Vodka Pasta Sauce

My husband and I went to small local restaurant for Valentines Day this year. We decided to be slightly adventurous in our meal choices. Well, I tried. I ordered their White Lasagna only to be informed that they were out so instead I went with the regular lasagna which was fine. My husband's choice was more successful, resulting in a new addition to our at-home menu. We both loved the flavors and thus the mission was to recreate it at home.
Since we're two months removed from our initial taste of the restaurant's version it's debatable if this even resembles it. However, we enjoy this, as do the kids so this is now our "house version" of Vodka Cream Pasta. It has a slight spicy kick to it at the end of the bite but just enough to let you know it's there, not so much your eyes are watering. It doesn't take much sauce to nicely coat the noodles so keep that in mind as you are dishing up.

Vodka Cream Pasta
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Yields: ~6 servings
Adapted from: $5 Dinners and Spice Islands

Ingredients:
1 T butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
14 oz can tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1/4 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp basil
1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1 lb spaghetti, cooked

Directions:
   1.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic powder; cooked until softened.
   2.  Add tomatoes and tomato pasta; bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes.
   3.  Add vodka; cook for 2-3 minutes.
   4.  Add cream, salt, pepper and basil; cook until warm.
   5.  Serve over pasta and chicken. {Two large spoonfuls of sauce will cover a serving of pasta nicely.}

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

We're always looking for a new variety of pizza to add to our repertoire. This Chicken Alfredo Pizza is the newest addition and one we really enjoy. My husband especially enjoys it because he can easily add shrimp to his side. {I'm not a seafood lover so we almost never have it at home.}
To speed up the process the sauce can be made ahead of time and any leftovers can be used on pasta later in the week.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
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Source: Recipe Dose
Yields: 2 13-inch pizzas 

Ingredients: 
Alfredo Sauce
2 T butter
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch red pepper flakes
1 T flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper 
Toppings
pizza dough
Alfredo Sauce (see above)
2 medium tomatoes, diced or 1/2 can diced tomatoes
spinach- 2 large handfuls fresh or 1/3 package frozen

1 chicken breast, cooked and diced

2 cups shredded cheese

 

Directions:
   1.  In a medium saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add garlic powder, red pepper flakes and flour; stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring frequently; cook until slightly thickened and season as desired.
   2.  Roll out crust; top with sauce, tomatoes, spinach, chicken and cheese.
   3.  Bake at 450 for 13-16 minutes until slightly browned on top.

This is linked to URS.

Pear Chicken Salad Sandwiches

We are blessed to have two pear trees in our backyard. I never would have thought to put fruit trees in so it was definitely a bonus when we discovered them in the backyard. We got about fifteen pounds of pears this year so definitely lots of pears for experimenting.

When grapes were on sale I knew one great use for some pears would be a chicken salad. I looked at a few recipes for inspiration and then just started putting things in the bowl. It turned out quite well and thankfully I took notes!

Pear Chicken Salad Sandwiches

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Yields: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 cup grapes, halved

1 medium pear, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 cooked chicken breasts, diced

3 T onion, diced

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup mayonaise

salt & pepper

1/8 tsp dill

1/4 tsp parsley

dash nutmeg

dash ginger

Directions:

   1.  Mix ingredients in a medium bowl; refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve on bread or rolls.

Crockpot Smokey Sesame Chicken

My husband loves this recipe for Sesame Chicken. However, though it is quite tasty it does take a little bit of time to make. Right now I'm usually more interested in easier, less labor intensive meals. So, the hunt was on to find an easier Sesame Chicken recipe. After browsing a variety of recipes I ended up modifying my original recipe for the crockpot with fantastic results.

Crockpot Smokey Sesame Chicken
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Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chicken broth
~1 cup sugar
2 T vinegar
2 T soy sauce
2 T sesame oil
~1 T chili powder
~1 T garlic powder
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
sesame seeds
3 cups cooked rice

Directions:
   1.  Place whole chicken breasts and chopped onion in crockpot; top with chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili powder and garlic powder.
   2.  Cook on low for 2 hours. Remove chicken and cut into pieces; return to crockpot and cook two hours longer.
   3.  Forty five minutes before serving combine cornstarch and water in a small dish; stir into sauce. Add celery. Cook on high until slightly thickened. Serve over rice, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Chicken Fajita Pizza

We've been enjoying Chicken Fajita Pizza for quite some time now but just recently perfected the whole thing. The new addition of the fajita seasoning is quite tasty! That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed this pizza even without the extra seasoning so if you don't have any seasoning on hand it's still possible to enjoy Chicken Fajita Pizza.

Chicken Fajita Pizza
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Yields: 2 medium pizzas

Ingredients:
pizza dough {I use this recipe, slightly adapted, which yields 2 medium pizzas}
pizza sauce
1/2 envelope fajita seasoning {optional}
1/8 cup water {if using fajita seasoning}
1 cup shredded chicken
1/2 - 1 cup chopped onion
1/2 - 1 cup chopped green pepper
2 - 3 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
   1.  Roll dough out to desired shape; top with pizza sauce.
   2.  Mix fajita seasoning and water in a small bowl. Add chicken and stir until coated.
   3.  Spread chicken on pizza; add onions and green pepper to pizza. Top with cheese.
   4.  Bake per dough directions. {We usually do 375 for 16-20 minutes.}

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Burrito Pizza

Burrito Pizza--the first time we had it we were definitely a little apprehensive. The whole thing is so very different from most pizzas we enjoy. Well, it's a good thing we tried it anyway because it has turned out to be quite a delicious pizza. It took a few tries but we've finally found what we enjoy as Burrito Pizza.

Burrito Pizza
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Yields: 2 medium pizzas

Ingredients:
pizza dough
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup chicken, cooked and chopped
1 onion, diced
2 tomatoes (or 1/2 can diced tomatoes), diced
olives (optional)
1-2 cups shredded cheese
1/3 cup sour cream

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 400. Roll out pizza dough to desired shape.
   2.  In a food processor combine drained beans and 3-4 T salsa. Pulse until it reaches a thick sauce consistency. Spread over pizza dough.
   3.  Top with chicken, onion, tomatoes, olives and cheese.
   4.  Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes.
   5.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Adapted from: Good Cheap Eats

Cranberry Chicken Sandwiches

The first time we had this sandwich my husband was not that impressed. However, after I made a few tweaks to the recipe he said there was a night and day difference. Now everything blends nicely together to create a fantastic sandwich.
This sandwich is different from many similar sandwiches because it doesn't have mayo or extra sauce in it. It goes without saying that this would be an excellent recipe to keep in mind for after Thanksgiving as turkey would work just as well as chicken.

Cranberry Chicken Sandwiches
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Yields: 8 sandwiches 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup onion, diced
olive oil (not pictured)
1 lb cooked, shredded chicken
1 can cranberry sauce
2 stalks celery, diced (not pictured)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
bread or rolls (not pictured)

Directions:
   1.  In a small fry pan heat 1 tsp olive oil. Saute onion until softened.
   2.  In a medium bowl combine all ingredient except bread. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
   3.  Serve on bread or rolls.

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats and Tasty Tuesday.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

We first had this dish when we went to our friends' house for dinner shortly before we moved. We absolutely loved it and so I, of course, asked for the recipe. It has been a favorite ever since that I sadly don't make often enough.
It's a great recipe because it's easy to change the quantity and it uses ingredients that we often have on hand. To halve the chicken breasts I typically slice them as you would cut a deck of cards. I find the ratio of chicken to ham and cheese is pretty good that way.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
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Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:
6 chicken breast halves
6 slices ham
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1 can cream soup (or use homemade)
1/4 cup water (not necessary if using homemade soup)
2+ cups croutons
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
   1.  Place chicken breast halves in a 9x13 pan. Place one slice of ham over each chicken breast. Dividing the cheese among the six chicken breasts, sprinkle cheese over ham.
   2.  Mix soup and water; pour over chicken.
   3.  Mix croutons and butter; place on top of chicken.
   4.  Bake uncovered at 325 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

The newest addition to our pizza repertoire is this marvelous Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza. My husband loves it because it has not one, but two types of meat on it and the flavors all combine so well. I love it because it tastes good and because I usually have all the ingredients on hand.
There are five simple ingredients, all of which can be prepared ahead of time, making this incredibly easy to put together. Be sure to not overdo the ranch dressing though as it could easily overpower everything else on the pizza.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
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Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:
pizza dough (not pictured)
~1/2 cup Ranch dressing
4-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
~2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
~3 cups cheese

Directions:
   1.  Roll out pizza dough to size of pan. Spread Ranch dressing over top (sparingly).
   2.  Top with bacon, chicken and onion. Cover with cheese.
   3.   Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until done.

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats.

Pineapple Chicken Casserole

This dish has a lovely sweetness from the pineapple that contrasts well with the slight saltiness from the soy sauce. I love it just the way it is; my husband likes to add a little extra soy sauce to his serving.
This dish is fairly easy to put together, especially if you do some of the prep work (such as cooking the chicken and cutting the celery) beforehand. I like to reserve some chow mein noodles from the dish so that we can add some crispy noodles after we reheat the leftovers.

Pineapple Chicken Casserole
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Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 can cream soup (I've been using this recipe instead with great results.)
1 can pineapple tidbits or chunks
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 T green onion, chopped (not pictured)
1 T soy sauce
2 cups chow mein noodles
2 cups cooked rice

Directions:
   1.  Combine chicken, cream soup, pineapple, celery, green onion and soy sauce. Fold in 1 cup chow mein noodles.
   2.  Spread mixture in 2 quart baking dish or 9x13 pan. Spread remaining noodles on top (reserve some for leftovers, if desired).
   3.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Serve over rice.

Apple Pork (or Chicken)

This recipe is a little nostalgic for me because it's the first recipe I remember tweaking so extensively that it completely changed the dish. The original recipe looked good but for some reason or another I couldn't make it the way it was written. (If I'm remembering correctly I didn't have most of the ingredients.) I tried my own version of it and am glad I did because this is now one of my favorite recipes.
I've made it with chicken and pork but I think I prefer chicken. I often up the amount of apples and onions in the dish to stretch it a bit and it's still great.

Apple Pork (or Chicken)
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Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice (I like to add a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the rice as well.)
1 lb pork or chicken, cut into 1 in pieces
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 apples, diced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups apple juice
2 T cornstarch

Directions:
   1.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil; add meat and cook until browned. Remove to a bowl.
   2.  In same skillet, add apples and onions and cook until softened. Return meat and any juices to pan. Sprinkle seasonings over mixture.
   3.  Add apple juice to pan. Sprinkle cornstarch and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer; simmer until sauce has thickened. Serve over rice.

This is linked to URS.

Chimichangas

There is something about chimichangas that just hits the right spot for both my husband and me. We were both truly looking forward to having these and really enjoyed them, as always.
These chimichangas are quite easy to make. The variable simmering time provides flexibility and we've also found that they freeze well. (I freeze them before baking, then let them thaw for about 30 minutes before baking as normal.)

Chimichangas
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Yields: 6 chimichangas

Ingredients:
1 lb shredded pork or chicken
1 can kidney or pinto beans, drained
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp garlic powder
2 T chili powder
1 T vinegar
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheese
tortilla shells (not pictured)
sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa, lettuce (not pictured)

Directions:
   1.  Put meat, beans, water and spices in a skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
   2.  Uncover, return to a boil until the water evaporates.
   3.  Fill tortillas with meat mixture and top with cheese. Fold as desired.
   4.  Bake in a preheated oven at 400 for 15-17 minutes.
   5.  Serve with lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa.

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats.

Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

I stumbled across this recipe last fall. I had planned on making a different chicken dish and had thawed the chicken in the morning. Well, come dinnertime, I realized I was missing a key ingredient so I looked through my recipe binder for something else to try and landed on this. Maybe it was a good thing I was missing that ingredient because we love these Enchiladas!
This is another wonderful recipe that contains ingredients that we often have on hand so if we need a backup meal Enchiladas are a great choice! It's easy to put together and is a big success is my house.

Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas
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Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese
6 tortillas

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 350.
   2.  In a medium bowl combine soup, sour cream, salsa and chili powder.
   3.  In a large bowl combine 1 cup soup mixture, chicken and cheese.
   4.  Divide chicken mixture among tortillas. Roll and place seam side up in a baking dish. Pour remaining soup mixture over top.
   5.  Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

Source: Campbells Kitchen

Southwestern Pasta with Chicken

My sister picked this recipe out for us by going through my binder of recipes torn out from magazines. It was from an issue of Woman's World from September 2006. Yikes! I'm glad she picked it because in 4+ years I hadn't gotten around to it so who knows how long it would have taken.
I personally found this dish to be a little spicy, but ironically only the first time. When we had it as leftovers it had somehow mellowed out quite a bit. So if you like a kick to your food you might want to add more hot sauce if you have leftovers.

Southwestern Pasta with Chicken
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Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:
12-16 oz pasta
26 oz pasta sauce
1 can Rotel
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika (not pictured)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 dashes hot sauce
1 cup cooked, diced chicken
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
sour cream (not pictured)
shredded cheese

Directions:
   1.  In a large pot, cook pasta according to directions.
   2.  In a large skillet, mix pasta sauce, Rotel, and seasonings. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
   3.  Combine sauce and pasta; stir in chicken and black beans. Cook until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes. Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Source: Woman's World Magazine

Fiesta Chicken Soup

There are a few different "Mexican" based soups in our rotation but I keep each of them there because they each have their own little twist. This one incorporates so many ingredients and in the end they all go together so well. The flavors meld perfectly, especially considering the relatively short cooking time.

One thing that amazed me about this soup was how much color the broth had. Most of it, I assume, is from the tomato juice but look at that color!

Fiesta Chicken Soup
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Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients
1 T Italian dressing or olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup carrots, sliced
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup peas
1 can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
   1. Cook chicken, onions and carrots in the Italian dressing until the onions and carrots are beginning to soften.
   2. Add tomatoes (with juice), chicken broth, water and chili powder to pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer.
   3. Fifteen to 20 minutes before serving add peas and kidney beans.
   4. Serve with cheese sprinkled over the top.
Notes: The measurements of the vegetables are extremely flexible. I've also added green beans.

Source: Kraft Foods

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday and URS.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

My favorite soup at Panera is Chicken and Wild Rice. Now, it's been a while since I've been there so I can't accurately speak to how close this came. No matter though, this was delicious anyway. It was creamy but thick, rich but refreshing--an absolute winner!
This soup contains some ingredients that can be prepped ahead of time, adding to the ease of assembling this. While the recipe only calls for 5-10 minutes of simmering at the end, it can withstand a longer time, as long as it is stirred occasionally.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
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Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 box wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice.)
6 T butter
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 3/4 cup whole milk
2 cups diced or shredded chicken
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup carrots, diced and cooked crisp tender


Directions:
   1.  In a large pot, bring chicken broth, water and rice to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
   2.  Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour, salt, pepper and rice seasoning. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in milk; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened, stirring frequently.
   3.  Add sauce to rice; add chicken, spinach and carrots. Stir to combine; simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Adapted from: The Keune Home

This is linked to URS.

Apple Onion Cider Chicken

This smelled amazing as it cooked! The vinegar really added a sweet tartness. At first, my husband was wondering if this would be too similar to another apple, onion and chicken dish we love but we discovered, while they contain similar ingredients, they each have their own very unique taste.
The original recipe calls for whole chicken breasts. We've found that, in general, we prefer to cut our chicken into smaller pieces. That way, more of the chicken is exposed to the sauce which spreads the wonderful taste throughout.

Apple Onion Cider Chicken
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Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:
olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 apples, diced
1 onion, diced
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 T butter
salt and pepper

 Directions:
   1.  Heat 1 T olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove to a bowl.
   2.  If necessary, add more olive oil to pan. Add onion and apple; cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
   3.  Add apple cider vinegar; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce is reduced by half. Whisk in butter.
   4.  Return chicken to pan; stir to combine.

Adapted from: Food Network

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza is my favorite! My failed search for a good one is what started my ventures into homemade pizza. Now we rarely have pizza that isn't homemade. I'd say we're pretty glad I couldn't find a satisfactory one!
I like to buy chunk pineapple and then use the food processor to shred it. I also try to precook the chicken, either earlier in the week or the day. It makes it really easy to put this pizza together. We use homemade dough but store bought is fine as well. We've found the key to a great pizza is to preheat the oven for a longer time than normal.

BBQ Chicken Pizza
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Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:
pizza dough
1/2 can chunk pineapple, shredded
1 large chicken breast, cooked and diced
BBQ sauce
~1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 450 (or as pizza dough package recommends).
   2.  Roll out dough to fit pan. Spread BBQ sauce over dough, leaving the edges clean. Evenly place chicken and pineapple across dough. Cover with cheese.
   3.  Bake 12 minutes, broiling 1-2 minutes at end, if necessary. Let pizza sit 2 minutes before cutting.

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Toasted Sesame Chicken

This recipe came to our family thanks to my husband. He wanted to find a recipe for Sesame Chicken, one of his favorite Chinese foods. One day last spring he came home early from work, took over the kitchen and made this dish. We enjoyed it, tweaked it and now it's a regular for us.
It looks like there are a lot of ingredients for this recipe. However, many of them are listed twice because you use them at two different points in the recipe. Within the list of ingredients I separated it into Chicken Coating and Sauce. The original recipe calls for the sesame seeds to be added before serving but I don't care for as many seeds as my husband does so we each just add our own.

Toasted Sesame Chicken
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Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
Chicken Coating
2 T flour
2 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 T soy sauce
1 T dry sherry
2 T water
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 dash sesame oil
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
Sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup white sugar
2 T white vinegar
2 T soy sauce
2 T sesame oil
1 T chili powder
1 T garlic powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 T sesame seeds

 Directions:
   1.  Cook rice: bring rice and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, stir once, cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes.
   2.  In a medium bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder. Add soy sauce, dry sherry, water, vegetable oil and sesame oil; stir until smooth. Stir in chicken until coated; refrigerate for 20 minutes.
   3.  After 10 minutes, bring chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili powder and garlic powder to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into boiling sauce. Simmer sauce until thickened. Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally.
   4.  Once sauce is simmering, cook chicken in a lightly oiled skillet until no longer pink. Coat chicken with sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Good Cheap Eats.