Pan-Seared Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce

Pan-Seared Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce, Mushrooms and Onions

This dish is actually quite easy to prepare, surprisingly low in carbs and utterly delicious.  I got it from this web-site
It seriously is better than eating out. Love it!
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 of a Large Onion - Thinly sliced
1 Package of Whole Mushrooms - Halved (I used baby bellas... So Yummy!)
1/2 Cup of Chicken Broth
1 Cup Heavy Cream
5 Tbs. Butter - Divided
1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
(2 Tbs. Peace and Love)

Directions
Sauté onions over medium heat in 2 Tbs of butter until they are nice and caramelized - About 15 Minutes.  When they are a nice golden brown, remove from the heat and set aside

In a separate pan, heat the remaining 3 Tbs. of butter over medium-high heat.  Place the chicken breasts in the pan.  Brown on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside (Note - they will not be all the way cooked at this stage)

De-glaze the pan with the chicken stock.  Use a rubber spatula to make sure you get all the chicken bits and butter off the pan. This helps to flavor your sauce

Add the heavy cream and the balsamic vinegar and stir

Add mushrooms and a little S&P, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes

Add the chicken back to the pan, turn heat back up to medium and sauté until the chicken is cooked all the way through.  About 10-15 minutes

Remove chicken breasts from the pan and plate.  Add the Parmesan and caramelized onions to the sauce and keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted in.

Cover the chicken breasts with the sauce, SERVE AND ENJOY!!!

I garnish a lot of my dishes with freshly chopped Italian flat leaf parsley.  It does not change the flavor, I just think it makes for a prettier plate presentation.

Curried Chicken Kati Rolls

This is a perfect hot summer day meal. If you have a grill there is no need to use your oven! I adapted it from a Family Fun recipe. It does require a little planning a head because you marinate the chicken over night, but it is well worth it!

1/2 cup greek yogurt
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garam masala (can be found in the spice isle at most grocery stores)
1/2 tsp curry
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp lime juice
1 1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 1/4" rounds
2 tsp canola oil
2 Tbsp Mango salsa
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
6 whole wheat tortillas
Cilantro

1. For the marinade whisk together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry, turmeric, cumin, 1 Tbsp of lime juice and 1 1/2 tsp of salt in large ziploc bag. Make 2-3 cuts into the top of each chicken thigh and add the thighs to the marinade. Turn them to coat well and gently massage the marinade into the cuts. Seal the bag and refrigerate the chicken overnight.

2. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Heat your grill to medium high. Brush the onion slices with the canola oil and liberally oil the grates. Grill the chicken and the onions, turning them once, until the onions are tender and charred, about 3 minutes, and the meat is just cooked through about 6 minutes.

3. While the chicken and the onions are cooking, combine the mango salsa, mayonnaise, and remaining tsp of lime juice in a small dish.

4. Transfer the chicken and onions to a cutting board and sprinkle the onions with the remaining salt. Tent with foil and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken across the grain into 1/2" strips Warm the tortillas under a damp paper towel in the microwave for 30 seconds. Spoon 2 tsp of the salsa sauce down the center of each tortilla, then top them with the chicken and onions, adding a few sprigs of cilantro. Roll the tortillas burrito style and enjoy!

We don't currently have a grill so I broiled the chicken and sauteed the onions on the stove and it still worked well. The FF recipe did a few things differently, but the 2 main things were it called for 1 tsp coriander, but I didn't have any so I substituted the 1/2 tsp curry. The FF recipe also called for mango chutney but I couldn't that anywhere and couldn't find a good mango to make my own so I tried mango salsa and it was just fine. Pretty easy and very tasty!

Chicken Enchiladas

3 chicken breasts or 9 chicken tenderloins
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 C Sour Cream
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 C Salsa
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp peppers
1 tsp cumin
Velveeta Cheese
Shredded Cheese
10-12 Tortillas

Cook chicken in oven until tender and shred. Brown onion and garlic in oil. Mix all ingredients minus cheeses with chicken and browned onion and garlic.Spoon into tortillas. Sprinkle shredded cheese and Velveeta cheese on top. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chicken Couscous

1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4" pieces
1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 carrot shredded
3 garlic cloves, minced
Dash of ground cinnamon (the original recipe called for 1 Tbsp)
1 can of chicken broth
1/2 -3/4 cup green peas
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup salted pistachios or slivered almonds
1/2 cup sliced green onions (greens only)

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Heat the oil. Add the chicken and onion, sprinkle with the salt and pepper and cook for 5 min, or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add the carrot, garlic, and cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic.

Stir in the broth and peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, and simmer for 1-2 min, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Stir in the couscous. Cover and remove from the heat. Let site for 5 min or until the liquid is absorbed. Stir in nuts and green onions. Serve immediately.

*This recipe is adapted from a recipe I got out of the book Chicken and Egg. In her recipe she has raisins, but because my hubby has a serious dislike for fruit and meat together I opted to put the peas in.

Chicken and Dumplings

Stew:
2 1/4 pounds bone-in chicken breasts (I just used boneless skinless breasts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, trimmed and diced
1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced - (I used dried chives and dehydrated onions)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill ( I used 1 tsp dried)
Dumplings:

2 cups biscuit mix -such as Heart Healthy Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (dried again)

Directions:

1. Heat a large, lidded nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 4 cups water, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Poach 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from liquid (save liquid) and let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin and bones and cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and leek. Cook 5 minutes or until softened. Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add broth and 2 cups of the poaching liquid. Bring to a simmer; cook 5 minutes. Stir in chicken.Meanwhile, make Dumplings

3. In medium bowl, combine biscuit mix, milk and dill. Drop by tablespoonfuls into simmering liquid. Cover pot tightly; cook 10 minutes. Uncover and gently stir in peas and chopped dill.

I got from Family Circle and we all enjoyed it. Although I thought it could have used more liquid so maybe add more chicken broth or poaching liquid. Also I think when you drop the dumplings in it needs to be a roaring boil, by the time I was at the end of adding them I felt like they had mushed together a little too much, but they still turned out alright.

Chicken Puffs

2 pck crescent rolls
6 ounces softened cream cheese
2 cups cooked chicken in small pieces
1 green onion finely chopped
1 package of peas
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 sleeve ritz crackers
1 cube butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C of milk

Cook and shred chicken. mix cream cheese, chicken, peas, onion and all seasonings together.  Freeze in a bag or you can put it into the crescent rolls and then freeze those.

Thaw out chicken mixture. Roll out crescent rolls. fill rolls with chicken filling and roll up. Melt butter, dip rolls in the butter and roll into the crushed crackers. Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes or until brown.

Mix cream of chicken and milk in a pot and heat over stove on low. pour on top of cooked chicken rolls

Chicken Cacciatore w/ Creamy Mashed Potatoes

3/4 lb red potatoes (about 2) cut into 1" chunks
1 1/2 cups small fresh cauliflower florets
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
1 pkg (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 green pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chive and onion 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Cook the potatoes and cauliflower in boiling water in large sauce pan for 20 min. or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, cook chicken in a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat 3 to 4 min. on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to plate cover to keep warm.
3. Add dressing, mushrooms and peppers to skillet; cook and stir 6 min. Add tomatoes; simmer 8 minutes. Return chicken to skillet; spoon sauce over chicken. Simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done.
4. Drain potato mixture; return to pan and mash. Add reduced-fat cream cheese; mash until potato mixture is fluffy. Serve topped with chicken, vegetables and basil.

Got the recipe from Kraft.
* I didn't use peppers. And I just added onion powder and chives to cream cheese that I had on hand, it worked out well.

Zesty Marinated Chicken

1/2 cup Italian Dressing
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1lb)
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (the green can kind)
1-2 Tbsp Italian style bread crumbs
1 pkg sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp butter
1-2 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Pour dressing over chicken and refrigerate 1 hour to marinate.
Heat oven to 375°. Remove chicken from marinade, discard marinade. Mix together Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and place in shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to evenly chicken breasts. Place chicken in single layer in shallow pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 30 min. Meanwhile melt butter in skillet, add mushrooms and cook on high heat until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Stir in basil.
Top chicken with mushrooms and shredded cheese; bake 5 min or until cheese is melted.

I adapted this from a recipe I got from Kraft.
The suggested substituting cilantro or parsley for the basil, but I have only tried it with the basil.

Chicken Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

One of my all time favorite soups!

3 cups milk
1 cup yellow corn muffin mix (like Jiffy)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 quarts chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese
3 cup frozen corn (not thawed)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Mix muffin mix in a bowl until well combined; set aside. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, chicken and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender.

Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

*I sometimes add a drained 16 oz. can of chicken instead of doing all that work to get the chicken required for the soup.

Creamy Avocado Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken breast, cooked and shredded
¼ cup corn
¼ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup green onions, chopped
¼ cup tomatoes, diced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup corn chips, crushed
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt to taste
2-4 avocados, sliced in half with pits discarded

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken breast, corn, black beans, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and corn chips together. Add the vinegar and mayonnaise to mixture and toss to coat. Salt to taste. Spoon salad into halved avocados. Serve immediately with a spoon and fork. Enjoy!

Recipe found HERE...

Creamy Tomato- Basil Pasta with Chicken

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
1/4 cup sun dried tomato vinaigrette dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 oz Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
8 basil leaves, cut into strips

1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile heat 2 Tbsp dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5-6 min on each side if until done. Remove chicken from skillet cover to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towel.
2. Add remaining dressing, broth and seasonings to skillet; cook 3-4 min or until heated through. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir 2-3 min or until melted. Stir in tomatoes; cook 3 min.
3. Drain pasta. Add ingredients in skillet with Parmesan and basil; mix well. Serve topped with chicken.

I got this recipe from Kraft. The changes I made were I cubed the chicken, used dried basil (and added it when I added the chicken broth) and I used cherry tomatoes cut in half.

Hearty Healty Chicken Salad

1 cup small macaroni, cooked
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2-3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
3 tomatoes, diced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4- 1 cup chicken broth

1. In a large bowl mix together chicken (while still warm), macaroni, tomatoes, celery, red pepper and green onion. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano.
2. Place chicken broth and garlic in small saucepan, bring to a boil over light heat, boil for 10 minutes or until broth is reduced to 1/2 cup.
3. Add vinegar and pour over salad. Mixing well. Chill until cold.

I thought the "dressing" sounded a little too tart so I only used 3/4 cup vinegar and it was still really tangy. It needs some tweaking but I haven't figured it out yet, so if you give it a try and find something that works let us know!

Also I used fun cellentani noodles instead of macaroni, and added more green onions and celery in place of the pepper.

Chicken Manicotti

2 TBL garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 boxes manicotti
4 to 5 C bulk spaghetti sauce (alfredo)
1 pound jimmy dean sausage, cooked and drained
4 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 C water, divided

Rub garlic powder over chicken; cut chicken into 1-inch strips. Stuff chicken into manicotti. Spread 1 C spaghetti sauce in each of three greased 8-inch square foil pans.

Divide stuffed manicotti equally between three pans. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over top. Be sure to cover all noodles or they will dry when cooked. Sprinkle with sausage and top with cheese.

Drizzle 1/3 C water around the edge of each dish. Cover and bake 1 pan of manicotti at 375* for 65 to 70 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and pasta is tender.

Cover, label and freeze remaining casseroles for up to 3 months.  To serve, thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours, then bake at 375* for 65 to 708 minutes.  To bake frozen, cover with foil and bake at 350* for 2 1/2 hours.  Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

*** I thaw mine straight from the freezer in the morning and good it like normal at night and it turns out yummy!!!

Bowtie Chicken Caesar Salad

1 bunches green leaf lettuce, chopped
1 bag Marie Calendars Fat Free Croutons
1 bag Almond Accents/ Roasted Garlic Caesar
2 Chicken Breasts, boiled with an onion and salt and pepper
2 cups bowtie pasta, cooked
4 - 6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
Brianna’s Asiago Caesar Dressing or other yummy Caesar dressing.

Toss all the above ingredients with Caesar dressing right before serving. Serves 20-25

Recipe Found at The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Cornflake Chicken Tenders

Recipe adapted from Pennies on a Platter

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) butter, melted
2 cups finely crushed corn flakes cereal


Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400˚F. Place an oven-safe cooling rack on a baking sheet and set aside.

Combine the flour and spices in a small bowl; set aside. Place melted butter in another small bowl; set aside. Place the crushed cereal in a medium-sized bowl or pie plate.

Dip the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, then the butter, then the cereal. Place the coated chicken strips on the rack in the baking sheet.

Bake the coated chicken pieces in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with your favorite sauce.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare as directed to coat the chicken and spread them on a wax paper lined baking sheet after coating. Place the baking sheet in the freezer uncovered and flash freeze for half an hour, until mostly firm. Transfer the strips to a gallon sized freezer bag labeled with the date and cooking instructions. When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 400˚F and bake from frozen (do not defrost) for 25 minutes on the baking sheet with the cooling rack.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

1 Can mushroom soup
1/2 C. milk
1/4 Tsp. ground pepper
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
1 C. frozen mixed veg.
2 C. cooked cubed chicken
2 C. cooked egg noddles
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Stir soup, milk, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, vegetables, chicken, and noddles in 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir and then top with cheddar cheese.

Found this recipe at sistersstuff.blogspot

YUMMY!!

Cider-Glazed Chicken with Roast Veggies

Vegetables

• 3/4 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 lb red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary

Chicken

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 lbs thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Heat oven to 450. Coat a large baking pan with cooking spray.


2. Veggies- Place parsnips, carrots and potatoes in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Spoon into the prepared pan and roast @ 450 for 35 min turning after 15 minutes.


3. Chicken- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil. Coat chicken in flour and add half to skillet. Cook 2 minutes per side. Remove to plate and repeat with remaining Tbsp oil and chicken. Remove chicken to plate.


4. Reduce heat to medium and pour cider into skillet. Cook 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from pan. Stir in mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Add chicken and simmer on medium-low, covered, for 4 minutes.


5. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with roasted vegetables.

My Changes- I used dried not fresh rosemary. I used regular chicken breasts, but cut them into 1/3's- I'm not sure I've ever seen "thin cut" you'll have to adjust cooking time on chicken if using the regular chicken breasts. And I used the Dijon mustard I had on hand, which was not grainy. I also flipped the chicken a couple times after putting it back in the pan with the sauce.

The chicken was a hit- even with the vegetarian 2 year old.

Chicken Parmigiana

Cook Time: 45 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 4 whole (up To 6) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• ½ cups Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ¾ cups Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)
• 3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• ¼ cubes Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 pound Thin Linguine

Preparation Instructions

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.
Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.
At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.
Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.
Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.
Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.
Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

Okay so the pioneer woman is my new favorite cooking website. Click on the label and it will take you to her website with details and pictures. Who would of thought that adding butter to olive oil will help the chicken brown and not burn?

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 ounces) cream cheese
3/4 C green salsa
1 TBL free lime juice (half a lime)
1/2 teas cumin
1 teas chili powder
1/2 onion powder
1/4 teas granulated garlic
3 TBL chopped cilantro
2 TBL chopped green onions
2 C cooked, cubed chicken
1 C grated cheese
6-inch corn or flour tortillas (as fresh as possible)

Combine ingredients, put on tortillas and wrap up. Place unbaked taquitoes in a single layer of a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until frozen enough to hold their shape. Pack in freezer safe container for up to 3 months. To bake, 25-30 minutes or until crisp at 350*

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Easy Bistro Chicken

• 2 tsp oil
• 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 Italian Dressing
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions; cook 5 min, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, dressing and tomato paste. Add chicken; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 12 min or until chicken is done. Top with cheese and bacon; simmer, uncovered 5 min or until cheese is melted.

The recipe is from Kraft. I doubled the bacon and next time I make it will add just a tiny bit more cheese. It was SO good.