Chicken Pie

Not to be confused with my other recipe for chicken pot pie. Although many of the filling ingredients are similar, this recipe has a biscuit top rather than a pie crust top and bottom. It is equally as delicious as the chicken pot pie recipe, in our opinions.


Ingredients:
Filling
3-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped (Rotisserie works great)
1 medium onion, chopped
16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cans cream of soups (I used cream of mushroom)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground thyme
2 tbs butter (I used Smart Balance)


Biscuit top
1 1/2 cups whole wheat baking mix or regular baking mix
1 1/4 cups milk
2 - 4 tbs butter, melted (I used 2 tbs Smart Balance)
1 cup shredded cheese, optional

Instructions:
In a medium skillet or saute pan, saute onion in butter for about 5 minutes on medium-high. Then in a large bowl, mix onions and all other filling ingredients together well. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish, spreading evenly.

In a separate bowl, mix together all biscuit ingredients, stirring until any lumps are gone. Pour biscuit mix evenly over filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until center of biscuit is done.

Em's Chicken and Dumplings

Every time I make these, I make them a little bit different. I'm trying to come up with a standard recipe, though because I forget from time to time exactly what I did. The last time I made these which was for Dave's birthday this year, this is what I did to the best of my memory :).

Ingredients:
1 chicken (I bought one that was already cut into pieces by the meat department - 2 breasts, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings)
Salt, pepper, garlic
Enough water to cover by 2-3 inches (this will be your broth)

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of celery condensed soup
1 can cream of chicken with herbs condensed soup
1 onion, chopped
Chicken bullion flakes, to taste

Dumplings: (I double or triple this recipe)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS butter
1/2 cup milk
Optional: 1 TBS dried parsley flakes

Instructions:
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, boil chicken until done in water seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. Take chicken out of broth and let cool enough to de-bone. Shred/chop chicken and add back to broth. Add chopped onion, cream soups, and chicken bullion to your taste. Season accordingly with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Let soup come up to a simmer.

Mix together dumpling dough. Pinch of bite size pieces and drop in simmering broth. Let cook 5-10 minutes without stirring. Before serving, lightly stir to incorporate dumplings. Stirring too much or too hard will cause dumplings to disintegrate and break up.

Last time I ended up adding more dumplings to the broth later because everybody loves the dumplings.

Chicken Tetrazzini

I made this one this weekend. It was a huge hit. Very, very yummy.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken
7-8 oz dried angel hair pasta
1 TBS olive oil
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated carrot, zucchini, squash or any combination of these
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups half & half or cream (can use fat-free half & half)
1 cup sour cream (can use fat-free, reduced fat, or even Greek yogurt)
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder to taste

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; Drain & set aside. In a large stock pot or very large skillet, saute peppers, onions, grated veggies and mushrooms in olive oil until almost tender. Stir in cooked chicken, cream of mushroom soup, half & half, sour cream and seasonings. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish (9X13 should work). Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Notes:
I also think chopped broccoli would be a great addition. Maybe peas, too.
You can make this vegetarian by substituting more veggies in place of the chicken.

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole, modified

This recipe was adapted from several chicken & rice casserole recipes (one of those is already on this blog) that I have in my collection. Some of the other recipes use mayonnaise and/or sour cream in addition to the cream soups. Next time I make it I plan to experiment a little by substituting or adding other veggies besides the green beans such as green peas, mushrooms, green pepper, or celery.
I also think french fried onions or crushed butter crackers would be great toppers in addition to the cheese if you want to dress it up some more. I made this just as listed below and cooked it in the crock pot on low for about 3 hours and it turned out great and was delicious.

Ingredients:
3-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 boxes fast-cook long grain & wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's)
2 cans Cream of soups (I used Cream of Chicken & Herb & Cream of Mushroom)
2 cups shredded cheese such as Cheddar, Monterray Jack, or Colby, separated
1 12-oz. bag frozen cut green beans, cooked
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 can chopped water chestnuts, optional
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Cook rice according to package directions; set aside. In large mixing bowl mix 1 1/2 cups cheese with all other ingredients. Stir very well. Spoon mixture into greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes until hot all the way through.

Crock Pot Beef & Broccoli

I got the idea for the recipe here. I basically doubled the original recipe.

Ingredients:
2 - 2 1/2 lb thinly sliced beef (I used sirloin)
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 TBS white wine
4 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
3 tsp sesame oil
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 bag thawed broccoli florets or broccoli cuts (to add later)

Instructions:
Add all the liquid ingredients to the crock pot. Add your garlic and red pepper. Add your sliced meat, tossing to coat thoroughly. Cook on high for 2 - 3 hours or low for 4- 5 hours. This didn't take as long as I thought it would.
An hour before serving, add your broccoli, stirring to coat with sauce. Cook on high for another hour.
I served DH's with steamed brown rice. I ate mine without any rice.

I also plan to try this with chicken because it was delicious. I was surprised how tender the beef was due to the vinegar.

Baked Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

I have made this several times and we have gobbled it up! Using rotisserie chicken saves time and effort.

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1/4 to 1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese, divided (Monterey Jack, Colby-Jack, Cheddar, etc.)
10 (6 in) corn tortillas
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (15 oz) can hunts tomato sauce
1/2 cup whipping cream

Instructions:
Stir together first 6 ingredients and 1 cup cheese in large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Heat tortillas in microwave according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each warm tortilla and roll up. Place in lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Cook diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and cream in 1 1/2 to 2 quart saucepan over med-high heat until thoroughly heated. Pour tomato mixture evenly over tortillas, spreading to cover ends of tortillas. Sprinkle dish with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and tomato mix bubbles. Garnishes: sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced/chopped olives, sliced/chopped jalapenos, etc.

Chicken Pot Pie

Using rotisserie chicken saves time and effort and tastes great because it's already seasoned. My mother-in-law shared this one with me.

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz can) Veg All, drained
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) cream of potato soup
1/4 milk, half & half or cream
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/4-1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper
2 (9 in) frozen ready-to-bake pie crusts or 1 package refrigerated pie crusts

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In medium bowl, combine first six ingredients and mix well. Fit pie crust into 9" pie pan. Pour veggie mixture into pie crust. Top with remaining pie crust, crimping edges to seal. Slit top with knife or pierce several times with a fork. Bake 50-60 minutes on lower oven rack or until crust is golden brown. Allow pie to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting. 8 servings.

Homemade Pizza Dough

Servings: Makes 1-1/2 pounds dough (two 14-inch crusts)

Ingredients:
1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm (105?F) water
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cold water
flour for dusting

Instructions:
In a 2-cup liquid measure, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 3 - 5 minutes.
Pour flour into mixer with dough hook attachment or a food processor with blade and add salt and olive oil.
Add cold water to yeast mixture. With machine/mixer running, pour in liquid as fast as flour absorbs it.
Process until dough cleans sides of work bowl and forms a ball.
Then process for 45 seconds to knead dough. Dough may be slightly sticky. Dust dough lightly with flour; divide in half to make 2 large pizzas. Store unused portion in a plastic food storage bag, with all air squeezed out, in refrigerator (up to a week) or freezer (up to 3 months).
Place the other half of dough in a heat-proof glass bowl, covering the surface of the dough with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and punch down, let rest 5 - 10 minutes.
Roll into desired crust sizes (1 large or several smaller). Pre-bake the crust for 10-12 minutes at 415 degrees on a pizza stone or pizza pan. Then add your favorite toppings and bake at 415 degrees for another 5 to 15 minutes depending on the type and amount of your toppings.

Note: When ready to use frozen dough, remove in the morning, unwrap, rub with olive oil and place in a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to thaw and rise during the day. It will be ready punch down and roll out in about 8 hours.

You can also change the flour to half whole wheat, half unbleached all-purpose or half whole wheat and half spelt with great results. I also usually some seasonings to the flour such as garlic powder and either Italian seasoning or basil.

Always use cooked meats and try to stick to no more than 5 toppings for best results.

Chicken Cannelloni with Tomato Alfredo Sauce

I use rotisserie chicken to save time and effort when making this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 packages (each package is 8 oz.) canneloni or manicotti shells
4-5 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
2 (8 oz) containers chive-and-onion cream cheese
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian-blend cheese
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Stir together chicken and next 6 ingredients. Cut pasta shells open lengthwise. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture into each shell, gently pressing cut sides together. Place shells cut side down into 2 lightly greased 9X13 baking dishes. Pour sauce evenly over shells. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Tomato Alfredo Sauce:
1 (6 oz) can basil-garlic-oregano tomato paste*
1 (8 oz) can basil-garlic-oregano tomato sauce*
1 (16 oz) jar creamy Alfredo sauce (I used Classico Garlic Alfredo)
1 (3 oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese
(To make sauce go a little further you can add 1/2 - 1 cup of half-and-half, fat-free half-and-half, or heavy cream).

Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.You can also use your favorite jarred marinara or spaghetti sauce or substitute 2 (7 oz) drained jars of roasted red bell peppers in place of the tomato sauce and paste to make Roasted Red Bell Pepper Alfredo sauce.

*I used Hunts tomato paste and tomato sauce

A little time-consuming, but amazingly delicious!!!

Easy Black Bean Soup

This is a super easy and fast recipe. And it is delicious!

Ingredients:
3 cans Ranch Style black beans, undrained
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, with juice (you can also use diced tomatoes with chilies)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp onion powder
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder
1 - 2 tsp hot sauce
salt to taste

Instructions:
Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

15 Bean Soup in the Crock Pot

Ingredients:
1 large bag 15 bean soup mix
water to cover beans
ham for seasoning (obviously you could use whatever you like to season)
5 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 onions, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
salt to taste
1 bunch kale, torn or rough chopped
1 package turkey kielbasa, sliced
Cajun seasoning packet

Instructions:
Soak your beans 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse. Place beans in crock pot with enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Add seasoning meat or bullion. Cook on high for about 5 hours. Add carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, kale and more water if needed. Cook on high about 2 more hours. Add sausage, and Cajun seasoning packet and cook 1 more hour.

This make an enormous amount of soup due to the large bag of beans. Make sure you are using a larger size crock pot. This soup turned out to be one of DH's favorites. It reminded him of something his Granny used to make. But be warned. Fifteen different kinds of beans fighting to make their way through the gastrointestinal system of an adult male creates a potentially lethal olfactory situation. Enough said.