Mexican (Mildly) Spicy Chicken

Don't let the name of this dish fool you. Even though it has the word "spicy" in the name, it is not that spicy. In fact, if you don't want any kick at all, then you can leave out one of the ingredients. (I'll tell you which one.) Leaving it out will slightly alter the flavor, of course, but not so much that it ruins the dish. But trust me, I am not a spicy food lover and I LOVE this dish; that's how mildly spicy it is.

My friend and former roommate introduced me to her delicious recipe.

Thanks, Natalie! Now I make it all the time.



Here is what you need:

• 2 cups shredded chicken, pre-cooked and thawed
• 24 oz. whipping cream (The original recipe calls for 16 oz, but I like a lot of sauce so I add an additional 8 oz.)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 98% fat free
• 3/4 tsp of each of the following spices: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, curry powder, and chili powder (The original recipe calls for 1/2 a tsp of each, but since I add more whipping cream I add more spices. Leave the chili powder out or reduce the quantity if you want an even milder flavor.)
• 1 bag No Yolk noodles

Here is what you do:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• While oven is heating, mix whipping cream, condensed soup, and all spices.
• Place chicken in 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Pour creamy spice mixture over chicken.
• Bake creamy mixture for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Stir it half way through the cooking time.
• When the creamy mixture has been in the oven for 15 minutes, start boiling water for noodles. Add noodles to boiling water.
• When creamy mixture is finished baking, let it rest for a few minutes before serving it over the noodles.
• Serve with your favorite veggie side dish.

This dish makes a bunch, and I love that because then I have delicious lunches for the whole week!

Let me know what you think of it when you make it. I'm sure it will become a staple in your family like it has become in mine. (Thanks again, Natalie!)

Creamy Chicken Noodles and Bacon

Everything is better with bacon! Especially chicken and cheese. Sounds fattening, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be with this easy meal. Instead of using regular ingredients, try making this creamy noodle concoction with low-fat or fat free items.

The recipe is super simple to make, especially if you precook and shred your chicken on your prep day. Or, you can use a can of chicken. If you use canned chicken, be sure to rinse the chicken with water so that you remove some of the fluid from the can. (The fluid can be full of sodium, and rinsing it eliminates some of that.)

Here is what you need:

• 1 lb chicken, shredded from your shopping/prep day
• 1 bag no yolk noodles
• 2 cans condensed chicken soup, 98% fat free
• 1/2 cup sour cream, fat free
• 3 cups broccoli pieces
• 5 strips bacon (or turkey bacon)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated and low-fat
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Here is what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook noodles in one pot and and warm your precooked, shredded chicken in a skillet.
3. While noodles and chicken cook, place bacon on baking sheet with grooves and bake for 12 minutes or until mostly crispy but not too crisp. 
4. Mix condensed soup, sour cream, broccoli, garlic, and seasonings. Set aside. 
5. By now, the noodles and chicken should be finished. (About 15 minutes should have passed by now.)
6. Run noodles under lukewarm water to bring their temperature down a bit and then combine with chicken and soup mixture.
7. Place mixture in 9 x 13 cake pan then sprinkle cheese on top.
8. Cut cooked bacon into pieces and drop over cheese.
9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese starts to bubble.
10. This makes 6 large servings or 8 medium servings.

Enjoy! And remember, everything is better with bacon, even if it is turkey bacon.

PS ~ Fair warning, you will CRAVE the leftovers.

How To Precook Chicken

A friend asked how I cook my chicken, so I thought I'd share the answer here in case anyone else is wondering...

To cook the chicken, simply put, I boil it then shred it. But, there is a little trick I do to give the chicken incredible flavor. Instead of just boiling it in water, I mix it with some chicken stock. Sometimes I have my own chicken stock leftover from when I make chicken with the bone still in. Or, if I don't have that, I just use the canned chicken broth. Either way, the chicken stock/broth adds great flavor.

If I use canned broth, I don't add extra salt to this mixture because the canned chicken broth already has sodium in it and I'm trying to watch my sodium intake. But if you want to add salt, feel free!

So anyway, I boil it in the water/chicken stock mixture for about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken and how many pieces I have in the pot. Last night, for example, I had 5 really thick chicken breasts in the pot, so I left them in the boiling water for 30 minutes because I am paranoid about under cooked chicken. Also, I check the thickest piece to make sure there isn't any pink left in the center. I look for the the center meat to be white and the juices to run clear. If you're cooking other types of chicken, like thighs or with the bone in, I found this handy chicken cooking guide.

Once it is cooked and I've checked the thickest piece, I let it cool a bit before I shred it. It does seem a tad easier to shred it, though, when it is still warm. I just put it in a bowl and take two forks to it. (Or, you can shred it in your Bosch!) Then I portion the meat out into labeled freezer bags (with the date) based on the kind of portion sizes I need for the meals I make. It may be different sizes for you and your family.

Then, I throw the bags in the freezer until I'm ready to use them. The last batch I did lasted a month because I used about 1 bag per week.

To reheat the chicken, you have a few options. I love options!

1. Take it out of the freezer the night before and leave it in the fridge.
2. Put the chicken in a skillet with a tish of water then put the lid on it and keep it on medium heat. It will steam it and thaw it. Then, you're ready to cook it with whatever else you're making.
3. If you're making pasta, put the chicken in the boiling water, then scoop it out before you put your pasta in the water.
4. Just put it in the microwave and defrost it. This is my least favorite option because I can't seem to get it just right, but it may just work the best for you depending on what your making. If you're making a cold chicken salad, this may just be your best bet. Either this option of #1.

Almost Thanksgiving Dinner

The weather lately is a bit reminiscent of autumn, don't ya think? (Except we have crunchy grass instead of crunchy leaves. We'll make do with what we have.) When you think of autumn with all of the loveliness that comes with it, do you think about Thanksgiving dinner and long for the flavors? Don't worry, we all do.

Well, have you considered creating those inviting flavors (and the warm, happy feelings) on a day other than Thanksgiving Day but without all of the time spent over a hot stove? Are you wondering how it could ever possibly be? If so, here is a recipe that may just quench your Thanksgiving thirst.
 

Here is what you need:

• 5 medium red potatoes
• 1 box flavored stuffing
• 1 lb shredded chicken (use precooked chicken that you cooked on your shopping day)
• 1 can condensed chicken soup
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbs butter
• lemon pepper
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• garlic salt

Here is what you do:

1. Boil water for potatoes and for stuffing, in separate pots.
2. Cut potatoes into cubes, leaving skin on. (Leaving the skin on and cutting the potatoes into cubes saves loads of prep and cook time.) Add potatoes to one pot of boiling water.
3. Finish preparing stuffing according to box directions. Set aside, but keep in the pot.
4. Combine chicken, condensed chicken soup, and half of milk in bowl. Add some of the seasonings to taste. Set aside.
5. Mash potatoes with butter and the rest of the milk. Add seasonings to taste.
6. In a 9 x 13 cake pan, layer all the potatoes, all of the stuffing, all of the chicken mixture, and then sprinkle cheese on top.
7. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. (This is just to marry the flavors, warm the chicken mixture, and melt the cheese.)
8. This makes about 6 large servings or 8 medium servings.

Cheers to recreating a warm, happy Thanksgiving meal in March!