Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken tenders or 4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
¼ t. salt
⅛ t. pepper
½ c. whole milk
3 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 t. dried parsley

Sauce:

1 - 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
2 T. sour cream
2 T. butter

Directions:

1. Crush 1½ sleeves of crackers.
2. If using chicken breasts and not tenders, cut each chicken breast into 3 large pieces.
3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans.
4. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.
5. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk and then the cheese.
6. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers.
7. Then press the cheesy coated chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in.
8. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.
9. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.
10. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400°F for 35 minutes.
11. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.
12. In a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk.
13. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot.
14. Serve over the chicken.

Cook Time:  45-50 minutes

Crockpot Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

1 lb. of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (can substitute Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs)
2 T. Butter
2 cans (10.5 oz.) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
14 oz. water
1 medium Onion, diced
Hot Cooked Rice

Directions:

1. Place thawed chicken in crock pot. 
2. Add butter, cream of chicken soup, water and onions.  Stir until soup is mixed well with water. 
3. Cook on high 4-6 hours or on low for 8 hours.
4. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Broccoli and Shrimp Chowder

Ingredients:

1 medium uncooked Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced   
2 c. uncooked broccoli, florets   
1 medium uncooked shallot, minced   
2 c. fat free chicken broth   
¼ t. dried thyme   
½ lbs. cooked shrimp, peeled (medium size)   
½ c. fat free sour cream   
½ c. fat free skim milk   
¼ t. table salt   
¼ t. black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium-size pot, combine potato, broccoli, shallot, broth and thyme; bring to a boil, partially cover pot and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Pour soup into blender and purée in batches careful not to splatter hot liquid; return soup to pot. (Or puree soup in pot using an immersion blender.)
3. Add remaining ingredients to pot; reduce heat to low and simmer until hot, about 3 minutes. (Do not allow to boil.)

Prep Time:  10 Minutes
Cook Time:  18 Minutes
Serves 4 - Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Rick's Salsa

Ingredients:

2 bunches of green onions
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
2 large cans of diced cooked tomatoes (32 oz. cans, be sure not to pick up the stewed tomatoes)
1 large can of diced green chilies (or two small cans)
½ can El Pato hot tomato sauce (yellow can with a duck on it in the international foods aisle)
1 tsp. black pepper
garlic salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Combine the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl:  diced tomatoes, green chilies, half a can of El Pato hot tomato sauce (add more if you like it hot), black pepper (more or less to taste), garlic salt also to taste.
2. Finely dice the green onion using mostly the light green & white part of the onions (not too much of the dark greens) finely chop two or three tablespoons of cilantro or more to taste).  Try to use only the leafy parts.
3. Combine this with the rest of the ingredients and put it in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) to let the flavors blend.

Enjoy!

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless boneless chicken breast, diced
1 (1.27 oz.) packet fajita seasoning
1 T. canola oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 (8 oz.) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz.) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa (optional))
Guacamole (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.
2. Add fajita seasoning, onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper.
3. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350° F.
5. Layer half of each tortilla with the chicken and vegetable mixture, then sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack.  Use the as little or as much as you like. 
6. Fold the tortillas in half and place onto a baking sheet.
7. Bake quesadillas in the preheated oven until the cheeses have melted, about 10 minutes.
8. Cut each quesadilla into 3 triangles.
9. Serve with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream.

Prep Time:  30 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Serves 5 (1 quesadilla per serving)

Note:  When I make this recipe, I do not end up using all of the tortillas.  I did not use all of the Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheeses either.

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz. each)
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 oz. fat free cream cheese
¼ c. shredded Parmesan cheese
½ t. dried basil leaves
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ c. fat-free egg product
12 stone-ground wheat crackers, crushed (about ½ cup)
1 t. dried basil leaves
½ t. pepper
1 c. pasta sauce
¼ c. shredded mozzarella cheese (1 oz.)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Place each chicken breast smooth side down in a zipper bag.
4. Gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about ¼-inch thick.
5. In medium bowl, mix spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon basil and the garlic until blended. 
6. Spread about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture over each chicken breast; roll up tightly. 
7. If necessary, secure with toothpicks.
8. In small shallow bowl, place egg product. 
9. In another small shallow bowl, mix cracker crumbs, 1 teaspoon basil and the pepper. 
10. Dip each chicken breast into egg product; coat with crumb mixture. 
11. Place seam side down in baking dish.
12. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. 
13. Pour pasta sauce over chicken; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. 
14. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until thermometer inserted in center of chicken reads 165°F. 
15. Remove toothpicks from chicken before serving.

Prep Time:  20 minutes
Total Time:  55 minutes
Serves 6