Buffalo Chicken Pasta

This sounds really weird but it really tastes wonderful! It's not spicy like I thought it would be which turned out perfect for us so that Jordan could eat it with us but if you prefer hotness I think you could just add more of the hot sauce or even sprinkle in some cayenne pepper. I don't have a picture but if you head on over to Stolen Moments blog where the original recipe came from you'll be able to see her picture. I came across the recipe at Once a Month Mom because it was on this month's once a month cooking menu.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

1 lb spaghetti, fully cooked & drained (we used seashell pasta)

1 to 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups chicken stock

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup hot sauce

1 cup Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressing (we used Ranch)

1. Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper. Place in a skillet with chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

2. In a saucepan, combine cream cheese, hot sauce & reserved cooking liquid. Cook over medium-low heat until the cream cheese is completely melted (this part is pretty weird looking until the cream cheese is completely melted and mixed in). While the sauce is cooking, shred or cube the cooked chicken.

3. Add the dressing and the chicken to the saucepan, stir to combine then toss with the cooked pasta. Enjoy!

Chicken Salad

Okay, I don't have any really good pictures to share of this recipe but hey, it's chicken salad...they all pretty much look the same, right?! Taste is a whole other story and this I'd have to say is THE BEST chicken salad recipe I have EVER tasted so I just had to share it. This tastes great as a sandwich, or on crackers, or like we did for my daughter's wedding. We made little "puffs" like for creme puffs and filled them with this recipe. Although, do let people know that this is what it is. One of our good friends loved another friend's creme puffs and he thought by looking at them that that's what they were. Oh my, you should've seen the shocked look on his face when it tasted nothing like the sweet creme puff he was expecting! I sure wished we'd had the camera ready for that shot! Makes me laugh out loud just thinking of it! Thanks, Gary, for the fun memory. Well, fun for me anyways.

Chicken Salad

2 cans chicken, 10 oz. each

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 stalk celery

2 heaping Tbsp. mayonnaise

4 heaping Tbsp. ranch dressing

small amount Lowry's season salt

(You can also add cut up onions or bell peppers, if you like)

Mix all together and enjoy.

Penne with Chicken, Tomato & Two Cheeses

I got this recipe out of a cookbook the company I work for put together many years ago; it was given to me as the company gift when I first started working there. I have yet to try a recipe I didn't like from it. In fact the hot fudge sauce I wrote about before is from this same cookbook. This pasta recipe is very easy although it does take quite a bit of time to cook down so be prepared for that! We had to have a snack while it was cooking because I didn't start it early enough.

Penne with Chicken, Tomatoes and Two Cheese
Serves 4

6 T olive oil
1 1/2 c chopped onion
1 t garlic, minced
3 28oz cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained (I used the diced variety so they didn't need to be drained)
2 t dried basil
1 1/2 t crushed red pepper
3 c low salt chicken broth
1 lb penne pasta
3 chicken breasts, cooked & chopped
2 1/2 c grated Havarti cheese (this is kind of expensive, next time I plan to use Mozzarella)
1/3 c sliced black olives (I omitted these)
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c finely chopped fresh basil (we didn't use this either)

Heat 3 T olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion & garlic; saute until onion is translucent.

Mix in tomatoes, dried basil & crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat tol medium; simmer until mixture thickens and is reduced to about 7 cups (no idea how you would know this!) stirring occasionally - about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well. Return pasta to same pot; toss with 3 T olive oil. Stir together pasta and sauce; add chicken and toss to blend. Mix in Havarti cheese. Transfer to 9x13 glass baking dish (mine didn't all fit into a 9x13 pan so I also used a round casserole dish). Sprinkle with olives and then Parmesan cheese.

Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

Chicken Enchilada Ring

I pulled out my Pampered Chef cookbooks recently, picked a bunch of great sounding recipes that I hadn't tried yet and took a trip to the grocery store. This one turned out pretty good, which I'm not surprised because Pampered Chef has yet to disappoint me.

Chicken Enchilada Ring

2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken* (about 12 oz)
1/4 cup chopped pitted ripe olives
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar & monterey jack cheese blend (I shredded my own colby jack)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles, undrained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Pantry Southwestern Seasoning Mix**
2 plum tomatoes
1 lime
2/3 cup finely crushed corn tortilla chips, divided
2 pkgs (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls

*For 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, bake, poad or microwave about 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves. Or for added convenience, use a rotisserie-cooked chicken, available at most supermarkets. A 9 oz package frozen diced chicken breast thawed can also be used in this recipe
**1 tsp chili powder can be substituted for the Southwestern Seasoning Mix

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cook & cut up chicken place in medium bowl. Add cheese, green chiles, mayonnaise & seasoning mix (or chili powder).
2. Seed & chop 1 tomatoe. Slice lime in half and juice to measure 1 teaspoon. Reserve remaining lime for garnish. Add chopped tomato and lime juice to chicken mixture.
3. Reserve 2 tablespoons crushed chips; add remaining chips to chicken mixture and mix well.
4. Sprinkle reserved crushed chips on flat surface. Unroll crescent dough. Place dough, sticky side down, onto crushed chips; press down lightly so chips adhere to dough. Separate dough into triangles. Arrange triangles, chip side down, in a circle on round baking stone (I'm sure a pizza pan would work but I've only ever used my baking stone) with wide ends overlapping in the center 4 inches from the edge (points will extend over the edge of the stone). Roll wide ends of dough toward center to create a 5 inch opening. Scoop chicken mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring points of triangle up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. (Filling will not be completely covered.) Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
5. For garnish, cut remaining tomato into 8 wedges. Cut remaining half of lime into 4 slices; cut in half. Arrange betwwn openings of ring. Cut & serve with sour cream & salsa.

Additional garnishing touch:
To make a tortilla shell to hold the sour cream & salsa, preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray Classic Batter Bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Gently press on 6-7 inch flour tortilla into bottom of bowl to form a shell. Bake 14-16 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in bowl for 5 minutes; remove to colling rack & cool completely. To serve, place cooled shell in center of baked ring and fill half with sour cream & half with salsa. Garnish ring with shredded lettuce if desired.

Chicken & Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

I got this recipe from an old Cooking Light magazine that I have. It turned out great! I really wish I had thought enough in advance to have a veggie (like Parmesan Roasted Asparagus) and some homemade rolls (like these Cheese Dill Scones or Refrigerator Yeast Rolls) to go with it. Instead it stood alone and I was hungry about an hour later.

Chicken & Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

yield: 4 servings

4 oz uncooked medium egg noodles

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 Tbsp flour, divided

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp pepper, divided

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 Tbsp bottled minced garlic (I used fresh garlic)

1/2 tsp dried tarragon *

1 (8 oz) pkg presliced mushrooms

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt & fat. Drain & keep warm.

2. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Place chicken into a shallow dish. Combine 1 Tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt, & 1/8 tsp pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Sprinkle flour mixture over chicken; toss to coat.

3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; saute 4 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil to pan. Add garlic, tarragon, and mushrooms to pan; saute for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken. Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remiaining 1 Tbsp flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, remaining 1/4 tsp salt & 1/8 tsp pepper; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.

4. Return chicken to pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Place about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 Tbsp cheese.

*substitute your favorite dried herb for the tarragon, if you prefer. Dried basil or parsley would both work in this dish.

Pesto Chicken

My friend Kelley invited me over for dinner one night and this is what we ate. Let me tell you, this recipe is amazing! I came home and made it for Brandon that same week. He scarfed it down and told me to add this to my "Kayla book." That's what he says when he REALLY likes something I've cooked. I don't really know if the real name of this recipe is Pesto Chicken or not but that seems like a fitting name.

Pesto Chicken

Chicken Breasts (however many you plan to serve; I used four)
Pesto (can be store bought or homemade; I used store bought and it was fantastic)
Tomatoes (probably 2; I used home grown red & yellow tomatoes; if using store bought, I recommend using roma tomatoes)
Mozzarella cheese (one slice for each chicken breast)
Pasta Roni (I like to use the Parmesan Cheese flavor but any kind will do)

1. Generously spoon pesto onto chicken breasts and bake according to package directions (I use the frozen kind out of bags. I don't remember time and temp; sorry, I'm terrible)
2. Meanwhile, begin pasta.
3. In the last 5 minutes of baking add to the top 2 or 3 slices of tomatoes and a slice of mozzarella. Bake for 5 more minutes.
4. When chicken and pasta are both done, place pasta on plate or serving dish and top with chicken. Enjoy!

Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Shells

I picked up this recipe from The Sister's Cafe a while ago and finally got around to making it and boy am I glad I did!! These were so good the entire pan was gone in one day! I don't think that has ever happened in my house! This recipe makes two 9x13 pans. I froze one so we could have it made and ready to go after Baby is here so I don't have to cook much. I hope I don't regret this later but I pulled the pan out of the freezer so we can eat more now! One thing I will do differently next time is actually listen to Erin's suggestion in the original recipe and make the filling the day before. I did change a couple of things from the original and those changes are reflected in my recipe below. Next time I will make this without the chicken mostly because I don't like cutting up and cooking chicken, I think doing so just adds more work and it would taste just as perfectly delicious without it. If I do omit the chicken then I'd probably call this Spinach and Four Cheese Stuffed Shells.

Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Shells

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about one and a half 12-oz boxes)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (like I said above, I plan to omit this next time)

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or a 5oz pkg pre-shredded)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 (26oz) jars prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety; I used Bertolli Vidalia Onion & Newman's Own Sockarooni and that was a great combonation)

1. Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.

3. In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella.

4. Spoon into shells. Spread half of a jar of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce.

5. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes.

6. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Taco Bell Chicken Quesadillas

I got this recipe from Top Secret Recipes because my husband and I LOVE Taco Bell's chicken quesadillas! The sauce is what really makes this recipe and it tastes nearly identical to the original. Please try this recipe!! It's a little spicy but honestly the ingredients make it look spicier than they really are. We usually eat this as a main dish but I suppose it could be an appetizer too.

Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla

Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp minced jalapeno slices (nacho slices)
2 tsp juice from jalapeno slices (nacho slices)
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
dash salt

4 chicken breast tenderloins
4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 slices American cheese

1. Prepare creamy jalapeno sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill so that flavors develop. Stir occasionally. (We like extra sauce so I usually 1 1/2 the recipe).
2. Preheat grill or pan to medium heat.
3. Rub chicken tenderloins with vegetable oil. Salt and pepper each side of each tenderloin. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side. When chicken is done, slice it very thin. (I usually cut my chicken into pieces before cooking. I don't really know what is easier or better though.)
4. When you are ready to build your quesadillas, preheat a 12-inch skillet over medium low heat.
5. When the pan is hot lay one tortilla in the pan. Arrange about 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of shredded jack cheese on half of the tortilla. Tear up half a slice of American cheese and arrange it on the other cheeses.
6. Arrange about a 1/4 cup of sliced chicken over the cheese.
7. Spread about 1 tablespoon (we like a little extra sauce) jalapeno sauce over the tortilla on the half with no ingredients on it.
8. Fold the sauce-covered half of the tortilla over onto the ingredients on the other half and press down with a spatula. Cook for about 1 minute, then turn the quesadilla over and cook for a couple more minutes or until the cheese inside is melted. Slice into four pieces and serve hot. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.