Grilled Chicken Breast

So easy and so good !

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!


In a shallow dish or platter, pour enough dressing to generously cover the bottom.

Add teaspoon of minced garlic, stir to combine. (optional)

Dredge each piece of chicken through dressing, coating both sides, then leave sitting in dressing for at least 30 minutes.

Grind black pepper over all, to your desired taste. (optional)

The longer they sit, the tastier they become! If you are going to let them marinate more than 30 minutes, put them in the refrigerator to keep away harmful bacteria.

While chicken soaks up all the wonderful flavors, turn grill on to high heat up, you want it to be really hot when you first put the chicken on to seal the outside and get those really cool grill marks.

For these little chicken tenders, I only cooked them about 4 minutes per side. A larger piece of chicken would need to grill longer to reach a safe level of "done-ness".

My trusty side-kick when I'm grillin'. Poor little guy is on a special diet though,  and can't even sample what's cooking!

This chicken is very versatile. Serve it "as is" with a couple easy sides and you have a nice dinner. How about on a bun with grilled pineapple rings and melted provolone cheese? It's great in pasta salad, on steaming hot pasta with an alfredo sauce, or one of our all time favorites....Margie's Chicken Salad. I'll post that recipe soon.... it reminds us of the beach every time I make it! 

...and who doesn't like to be reminded of the beach?

Chicken and Rice

1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked diced chicken
I often use leftovers if I have them, otherwise I dice the raw chicken and cook it in a little bit of olive oil until no longer pink
1 package of chicken flavored rice
I use whatever I have, Rice-a-Roni or Lipton brand.
Broccoli flowerettes - as little or as much as you like, I use about a cup
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, maybe more if your family likes it cheesy

Cook chicken in a large skillet, then set aside.

In the same pan, cook rice according to package directions.

When the rice is about 1/2 done, add the broccoli and chicken to the skillet.

Cover and continue to cook as you would normally for the rice.

When rice is almost done, sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese, cover and cook till cheese is melted and rice is cooked.

Everyone likes this... simple, easy and filling. With the broccoli included, you can skip the veggie on the side and serve with some yummy bread and maybe fresh fruit. We're having ice cold watermelon, but no yummy bread because Jonah has a game and time is an issue tonight!

Make it soon, it's too easy not to!

Strawberry Cheesecake Shortcakes

So, this is one of the tastiest versions of a shortcake using the little Hostess Shortcakes that I have had.

Here's what you need:

1 quart of strawberries
1 small box Jello cheesecake flavored pudding mix, instant
1 package Hostess Shortcakes
You also need sugar, as desired, I simply forgot to include it, even though the sugar canister sits about a foot from where I took this picture!

Clean and slice your strawberries.

Add desired amount of sugar to the berries, I used about 4 tablespoons.

Squash strawberries, I use my pastry cutter for this, works great.

Make your Jello Pudding, cheesecake flavor, according to package directions.

Place pudding and strawberries in refrigerator to chill.

When ready to serve, place one shortcake on a plate, spoon chilled pudding over, and top with strawberries.

Jonah isn't big on strawberries, so I topped his with sliced bananas...it was a winner. 

 Caleb had his with strawberries and bananas!