White Chicken Chili

My dear friend's husband recently had major surgery and since my love language is food, I wanted to bring them a meal to let them know how much I care for them and to hopefully help with the healing process. I knew I would be traveling to SF in the middle of the day, so I wanted a meal that I could prepare the day before and bring after being refrigerated. White chicken chili is a comforting bowl of healthy goodness and just gets better over time. I brought optional toppings to go with the chili along with Mini Corn Bread Bites, salad fixings with Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing and Lemon Squares for dessert. I packed the all dinner goodies in Ikea's storage containers which are cute and  inexpensive, so I could leave the boxes with my friend and she didn't have to worry about returning them. 

White Chicken Chili

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery
1 jalapeno, deseeded and deveined, chopped finely
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chili peppers, preferably "fire-roasted", drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken broth
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels
salt and pepper to taste

To serve:  grated Monterey jack cheese, chopped avocado, cilantro, lime wedges

Saute onions and celery with olive oil for 5 minutes in dutch oven. Add jalapeno and garlic for one more minute. Push aside vegetables and place chicken breasts at bottom of pot. Brown for a few minutes. Add chicken broth, diced green chili peppers, cumin, salt, coriander, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove chicken breasts and shred with two forks.  Add chicken, beans, and corn back to pot and simmer for 10 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy with all the yummy toppings!

Get Well Meal All Packed Up

Ikea Containers- Great for Food Gifts

Pizza Roll-Ups

I am always looking for tasty dinner recipes that can also be used for a simple lunch the next day. You can tailor this recipe to your family's tastes, is easy to prepare and works great the next day! I made two versions for our family- BBQ Chicken Pizza rollups, which channel the flavor of California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken pizza and my kids' favorite, Mozzarella and Bacon. Serve each with a dish of sauce on the side and a hearty green salad and you have yourself a tasty dinner!

BBQ Chicken Pizza Roll-Ups

BBQ Chicken Pizza Roll-Ups

1 ready made pizza dough *
1/2 cup shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken is great for this recipe)
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup shredded momozzarella
2 tablespoons shredded red onion
15 cilantro leaves

Roll out pizza dough on floured board until dough is about 1/2 inch thick and rectangular in shape. Spread BBQ sauce on dough, then sprinkle with mozzarella and top with chicken, onion and cilantro. Roll up length wise and cut into 3/4 inch slices. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400° for 17-20 minutes until brown and bubbly. Serve with a dish of BBQ sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

Mozzarella and Bacon Pizza Roll-Ups

Mozzarella and Bacon Pizza Roll-Ups

1 ready made pizza dough *

1/4 cup pizza sauce

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

5 pieces cooked bacon, chopped

Roll out pizza dough on floured board until dough is about 1/2 inch thick and rectangular in shape. Spread pizza sauce on dough, then sprinkle with mozzarella and top with bacon. Roll up length wise and cut into 3/4 inch slices. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400° for 17-20 minutes until brown and bubbly. Serve with a dish of pizza sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

Easy Baked Chicken Taquitos

My kids love taquitos, but the "fry factor" always makes me hesitate to buy them. When I saw this recipe for baked chicken taquitos, I thought it could be the perfect solution- tasty taquitos that were not deep fried. They were awesome- easy and quick to make and a huge hit with the family. Great for left-over rostisserie chicken, too! Serve with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and some vegetables or salad and you have dinner on the table!

Baked Chicken Taquitos

3 cups shredded roasted chicken
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (or cheddar)
12 corn tortillas
cooking spray
guacamole, sour cream or salsa

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

 Combine the chicken in a bowl with the cumin, salt and garlic powder- mix in the cheese. 

Place 2 corn tortillas at a time in between two damp paper towels and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to soften them (helps to prevent cracking when rolling).

With 1 tortilla in front of you, place about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of the tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place the taquito seam-side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and filling.

 Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray, and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until crisp. Serve with guacamole/sour cream/ salsa. Enjoy!

Recipe from Recipe Girl

Chicken Pot Pie

My sweet dad brought us a rotisserie chicken yesterday and the leftovers were perfect for a lovely chicken pot pie tonight...it was kind of like chicken noodle soup (without the noodles) under a tasty crust blanket- warm and comforting and very yummy. There is just a bit of butter and no cream or milk in this recipe, so kind of on the healthy side if you just nibble on the crust :)

Chicken Pot Pie

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, cubed
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut into bite sized cubes
1/4 - 1/2 cup frozen peas (depends on how much you love peas!)
1 unbaked ready made pie crust
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Saute onion, celery and carrots in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. After mixture is soft, move it to the edges of the sauce pan and melt butter in middle. Add flour to the melted butter and stir into a kind of roux and then mix with all the vegetables for 3 minutes. Add thyme, salt and pepper and then add chicken stock and stir over medium heat until bubbling and the mixture has thickened a bit.  Add cooked chicken and saute a few more minutes.  

Roll out pie crust on counter. Put chicken mixture in a 9 inch pie pan and place pie crust on top of mixture in pie plate. Brush crust with egg wash (whisk egg with water) and bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes untll crust is golden brown. Enjoy!

Simple Chicken Turnovers

I feel like I have turned into the queen of creative ways to use rotisserie chicken because my sweet dad is so generous in sharing  tasty Costco chickens with us whenever he happens to make a trip there. It is such a treat to have pre-cooked chicken to use in many ways!
This is a recipe I cut out of a Real Simple Magazine a few years ago and since I actually had puff pastry in my freezer and fresh chicken, the stars were aligning to try it out. I only made two "turnovers" instead of four since I wasn't sure if the whole family would like them.  I kept the ingredients basic and true to the recipe below, but next time I would add a tablespoon of pesto underneath the chicken/cheese mixture to give it a little more flavor. You could prep these little "packages" early in the day, refrigerate and then bake them when you got back in the eve.

Puff pastry packages are ready to be sealed with egg wash and baked

Dip your chicken turnover bite in the dijon mustard for a tasty treat!

Chicken Turnovers

1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere

1 cup frozen peas

2 sheets (one whole 17.25 ounce package, unless you want to split it in half like me) frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 large egg, beaten

several tablespoons Dijon mustard

Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, Gruyere and peas.

Cut the two sheets of puff pastry in half to form 4 rectangles and place on baking sheet. Dividing evenly, top half of each rectangle with the chicken mixture (if you like pesto, brush on about a tablespoon of pesto before you put on the chicken mixture). Brush egg along edges, fold over and seal the turnovers. Brush the tops with the egg. Bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Serve with mustard. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Pie

This recipe is awesome if you have some rotisserie chicken and a hankering for enchiladas but don't want to invest the time rolling up all the individual tortillas...it is very flavorful and requires just one prep bowl. You could make it in the morning before work and pop it in the oven when you get home. Add a big green salad and you have a perfect comfort meal.

One of the first layers with tortillas, corn and salsa

The chicken, rice, bean , cheese and enchilada sauce mixture

Tasty chicken enchilada pie ready to be cooked

Hot out of the oven!

Chicken Enchilada Pie

10  5" corn tortillas
2 cups cubed chicken (rotisserie chicken is great for this!)

1/2 cup uncooked instant brown rice

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 15 oz can black beans, drained

1 19 oz can red enchilada sauce

1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained

1 cup salsa
2 green onions, thinly sliced
sour cream, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 or 10 inch round (2 quart) baking dish or casserole with cooking spray.

• Cut tortillas in half.
• In large bowl, mix chicken, rice, 1 cup of the cheese, the beans and 1 cups of enchilada sauce.
• Layer 5 tortilla halves to cover bottom of baking dish. Top with 1/3 cup enchilada sauce and half the chicken mixture. 
• Cover with 5 tortilla halves. Spoon corn over tortillas. Spread salsa over corn.
• Cover with 5 tortilla halves. Top with remaining half of chicken mixture. 
• Top with remaining  5 tortilla halves, enchilada sauce and cheese.

You can cover this with saran wrap and keep in the refrigerator until later (if cold, increase baking time to 50 minutes). Or bake immediately for 35-40 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Top with green onions and sour cream if desired. Enjoy!

Adapted from this recipe

Chicken Pad Thai

This is a flavorful dish that is an easy to throw together for a weeknight dinner, especially if you have rotisserie chicken in your fridge. When you first put the sauce in the pan, it doesn't smell the best (I blame the fish sauce), but keep cooking and in the end it tastes great!  I didn't have peanuts on hand, but I think a few chopped peanuts would add a perfect crunch and flavor.

Quick Chicken Pad Thai

8 ounce dried rice stick noodles, about 1/8 inch wide like fettuccine
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup juice from 2 limes
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken is perfect for this)
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
optional: 3 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Cover rice noodles with hot tap water in large bowl and soak until softened, but not fully tender, about 20 minutes and then drain. Meanwhile, put warm water, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar  in jar and shake until sugar is dissolved.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and garlic and cook until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add noodles and fish sauce mixture until noodles are coated with sauce, about 2 minutes. Scatter bean sprouts and cilantro over noodles and continue to cook, tossing constantly until noodles are tender, about 3 minutes. Add fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts on top if you desire. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Sauce

I seem to always have rotisserie chicken in my fridge because my sweet dad will pick one up for us anytime he makes a trip to Costco. I love using rotisserie chicken in my enchiladas and usually make them with canned sauce. Last night, I didn't have any cans of sauce, so decided to try making my own. Boy is it easy and tasty and you can tailor it to your taste (for example, my youngest daughter can't stand the smell of cumin, so next time maybe I'll leave the cumin out and see if I can get her to actually try an enchilada :)
I love olives so always add them inside the enchiladas and on top as well, but my kids are not fans of them, so I keep their enchiladas clear of olives.

Can you tell which half is for the kids?

Homemade Enchilada Sauce
this makes the perfect amount for 10 enchiladas in a 9 x 13" pan
   

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons flour

1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

3/4 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoons onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons cumin

In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chili powder and flour whisking constantly to combine. Mixture will be a thick paste (roux).Slowly add in a small amount of tomato sauce whisking until the roux has dissolved. If you don't whisk, it will end up a lumpy mess! Once the roux is combined, add the rest of the tomato sauce and chicken broth. Whisk to combine.Add in the rest of the spices, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
This has a very mild flavor- you could add a pinch of cayenne or 1/2 teaspoon more chili powder if you want a bit more "kick".

recipe from here

Chicken Enchiladas

       

2-3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1-3 cups shredded cheese

10-11 corn tortillas

1 recipe enchilada sauce

optional:  black beans, olives, corn

Pour 1 cup of sauce in bottom of 9x13" glass pan. Dip 5 tortillas in sauce on both sides and keep them in bottom of pan. This keeps the enchiladas nice and moist. Take one tortilla, add a handful of chicken and a little bit of cheese.  Roll tortilla up and place on edge of pan. Do the same with the others, lining them up tightly. When five are in a row on one side, add some more sauce on the vacant side of the pan and repeat. I squeezed a bonus enchilada  in between the rows to make a total of 11. Pour remaining sauce all over enchiladas and sprinkle cheese on top. 

You can refrigerate and bake them the next day or bake at 350° for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbling. 

 If you want to keep the enchiladas lower in fat, just fill the tortilla with chicken and only sprinkle a little cheese on top- still just as good! I like to add olives, too, but not in all of them because my kids don't like olives. You could also add black beans and corn, too, to make them really interesting. Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

You can whip up this easy soup in under an hour and it is flavorful the minute you serve it! It is yet another great recipe for leftover Costco rotisserie chicken.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

                       

1/2 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 4 ounce can diced green chilies

1 32 ounce container chicken stock

1 29 ounce can hominy (you can use a smaller can of hominy and add yellow corn, too)

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces (or 2 cups of diced rotisserie chicken)

For Garnish:

chopped fresh cilantro

toasted corn tortilla strips

diced avocado

In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until soft. Add chili powder, oregano, tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in hominy, chilies, beans and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Serve soup in bowls and top with your choice of cilantro, tortilla strips, and avocado. Enjoy!

Toasted Corn Tortilla Strips

              

20 corn tortillas

canola oil spray

kosher salt

Place tortillas in a stack and cut in half and then into small strips. Place on baking sheet, spray with canola oil spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes until light brown and crispy.

My kids love to munch on these like tortilla chips and they have much less fat!

Chicken Noodle Soup and Garlic Croutons

Another great way to use Costco chicken is to make it into soup! This is a simple but delicious broth and since my kids don't like anything green in their soup, I just add pasta and carrots. Toss a few homemade croutons on top and you have a delicious quick dinner.

Chicken Noodle Soup

carcass from rotisserie chicken (remove cooked meat from bones, cube and set aside to add to soup after it cooks)
1 onion, quartered
3 carrots, cut into big chunks
3 ribs celery, cut into big chunks
3 whole garlic cloves
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3/4 pound pasta
4 carrots, sliced


Put all ingredients into stock pot and fill with water 2 inches above carcass. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 1 hour. Drain soup through strainer lined with paper towel into large bowl.
In same stock pot, boil pasta. After cooking for 5 minutes, add sliced carrots to boiling pasta. Drain pasta and carrots and add to broth.

Garlic Croutons

1 loaf stale bread ( I used leftover sour dough bread from our anniversary dinner out the night before)- the better bread you use, the better the croutons! I love Acme and Metropolis Breads.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Cut bread into cubes and put on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Delicious Quinoa Salad with Costco Chicken

Ever have left over rotisserie chicken from Costco and wonder what to do with it?  Try this tasty, healthy Quinoa Salad that includes your protein and veggies, all in one bowl. 

Quinoa Pea, Mushroom and Chicken Salad

1 package sliced mushrooms

1 shallot minced

1 c quinoa

2 c chicken broth

1 bag English peas

Costco Chicken

Saute mushrooms and shallots in sauce pan and remove.

Rinse 1 cup quinoa and add to saute pan with 2 cups chicken broth

bring to a boil, then turn to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Boil 1 bag English Peas (Trader Joe's has great ones!)

Cut up chicken into bite size pieces and flavor with Beau Monde Seasoning.

Toss all together and enjoy room temp!