crock pot chicken tacos

remember that homemade taco seasoning we made?   well, we're putting it to good use.  we absolutely love tacos over at our house.  typically we stuff our tacos with ground beef or ground turkey, but occasionally we like to stuff them with chicken too.  when i came across a recipe for chicken tacos made in the crock pot, i knew that i just had to try it.

the best thing about this recipe is that it is so simple.  there are only three ingredients!  you dump the three ingredients into the crock pot and then just walk away while the crock pot does all of the work.

we made a batch of these chicken tacos and they fed us all week long!  (in total we had enough chicken to stuff 20 small taco shells!)  this recipe would be great for a party or for a large family.  the chicken was not spicy at all.  if you prefer your tacos with a kick, you can easily control the spice level in this recipe.

the flavor of the chicken is awesome.  the next time you are looking for an easy crock pot recipe, give these tacos a try.  we liked this recipe so much that we have made it twice already.  (this chicken would be great on nachos too, just saying!)

crock pot chicken tacos
prep time: 5-10 minutes
cooking time: 3-4 hours
yields: enough to fill approximately 20 small tacos
adapted from chocolate therapy

ingredients:
6 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 oz.) jar mild salsa
3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning

directions:
cut the chicken breasts in 1 inch cubes.  place the chicken cubes in a crock pot and add the salsa and taco seasoning.  stir well to make sure that the chicken is evenly covered in the salsa and taco seasoning.  cook for 3-4 hours in a covered crock pot on high heat.

when the chicken is completely cooked throughout, shred the chicken with a fork.  serve inside warm taco shells (hard or soft) with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, diced onion, chopped jalapeños, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and additional salsa.

enjoy!

love, laurie 

chicken piccata

sometimes life gets crazy and we need to make dinner in a pinch.  when we are super busy and need to whip up something to eat quickly, one of our go-to recipes is chicken piccata.

not only is this chicken piccata recipe easy to make, it is also super flavorful.  the flour and the egg give the chicken a great coating, and the combination of the lemon juice, the white wine, and the capers make a great sauce.  i just love the flavor of this chicken dish.  it is so light and fresh, and it is perfect served over pasta!

chicken piccata
prep time: 10-15 minutes
cooking time: 25-30 minutes
yields: 4 servings

ingredients:
2 whole boneless/skinless chicken breasts
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoon salted butter
1/2 cup chablis white wine (or chicken stock)
1 large lemon, juiced
1 jar (3.5 oz.) nonpareil capers in brine
salt and ground black pepper to taste

directions:
butterfly the two chicken breasts and then cut each piece in half so that you have four pieces of chicken.  wrap the pieces of chicken in plastic wrap, and gently pound them with the flat edge of a meat mallet in order to flatten them.

preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.  in a large skillet over medium heat, preheat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.  remove the chicken from the plastic wrap, and dredge each piece of chicken in flour.  shake off the excess flour and season with salt and pepper.  in a bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.  dip two pieces of the chicken in the egg mixture and then add the chicken to the skillet.  cook for 3 minutes.  when the chicken is browned, flip the chicken and cook the other side for 3 minutes.  remove the chicken from the skillet and transfer it to an oven-safe baking dish.  cover with foil.  add more olive oil to the skillet as needed, and dip the remaining two pieces of the chicken in the egg mixture.  again, add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes.  when the chicken is browned, flip the chicken and cook the other side for 3 minutes.  remove the chicken from the skillet and add it to the baking dish.  put the chicken in the oven to stay warm.

add the butter to the hot skillet and allow the butter to melt.  add the wine, to the skillet and scrape the bottom and sides of the skillet with a spatula.  add in the lemon juice and the capers with their brine, and bring to a boil.  season with additional salt and pepper to taste.  remove the chicken from the oven and pour the sauce over the chicken.  serve hot over pasta.  garnish with parsley and slices of lemon.

enjoy!

love, laurie

chinese orange chicken

chinese food is certainly one of our favorite types of food.  we absolutely love to go out to chinese restaurants or to order chinese take out to eat at home, but there is always that guilt afterwards of not entirely knowing what you just ate.  most of our favorite chinese restaurants are reputable, but you never exactly know what ingredients they are including in their dishes.  (i like to know exactly what i am eating.)

over the years, we have made plenty of asian dishes at home, but we have never made chinese orange chicken.  typically, i try to avoid fried foods because they are so unhealthy for you, but every now and then i make an exception.  this meal was definitely a worth while exception!

the chicken is marinated before it is fried, which gives it an amazing flavor.  then it is topped off with a thick orange sauce.  the chicken sits on a bed of plain white rice which is the perfect compliment to the spicy sauce.

there's no reason to order chinese orange chicken when you can make this awesome dish right at home.  pull out a pair of chop sticks and dig in!

chinese orange chicken
prep time: 10-15 minutes
marinating time: 30 minutes
cooking time: 35-40 minutes
yields: 10 servings
adapted from cooking classy

ingredients:
10 boneless chicken breasts
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 1/2 cups orange juice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups cornstarch, divided
1/2 cup cold water
2 large eggs
vegetable oil, for frying
4 scallions, chopped, for garnish

directions:
dice the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes.  place them in a large bowl, and set aside.  in a large sauce pan, combine the onion, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sriracha, sugar, ginger, and pepper.  whisk mixture well.  pour approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the chicken.  cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

meanwhile, heat the remaining sauce mixture in the sauce pan over medium heat.  bring the sauce to a boil, stirring frequently.  in a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the cornstarch with the water until no lumps remain.  stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and reduce the heat to low.  cook the sauce for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.  remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.

pour vegetable oil into a large cast iron dutch oven (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep).  heat the oil over low heat until it reaches 350 degrees F (be sure to use a kitchen thermometer).  meanwhile, pour the remaining cornstarch into a shallow bowl, and whisk the eggs in a separate shallow bowl.  remove the chicken from the refrigerator.  drain and discard the marinate.  in small batches, dip the chicken into the egg, then toss the chicken in the cornstarch.  carefully place the chicken into the heated oil and cook for 6-7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked throughout.  once cooked, use a large slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the oil, and place it on a plate lined with paper towels in order to remove the excess oil.  repeat with remaining chicken.  once all of the chicken is cooked, transfer the chicken to a large bowl.  pour the sauce over the chicken and lightly toss, making sure that the chicken is evenly coated.  serve hot over a bed of cooked white rice.  garnish with chopped scallions.

enjoy!

love, laurie

cucumber dill chicken salad in tomato cups

while my parents were visiting over the weekend, ryan and i made cucumber dill chicken salad for lunch.  in order to save a few calories, we served the chicken salad in tomato cups instead of on bread.

the fresh dill adds such a nice flavor to this chicken salad, and the tomato cups act as perfect little edible bowls.

cucumber dill chicken salad in tomato cups
adapted from yammie's noshery
prep time: 10-15 minutes
yields: 8 servings

ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts, boiled
1 medium cucumber
1 small onion
3 stalks celery
1/2 cup fresh dill
3/4 cup mayonnaise
7-8 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 medium tomatoes

directions:
dice the chicken, cucumber, onion, and celery into small pieces.  in a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well.  cut the tops off the tomatoes, and hallow out each tomato using a spoon or an ice cream scoop.  fill the tomatoes with the chicken salad mixture, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

enjoy!

love, laurie

grilled bbq chicken pizza

it's no secret that we love pizza at our house, but in the summer we never feel like standing in front of a hot oven.  so, grilling pizza is a great alternative to baking pizza.  it's super easy to grill pizza, and of course the topping options are endless.

we topped our pizza with bbq sauce, grilled bbq chicken, turkey bacon, onions, red peppers, green peppers, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese.  the pizza was absolutely delicious, and it was the perfect dinner for a summer evening!

grilled bbq chicken pizza
prep time: 10-15 minutes
grilling time: 15-20 minutes
yields: 1 12-inch pizza (6-8 servings)

ingredients:
pizza dough (our go to pizza dough recipe can be found here)
3-4 chicken tenders, grilled and diced
4-5 pieces of cooked turkey bacon, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
5-6 tablespoons bbq sauce
olive oil (for the grill grates)

directions:
preheat the grill to a medium heat.  on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 12-inch circle.  lightly brush the grill grates with olive oil.  place the pizza dough on the grill grates, and cover the grill lid.  allow the pizza dough to grill for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottom has grill marks.  flip the pizza dough over.  spread the bbq sauce on the pizza, and top with chicken, bacon, onion, pepper, and cheese.  cover the grill lid and allow the pizza dough to grill for 10-12 minutes.  once the cheese is melted, remove the pizza from the grill, and allow the pizza to sit for 3-5 minutes before cutting.  

enjoy!

love, laurie

smothered chicken

i always love finding new recipes online and adapting them to our particular tastes.

i mean, really . . . god bless pinterest.

last week i found a "copy cat" recipe for smothered skillet chicken similar to a dish served at applebee's.  since i have never had this chicken dish at applebee's, i can't tell you how close it is to the original.  however, we sure did enjoy it paired with a side of cous cous!  we changed the original recipe a bit and chose to put the chicken under the broiler on a baking sheet, rather than in the oven in a skillet.  the broiler helped to melt the cheese and to brown the cheese nicely on top.  what i like about this recipe is that it is so flexible.  you could include any veggies and any type of cheese that you have on hand.

smothered chicken
adapted from yammie’s noshery
prep time: 10-15 minutes
cooking time: 35-40 minutes
yields: approximately 4 servings

ingredients:
8-10 chicken tenders
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup chopped peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cloves minced garlic
1 diced tomato
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup shredded cheese (or slices of Monterey jack, cheddar, cooper, or pepper cheese)

directions:
in one bowl beat the egg.  in a separate bowl combine the flour, corn starch, garlic powder, and ground black pepper.  dip each piece of chicken in the egg and then coat it in the flour mixture.  heat a frying pan on medium heat with a small amount of olive oil.  cook the chicken until browned on both sides and no longer pink inside.  remove the chicken from the frying pan and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  add a small amount of butter to the frying pan and sauté the peppers, onion, mushrooms, garlic, and spices.  add the tomato.  place the sautéed vegetables on top of the chicken.  generously cover the vegetables and the chicken with the cheese.  place the baking sheet under the broiler for several minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted and slightly brown.

enjoy!

love, laurie

baked creamy chicken taquitos

when catherine posted this recipe for baked creamy chicken taquitos over on her blog fest, i knew that we had to make them for dinner.  they were so simple to make, yet so delicious.  they even reheated well for lunch the next day.  these taquitos made for an awesome dinner, but they would also be great appetizers for a party too, served with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream!

enjoy!

love, laurie

crock pot thai peanut chicken

i love finding good crock pot recipes.  i am always amazed at how simple it is to make anything in the crock pot.  really, it's like having your very own chef in the kitchen watching over dinner for you.  recently, i stumbled across this recipe for thai peanut chicken made in the crock pot.  we tried it out, and it was delicious.  when we made this recipe, we were sure to make enough so that we would have leftovers for dinner all week too.  i highly recommend putting your crock pot to use for this one!  it is so simple!

by the way . . . when we made this recipe, i used a crock pot liner for the first time.  i'm not convinced that i loved it, but it sure did make cleaning up so much easier.  do you ever use liners for your crock pot?

place chicken breasts in the crock pot

mix together the ingredients and spread the mixture over the chicken

when the chicken is done cooking, shred the chicken with a fork

. . .
enjoy!

love, laurie

super bowl sunday: buffalo chicken rolls

on super bowl sunday, we really enjoyed the oreo truffles that we made for dessert (in the shape of little footballs).  we also enjoyed the buffalo chicken rolls that we made for dinner.  buffalo chicken wings are the quintessential football snack food, so we couldn't imagine the super bowl without some variation of buffalo chicken.

we made our buffalo chicken rolls based on this recipe with two small changes: first, we added sauteed garlic to our hot sauce, and second, we omitted the cole slaw from the rolls.  these buffalo chicken rolls turned out to be amazing.  they were especially good when dipped in blue cheese.  we definitely plan on making then again!

. . . 

combine the chicken, hot sauce, and blue cheese crumbles.

place a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture on the egg roll wrapper.

fold the bottom corner up and over the filling,

then fold the two sides into the center.

secure the top flap with a dab of water.

place the rolls on a foil lined baking sheet,

and bake at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes.

enjoy!

love, laurie

chicken pot pie

it has been getting cold around here lately.  fall is starting to feel a bit more like winter, and with that temperature change, comes my cravings for warm comfort food.  chicken pot pie is one of those foods that just makes you feel all warm and cozy inside.  plus, it is a great way to use up all different types of vegetables that you have around the house.  the other night, i made a big batch of chicken pot pie so that we would have left overs for a few days.  it was delicious!

chicken pot pie

adapted from taste of home recipe
prep time: 30-45 minutes
baking time: 35 minutes
yields: one large pot pie (9 inches by 13 inches)

crust ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
1 to 2 tablespoons cold water

filling ingredients:
1 cup diced and peeled potatoes
2 cups mixed vegetables
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons all-purpose four
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/4 teaspoon pepper

directions:
for crust: In a food processor, combine flour and cheese.  pulse until fine crumbs form.  add butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form.  while processing, add water until a ball of dough forms.  wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

for filling: in a large saucepan, sauté the potatoes, onion, and garlic in butter.  add the vegetables and chicken broth and cook for approximately 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and milk until smooth, and add to the vegetable mixture.  bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, until thickened.  add the chicken and pepper to the vegetable mixture, and simmer for 3 minutes.  pour the mixture into a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish, set aside.

roll out the dough to fit the top of the baking dish.  place the dough on top of the baking dish and cut 2 slits in the top of the dough.  bake for 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

enjoy!

love, laurie