Cheez-It Chicken Tenders

I actually saw this recipe on the Today program one morning and have been making them ever since. It's easy to make as many or as few as you need, depending on how many hungry humans you are feeding. I would love to take credit for the fun photo, but it is from the aforementioned, tv program! 

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cheddar crackers, such as Cheez-Its (I use the reduced fat Aldi's brand)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/4 pounds uncooked chicken tenders (I usually just estimate how many I need)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (this is optional, I have made it with and without, both delicious)
1 cup all-purpose flour


Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack in the lower third of the oven.

Line a baking sheet with foil and brush it with the olive oil.

Pulse the cheddar crackers in a food processor until finely ground, or alternately (which is what I do), place the crackers in a plastic bag, remove excess air, seal it and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. Transfer the crackers to a wide, shallow bowl and sprinkle in the paprika.


In a separate wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs with the Dijon mustard. 

Place flour in a third wide, shallow bowl.


Prepare each tender by coating it in the flour, shaking off any excess, and then dipping it in the eggs. Transfer the tender from the eggs to the crackers, pressing the crumbs into the chicken to ensure an even coating, and then placing the tender on the prepared baking sheet.  Finish the breading process with the remaining tenders, arranging them about 2 inches apart.

Lastly, bake the tenders, turning them over once, until they're golden brown, about 15 minutes total.

Serve with honey mustard, or ranch for perfect weeknight dinner.

These are a quick easy way to enjoy crispy chicken tenders without frying. Everyone likes these little gems! 

Source: The Today Show

http://www.today.com/food/make-dinner-25-minutes-cheesy-chicken-tenders-zucchini-fritters-t40186 

Bruschetta Chicken

We love Bruschetta! It's so fresh and flavorful and even better when you have home-grown tomatoes. I have seen recipes for topping chicken with the tomato topping and even ordered it before in a restaurant, but hadn't attempted it at home until now. All I can say is WOW! You have to try this one!

What you will need:

Grilled chicken Breast 

Chicken Breast or breast tenders, boneless, how ever many you need
Zesty Italian salad dressing, enough to really soak the chicken
Minced garlic, optional
ground black pepper, optional
I think the garlic and black pepper just give this recipe a little something extra for the taste buds!

Make a marinade with dressing, garlic and ground black pepper, place chicken breast in marinade and turn to coat both sides. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes...more if you have time.

While chicken marinates, make the topping.


Bruschetta topping:
2 cups diced tomaotes, romas work well
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 dashes balsamic vinegar
12-16 whole basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all Bruschetta ingredients, taste to ensure you have enough salt and pepper. I like to let it sit in the refrigerator for up to an hour or so to really develop the flavors, but if you don't have time, it will still taste wonderful.

Heat grill to medium-high and grill chicken about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness (more if it's thicker, less if it's thin-cut).

Serve grilled chicken with bruschetta topping and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

This is so fresh and wonderful, I just can't get enough of it!

Chicken Florentine Pasta

this photo doesn't do this dish justice...

This is a dish I originally made for Doug and I, but since then, the boys have enjoyed it, too. It goes together quickly and is a lighter option than many pasta dishes.  Great for summertime. Use a wedge of fresh Parmesan if you can...it really enhances the flavor.


1 pound Penne, I like the mini kind
4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
Salt And Pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 cups white wine (you could use all chicken broth)
3/4 cups Low-sodium chicken broth, may need a little more
1 bag Baby Spinach
2 cups diced tomatoes
Parmesan Cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler, can use grated if it's all you have on hand


Put pasta on to cook according to package directions.

In a skillet heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. When hot, drop chicken in and let cook till brown on one side. Flip over and cook until done. Remove from skillet.

Turn heat on skillet to medium and add minced garlic. Stir around for 1/2 a minute or so to avoid burning the garlic.

Pour wine and chicken broth in skillet and stir to deglaze the pan. The liquid will bubble and reduce.

When it has reduced by about half, turn off the heat.

Add in the tomatoes, spinach chicken and drained pasta.  Gently stir to combine, the spinach leaves will wilt as you combine.

Shave plenty of parmesan on top and toss gently once again.

Serve with extra Parmesan if desired.

Source: Pioneer Woman

White Bubble Up Pizza

We've been trying quite a few new recipes lately. I need to freshen things up before my boys come home for the summer. This one is easy and a really big hit! I am already dreaming of ways to make it even more delicious and can't wait to make it again. 

Give it a try...I think you'll thank me!

1 can (12oz) golden layer buttermilk biscuits the Pillsbury Grands Jr Brand
1 jar (15oz) alfredo sauce
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese depending on how cheesy you like things
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1&1/2- 2 cups cooked, chopped or shredded chicken
cooking spray

Cut biscuits into quarters.

In a large bowl, pour 3/4 of the jar of Alfredo sauce, sprinkle with garlic powder.

Add half the mozzarella cheese, and the chicken.

Gently toss all ingredients to thoroughly coat.

Pour into an 8 x 8inch baking dish, I used an iron skillet this time.

Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 375* for 25-30 minutes or until biscuits are done and cheese is golden brown.

Serve with a little extra sauce, if desired.

Source: Adapted from Plain Chicken...yes I like her recipes...she rocks! 

BBQ Chicken Taquitos

we loved these, and the leftovers heated up nicely the next day!

3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
3/4 cup bbq sauce, I used KC Masterpeice
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
Corn Tortillas
Kosher salt
Ranch Dressing for dipping, if desired
Fresh cilantro for garnishing, if desired

Heat oven to 425*.

Mix chicken and bbq sauce together.

Warm tortillas in microwave so they won't crack when rolling up, 30-60 seconds.

Top each tortilla with a couple heaping tablespoons of bbq chicken.

Sprinkle chicken with shredded cheese.

Roll tortilla up tightly and place seam side down in baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray, trying to leave a little space between each one.

Once all the tortillas are in the dish, spray the tops with non-stick spray then sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until the edges are becoming browned and crispy.

Optional...when serving, drizzle a little ranch over the top and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro.  A little extra ranch for dipping is nice, also.


Source: Adapted from Plain Chicken's Chiplotle BBQ Chicken Taquitos. 

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken

The lighting on this pic is awful, I promise it gets nice, golden brown and yummy!

So I have been on a Pinterest kick lately, but my family is benefiting with some very tasty meals, this one is no different! If you have chicken breasts or tenders, bacon and a few other pantry basics, you can make this tonight!

6 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts cut into thirds
6 slices bacon
chili powder
garlic powder
1 cup brown sugar

Sprinkle each piece of chicken with chili powder and garlic powder using your own judgement on how spicy you want it.

Wrap each piece of chicken with one piece of bacon, tucking ends under the bottom.

Roll each chicken/bacon bundle in brown sugar, place in baking dish.

Sprinkle remaining brown sugar over tops of chicken.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is done and bacon is starting to crisp.

Spoon extra sauce over when serving.  

Can also grill these, I didn't, but will try when the cold weather decides to make it's exit.



Source: 1 Tasty Meal

Smothered Chicken Fajita Chicken

This is one of those recipes that just sort of pops into your mind when "plan A" for dinner doesn't quite sound as good as it did earlier in the day. I totally made this up as I went along and we thought it was great! Hope you like it as well.

6 chicken breast tenders

1 large onion, sliced into thin strips

1 large green pepper, sliced into thin strips

cumin....lots of cumin

olive oil for saute'ing

pico de gallo, fresh or store bought, recipe below to make your own

Rotel Cheese dip, 
(I only made a 1/4 of a batch of cheese dip and it was plenty)

Start by sprinkling chicken with cumin. We like a lot, but do what your family prefers when it comes to the amount. Let chicken sit and absorb the flavor of the cumin.

Meanwhile, slice up onion and green pepper into thin strips.

Heat skillet over medium/high heat, then add a couple tablespoons olive oil. 

Saute' onion and peppers in hot oil until they begin to brown up. While veggies are cooking, sprinkle on some cumin to give them a Mexican flavor as well. 

When veggies begin to soften, remove them from the pan to a bowl and set aside.

Drizzle a little more olive oil in the skillet and add chicken, cumin side up. 

Let chicken cook 2-3 minutes until first side is done, then flip over to the other side and sprinkle with more cumin. I told you...we like the stuff!!!

When chicken is done, you're ready to plate your dinner. Start by placing a "bed" of onions and peppers on the plate, top with chicken, rotel sauce, fresh pico de gallo, and dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy! 

Fresh Pico De Gallo

5 whole (roma) Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 whole Large (or 1 Small) white Onion, diced small
1 tablespoon (more or less) diced jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
Lime Juice, 1/2 of a fresh squeezed, or a couple squirts from a bottle
Salt To Taste

Once everything is diced/chopped, throw it all together and gently stir to combine.

Chicken Rice a Roni Casserole

Plain Chicken is a great blog for tons of quick and tasty meals. I stumbled upon this one this weekend and knew I had to give it a try.  My old standby Chicken and Rice  recipe is loved by all my guys and requested often, so I wondered if I should even bother with trying a new one, but my enjoyment for trying new recipes got the best of me so here we go...

1 box chicken flavor Rice-A-Roni, I found a lower sodium choice
1 can cream of chicken soup, low fat/reduced sodium
1 cup sour cream, I used light
3-4 cups cooked, chopped chicken, I used Rotisserie Chicken
1 (6 oz) can French fried onions, I only used about 3/4 of the can

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions.

Add soup, sour cream and chicken. Stir to combine.

Spread rice mixture in a lightly sprayed 9x13 pan.

Top rice with fried onions.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.


Super quick to put together, the most time consuming part was removing the chicken from the bones. Doug, J and I all enjoyed it. The recipe makes quite a bit, so it is definitely good for families.

Give it a try!

Source: Plain Chicken Blog

Pesto Chicken Pizza

A quick and easy recipe idea I found on the internet and changed it up a little to suit Doug and I. We did indeed enjoy it with a glass of Chardonnay. It doesn't make a lot, enough for 2 people or you could cut it smaller and use as an appetizer, which I think would be great.

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed or any type of pizza crust
4 tablespoons of basil pesto
1 cup of cooked, shredded or diced chicken, tossed with a little olive oil
1 cup, more or less, mozzerella cheese, shredded
parmesan cheese for sprinkling
salt and pepper to taste


Unroll puff pastry and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Squish together any cracks.

Top with pesto spreading all the way to the edges.  Feel free to add more if you would like. We love it, so the more the better!

Sprinkle chicken (I salted and peppered the chicken), then the mozzarella and finish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese if you like.

Bake at 400* for 15 minutes. It should be golden brown and crust cooked. If not, give it a few more minutes.

Cut into squares and serve.

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

1 1/2 onion, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1/2 red pepper, sliced
3-4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Additional ingredients:
fajita size flour tortillas
toppings such as shredded cheddar, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, pico de gallo...

 Layer onions and peppers in bottom of crockpot.

Lay chicken over veggies.

Pour chicken broth over top.

Sprinkle spices over all.

Cover and bake on high for 5-6 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. return to crock pot with veggies.

I transferred chicken and veggies to a serving dish.

When ready to eat, use a slotted spoon to scoop up chicken and veggies onto warmed tortillas.

Top with desired toppings.

 When this is cooking, your house smells so delicious! J came home from football practice, walked in and said "Mom, dinner smells great. It's almost the best part of the meal!" He has an incredible sense of smell and appreciates when the house is full of good cooking aroma! 

Oh, he liked the way it tasted too...

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 pound of boneless and skinless breasts, cut into 1" chunk

1 egg white

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)

1/2 cup juice from the canned pineapple

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)

1/2 - 3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil

1 red/green or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks


1 In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

2 In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar. At this point, I tasted the sauce and needed more brown sugar...be your own judge here. The recipe reflects the amount I think I used.

3 Heat a large frying pan until very hot, I use my electric skillet, since I don't have a wok. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.

4 Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.

Serve over a bed of rice of your choice. 

Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like. Original recipe calls for a lot less sugar, and I found it to be too sour for us. Also, I doubled the sauce ingredients (reflected above) because my guys like lots of sauce to go over rice.

This was a real winner for Doug, Jonah and I. Jonah loves getting Sweet and Sour Chicken from our local take out place, but I thought I could make it at home and sure enough the first time was a winner....of course any recipe I have tried from Steamy Kitchen is a winner! I have a sneaky suspicion this may be slightly healthier than take out....just a suspicion!

Source: Adapted from Steamy Kitchen

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Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

1 package chicken flavored Ramen noodles,
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks, (or shrimp for lent)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets, I omitted these and used more broccoli
1 cup celery, sliced thin
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 medium onion, sliced thin
8 - 10 baby carrots, sliced thin
1/2 cup soy sauce, or teriyaki sauce*

Set aside seasoning packet from noodles.

Cook noodles according to package directions.

While noodles cook, stir-fry chicken in oil in a large skillet or wok. 5 -6  minutes or until no longer pink.

Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until crisp tender.

Drain noodles: add to the pan with contentes of seasoning packet and the soy or teriyaki sauce.

Toss together well and serve imediately.

*I began this recipe with teriyaki sauce as you can see in the first picture, that I crossed out. But before I added it to the recipe, I tasted it and wow was it spicy! I tossed it out and grabbed the bottle of reduced sodium soy sauce and everyone loved it. And to be honest, I forgot to add the seasoning packet and it still tasted great.

I think you could adapt this for lent by swapping the chicken for shrimp! Maybe even using shrimp flavored Ramen...

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Chicken Bacon Artichoke Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza? This one is a flavor explosion that is probably going to appeal to more adults than kids...that's how it is at our house.  Make it for your sweetie and eat it in front of a warm fire with a glass of wine or out on the deck with an ice cold beer when the weather is warm. Either way, it's a great change of pace from traditional pizza with red sauce.

For the crust:

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 teaspoon dry yeast

To make crust, place warm water and salt into a medium mixing bowl.
Add a cup of the flour and the yeast, and stir.
Add remaining flour (1/3 cup) and stir or knead into a sticky dough, adding additional water if needed.
Allow dough to rest, covered with a clean towel, for at least 10 minutes but up to 30-45 minutes. 
Liberally oil a 16-inch round pizza pan with olive oil, and then with your hands, spread dough thinly over the pan, using olive oil to prevent dough from sticking to hands.
Be gentle and have patience, as this does make a perfectly thin crust!

For the garlic sauce:

1/4 cup light or fat free Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper

Mix together in a small bowl.
Pour onto crust and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before topping.
Preheat oven to 450*.
While waiting, prep the toppings.

For the toppings:

1/2 cup cubed or thinly sliced grilled or rotisserie chicken breast meat
1 cup (loosely measured) baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, blotted dry and cut into bite-size (small) pieces
3 slices bacon, cooked, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, please shred your own!!
Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Once pizza has been sitting for 10-15 minutes, top with toppings., ending with cheeses. 

Bake in a preheated 450* oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired, slice and serve.

and this is what's left....seriously, it's that good!

Original recipe found on Tammy's Recipes, I tweaked it a little.

Going to check out more of her recipes, looks good.

And it's a take off our favorite pizza from Papa Murphy's.

Chicken Pot Pie Biscuits

This is a spin off Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie due to 2 facts...I had some leftover frozen biscuits that needed to be used AND I make terrible pie crust!  Normally if I need pie crust, I just buy Pillsbury! Not as good as homemade, but better than what I make! Anyway, I made her recipe and we ladled it over hot, split biscuits. Filling and comforting, what more do you need? Everyone liked it!


3 stalks celery, diced
8-10 baby carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
3/4 cup flour (original recipe calls for 1 cup, it made it a little too thick for topping biscuits)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube, or 1 teaspoon bouillon granules
1/2 cup white wine, if desire..I did!
1 cup heavy cream, thinking next time I will use something lighter
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more if needed to taste
black pepper to taste
hot biscuits ( I used the frozen Great Value brand, they are excellent)

Melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven.

Add diced vegetables and cook till they begin to soften.

Add chicken and stir to combine.

Sprinkle flour evenly over all and allow to cook a couple minutes, stirring gently.

Pour in the chicken broth, stirring contatnly.

Stir in the bouillon and wine, if using.

the flour will combine with the chicken broth to create a delicious gravy.

Pour in the cream and stir.

Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 4 minutes.

Season with thyme, salt, and pepper.

Remove from heat and taste. Adjust seasonings as needed.

(At this point you could pour into a pie pan or casserole dish and create pot pie)

Split hot biscuits and generously ladle on the chicken gravy....mmmm.

Seriously this gravy is so good you could eat it by itself...and I'm pretty sure it's calorie free...
 

While I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman's cookbook, I did change it ever so slightly, for instance I left out those nasty little peas....

Semi Homemade Chicken and Noodles

Usually I make my own noodles for Chicken and Noodles, but on busy days it doesn't hurt to use the convenient pre-made noodles from the store. You can use the frozen Reams brand, but I find them a little too thick for my taste. I use the No-Yokes dry egg noodles, they're very good.

The best time to make chicken and noodles is when you have a partially de-boned chicken, like a roast chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the store, maybe you used the rest of the meat for another meal. Anyway, take the entire chicken, bones and all, and cover with water in a large stock pot. Add about 10 baby carrots, sliced, half and onion, diced, and teaspoon of garlic, minced, one bay leaf,  one stalk of celery, chopped, and one teaspoon of chicken bullion granules.  Bring pot to a boil and then turn down to low and simmer for a couple hours.

Much of the chicken will simply fall off the bones when cooking, but if not, use a fork to help it along. Strain your broth to remove chicken bones and skin. Reserve vegetables and chicken pieces to add to soup later. Let broth cool and place in fridge, when cooled skim off any unwanted fat.   Fat = yuck! If I am not making chicken and noodles at this time, I simply return chicken and veggies to broth and freeze everything at this point.

When ready to make your soup, return broth to a large stock pot along with veggies, chicken pieces and one can of cream of chicken soup (reduced fat and sodium). When broth is good and hot and begins to boil, add your dry egg noodles. Turn heat down to medium and cook  until noodles are done. Salt and pepper to your taste.

Serve soup with hot rolls, cornbread, no knead bread or if time is short some saltine crackers.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Here's what ya need to make a quick and easy dinner on a busy weeknight!

Flour tortillas
Shredded chicken, I usually use leftovers
Shredded cheese, shred your own, it melts so much better!
Onion, sliced thin, you can leave it out for the kiddos...
BBQ sauce, as little or as much as you like.

On one side of a flour tortilla, spread desired amount of bbq sauce.

Top with desired amount of onion, cheese and chicken.

Place in a skillet heated over medium heat.

Cover with second tortilla and cook till bottom is golden and cheese begins to melt inside.

Carefully, so you don't loose the filling, flip the whole thing over and brown on the other side.

Once both sides are golden brown and the filling is heated through, remove from skillet and cut into wedges. Pizza cutter works great for cutting.

Serve as is or with extra bbq and a dollop of sour cream.

Quick, easy and yummy!
Change it up to suit your tastes, or what you have in the fridge.
The possibilities are endless...the results are delicious.

BBQ Grilled Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders
Grill seasoning
Honey bbq sauce

Sprinkle grill seasoning on chicken tenders, use your favorite.

Place tenders on hot grill for 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from grill and place cooked side down on a plate covered in bbq sauce. Wiggle it around to cover the cooked side with the sauce.

Place chicken back on grill with the uncooked/un-sauced side down toward the heat.

After three or four minutes, remove again and dredge tenders through some fresh bbq sauce, being sure to cover all sides.

Place back on the grill for a couple minutes to caramelize the sauce a little.

Serve with extra sauce.

Creamy Taquitos

Don't be intimidated by the length of the ingredient list, these are really easy to put together, and oh so worth it! I found this recipe on the Pennies on a Platter blog.

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
small flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray


Preheat your oven to 425˚F.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic, cilantro and green onions.

Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).

Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the middle of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly.

Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone.

Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa or sour cream.

I haven't frozen these, but have included the directions just in case someone else wants to.

**To freeze:  Before baking, chill the taquitos on the baking sheet in the fridge.  Once completely cooled, wrap each taquito individually with plastic wrap.  Place in a labeled freezer bag and freeze.  To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 20 minutes.

Source : Pennies on a Platter

Homemade Chicken Strips

 

If you know me at all you know that I don't fry very much of our food at home. I have no problem letting the boys order fried food when we eat out, but at home, I just can't do it. However, I do believe if you are going to have something fried it would be better for you cooked at home. So I have added a few (really, very few) fried items to our menus. I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman, and she just might be an expert on frying! But her family is WAY more active than mine and they probably work it all off before dawn!

Here's what you need to make them at home:

6 to 8 chicken tenders cut into strips, I just cut mine down the middle
Buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
2-3 teaspoons seasoned salt
Vegetable Oil, I only had Canola so that's what I used

Place chicken strips in a bowl and cover with buttermilk, let sit for at least 20 minutes.

Next, mix together flour and season salt.

Drizzle about 1/4 cup buttermilk into flour mixture. Stir with a fork while you pour, this will create little clumps of the flour mixture that will stick to the chicken and create yummy little "crunchies" on your chicken strips.

Heat about an inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Remove a few of the buttermilk-soaked strips and place them in the flour mixture, turning them over to coat them thoroughly. Place them on a plate. Continue coating chicken strips until they are all ready to cook.
 
When the oil is heated, begin cooking the strips a few at a time. Cook them for about a minute and a half or so on each side. When golden and crispy, remove them to a paper towel-lined plate.

I kept mine warm in a 200* oven while I cooked the rest.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Don't have buttermilk on hand? Try this trick from The Pioneer Woman:
pour just under 1/2 cup regular milk into the measuring cup, then add enough regular vinegar to the milk to bring the quantity up to 1/2 cup. Within seconds, it turns into buttermilk and works perfectly. Try it sometime!

These are really tasty, and all the boys like them (even the big boy!). 

They are forever trying to get me to fry more meals! 

Maybe someday they will thank me!

Rotel Chicken Spaghetti

 I found this recipe on Plain Chicken and thought it would be a hit with the guys. Doug and Caleb really liked it...it was a little spicy for Jonah (he really doesn't like anything spicy) and Drew is not a really big fan of pasta, but he ate it. I liked it the first night, but not so much for leftovers, I thought it was too dry, maybe because I used the lower fat ingredients???  You can find her recipe HERE. Give it a try at least once, your family may love it!



3-4 large boneless chicken breasts (or rotisserie chicken) I used chicken breasts

1 can (10 3/4 ounce) Cream of Chicken Soup I used low fat/reduced sodium

1 can (10 ounce) Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies I used the mild and it was spicy enough for us

1 clove garlic, minced

 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tablespoon butter I used olive oil

1 – 8 ounce Velveeta cheese, cubed I used the 2% variety

8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained

Cut up chicken into bite size pieces.In a large skillet melt butter.

Add cubed chicken, garlic & onion.

Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink.

Stir in soup, cheese and Rotel Tomatoes.

Reduce heat to low, and cook until the cheese melts, stirring constantly.

Stir in spaghetti and pour into a lightly greased 2 quart casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.