick to the chicken.

In a large skillet, add a thin layer of vegetable oil and place over medium high heat.

Once the oil is glistening, add in the chicken (I did it in 2 batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan) and cook the chicken until it’s cooked through & the breading is nice and crispy brown.

Once the first batch is done, put the cooked chicken on the prepared plate with the paper towel. Continue with the second batch and once that’s cooked, add that to the prepared plate.

In a large bowl, put in your cooked chicken and pour the sauce all over. Toss well to coat every bite.

Salsa Chicken Enchiladas

You know that feeling when your husband has knee surgery and is laid up, helpless and waiting on dinner? And you are toting your 2 month old because said husband can't really help with her? No? Well, I do!  I found the perfect time to pull our frozen crockpot salsa chicken from the freezer when this happened a few weeks back.

I didn't really want to slave in the kitchen all night, so this was a life saver for me. I just had to find new ways to use it and this is now one of my favorite meals! I was always nervous about making enchiladas for some reason, but this was great and I used all low cal ingredients to make it more diet friendly.

Salsa Chicken Enchiladas
Salsa Chicken
Low Carb, 100 calorie Whole Wheat Tortillas
Shredded Mexican Cheese
2 Jalapenos, sliced
1/2 Red Onion, Sliced into half rings
Dash of olive oil
Pinch Cumin
10 Minute Enchilada Sauce (recipe below)
Velveeta Queso Blanco, mixed with milk and heated
Lettuce, beans, rice, fat free sour cream to plate with

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil, if you want to avoid cleaning like I do.


In a small pan, heat jalapeno and onion on low with your dash of olive oil and pinch of cumin for 20 minutes, or until soft.

Pile up your tortillas and pop inth emicrowave for about 30 seconds to get them soft. Ladle a few spoonfuls of your enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking pan, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Place some enchilada sauce in a large shallow bowl (big enough to fit a tortilla).Take one tortilla and coat one side in enchilada sauce. On the side that you coated, place a sprinkle of cheese, a scoop of chicken and some of the jalapeno/onion mix. Roll up and place seam side down in your baking dish. Repeat with remaining shells.

Ladle more of the sauce on top once all of the enchiladas are rolled and in the pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Top each enchilada with about 2 tbs of your queso blanco.

10 Minute Enchilada Sauce (from all recipes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup Mexican chili powder
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (I used a 6 oz can of tomato paste and was fine)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
salt to taste

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.


Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.

Cilantro Chicken

Thanks again to Pinterest for helping me make a healthy dinner! I am not one to use the grill, in fact I don't think I have ever put something on the grill or taken it off. Not by myself, anyway. I should probably learn, but for now I use my grill pan for most recipes like chicken and turkey burgers. (But you should have seen me try to cook this chicken inside with a crying baby in one arm, I dont think I could have pulled off a grill)

This is an easy marinade that you can throw on your chicken and let soak in. I think this chicken would be best mixed with something, perhaps some sort of chicken salad, on top a green salad, a sandwich with melty cheese, enchiladas, or a quesadilla like I ended up doing. Actually, I made a lot so that it would last a few dinners and I could do various things with it. I had it plain, in a quesadilla and will think up something else for tomorrow. I like the creativeness of this and that you could freeze it with the marinade on for later use.

Cilantro Chicken (from My Recipe)
2 Pounds chicken breasts, pounded to the same thinness
1/4 cup lime juice (I used 3 limes)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Arrange chicken in a shallow baking pan and pour marinade on top. Let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

Grill for about 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

I joke that for my freezer meals post baby I baked up tons of chocolate chip cookies and froze them. While this is actually true, I do have a good amount of chicken breasts, bone in chicken, steak and ground beef stocked in the freezer for easy grilling as well.

When I was thinking up what I wanted to eat on Cinco de Mayo, nachos was on the top of my list. And that made me think of Ale House nachos, which are layered with chicken. I remember when Salsa Chicken in the crock was all the rage, so I took to my google reader and searched for the recipe. I ended up going with a modified version (if you go to the original site, you will see a cooking time of 6-8 hours. Luckily I checked mine at 4 hours because it was done and would have been way overcooked any longer - just something to note).

I love how easy it was (hello, crockpots are the best, why don't I use it more?!) and that I now have this chicken in the freezer to go with my other meats. It would go great in tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas and even on tostones. *note- photo was taken after the chicken was shredded but before going back into the sauce. I froze the remaining sauce and chicken in a big gallon ziplock.*

Crockpot Salsa Chicken (from Stephanie Cooks)
4 large chicken breasts
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin


Combine all of the ingredients and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Shred with two forks once done and place back into the sauce to coat.

Sweet & Sticky Baked Chicken

I went out to the grocery store and stocked up on split chicken breasts and ground beef, so that we have some easy things to throw on the grill once the baby arrives. I don't want to be in charge of thinking up and shopping for dinners each week, and since it's summer it will be ideal to use our grill as much as we can.

While I was in the meat section I picked up some chicken tenders to cook up for a weekend dinner and then was left wondering what to do with it. I didn't want to bread it so I opened my google reader and found this recipe. While it is originally for drumsticks, the marinade just sounded so good to me, so I put everything together and popped it in the fridge for the day to marinate.

Sweet & Sticky Baked Chicken (from The Novice Chef)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
6 chicken drumsticks, about 1.25 pounds (I used a little under 1 pound of chicken tender strips)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
a few pinches chopped fresh parsley

In a medium bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and cracked black pepper. Pour into a large ziplock bag and add chicken drumsticks. Shake to coat chicken and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight, giving the bag a shake whenever you think about it.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top.

Remove the chicken from the bag, reserving the marinade, and place the drumsticks on the rack. Bake the drumsticks, on the middle oven rack, for 25 minutes. (I cooked for 7 minutes)

While the chicken is baking, place the leftover marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cook over low heat, stirring as needed, for about 15 minutes or until thickened. (I put my chicken in for the first 7 minutes after cooking down the sauce for 7 minutes, so that they would both be ready at the same time)

Remove drumsticks from oven (after first 25 minutes of cooking)(7 for me and my chicken tenders) and heavily coat with the thickened marinade, using a silicone pastry brush. Return to the oven and cook for 10 more minutes (I returned for 4 minutes). Coat the drumsticks again and return to oven to cook for 5 more minutes, or until an internal temperate of 160°F is reached (I did another 4 minutes)

Coat the drumsticks one last time, with any remaining sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and parsley. Serve immediately.

Easy Chicken Dinner

I'm not sure that this is even worthy of a post, but it was a good meal that I was able to throw together with things from the fridge/pantry so I am adding it here in case I run across that problem again. Which I always do! This pregnancy brain has made me almost completely dumb and to the point where the simplest things to think of are difficult for me - so bear with me :)

I'm trying to eat healthy dinners, at least on weeknights, so I've been trying to defrost chicken a lot and be forced to use it. This only took me 15 minutes to cook, which is right up my alley these days!

I just sprinkled garlic salt on both sides of the chicken, made fork holes on both sides and rubbed about 1 tbsp of BBQ sauce on each side. I cooked for about 7 minutes on each side, using a grill pan. Add extra sauce once done cooking.

I LOVE roasted carrots - tossed with evoo, kosher salt, pepper and oregano and baked at 415 degrees for 8 minutes, then up to 450 for the remaining 7 minutes.

Baked Honey Dijon Chicken Tenders

Put this recipe in your weekly menu plan! That is really all that I have to say. I loved the chicken - it baked up moist and with a great flavor. Just make sure to use thinner slices of chicken as they bake crispier than the thicker ones. I served with bbq and honey mustard dipping sauce (mix agave nectar and dijon mustard), asparagus and baked potatoes. I may have gotten a little crazy with the breadcrumbs because I used all of it on only 2 chicken breasts, so I may suggest increasing that amount by 1/2 or so.

Baked Honey Dijon Chicken Tenders (from This Woman Cooks!)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
3 tbsp. butter, melted
heaping 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced vertically into strips


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, dijon mustard and honey; whisk until well combined.

Place the chicken strips into the mustard-butter mixture, then into the breadcrumbs. Coat evenly. Place onto the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning half way through.

Garlic Honey Slow Cooker Chicken

I am loving the fact that more crockpot recipes are coming out for me to try. It is so nice coming home to half of dinner being cooked already. I found this recipe both here and here and it sounded like something I would really enjoy - the honey garlic flavor is one that I love. The only thing that I didnt like was the fact that this only takes 6 hours to cook. I am gone for much longer and even when Adam leaves late in the morning it is not late enough. I decided to try this on a work day despite that to at least get a sense for what this was.

The flavor of this chicken is great - sweet and still savory. I added a touch of chili powder and will put more in next time (the amount below is what I will put in from now on) - it just takes it up another notch and adds some more dimension. Serve with rice, pasta, orzo - anything would be good with this. This cooked for about 8 hours so it was a bit dry, especially the ends, so next time I use this it will be on a day off.

Garlic Honey Slow Cooker Chicken
4 Chicken breasts
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup low sodium Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Honey (I did half honey and half agave nectar)
3 cloves Garlic, crushed/minced
1 tsp Basil, dry or chopped if fresh
2 tsp Chili Powder

Place chicken in crock pot. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Weeknight Orange Chicken

I have a very strong love for chinese food. I could probably eat it everyday, although I will attempt that! My favorite dish to get has been orange chicken for as long as I can remember. I love the wonton soup, egg/spring rolls, rangoon, fried rice and everything else but my main chinese squeeze is the orange sauce. When Adam and I were going through costco and I saw that Panda Express bottled their sauce, I became intrigued and really wanted to try it. It is such a good solution to a weeknight meal when you just dont have time.

Verdict: yummy! I added a decent amount of red pepper to give it some kick and cut some of the sweetness which just enhanced the flavor. I wouldn't go crazy and soak your meal in this, so be careful the amount that you put in your pan.

Weeknight Orange Chicken
2 Chicken breasts, pounded thin and cubed
1 head Broccoli, cut into florets
1 large Carrots, cut in half and slivered
Red Pepper Flakes
1/4c to 1/2c, plus more for marinade, Panda Express Bottled Orange Sauce
1/4c flour
1.5 tbsp Olive Oil

Place chicken in a plastic bag and add enough sauce to coat all of the pieces. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Place broccoli and carrots in large small skillet, lightly coated with cooking spray. Cook on low for 8 minutes, or until tender. Remove from pan.

Take chicken out of marinade. Place flour in a ziploc bag and add chicken. Shake until all pieces are coated with flour.

Add Olive Oil to skillet on medium/high heat. Place chicken in the pan and cook until browned on both sides, about 7 minutes or until almost completely cooked through. Remove from pan.

Wipe the skillet clean and add the orange sauce. Cook on medium heat until it begins to bubble. Add vegetable and chicken and stir until everything is coated. Add red pepper flakes to taste. Turn to medium/high heat and cook until chicken is completely done. Serve over brown rice.

Roasted Chicken

Well, I did it! I roasted my first whole chicken and it was perfect. Juicy on the inside and really crisp on the outside. I love that a whole chicken can last more than 1 meal and the only real effort is cutting it and agonizing over the delicious smell as it cooks.
Roasted Chicken
Whole Raw Chicken
1 orange, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
3-4 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Thyme
1/4 Stick Butter, Softened

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Spread the butter on both sides of chicken and season with salt, pepper and thyme (or herbs of your choice).

Place breast side up in a roasting pan. Squeeze the quartered fruits over top of the chicken.

Stuff the chicken with fruits and garlic cloves. - note that if they won't all fit, you can stick the fruits directly underneath of the chicken in the pan also.

Pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes per pound. Mine was 4.75 pounds and it cooked for just under 2 hours.

E-Z Chicken Pasta

Looking for a fast, simple, healthy, filling and yummy weeknight meal? Look no further! This isn't rocket science, but is also a good way to use leftovers.

Chicken
2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
EVOO
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes

Drizzle both sides of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes on both sides as well.

Place on a grill on medium heat, or on a grill pan. Cook for 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

Vegetables
Broccoli
Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp Butter (I'm gusseing, I just used a small sliver from a stick)
1 tsp Stir Fry Sauce
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Add all ingredients together in a medium skillet. Cook on medium for 6 - 10 minutes, or until broccoli is firm but still crisp.

Pasta
1/2 box Pasta
EVOO
1/2 tbsp Butter
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
 

Cook according to package.

Strain pasta and add all other ingredients. Top with Veggies and Chicken.

Jerk Chicken (Pizza)

Thank goodness I started to feel better from this nasty ear infection yesterday(after a second round to urgent care and some new meds), because this pizza was quite a task. I made the marinade in the morning and had the chiocken sit in it for about 7 hours. I am jotting down the recipe for the jerk chicken as well as the pizza ingredients. Personally I thought that the jerk sauce was much too ketchupy, so I only used a small amount of it and would suggest lowering the amount of that you put into it. Also, I used 2 chicken breasts as opposed to 6 lbs of bone in chicken, so I halved the marinade recipe. Either way, this pizza came out awesome and I was really very happy with it - we will make it again! Its much easier if you chop everything ahead of time so when it comes to loading up your pie you just have to toss it on, and is fun for kids too!

Jerk Chicken Pizza

Pizza Dough (I used publix 5 multigrain but you could use homemade)

2 Chicken Breasts, marinaded in Jerk Seasoning for 4 hours up to overnight (see below)

1.5 tbsp Jerk Sauce (see below)

5 rings of Pineapple, cut into smaller pieces

1 Tomato, sliced and quartered

1/2 Green Pepper, Chopped

1/4 Red Onion, chopped

6 Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

6 Slices Gouda Cheese, chopped

8 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp butter

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Onion Salt

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. Heat grill to medium.

Roll out your pizza dough and stretch out. Drizzle with olive ouil and spread until lightly coated. Place on grill until cooked through, flipping half way through to make sure both sides are done.

You can either throw your chicken on the grill with the pizza, or cook ahead of time on a grill pan which is what I did. Sear both sides for 2 minutes each on high heat, then reduce to medium and cook, flipping occassionally until juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Brush with jerk sauce, on both sides. Let rest for about 8 minutes and then slice thinly.

Place mushrooms and butter in a pan on medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked through.

Once your pizza is done on the grill, drizzle with olive oil and spread garlic evenly. Add about 1 tsp salt and shake some onion powder on. Place half of the gouda and a handfull of mozzarella on as your first layer. Then add chicken, tomato, onion and bell pepper. Top with remaining cheese. Add pineapple and mushrooms. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil (make sure to get the crust), 1/5 tsp more salt and some freshly ground pepper.

Bake for 8-16 minutes.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken (From The Way the Cookie Crumbles, originally Epicurious)

Note: I used 2 chicken breasts, pounded thin. I halved the Jerk Marinade but kept the sauce the same. I stored that in the freezer for future use. I would suggest halving the katechup, or at least reducing by 1/4th. Below is the original recipe. See above for cooking the 2 chicken breasts. You could always make double the chicken and use leftover for the pizza, sandwiches, etc.

3 tablespoons dark rum

2 tablespoons water
½ cup malt vinegar
10 green onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 Scotch bonnet chiles or habanero chiles with seeds, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons ground allspice
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons soy sauce
about 6 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts
½ cup fresh lime juice

1. Boil rum and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan for 3 minutes.

2. Transfer the rum mixture to a blender; add the vinegar, green onions, garlic, thyme, chiles, oil, spices, salt, pepper, and sugar; blend until almost smooth. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the jerk seasoning to a small bowl; mix in the ketchup and soy sauce to make the sauce. (Jerk seasoning and sauce can be made 1 day ahead; cover separately and refrigerate.)

3. Arrange the chicken in a large roasting pan or baking dish. Pour the lime juice over the chicken; turn to coat. Spoon the jerk seasoning over the chicken and rub it into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, turning occasionally. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

4. Prepare a two-level grill (more coals on one side than the other). Remove the chicken from the jerk seasoning marinade; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, skin side down, on the hot side of the grill; grill for about 2 minutes, until seared. Move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill and continue to cook, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the breasts measure 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer and the legs and thighs read 165 degrees. Serve with the jerk sauce.

White Chicken Enchiladas

Adam loves mexican, and would probably classify it as his favorite genre of food. We haven't had it in a while, so when I stumbled upon this dish I immediately printed it out and planned to make it for a Saturday night dinner. I also love mexcian, but this is also a little different so it became sort of new and exciting.

These were easy to throw together, especially since I used a Publix cooked rotisserie chicken instead of cooking my own, and you could pop these in the freezer instead of the oven to save for a later night when you're too busy to mess with cooking. We both really enjoyed these and will be making them again. (The amounts that I used yielded 6 enchiladas.)

White Chicken Enchiladas (originally from Cassie Craves, found on A Taste of Home Cooking)
6 soft taco size flour tortillas (I use the Ole Extreme Wellness whole wheat tortillas at 70 cal each)
1 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided in half
1 cup shredded Pepperjack Cheese, divided in half
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 large Green Bell Pepper, sliced
2 Jalapeno Peppers, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
12 oz chicken broth
1 cup sour cream (I used fat free and you cannot tell the difference)
1 7-ounce can diced green chiles
Cilantro for garnish, if desired


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place jalapeno and bell peppers into a skillet on medium heat with cooking spray. Let cook until soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Mix together 1 cup of the cheeses with the chicken and coked peppers. Place an equal amount of the mixture into each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down into a baking pan.

In a skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in sour cream and green chiles. Pour over the top of the enchiladas; sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.

Buffalo Chicken Layered Loaded Nachos

 Nachos are a great game day snack, as well as a bbq, party, fiesta food. I love that they combine so many different textures and flavors. For the Superbowl I wanted to make them a little different, so I added buffalo chicken to them. Since we don't have a working oven yet, we threw them on the grill to melt the cheese and it worked out just fine, they were on indirect heat for about 20 minutes. Definitely go with the full fat cheese, as that melts much better than the 2%. And dont be stingy!

Layered Loaded Nachos (meat from allrecipes)
Chicken:
2-3 Chicken breasts, halved
1 bottle Franks Red Hot Sauce
1/2 of a 12oz packet Ranch Mix
2 tbsp Butter

Place all ingredients in a crockpot on low, for about 2- 4 hours. Check at 1 and 2 hours to see if chicken is fully cooked. If it is, shred and heat for another hour.

Nachos:
Tortilla Chips
Buffalo Chicken
2 Jalapenos, Sliced
1/2 Tomato, chopped
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
2 Slices Bacon, cooked and chopped
Cheese

In a baking pan, layer the bottom with chips. Add chicken and toppings, then add a large portion of cheese. Add another layer of chips, filling and cheese.

Place in an oven at 350 or on the grill (indirect heat) for about 20 minutes, until everything is melted through. Serve wit sour cream.

Quick Weekday Meals

With salad and cherry tomatoes buy one get one, a coupon for mozzarella and chicken and shrimp on sale, my weekly menu was very simple to put together this week. While trying to keep up eating well and maybe cutting out some carbs/sugar, I still want to keep flavor to my meals and make them enjoyable. These are fast and easy to put together for lunch at work or dinner.

Shrimp Mozzarella Salad
De-shell your shrimp and place in a bag. Sprinkle in the seasoning of your choice and shake until shrimp are coated. Add to a small skillet on medium heat and cook until pink on both sides.

Half your cherry tomatoes, cube your mozzarella cheese and add your shrimp to your romaine. Add balsamic vinaigrette and eat up! I just love the mix of cheese, tomatoes, and hot shrimp. The textures work perfectly together.

Chicken Sandwiches
Take chicken cutlets, or chicken breasts (pounded thin) and sprinkle a little red pepper on each. Add each to a separate bag and splash in about 1 tsp of rice vinegar and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Toss them all in your freezer.

To make sandwiches: Defrost your chicken (take it out in the morning and set it in the fridge to thaw). Set your oven at 375 degrees, and place chicken breast on a baking sheet/pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and no longer pink. Add to either bread(for lower calories) or a bun and add topping of your choice. I think pineapple would be really great, but I forgot to buy some so I added tomato, lettuce and some cheese to mine and ate with some more cherry tomatoes as a side.

Make Ahead Mexican

 I am always looking for an easy make ahead lunch, and this week I wanted to go carbless. Making something on Sunday that can last the whole week and is a no fuss meal is ideal for me, and since I can eat the same meal for days on end, this method really works well for me. I decided to go with mexican this week, since it's mainly protein and vegetables with only some sodium from the taco seasoning. I also made up a batch for Adam, since I know it will make his life a little bit easier also. Quick has really become essential for me and my meals lately, so I will be making a lot of bulk lunches.

Make Ahead Mexican

8 skinless Chicken Tender Strips

2 Bell Peppers

1/2 Red Onion

2 Jalapeno Peppers

Pineapple

1/2 packet Taco Seasoning

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and place all 8 tenders inside. Sprinkle a dash of seasoning on each piece and spread with a fork. Cover with a lid and let cook on medium heat. After 4 minutes, flip the tenders and add seasoning to the cooked side. Recover and cook through, about 4-5 more minutes.

While the chicken cooks, slice all veggies into strips, and pineapple into chunks.

Remove the tenders but leave all of the extra seasoning in the skillet. Place all of the vegetables in and sprinkle 2 tsp seasoning on top. Mix well to combine. Cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pineapple when vegetables are cooked.

Store in a container and portion out for lunches each day.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Chicken is amazing because you can do so many things with it. I wanted to put together sandwiches for a party, but I didn't want to use just a regular chicken salad so I decided to try a buffalo chicken salad. I love buffalo sauce, and having it on something other than calorie heavy wings is a nice change. I put this on bread and then we also put it on pizza crust, topped with mozzarella cheese. Everyone enjoyed this salad and I will be making it again. You could make this and have it for dinner or lunch in different ways, making it a time saver also.

Buffalo Chicken Salad
2 Chicken Breasts, shredded
1/3 cup Light Mayo
1.5 tbs Franks
1/2 tbsp Light Ranch
S&P
1 Stick Celery, chopped

Combine all and let chill in the fridge. Easy!