Category Archives: Chicken

Lime Chicken Rice Bake

Posted on
5

Maybe it’s because I’m from Indiana, maybe it’s because I’m sorta lazy and am not always the biggest fan of making a main dish and several sides to complete a meal, but the truth is… I’m a big fan of casseroles and other one-dish meals. Not the kind with random cream-of …. soups or mystery meat or canned vegetables drowning in salt water. But the kind with fresh ingredients and tons of flavor from herbs and spices. Like this Lime Chicken Rice Bake that I created on a whim one night when I was trying to use up some leftover rice and black beans.

The punch of flavor in this dish comes from limes and chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, which I keep in a small container in my freezer. An unexpected ingredient–pumpkin–gives this dish a bit of creaminess without adding tons of fat and calories. We enjoyed this for dinner several times on it’s own and also remade into nachos another night. Any way you serve it, Lime Chicken Rice Bake is a warm, comforting dish that is healthy, sure to please, and will certainly make you rethink your opinion of casseroles for good!

Lime Chicken Rice Bake
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 3/4 cup black beans/15 ounce can, rinsed and drained
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, chopped and 1-2 tablespoon adobe sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1 tablespoon lime balm, chopped [or zest of 1 lime]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spay. In a large bowl, stir together rice, beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, chicken, corn, and 1/2 cup cheese. In a smaller bowl, whisk together chipotle peppers and adobe sauce, garlic, oregano, lime juice, milk, and lime balm/zest. Stir this mixture into the rice mixture then spread into casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot. Then remove from oven and top with last 1/2 cup of cheese. Return to oven and cook for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Time: 35 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 8 servings.

Crockpot Saucy Italian Chicken

Posted on
3

I have a love-hate relationship with my crockpot. On the one hand, it is might convenient for whipping up a delicious dinner in a flash, with little to no effort on my part. On the other hand, leaving a hot appliance [yes, even on the low setting it gets h-o-t] on all day on a kitchen counter within easy reach of the cat makes me nervous. I have a fear of fire and just get concerned. Using the crockpot also seems like an easy out sometimes, since it’s not “real” cooking. But alas. Sometimes, I put my fears to rest and pull out the crockpot for, dare I say, a quick and easy dinner.

crockpot saucy italian chicken

My Crockpot Saucy Italian Chicken, despite how the taste may make you believe, was not the work of hours slaving away in the kitchen, pouring over complicated recipes. Rather, it was mixing pantry ingredients, spices, herbs, and chicken in the crockpot and hoping for the best. And boy–was it the best! I didn’t exactly use a specific recipe. I had some chicken thighs that I had previously frozen that needed to be used up, so I googled “chicken thigh crockpot recipes.” Problem was, many of those recipes used things like powdered onion soup mix, Italian dressing, and/or other packaged seasoning mixes that I certainly did not keep on hand, as the recipe creator assumed everyone did.

So, I thought about the flavors I was looking for and decided to wing it. The result was a flavorful blend of Italian-seasoned chicken simmering all day in a tomato sauce with olives, peppers, and onions. Right before dinnertime, cook up some noodles or rice for serving. You’ll know it’s time to do this when the smell is just so intoxicating that it gets to you and causes you to open the lid and take a big spoonful [even though you aren't really supposed to open the lid of a crockpot early]. At this point, the chicken will be so tender that it falls apart with the touch of a spoon. The smell alone should be enough to get the family to the dinner table, so don’t hesitate. Make this today!

Crockpot Saucy Italian Chicken
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, drained
  • 1 small bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • prepared pasta or rice, for serving
  • parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

Place tomatoes in a large crockpot. Using a dinner knife, cut each tomato in half. Add tomato paste, olives, pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs/spices. Stir to combine. Lay chicken out evenly over tomato mixture and stir to coat. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. Serve over pasta or rice.

Time: maximum of 8 hours and 15 minutes [15 minutes active]

Yield: 8 generous servings.

Honey Mint Glazed Chicken

Posted on
6

Even though Ben and I can get herbs every week from our CSA, I bought several plants at the farmer’s market early this spring to grow on our porch. Some have failed–like our cilantro and most recently, our basil, but others have thrived and are now officially out of control… such as our mint plants. Yes, plants, plural. We have a regular mint and a chocolate mint plant, neither of which I really know what to do with except use for Honey-Lime Fruit Salad and to flavor water. So when I found this simple Honey Mint Glazed Chicken, I was super excited. It sounded so refreshing and flavorful that I just had to try it. And it did not disappoint.

I used this sweet glaze to amplify already flavorful chicken thighs, but feel free to use any cut you’d like. The original called for a whole chicken, cut into parts, so anything would work. The only change I would make is patting some of the oil off the chicken before cooking on an indoor grill, as marinating in olive oil causes a lot of splattering. This is definitely a winner of a chicken dinner that will make an appearance on our table again and again. If this isn’t a reason to buy your own mint plant next summer, then I don’t know what is.

Reader Question ~ What else should I make with fresh mint? I’ve got to use it before winter comes along!

Honey Mint Glazed Chicken [from Simply Recipes]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup white vinegar
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Directions:

Mix together vinegar and oil in a medium bowl, then add chicken and allow to marinate for 30-60 minutes. Next, stir together honey, mint, and a little water to create a good basting consistency. Set aside.

When chicken is almost finished marinating, preheat grill to medium-high heat. I used a George Foreman, but any grill should work. Remove chicken from marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook for two minutes on each side, then baste with the honey mint glaze and cook for another two to three minutes per side. Chicken is done when juices run clear when cut and internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.

Yield: 2-3 servings.

Time: 90 minutes [30 minutes active].

Saturday Dinner: Football Style

Posted on
3

when you can't have Chipotle... make your own!

Dinner: Homemade Chipotle Bowls

  • Spinach
  • Chipotle Lime Rice
  • Black Beans [recipe forthcoming]
  • Spicy Rubbed Chicken [boneless, skinless chicken breast rubbed with chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin, freshly ground lemon pepper, and garlic... drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and baked at 325 for about 30 minutes]
  • Fresh Tomatoes
  • Fresh Avocado
  • Sour Cream
  • Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
  • Trader Joe’s Smoky Peach Salsa <— the best jarred salsa I’ve ever had!
  • Cilantro
  • with green Tabasco sauce for Ben!

yum!

Dessert: Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

recipe to come… but pretty similar to these delicious treats :)

Hope you’re all enjoying your weekend!

Recipe Repeat: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Posted on
4

Today, as I’m getting back into the swing of things after a wonderful week-long vacation in Vail, CO with Ben and my family (recap to come), I wanted to highlight a recipe from the archives that makes frequent appearances on our dinner table.

Allow me to re-introduce Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken is one of the easiest and most flavorful slow cooker recipes that I’ve found yet. Simply combine chicken breasts with corn, black beans, and tomatoes with a spicy seasoning cocktail of cumin, cilantro, garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper, cook all day, and serve atop rice with a hearty helping of cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, and green onions to taste. Though the components of this dish are definitely classic Tex-Mex/Southwest in nature, this seasoning cocktail definitely kicks it up a notch to give it a taste to remember. What could be better? If you find out… let me know!

So tell me… what’s a recipe repeat in your house?

And if you missed it… check out [Belated] Sheba Saturdays. Gotta love a snuggly kitty!