Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Recipe

I am a lover of buffalo chicken wings in any form. This recipe is one of the fastest Crockpot recipes I've ever made, with just 3 key ingredients (plus a little butter). It's a perfect lunch or dinner for your hungry family OR  you could double (or triple) the recipe for a perfect party snack on mini buns. 

If you like a little spice in your meal and delight in delicious hot sandwich that melts in your mouth, this is the meal for you.  

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Recipe

recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Makes 4 Sandwiches

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

2 Tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (or 2/3 of one packet)

8 oz hot sauce (half a bottle)

1 Tbsp butter

4 sandwich buns or homemade sandwich thins 

Directions

Coat a small crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in the crockpot and sprinkle in ranch dressing and hot sauce. Cook on low 6 hours. Once tender, pull apart to shred using 2 forks. 

Add in butter and let it melt. Stir. Serve atop buns.  

Maybe you should subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes  or Found us on Facebook?

Crunchy Chicken Fingers Recipe

I love chicken. Always, in any form (fried, baked, grilled, shredded, etc). But one particular afternoon (yes afternoon) I was craving-- I mean hankerin' --for chicken in a bad way. I decided it was going to be a dinner-for-lunch kind of day, and Kevin didn't mind.

These chicken fingers were fast and easy to prepare, and in my opinion are WAY more delicious than any already-breaded frozen chicken finger. At the very least they are much healthier. Kids and adults will love for dinner (or lunch. or game night. whatever.)


Crunchy Chicken Fingers Recipe
recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
1 egg, beaten 
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (*homemade if possible, coarsely ground)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt
pepper

Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a small, shallow bowl, beat the egg, adding in a few drops of water.
In a second shallow bowl stir together bread crumbs and seasonings.

Take the large chicken breast and butterfly it (cutting it in half through the middle so there are now two thinner breasts.) Slice each half of chicken into 1/2 inch slices.

Place a cooling rack on top of (inside) a large cookie sheet. This will allow the heat to circulate and crisp tops and bottom of the chicken fingers

Working in assembly line fashion, dip each chicken finger into the egg, coating well. Then dip it in the bread crumbs, patting on to coat thoroughly.

Place each chicken finger on the cooling rack/baking sheet, one or two inches apart. Once completed, bake for 20-30 minutes, until the insides are no longer pink and the coating is golden and crisp.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and roasted potato wedges.



Follow on Facebook.

Creamy Butternut Squash & Chicken Soup Recipe

We still have a few large butternut squashes in our "cellar" and it was about time I use them up. You all know how I feel about butternut squash soup (delicious, but textually disturbing), but I wanted to attempt a new version of the creamy squash soup. By adding in chicken, celery, onions, garlic and loads of spicy spices I created a butternut squash soup that I can really get behind. I hope you and your family love this healthy, hearty, creamy soup. 

Creamy Butternut Squash & Chicken Soup Recipe

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, roasted 

drizzle of canola oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1/2-1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg 

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt 

2 cups chicken broth or bouillon

2 cups water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds. (You can reserve the seeds and roast them if desired. This makes a great soup garnish.) Place flesh-side down on a cookie sheet. Fill the cookie sheet with 1/4 inch of water. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, until tender all the way through when pierced with a fork. Remove from baking sheet to cool. 

While squash is cooling, drizzle a 5 or 6 quart pot with canola oil and heat to medium. Add in chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes without stirring. Then stir the chicken and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add in celery, onions, garlic and seasonings. Stir. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softening and fragrant. 

Once squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out the soft flesh (leaving the skin behind) and transfer to a food processor. Process in batches until smooth. 

Add approximately 2-3 cups pureed squash to the pot with the chicken. Stir to combine. Pour in chicken broth. Add in water, one cup at a time until preferred consistency is reached, adding more than 2 cups if desired.  

Bring soup to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes (to an hour). Serve hot with chili sauce (Sriracha) and oyster crackers or roasted butternut squash seeds. 

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes and don't forget to Follow on Facebook.

Spicy Barbecue Skillet Chicken Recipe

It just so happened to be a Friday night when we didn't want pizza. I know, I can't believe those Fridays even exist. (I think it probably had a lot to do with the fact that I didn't plan ahead for the pizza dough and defrosting the frozen mozzarella, but let's not split hairs.) I had no idea what to make for dinner, despite my freezer and pantry full of food items. 

Suddenly, I had a desire for chicken and potatoes. Sounded plain and simple. But as I started defrosting the chicken this brilliant combination of spicy and sweet barbecue sauce occurred to me. PERFECT! Kevin and I loved this meal. It was fast and easy to prepare, and will have you to the table with 20 minutes. 

Spicy Barbecue Skillet Chicken Recipe

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 2

Ingredients

2--4 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 4-6 chicken tenderloins)

2 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp barbecue sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

salt

pepper

Directions

Heat a large skillet to medium heat on the stove top.

Pound out chicken breasts to even thicknesses. 

In a small bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of each piece of chicken with the barbecue sauce. Once the skillet is preheated, add chicken to pan and cook 5-7 minutes on each side, or until insides are no longer pink. 

Serve alongside skillet potatoes and steamed broccoli. 

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes Follow on Facebook.

Chicken Imperial Recipe

This is one of those recipes that I can't believe I haven't posted. It is one of my favorite recipes my mom used to make. It was the first dish Kevin and I cooked together, on our first Valentine's day together, just three months into our dating relationship. It's fast, it's easy. It's so incredibly moist and flavorful. I can't imagine anyone not loving this chicken. 

And yet, it's been a few years since I made it for the two of us. I was so thankful to be reminded of this recipe when a friend was asking for good ideas for chicken. I hope you try it and love it as much I have all these years.

Chicken Imperial Recipe

recipe passed on from my mom and Mrs. S 

Serves 2 (easily multiplied)

Ingredients

2 - 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp parsley flakes 

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

Pepper

1 egg, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. 

In a second small bowl, beat egg. 

Working in assembly line fashion, coat each chicken breast with egg, then dip into bread crumbs being sure to cover on all sides. Place in baking dish. 

Bake for 40 minutes, until juices run clear and no pink remains. Serve alongside baked potato and your favorite steamed vegetable.  

and yes...we served ours with Blue (purple) Potatoes! Fun!

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes and Follow on Facebook.

Jerk Chicken Soup Recipe

When I saw Rachael Ray making Jerk Chicken Soup on her daytime tv show, I knew that was "what's for dinner tonight." You see, Kevin and I have a soft spot for anything "jerk." Before our cross cultural studies trip to Jamaica in 2006, we couldn't have told you what that even meant. I thought it was a mean way of referring to their chicken. But no!  

Jerk is a dry rub filled with garlic, chili powder, crushed red pepper, and loads of other Jamaican secret ingredients. No American look alike can quite compare. 

But this soup was totally delicious, super spicy, and just a bit reminiscent of our weeks spent on the Caribbean island. 

Jerk Chicken Soup Recipe

recipe adapted from rachaelrayshow.com

Ingredients

2 Tbsp canola  oil

1-1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated

1 onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 cups chicken stock (or 4 cups water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes)

2 scotch bonnet chile peppers, finely chopped (for a milder jerk, use 1 chile pepper, seeds and ribs removed; for a very mild jerk, use a red Fresno pepper)

1 tsp thyme

1 Tbsp smoked paprika or sweet paprika

1 tsp allspice 

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Sour cream, for garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chile peppers. Stir in chicken and add thyme, paprika, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes,  Worcestershire, and vinegar; simmer to combine the flavors, about 5 minutes. (This can be simmered for hours to enhance the flavor.) Serve in bowls and top with the scallions.

----

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes  and Follow on Facebook.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza Recipe

With the most delicious Chicken Barbecue shredded and packaged in small portions in the freezer, I knew Barbecue Chicken Pizza was the Friday night pizza of choice! If you ever have leftover cooked chicken. I recommend shredded it or cutting it up and freezing it for use in other dishes. It makes life so deliciously simple!

This sauce is sweet with the tang of the traditional tomato sauce and sprinkled liberally with cooked chicken--resulting in a perfect version of BBQ Chicken Pizza. YUM! 

Barbecue Chicken Pizza Recipe

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 3-4 

Ingredients

1/2 batch Homemade Dough (or enough dough of your choice for 1 pizza)   

1/2 cup pasta sauce

2-3 Tbsp sweet barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1/4 large onion, chopped

1-1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken 

1/2-3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded 

freshly ground black pepper 

cornmeal

Directions

Preheat oven with pizza stone to 500 degrees. 

Prepare pizza dough with lightly floured hands. Sprinkle flexible cutting board or pizza peel with corn meal for easy transfer. 

In a small bowl stir together pasta sauce and barbecue sauce. Adjust to suit your tastes. Stir in minced garlic. Spread sauce evenly over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with jalapeno, onion and chicken. Top with shredded cheese. Sprinkle pepper over the pizza.

Once the oven and pizza stone are preheated, carefully transfer pizza to the stone. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly and crust is lightly browned. 

Remove from the oven and let set for 2 minutes before slicing as desired. Serve with additional pasta sauce/bbq sauce or Ranch dressing. 

-----

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes and don't forget to Follow on Facebook.

Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

After the weather turned suddenly autumnal, Kevin and I were in the mood for soup. It was a dark, dreary, rainy evening and nothing sounded more perfect. It had been too long since I made a pot of soup, and I'm so glad I rectified that. Something good came of that rainy day. :)

This particular soup took 5 minutes to throw together thanks to having leftover rice and chicken on hand. I would recommend cooking this soup the night after you've had a dish with rice and chicken (cook extra!) It would be just as delicious using freshly cooked rice and chicken, but utilizing leftovers is just too good to be true. 

Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe 

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Makes 4 servings 

Ingredients

Canola Oil 

1/2 Large Onion, chopped

1 Clove Garlic, minced 

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Thyme 

1/2 lb Baby Carrots, cut in half if desired 

2 cups Cooked Brown Rice

1-1/2 cups Cooked Shredded Chicken 

2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes

4 cups Water 

Directions

Heat a 3 or 4 quart pot to medium high. Drizzle with canola oil. Saute onion and garlic until soft and fragrant. Stir in seasonings. Add in carrots, rice, chicken, bouillon cubes, and water. Stir. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours. 

Serve with a slice of whole wheat bread. 

----

Don't miss a recipe! Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes and Follow on Facebook.

Ranch Chicken Quesadillas

While searching for lunch ideas, I found leftover chicken fried chicken from Cracker Barrel. Hmm. I didn't feel like eating it. But then this lovely idea occurred to me--RE-PURPOSE it! So chop, chop, chop went the chicken and into a tasty lunch quesadilla for my husband and I to enjoy together. 

Next time you have chicken tenders or leftover chicken from any meal--try this! 

Ranch Chicken Quesadillas

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 large flour tortillas

1/4 cup shredded Muenster cheese

1/2 Roma tomato, sliced

1/2-1 cup leftover chicken, chopped

fresh banana peppers, sliced 

red onion, sliced

Ranch Dressing

Directions

Heat a heavy skillet to medium high. 

On one tortilla, sprinkle shredded cheese. top with tomato, slices, chicken, peppers, and onions. Drizzle with Ranch dressing. Top with the second tortilla. 

Transfer to the heated skillet. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, until crispy and dark golden brown. Cut into four sections. Serve and enjoy!

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes

Follow on Facebook.

Chicken Quesadillas

;

I apologize for pre-posting this the other night before it was completed. There were various technical difficulties that my loving husband had to help me with. Ooops!

In Quesadilla News....this is a crazy-delicious lunch or dinner idea that comes together quickly and easily. It's healthy--but only if you can keep yourself from going back for more and more and more. This would be perfect for parties and appetizer trays as well!



Chicken Quesadillas

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 green pepper, sliced

1/4 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

canola oil

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or white cheddar cheese

4 large soft tortillas 

Directions

Drizzle oil in a large skillet and heat over medium. Add chicken, peppers, onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Stir. Cook 4 more minutes. Stir. Continue cooking until peppers are softened and chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Place 2 of the tortillas on large work surface and spread chicken and peppers mixture evenly across each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas. 

Cook in the same skillet over medium high heat for 4 minutes on each side, or until dark golden and crisp. 

Remove from heat and cut into quarters. Serve with salsa and sour cream.  

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes

Follow on Facebook.

Cheesy Chicken & Peppers Sandwich

We were both hungry for dinner, but neither of us had a concise idea for what to prepare. Chicken sounded good. It always does. So I defrosted a few small boneless chicken tenderloins. We had lots of fresh peppers in the fridge and a new-to-us type of cheese--white cheddar. At first I was thinking "patty melt," but quickly decided I didn't want to be that unhealthy. Toasting the buns provided a perfect crispness, reminiscent of the grilled sandwich, but without the butter.

This sandwich hit it out of the park! We were both totally in love with the meal, made complete with a heaping side of broccoli.


Cheesy Chicken & Peppers Sandwich 

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

salt 

pepper

garlic powder

1/4 red onion, sliced thinly 

1/4 yellow pepper, sliced thinly

1/4 jalapeno pepper, sliced thinly 

2 slices white cheddar cheese

2 hamburger buns (I recommend these OR your favorite.)

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with canola oil. 

Slice the chicken breast in half width-wise (butterfly style) and pound out to even thickness. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add to hot pan. Cook 3-4 minutes, turn. Add peppers and onion to the pan. Cook chicken and peppers 3-4 minutes. Add white cheddar cheese slices to the top of chicken. Cover pan to melt cheese. 

Toast hamburger buns. Place cheesy chicken breast atop bun and arrange half of the peppers and onions on top. Repeat for second sandwich. 

----

Love the recipes??

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes 

PLUS! Follow on Facebook.

Salsa Chicken & Rice

This dinner idea came to mind when I saw the beautiful yellow pepper in my refrigerator and a pantry overflowing with salsa. It came together within minutes and filled us up with a nutritious meal. This is a go-to!

Salsa Chicken & Rice

adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 boneless chicken tenderloins

1/2 yellow pepper, sliced

1/2 green pepper, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 cups salsa

4 cups cooked brown rice 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Coat a 7x11 or 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange chicken, peppers, onions, and garlic in the pan and cover with salsa. 

Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and peppers are softened. Serve atop rice. 

Subscribe to The Adorkable Recipes 

Follow on Facebook.

Hawaiian Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

This recipe is as fast as lighting to put together and so delicious--everyone will be asking for more! It takes no more than 5 minutes to put together. It cooks to perfection in the crockpot, tantalizing your tastebuds all afternoon. Then simply shred the meat, pile it on top of your favorite hamburger bun and enjoy!

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

recipe adapted from tastykitchen.com

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 whole onion, sliced into chunks

1 -20 oz can pineapple (niblets or crushed), drained

1 -18-20 oz bottle favorite BBQ sauce

Hamburger buns

Directions

Coat the inside of a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spraying. Combine chicken, onion, pineapple, and barbecue sauce in the slow cooker. Cook on high 4-5 hours. Using two forks shred the chicken and allow it to soak up the juices for a few minutes before serving atop your favorite sandwich bun. 

----

don't miss a recipe. subscribe

find us on facebook.

Baked Egg Rolls

Kevin is constantly asking to go out for Chinese food. I rarely give in because a) it's a bit pricey. b) it's really unhealthy. c) I feel fat when I'm done. d) I secretly love Chinese but try to restrain my desires. 

I'd been wanting to try my hand at homemade egg rolls ever since I saw Annie post these two recipes. Unfortunately, none of our grocery stores seemed to carry the wrappers. But then, in a moment of brilliance, our local farm market had a pile of egg roll wrappers for sale! YES! I snatched up a package along with shredded cabbage, and started preparing the recipe. 

These turned out to be delicious and the baking versus frying aspect totally won me over! 

Baked Egg Rolls 

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

serves 2-6

Ingredients

6 egg roll wrapper

canola oil

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, shredded

3 cups cabbage, shredded

3 cloves garlic, minced/grated

3-4 Tbsp low sodium soy sodium 

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Heat a large skillet to medium and drizzle with canola oil. Cook chopped chicken 5-6 minutes. Add in celery and onion and saute until softened. Add in carrots, cabbage, and garlic. Stir. Cover pan and let cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in soy sauce. Cook another 2-3 minutes. 

With dry hands lay out egg roll wrappers on a flat, clean surface. Place a heaping quarter-cup-full of the filling into the center of the wrapper. Fold over one of the corners, tuck and roll slightly. Fold two side corners to the center. Finish rolling. Dampen the final corner with water and gently press to seal. Place fold-side down on a baking sheet. 

Bake egg rolls 10 minutes then turn over. Bake another 10 minutes. Serve with soy sauce or teriyaki sauce.  

----

subscribe and/or facebook the recipes. 

Chicken Tortilla Lime Soup

Inspired by a recipe in Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats cookbook, I spent half an hour putting this soup together yesterday afternoon to be enjoyed by our young adult small group in the evening. Overflowing with fresh vegetables and lean protein, this soup is uber healthy for you and your family. The heat factor is totally controlled by you--the cook. Feel free to add another jalapeño or more hot sauce (or less) if you wish!

The addition of the crushed tortilla chips was a new concept to me, and initially I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I thought it might result in little soggy bits of tortillas. On the contrary! By crushing the chips into fine bits, you aren't ending up with soggy chips, but with a lovely addition of flavor and consistency. The soup becomes a bit thicker as the tortilla bits absorb the juices and the salty flavor from the chips adds a perfect flair. Enjoy this soup soon!

Chicken Tortilla Lime Soup 

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com,

adapted from Rachael Ray: 365 No Repeats

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients

canola oil

salt

pepper

1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 whole medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 green pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 Tbsp cumin 

2 tsp hot sauce

4 Tbsp lime juice

5 cups chicken stock/broth

1-1/2 cups crushed corn tortilla chips 

sour cream, for topping

cilantro, chopped, for topping

Directions

In the bottom of a 6 quart stock pan, drizzle canola oil. Bring to medium heat. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the hot oil. Salt and pepper generously. Stir/rotate chicken pieces after 2-3 minutes. Cook through. Add in the chopped vegetables (onion, garlic, green pepper, red pepper, jalapeño pepper, and celery) and cumin, hot sauce and lime juice. Cook 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Once vegetables are softened, add in chicken stock/broth. Stir to combine. Add the crushed tortilla chips and stir. Simmer over low heat at least 15 minutes and up to 3 hours. 

Serve with additional tortilla chips, sour cream and cilantro.  

----

subscribe to Adorkable Recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

You won't believe it. But it's true. This is the first time I've ever made chicken noodle soup. I KNOW, right? Moving past the initial shock of MOI putting off THIS recipe for so long, let's take a minute and experience the glorious qualities of chicken noodle soup. 

It's warm. 

It's hearty. 

It's healthy. 

It's everything that makes you think of "home."

My favorite form of chicken noodle soup is not one of the broth-heavy types. That genre of soup is perfect for cold and flu season, but if I want a bowl of soup, I want some consistency, you know? So I filled my pot full of vegetables and chicken, and finally, the perfect amount of noodles. The result was exactly what I love--and everyone else loved it too (we shared with our small group.)

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

serves: 6-8 

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Ingredients

5 cups chicken broth (or bouillon)

5-6 cups water

2 cups carrots, sliced thin

1 cup celery, sliced thin

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp parsley flakes

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp pepper

2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

1 cup dry egg noodles

Directions

Mix all ingredients except the noodles into the crockpot pot. Keep chicken breast whole (or use pre-cooked, cut up or shredded chicken) and cut up or shred before adding in noodles during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Cook on high 4 hours, then turn to low until ready to serve. 

Breaded Buffalo Chicken Tenders

This meal deserves the title "Make Your Own Take Out." Rachael Ray would be proud of me. :) Crispy, juicy, tender and spicy, you will definitely want to make these Chicken Tenders for dinner this week! The best part of this recipe is the heat level is completely in your control. In fact, if you're not a fan of hot sauce, just skit the last steps. 

I hope to put this dish in our regular meal rotation--it's that good! 

Breaded Buffalo Chicken Tenders
recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com
Yields: 2 large portions (easily doubled)

Ingredients

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

1 egg 

1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) Italian bread crumbs

1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) corn meal 

1 Tbsp milk 

1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp black pepper

1/2-1 tsp chili powder 

1/2 tsp Italian seasonings 

1/2 cup hot sauce (your favorite brand/variety) 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. 

Using a meat mallet or a heavy bottomed pan, pound the chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Slice into desired chicken tender sized strips. 

Pour the flour in shallow bowl.  

In a second shallow bowl, beat together egg and milk.

In a third shallow bowl, stir together bread crumbs, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings. 

Working in assembly-line fashion, dip each chicken strip into the flour to coat, then the egg, then the seasoning. Arrange strips on the baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until juices run clean.

Remove baking sheet from the oven. Pour the hot sauce in a small bowl. Use kitchen tongs to dip the chicken tenders into the hot sauce--coat thoroughly. Place chicken bake on the baking sheet and cook another 4 minutes, turn over chicken and cook for a final 4 minutes.

Serve alongside Zesty Potato Wedges. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip

If you are hosting a party for any occasion, please pleeeeease make this chicken dip. It's the tastiest, most addictive appetizer I've ever encountered. Though it's not all that great to look at, anyone who takes one bite of this stuff slathered on a Ritz cracker will keep coming back for more. 

My one word of advice is to go a bit light on the hot sauce the first time around. Most of the teens who tried this dip tonight thought it was super spicy. I, on the other hand, considered it mild. So tread cautiously. Or live dangerously. Whatever floats your party boat. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip 

adapted from franksredhot.com

Ingredients

8oz cream cheese (or the lighter version of neufchatel cheese), softened

1/2 cup light Ranch salad dressing 

1/2 cup hot sauce (less or more to suit desired heat level) 

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese 

2 cans (~10oz each) chunk chicken breast in water, drained 

Crackers, tortilla chips or cup up vegetables for dipping

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degree. 

In a medium bowl, whip cream cheese until smooth. Stir in salad dressing. Stir in hot sauce, then add cheese and chicken breast and stir until evenly combined. 

 Use non-stick spray on the bottom of a deep 9 inch pie plate (or other medium casserole dish). Spread mixture into the dish and bake 20 minutes, or until heated through. Stir before serving. 

Chicken Fajitas

This is the type of meal I whip up on a regular basis--normally when I have no advanced plan for dinner and I throw random things in a skillet and see what inspires me. This is delicious and easy--and don't be afraid to change things up to suit your pantry and palate needs. 

Serves 2-3 people 

Ingredients

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or one large sliced in half--butterfly style)

1/2 green pepper, sliced

1 small onion, diced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Roma tomato, diced

1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped

Cumin

Taco Seasoning, optional

Salt

Pepper

5-8 corn tortillas (~5inch)

Directions

Heat a skillet to medium low and drizzle with EVOO or canola oil. Add onions and garlic and green peppers. Sauté until softened. Meanwhile, pat taco seasoning onto both sides of the chicken. Rearrange veggies in the skillet to make room for the chicken breasts. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes on one side--do not move the chicken around--let it cook. Flip chicken and stir veggies. Add in tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, and additional taco seasoning if desired. Cover and let cook for another 3-4 minutes. 

Heat another skillet to high. Place one tortilla at a time in the skillet for 20-30 seconds per side. Cover and keep warm. 

Fill tortilla with fajita mixture and top with sour cream and chopped cilantro if desired. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have been slightly uninspired lately when it comes to dinners.

The dinner hour rolls around and I suddenly realize I hadn't even begun to plan a meal. 

That is SO not like me. 

But thankfully there are thousands of fellow foodies out there who HAVE been inspired lately.

And I came across this recipe at the perfect moment.

Last year, The Pioneer Woman developed a recipe sharing website as a branch of her blog.

Called Tasty Kitchen, it's a brilliant collaboration of home cooks and trained chefs combined. 

Recipes are tried and true. 

Easy to browse.

Beautifully displayed.

It's really lovely. 

You should check it out.

In any case, this sweet and sour chicken recipe was featured in a post by PW today.

And when I saw the list of ingredients and noticed they were all staple items, I knew I had found tonight's meal.

It was perfect.

Super easy to put together.

A leeettle bit time consuming, but totally worth it.

And I'm sure I'll get quicker at throwing it together in the future.

But I'd say you should give yourself at least an hour and half before meal time to start preparation and cooking. 

recipe adapted from Melanie on Tasty Kitchen. 
Ingredients

3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Salt And Pepper

1 cup (or less) Cornstarch

2 whole Eggs, Lightly Beaten

¼ cups Canola Oil

for the sauce:

¾ cups Sugar

4 Tablespoons Ketchup

½ cups Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon Garlic Salt

Directions

Cut chicken breasts into chunks or large bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg (yes, this will be messy but it will be worth it, I promise!). Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet to medium/medium-high heat. Sauté/fry the chicken in the oil until browned on all sides but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken. Bake for one hour, turning chicken every 15 minutes. 

While the chicken is baking start cooking the brown or white rice--to yield approximately 1 cup per person. 

Prepare fresh veggies (broccoli, green pepper, green onion, shredded carrot, sliced mushrooms, etc) or frozen veggies to be stir fried in the same skillet used to cook chicken. Sauté veggies for 5-10 minutes over medium heat with a light drizzle of oil and a sprinkle or two of soy sauce. 

For extra sweet and sour sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced, about 6 to 8 minutes.