Category: Chicken

Breads · Casseroles · Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Meats · Pies · Starches · Uncategorized

Old Fashion Chicken Pot Pie (Minus the Peas)

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One of the most dear to my heart comfort foods is chicken pot pie. But, because one cannot ever find it without peas, I am forced to make my own. Actually, it is such a great dish to make. For some reason, it makes me feel like autumn is in the air, even though it is over 100. It brings back memories of sitting by a fireplace while the pot pie is in the oven and the apple crisp is sitting over on the counter waiting to bring about a wonderful closure to our meal. Yesterday I could not wait any longer. Chicken pot pie was on the menu. I didn’t care if there was no fire in the fireplace, or that the thermostat was turned down to 64 so the oven could be on. Because we had had the kids over for dinner on Sunday evening for barbecued chicken and hash brown casserole, there was still some of the potatoes left over so I began to think, “hum, the hash brown casserole could be used in my pot pie and give it a wonderful cheesy flavor. And flavor it did have. The pie was absolutely wonderful and we ate unit there would have been no room for apple crisp (ok, not for a couple of hours anyway, but we had pumpkin cookies and cherry pie so didn’t need to make anything else). The only thing I will change when I make it again is that I will homemake the biscuits to place on the top. Last night I used canned biscuits because I was in a hurry to get to game night at a girlfriends house. But it was still really really good.

1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups finely chopped chicken
1 cup chicken broth
1 can Campbells cream of chicken with herbs (not ever store has this but if you can find it, get it, it is a great addition) I find it at Walmart
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup of finely chopped cooked potato
(If Randy would not have been here, I would have added 1 cup of sliced mushrooms and cooked them along with the onion, celery, chicken mixture)
1/2 teas poultry seasoning
1/2 teas thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Biscuits to cover the top of casserole

To a medium size saucepan, place carrots and potato in a little water to cook for about 3-4 minutes after bringing to a boil. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet (If you use an iron skillet, you could actually complete the baking in the skillet and would not need to pour mixture into a different baking dish), melt the butter and add the chopped chicken, onion and celery. Sprinkle with salt and pepper until veggies are tender and chicken is done. Add the can of cream of chicken to the mixture. Stir. Slowly add the chicken broth (you might not need to add the full cup, so after adding about 1/2 cup, stir and add to thin mixture until it is still creamy, but not to runny) to this mixture along with the poultry seasoning and thyme. Stir in the drained carrots and potatoes. (Yes, if you are a pea lover, you can add those also, but be are and drain them well before adding.) Stir until mixture is well combined. If leaving in iron skillet, you an top with enough biscuits to cover the top and bake at 350 until mixture is bubbly and biscuits are done. (I cut each biscuit in 4th’s, but I think if I did use canned biscuits in the future, I would slice them in half horizontally making each biscuit into two. That way the biscuit isn’t so think on top.
If you are not using an iron skillet, pour into a greased 9×9 baking dish, top with biscuits or corn bread stuffing and bake until bubbly and biscuits are thoroughly cooked.
This pot pie reminded me so much of Thanksgiving that I think next time i make it, I am going to top it with corn bread dressing. The sauce in the pie using the cream of chicken with herbs was outstanding.

Casseroles · Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Meats · Starches · Uncategorized

Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole

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I am ready to get back in the kitchen and begin posting again. This summer we have been gone for over a month to California and Texas, where we experienced the birth of a precious new grandson, Collin Howard. New birth seems to bring on a sense of hope and realizing the many blessings which are given to us. It has been a struggle, for some reason, this summer to get in the mood to not only cook, but to post recipes. Maybe because I still prefer to bake desserts instead of meals. But, this is the new me….after watching Food Channel, Triple D and now, I’ll Have What Phil is Having (on PBS), food has again drawn my attention to trying new recipes. When I received my new Paula Deen magazine last month, I began to look through all my old PD magazines and found this one, which I had every intention of trying when I saw it, but it got pushed to the background behind settling for burgers & fries and pizza. So, here we go and I think you are going to like this one, ALOT! Thanks Paula for always drawing me back into Cookingville! You truly do inspire me beyond cookies, cakes and pies.

1 (6 oz) pkg fresh baby spinach, chopped
1/3 cup refrigerated pesto sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
12 oz uncooked penne pasta, cooked according to directions
2 1/2 cups choppe rotisserie chicken
4 oz pre-shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
2 tables thinly sliced fresh basil
1/4 teas paprika

Preheat oven to 375. Toss together spinach and pesto in a medium bowl.
Stir together Alfredo sauce and chicken broth in another bowl. Spread 1/3 of Alfredo mixture (about 1/2 cup) into a lightly greased 11×7″ baking dish. Top with half of spinach mixture.
Stir together cooked pasta, chicken and remaining Alfredo mixture, spoon, half of chicken mixture over spinach mixture. Repeat layers once with remaining spinach mixture and chicken mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 min.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese.
Return to oven and bake until hot and bubbly; about 5 min. Top with basil and paprika.

Serves 4

Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Meats · Vegetables

Cornbread Stuffed Zucchini

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Anything that reminds me of cornbread stuffing gets my vote. This is taken from 2017 Southern Living and I cannot wait to make it. Choose squash that are uniform in size. The best kind for this recipe are long, straight but not too skinny. (as per SL)

Serves 4

3 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread
4 zucchini
3 tables canola oil, divided
1 teas kosher salt, divided
16 oz ground chicken (I will use ground Italian seasoned turkey)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tables)
1 teas paprika
1/2 teas black pepper
6 oz white Cheddar Cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup fresh corn (I’m not a huge corn person, other than just corn on the cob, so think I will substitute fresh spinach, sautéed and drained well, before adding to mixture)
3 tables chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 375. Spread cornbread in an even layer on one end of a baking sheet. Cut zucchini in hal lengthwise. Using a serrated tomato corer or melon baller, scoop out zucchini pulp to equal 3 cups pulp, leaving a 1/2″ shell intact.
Coarsely chop 1 1/2 cups of pulp; reserve remaining pulp for another use. Brush zucchini shells with 2 tables of the canola oil. Place zucchini shells on baking sheet with cornbread and sprinkle with 1/4 teas of the salt.
Bake zucchini and cornbread at 375 until cornbread is lightly browned; 8-10 minutes. Reduce oven to 350.
Heat remaining 1 tables oil in a large skillet; cook, stirring to crumble, until browned. (about 5-6 min)
Add onion, garlic, paprika, pepper, reserved 1 1/2 cups zucchini pulp and remaining 3/4 teas salt to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is tender.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in cornbread, white Cheddar cheese, corn (or spinach) and parsley.
Divide chicken mixture evenly among zucchini shells. Place shells in a lightly greased baking dish. Bake at 350 until filling is lightly browned and zucchini is tender, about 25 minutes.

Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Soups · Uncategorized

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

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Last week a dear sweet new friend of mine, Marilyn, from church knew that I was struggling with bronchitis and brought this great soup over for our dinner. To say it was great is really an understatement. It was so good, I kept standing at the counter eating it out of the container it was in even before dinnertime. She said I could post it after telling me that she combined about 3 recipes to get this result. Of course with whipping cream in it, what did I expect except a most wonderful soup.

1 box (6 oz) long-grain and wild rice mix, prepared according to directions on box.

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 table oil

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced celery

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 teas dried tarragon

1/4 teas dried thyme

1/4 teas pepper

1/2 teas salt

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tables cornstarch

2 tables white wine

Saute mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic in oil until tender. Add rice, broth, chicken, tarragon, thyme, pepper and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and small amount of heavy cream tomato a smooth paste. Stir into vegetable mixture along with rest of heavy cream and wine.Cook 3 to 5 min until soup is thickened.

Serves 4 to 6 depending on size of bowls you use

Beef · Breads · Cakes · Casseroles · Chicken · Chocolate · Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Princess On The Porch

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I just got a notification that Princess on the Porch is in Itunes Store for $3.99. This will let you have recipes and stories on your computer that will be so easy to keep instead of searching for recipes on the blog, chocolate castles.com.

 

Chicken · Soups

King Ranch Chicken Soup

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Windows are open, more apple cakes are in the oven and looking through the newly delivered Southern Living magazine, this soup caught my eye. Our adult kids love King Ranch Casserole, but never thought about transforming it into a soup. Thank you Southern Living, that’s why we love you!

2 tables butter

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 (10 3/4 oz) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (same size) can cream of chicken soup

5 cups chicken broth

1 (1 1/2 to 2 lb) whole deli-roasted chicken, skin removed and meat shredded

1 teas dried oregano

1 teas ground cumin

1 teas chile powder

8 ((6 inch) fajita size CORN tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips and then halved *(I like mine fried crisp in a little oil instead of leaving them soft, which if you do this, you can do this by frying the strips in hot oil and drain on paper towel while soup is cooking before adding at the end)

Garnish: salt, shredded cheese and cilantro

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and sauté 6-7 minutes or until tender.

Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup; combine thoroughly. Stir in broth and next 4 ingredients.

Still on medium-high heat, cook until soup is begging to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, about  minutes. Stir in tortilla strips and simmer  2 more minutes. Add salt to taste and garnish as desired.

makes about 4 quarts

Chicken · Meats · Soups

White Lightning Chicken Chile

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Since the temps have fallen below 100, surely the cooler weather will be here shortly. When it does, we need to be prepared to have a big pot of chile ready for that first cool evening. This is taken from Southern Living

Comfort Food magazine.

1 large sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tables olive oil

4 cups shredded cooked chickn

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans chicken broth

2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles

1 (1.25 oz) package white chicken chile seasoning mix

3 (16 oz) cans navy beans, undrained

Saut onion and garlic in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in chicken, next 3 ingredients and 2 cans navy beans. Coarsely mash remaining can of  navy beans and stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring often; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Serve with desired toppings such as avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

Makes 11 1/2 cups

Beef · Chicken

Chimichurri Sauce

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We are at some of our precious friends home for a couple of days out here in California. Last night they treated us to amazing grilled steaks with this awesome sauce. Dee is kind enough to share recipes with me and when she showed me this recipe, I knew that I would be making this when we got back to Texas. Tonight they are grilling chicken and once again topping it with this sauce. I could eat it poured over cheese or even baked potatoes. She got the recipe from Mary S which we also met on one of the Big Bear trips and is also such a good cook. So thank you Dee and Mary!

1 bunch of Italiian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

5 sprigs of cilantro

1 small red onion, minced

2-6 cloves minced garlic (Dee used about 8 small cloves)

1 teas oregano (fresh)

1/2 to 1 teas crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups olive oil (evoo)

1 teas salt

1/2 teas black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a Cuisinart and pulse a few times until ingredients are smooth, but not pureed. We are having the left over sauce tonight on the chicken. Put sauce in a plastic or glass container and refrigerate. It lasts for up to a month.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

Chicken · Meats

Chicken and Artichoke Penne

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Looking for some new summer recipes, this one jumped off the page from my new Southern Living that arrived a couple of days ago.

1 1/4 teas kosher salt, divided

1/2 lb penne pasta

1 lb chicken breast tenders

1 1/4 teas black pepper, divided

3 tables olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 (9 oz) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1 ( 6 oz) package fresh baby spinach

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 4 qt water to a boil in a stockpot over high heat. Add 1 teas salt; return to a boil. Add pasta; boil, stirring occasionally 11 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

Sprinkle chicken with 1 teas each salt and pepper. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4 to 5 min on each side until golden on each side. Remove chicken from skillet. Add tomatoes to skillet; cook, stirring often 4 minutes. Stir in artichokes, 1/4 teas salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup pasta water. Reduce heat to medium and cook stirring often 3 minutes or until tomatoes burst.

Stir pasta, spinach and 1/4 cup cheese into tomato mixture; toss with pasta mixture. Top with remaining cheese.

1 1/4

Chicken · Chocolate · Desserts

Red Velvet Whoppie Pies Via Duncan Hines

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Tomorrow I am baking these little gems for a lady who has requested them for friends coming in from out of town. I am using my favorite Cream Cheese Frosting for the filling instead of the canned frosting that this says to use. If you want to make your own, all it is is:
1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 box of powdered sugar
Enough whipping cream or milk to get it to spreading consistency.

Whoppie Pies
1 package Duncan Hines® Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix
• 2 large eggs
• 6 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Baking Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease baking sheets.
2.Combine cake mix, eggs, butter and vanilla in large bowl with wooden spoon until dough forms.
3.Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2-inches apart on prepared pans.
4.Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are set. Cool cookies 1 minute on pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
5.Spread frosting on flat side of 20 cookies. Top with remaining cookies.
6.Baking Tip: Use a 1 to 1-1/4 inch scoop to form dough into balls. For best results, bake one baking sheet at a time. If baking two sheets together, rotate pans halfway through baking.