Freakin Easy Chicken and Rice Bake

I googled a Chicken and Rice bake, and made it as directed, but it had an onion soup packet, and cream of mushroom soup. I thought it was too salty/beefy, so I made it differently the other night and really liked it. You will need one of these. Suzanne uses these in her hamburger soup, and I like that it has a lot of flavor, but its not as beefy/salty as the Lipton Onion Soup packets.


Chicken and Rice Bake
2 c Minute Rice
1 pkg vegetable soup packet
1 c water
6-10 chicken tenders (still frozen, woot!), or 4-6 breasts -thawed
pepper
1 can cream of chicken, mixed with 1 3/4 c water)
2 c shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Pour rice into 9x13 pan, add vegetable soup packet and combine. Pour on one cup of water. Place chicken tenders on top of rice, and season with pepper. Pour the watered down cream of chicken over the chicken. Top with as much cheese as you want. Bake for 60 mins.

Pesto Ravioli with Chicken

Soooo yummy and easy to make!!

4 servings

2 tsp olive or vegetable oil

1 pkg (15 oz) chicken tenders

3/4 c. chicken broth

1 pkg (9 oz) refrigerated cheese filled ravioli

3 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 in. slices

1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 refrigerated pesto

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in 12 in. skillet over med-high heat. Cook chicken in oil about 4 minutes turning occasionally, until brown. Remove chicken from skillet.

2. Add broth and ravioli to same skillet. Heat to boiling; then reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 4 minutes or until ravioli is tender.

3. Stir in zucchini, bell pepper and chicken. Cook over med-high heat about 3 minutes stirring occasionally, until veggies are crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink in center.

4. Toss with pesto. Sprinkle cheese.

5. And enjoy!!

I usally cut the chicken in bitesize pieces either before or after cooking it. But you probably already would know that. ha ha I just wanted to sound very cook savy :)

tex mex quesadillas

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 package (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package (10 oz.) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
flour tortillas (10-inch)- i dont like the precooked ones
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
salsa & sour cream

In a large pan cook onion, garlic and cumin for about 5 mins, or until onion is soft. Add in corn, beans, spinach and chicken. Cook until everything is heated though. Cook tortillas as directed on package. Then layer cheese and tex mex mix. Cook until cheese is melted. Cut and serve with salsa & sour cream.

Parmesan Ranch Chicken

Parmesan Ranch Chicken (from the Lion House cookbook)

1/2c. Cornflakes (crumbs)
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1.5 oz dry ranch dressing mix
6 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
26 oz. Marinara or spaghetti sauce

Combine cornflakes, 1/2 parmesan cheese (shredded) and all of grated parm. and ranch. Coat both sides of the chicken. Place in a 9x13 pan, sprayed with Pam. Spray tops of chicken.
Bake 350degrees for 25-30 min.

To serve, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place Chicken on top of some spaghetti noodles and drizzle warm spaghetti sauce over it all.

Serves 6

I usually cut the chicken breasts in half. Then it makes more and we don't end up with half eaten chicken.

Twangy Chicken Casserole

So yesterday afternoon I cooked up a whole bag of frozen chicken breasts, enough for a couple meals. I just put a little olive oil in the bottom of the skillet, throw on the chicken (still frozen, breasts or tenders work) and then sprinkle them with pepper and garlic salt. I cover them with a lid, and turn them halfway through. They turn out pretty juicy when you keep the lid on. Then I chopped them up into chunks, and froze whatever I didn't use for dinner.

Chicken Casserole (from the brown Stone Oak cookbook, by Lisa Price -halved-)
3 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 can of cream of chicken
8oz sour cream
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic, minced (I used powder)
1-1 1/2 T dried onions
1 T poppy seed (I didn't add this)
1 tube Ritz crackers (we used those crackers from Ash's reception)

Cook and shred chicken (I cubed it). Mix soup, sour cream, soy sauce, garlic and onions and salt/pepper (and I added about 1/4 c of water to thin it out). Pour (more like glop) over chicken. Sprinkle with crackers and poppy seed. Bake 45 mins at 350 degrees. Serve over hot rice.

So everyone liked this. I think the soy sauce added a little something different than plain ol cream of chicken. Dean scooped some into a tupperware for lunch the next day, so I take it as a success. Next time I will use less crackers, or drop pats of butter on top to make them a little crispy. You could probably add broccoli to bring in a veggie too.