Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Bleu Cheese Coleslaw

I really should stop posting our favorite easy recipes because then I won't have anything to feed you when you come to visit...We serve this meat with bleu cheese coleslaw on sandwich rolls or hamburger buns with sweet potato fries. We have also used the meat for buffalo chicken salad- another super easy tasty meal. Ya, I am OBSESSED with buffalo chicken anything.

Buffalo Chicken 

This can easily be double but this is how much I generally make for our family (Mike and I) with enough for leftovers for lunch the next day.

•  4 (frozen) chicken breasts
• 1/3 (or more) bottle Wing Sauce (we like Frank's best)
• 1/2 package Ranch Dressing Mix

Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours (more or less depending on how hot your crock pot cooks and whether your chicken is fresh or froze and tenders or breasts). Shred chicken and add back into sauce (I leave a bit out for the kids because adding it back to the sauce does add a bit of a kick). If you like really spicy, you can use a spicier hot sauce or closer to 1/2 bottle (or more). We generally are liking to please all taste buds so this is the way we do it.  Also, I have used regular ranch as opposed to the packet and it has worked fine and omitted the ranch altogether.  I still like the results best with the ingredients listed above. Serve with extra hot sauce/wing sauce on the side.

Bleu Cheese Coleslaw

• 1 (16 oz)package shredded coleslaw mix

•   4-6 stalks celery, thinly sliced (we don't love a ton of celery so we usually do 4)
  
•  4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 mayonaisse
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2-1 cup bleu cheese (sometimes we serve blue cheese separately so people can add as much or little as they want)
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix coleslaw mix, green onions and celery together. In a different bowl mix together mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper together. Mix together, add bleu cheese (if desired). Taste and add more salt and pepper/lemon juice/etc. as desired.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

This is one of Mike's favorite dishes I make. It's a bit labor intensive before you get it in the crock pot (I am working to see if I can simplify it...) but it is totally worth it. Also, it makes a TON. When I do make it, we can usually get like 8-10 Bri and Mike sized (big) servings out of it, so, I will usually freeze half.  We usually serve this with naan, rice and cilantro on top. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

(From:  http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/10/slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala/)

Ingredients

• FOR THE CHICKEN:
• 9 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 4 Tablespoons Butter (you can probably use less)
• 1 whole Jalapeno Pepper, Stem Removed, Pepper Pierced Several Times With A Sharp Knife
• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion, Peeled And Diced
• 6 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Garam Masala
• 1 piece Fresh Ginger, About 2-3 Inches, Peeled And Grated
• 4 cups Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Raw Sugar (can Substitute White Granulated If Necessary)
• 2 teaspoons Cornstarch Or Cleargel
• 1-½ cup Heavy Cream (you can probably use less)
• TO SERVE:
• Hot Buttered Rice And Peas
• Chopped Fresh Cilantro

 

Preparation Instructions

Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1- 1 1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle the coriander, cumin and salt over the chicken, then stir in the yogurt until all the pieces are evenly coated. Cover lightly and let sit for 10 minutes before proceeding.

Melt 1 tablespoon the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Raise the heat to medium high and quickly brown about 1/4 of the chicken. Transfer browned chicken to the slow cooker as it is finished, using 1 tablespoon of butter per batch, and repeat until the chicken is all in the slow-cooker. Throw the pierced jalapeno in on top of the chicken.

Prepare the sauce. Return the pan to the heat and melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and kosher salt, then stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to lightly brown around the edges.

Stir in the garam masala and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) before raising the heat to high and adding the crushed tomatoes and raw sugar. Stir well, scraping the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow-cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours, or until the chicken is very tender.

Use a fork or whisk to stir the cornstarch or cleargel into the heavy cream until smooth. Pour into the slow-cooker and stir gently until the color is even. Replace the lid and let cook for 10 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.

Serve over hot rice and peas, topped with a generous amount of chopped cilantro.

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

As a kid I loved Mac and Cheese.  We don't like buying boxed dinners though, so I've been trying to find a Macaroni and Cheese recipe that I like, but all the baked ones are too dry for my taste.  This one is super easy and super creamy.  You can definitely use less cheese and it will still be great.  Another one from melskitchencafe.com

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water, plus extra if needed
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 12 ounces (about 3 cups) elbow macaroni
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks
• Ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring 3 1/2 cups water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the macaroni, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9 to 12 minutes.
2. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk, the cornstarch, mustard and hot sauce together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Continue to simmer slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3. Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack, one handful at a time, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce (I didn’t need any additional water when I made it). Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Butter Chicken (Ignore the name, there really isn't that much butter in it)

DELICIOUS!!!!!  My friend made this for us so I could try Indian food and it was a great introduction for me.  It is amazing.  We use half the butter, half and half instead of whipping cream and half the cayenne pepper so it's just right for us.  Enjoy! Oh, and if you forget to marinade the chicken for 12 hours, which I always forget, I usually let mine sit for 2-3 hours and it's still great.

• 4 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Bite Size Pieces
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
• ¼ teaspoons Cumin
• ¼ teaspoons Cardamom
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• ¼ cups Butter
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1 pint Whipping Cream
• 1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste
• 2 cups Basmati Rice (or However Much You Want)

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight.

Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream (I have used light cream or half-and-half also) and cilantro just before serving over Basmati rice.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup (Crock Pot!!!!)

We loved this recipe!!!! And normally I'm not a fan of tomato based soups, but this was really good.

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

1.  Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
3.  About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.  Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end).
4.  Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Quick Chicken Salad

• I liked having this in the fridge for my lunch, otherwise I just tend to snack throughout the day.  I really like it.

• 2 ( 12.5 oz) cans of chicken (or 3 cups diced cooked chicken)
• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 cup red grapes, halved
• 1 green onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1/2 cup diced apple
• salt and pepper to taste
• pecans or cashews, optional
• raisins (optional)

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken, mayo, grapes, green onion, celery, apple, salt, and pepper.  Combine until well blended.
2. Serve on rolls, bread, or croissants sprinkle with some cashews or pecans.  This can also be served on a lettuce leaf. (healthier option :)

from realmomkitchen.com

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I'm usually not a fan of green chile enchilada sauce but I really liked it in these.  They are really creamy (with cream cheese not sour cream) but if you aren't a creamy kind of enchilada person you might not like them.  But we loved them.  They are from melskitchencafe.com.  We like a lot of her recipes.  How cool am I, I even put in the picture :)

INGREDIENTS:
Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Meatballs

We made these tonight, they were super easy and yummy.

1 pound ground turkey
1 small onion diced
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
dash of tabasco sauce
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 C milk
1/4 C grated pepperjack cheese
3/4 C seasoned bread crumbs

Combine. Bake on cookie sheet at 400* for 20 minutes or until not pink in the middle.  We had it with spaghetti of course! Though Michael could have eaten just the meatballs and been happy.

Turkey Twist

Our Favorite use of leftover turkey so far.  Adapted from Karen's chicken puffs.

Make your favorite roll recipe and let the dough rise.
In the meantime:
Saute:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
chopped celery (optional)

Add:
1/2 tsp. salt
6 oz. cream cheese
2 cups cubed turkey
chopped almonds (optional)

Roll out enough dough to fill a jellyroll pan.  (Add just enough flour to keep it from sticking or cover with parchment paper.)  Place the turkey mixture down the middle of the rectangle.  Cut the dough horizontally from the edge toward the turkey mixture on each side.  Then weave the dough over the turkey mixture alternating sides.  (Be creative with this part.  You can also fill individual rolls with the turkey mixture.)

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with seasoned breadcrumbs.  

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Smother with leftover gravy and enjoy!

Potato Soup from Heaven

Once upon a time Brody and I were engaged. Brody loved cooking, so I wanted to show him that I could cook (please contain your laughter). After looking at food.com I stumbled upon this little gem. The first time I made it, I forgot the blending step and tried to serve Brody a bunch of watery potatoes. He helped me see my mistake and all was well in the world. 

8 cups diced potatoes

1/3 cup onions, chopped

3 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (10 & 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, cubed, softened

1. Put potatoes, onions, broth and cream of chicken soup in crock pot.

2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours (I usually do it on high for 4-6 hours though).   Basically, the potatoes just need to be soft and blend-able.

3. After it's done cooking, add cream cheese cubes and put the entiremixture in the blender.

4. Top with bacon, cheese, chives, and sour cream. 

 Just FYI: This makes about 12 servings. We always make a full batch and then take it for lunch the next couple of days. It's the greatest!

Southwest Pasta Salad

Southwest Pasta Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites (www.ourbestbites.com/2011/01/southwest-pasta-salad/) with some comments

Ingredients
1/2 lb bowtie pasta (I use Barilla Plus or whole wheat noodles so I can pretend I am being healthy)
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 C or halved cherry tomatoes (I usually take out seeds too since we are not huge tomato fans)
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 C sliced green onions
1/2 C frozen fresh corn
zest from 2 limes
optional: 8 oz diced cooked chicken (this is fantastic or even leftover rotisserie meat. We always add chicken to make it a meal.)
1/2 C Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese (or you could sub grated jack, cheddar or pepperjack)
 
Dressing:
6 Tbs fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 C canola oil (I used 1/2 cup and still felt like it was too much, could probably go with as little as a 1/4 cup depending on consistency)
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro


Directions

Place Boil pasta in salted water until cooked.  While it’s cooking, prepare dressing.

First zest your limes and place the zest in a large salad bowl.

Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender.  (Basically everything except the cilantro and oil)  Process until smooth.  With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated.  Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool.  Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest.  Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn),  and chicken if desired.  Toss with dressing.  Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving.  Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

Makes about 4-6 dinner sized servings or 10-12 side servings. We serve this with quesadillas.

Easy Pad Thai

This is seriously easy and good! Find the rice noodles in the Asian section of the grocery store.

Easy Pad Thai

(adapted from Everyday Food found http://browniesfordinner.com/2010/05/11/easy-pad-thai/ )
Serves 4
8 ounces dried, wide and flat rice noodles
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 squirt (about 1/8 teaspoon) Sriracha (optional)
2 teaspoons vegetable (or canola) oil
3 green onions, white and green parts, separated and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, light beaten (optional, but I used them)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts

1. Soak noodles according to package instructions. Drain.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and Sriracha.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add eggs and cook, scraping skillet with spatula until eggs are almost set (about 30 seconds). Transfer eggs to a plate.
5. Add noodles, scallion greens, and sauce to skillet. Cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft (about 1 minute). Add egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking eggs up gently.
6. Serve noodles with lime wedges, topped with cilantro and peanuts.

Note: I added 3 chicken breasts to ours to make it a more substantial meal. Marinated the chicken in 1/4 sugar and 1/4 soy sauce then baked, it would probably be great grilled.  With the added chicken it was 4 servings, otherwise I would say it feeds more like 3.

Lemon-Herb Chicken & Spinach Panini Recipe

We just got a panini press and have been loving trying new paninis out.  This one was the first we tried and our favorite by far.  This recipe came from paninihappy.com.  Take a look, it's awesome!

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. frozen chopped spinach, prepared according to package directions and drained thoroughly
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 lemon
Olive oil (for brushing)
6 slices rosemary & olive oil bread – or – ciabatta
Pesto spread
Sundried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and julienned
Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat panini grill to medium-high heat (375 degrees).

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, thyme, parsley and rosemary. Press herb rub into both sides of chicken breasts. Squeeze juice from lemon over the chicken breasts. Grill chicken on the panini grill for 6-7 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken from grill, unplug grill and clean grill thoroughly. Reheat grill to medium-high heat (375 degrees).

Repeat for each sandwich: Brush a little olive oil onto the outer sides of 2 slices of bread. On one slice (oil side down), spread a thin layer of pesto. Top with enough spinach to cover the bread (ensure as much moisture as possible has been drained from the spinach). Slice chicken breasts into strips and lay 4-5 strips on top of the spinach. Scatter sundried tomatoes and sprinkle a generous amount of parmesan on top of the chicken. Close sandwich with the other slice of bread (oil side up).

Grill 5-6 minutes until parmesan is melted and golden grill marks appear. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Coconut Chicken Curry

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks or strips
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (substitute cayenne pepper if you like the heat)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 medium red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, light or regular
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, Italian style
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
Hot cooked Jasmine rice or brown rice

DIRECTIONS:
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil, curry powder, and paprika in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat for two minutes, until fragrant (but don’t let it burn). Turn the heat up to medium and stir in onions and garlic and cook 7-9 minutes more or until onions are very clear. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through or nearly cooked through (it will continue to simmer in the next step). Add potatoes, coconut milk, tomatoes (I lightly crushed the stewed tomatoes with my fingers before adding), tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes. The sauce thickens slightly upon standing, but is great served piping hot (and a bit thinner), too. Serve with Jasmine rice (or your favorite rice) and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Filling:

3 cups cooked, chopped chicken

2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed

1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)

2 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup chicken broth

¼ cup milk

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce

½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded

8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas

Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe (melskitchencafe.com)