Nigerian Night

Oh boy, Nigerian cuisine was a bit difficult.  First, they eat TONS of beans and my kids don't really like beans.  Second, so many of their dishes called for chicken hearts and gizzards.  Again, I really would like a chance at getting my family to enjoy the meal.  And Third, I kept running into ingredients that I couldn't find locally and online they were SO SO expensive.

I finally settled on Suya (Nigerian Chicken Skewers) and Jollof Rice.

As we've found with most of our international meals, this one was also really good; albeit spicy.  My kids all ate without complaining and commented on how delicious it was.  It was very spicy, though, so they didn't eat very much.  The Suya recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper!!!  I love spicy food but this made even me nervous so I only added 1/2 teaspoon.  Even with only using 1/4 of the cayenne it was still pleanty hot.  

The Jollof rice was also really good.  Kindof like Mexican rice but with it's own unque seasoning.  The recipe calls for cooking the rice over medium heat til dry.  Next time I will turn the heat to Med-Low because I ended up burning the rice to the bottom of the pan.  That didn't effect my rice at all; I just had to make sure I didn't scrape the bottom while serving it.

The Beginning of International Night

Over the years, our blog has gone through a few changes, and I'm here to tell you that it's changing again.  I used to use this blog as my personal recipe box and a place where I could direct family and friends to my favorite recipes.  As Pintrest became more popular, I realized that it was a much less time consuming way to store and share recipes; and so, I stopped using this blog.

But now I'm back and I'm excited to share with you the new experiment in our kitchen.

I was sitting at my computer, trying to plan my menu for the week, when I realized I was bored with every recipe I have.  And to make it worse, searching Pintrest for dinner ideas wasn't helping at all.  I started thinking that it might be fun to try different meals from around the world. To include my family in this I told my kids that they would each get a turn to choose which country the meal came from.  J (my 7yr old) piped up "China", M (my 11yr old) "France", C (my 8yr old) "Iowa".  Wait .... what?   Guess we will be teaching geography as well.

We have been trying this for a month now and we are having so much fun.  I have never considered myself a picky eater but as I'm searching for recipes I find myself looking for the ones that look "Americanized" and I am trying to branch out and choose recipes that are more traditional.  That being said, I hope that I'm finding authentic recipes but really this is just dinner so I'm not going to do tons of research on the meal.  If it says it's chinese, I'm going to assume that it is.

One hangup I'm finding, as I search for recipes, is that every country eats food from other countries.  If someone asked me to cook an American meal, I would have to throw out half my recipes because they are Mexican or Italian, etc.  As I searched for Ukrainian dishes, I kept running into Russian and Polish recipes because they are also eaten in the Ukraine.  So again, I'm trying, but hey at least we are trying new and unique meals.







For our first International Night meal, J chose Chinese.  I thought "this is going to be easy" but I wanted to make something I hadn't made before so I chose General Tso's Chicken.  I'm not sure if it was the Hoisin sauce or the recipe or if I just messed it up but it did not taste like the chicken I've ordered at chinese restaurants.  Because I'm not sure if the problem was me, I'm not going to post the recipe.  Let's just say, it wasn't our favorite and I'm sure this won't be the only International Night that isn't a huge hit.

Doesn't this look delicious!  

The following week M chose French!  I was totally excited for all the pastries that I was going to make until I remembered that I shouldn't serve my kids pastries for dinner.  I searched online for hours but wasn't willing to make escargot or ANYTHING with duck liver (I at least want a chance at getting my kids to eat it) and finally settled on Croque Madame.

Croque Madame is more or less a very cheesy grilled ham & cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top but it was oh so delicious.  Everyone in the family loved it!  I also made French Beignets for dessert.  They tasted delicious but the dough didn't rise like it should have (I blame my yeast) so they were pretty flat.  Next time I make them, as long as they puff up, I'll try filling them with custard.

Look at all that cheesy goodness!

YUM!

For our next International Night, C chose Egypt!  This one had me worried.  What in the world do they eat in Egypt?  Turns out, really delicious and pretty food.

For this one I made Oven Roasted Chicken Schwarma, that I served on thick pita bread, along with hummus and Tabbouleh salad.  The Tumeric made the chicken a beautiful yellow-orange color and my house smelled amazing.  I wasn't sure how the cinnamon would taste with the other spices but it really was delicious.

I did have to alter the Tabbouleh Salad a bit.  Mint is not in season here so I had a really hard time finding it fresh so I just left it out.  I know it's not a "real" Tabbouleh salad without it but it was really good none the less.  I also couldn't find bulger wheat but the recipe said it could be substituted with Couscous.  I didn't have and couscous but I had quinoa which I've substituted for couscous so that's what I used.

For dessert I made a Basbousa Cake.  I used Cream of Wheat enriched farina in place of the semolina.  It was good but very sweet.  I think if I make it again I will only use half of the simple syrup recipe.

Okay, so now we're caught up to last night's International Night.  Being the kind wife that I am I told Trent that he should get to choose a country, too.  Of course, he decided to be difficult and chose Ukraine.

I did struggle with this one a bit because all the recipes I found were actually recipes from the surrounding countries.

I finally settled on Cabbage Rolls and Yabluchnyk (Apple Layer Cake).

I didn't want to do the cabbage rolls because we aren't big cabbage fans but I couldn't find much else and over and over I read that cabbage rolls are served at every big Ukrainian family function so I gave them a try.

They turned out really good.  The cabbage was really mild and the bacon, along with the filling, was tasty.  We did end up adding some salt and pepper but that's because of our American tastes, I'm sure.

The Apple Cake was delicious.  I could just snack on it all day.  The orange juice in the batter was a great contrast to the apples and cinnamon.

So far we are having so much fun with our weekly International Night meals.  I printed up a current list of countries for the kids to choose from and they all immediately chose their countries for the next 4 weeks.  Currently, there are 195 countries so this experiment is going to take us about 4 years to get through.  There are a few countries that I'm a bit worried about but it's going to be fun figuring it out.

Creamy Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

I love this recipe.   The roasted red peppers make it taste like I spent the whole day cooking but in reality, I only spent about half an hour.  

Creamy Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

• 1lb bowtie pasta
• 1 1/2lbs cooked chicken, sliced or cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 4T butter
• 1c half and half, room temperature
• 1c chicken broth
• 1t seasoned salt
• 12oz jar roasted red peppers, sliced (these are usually found on the condiment isle)
• 1c mozzarella, shredded
• Fresh parsley or basil, chopped

Cook the pasta according to the package.  While it cooks, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic til soft.  Whisk in the half & half and chicken broth.  Stir in the seasoned salt and mozzarella.  Lower the heat to keep the sauce from boiling.

Add the chicken and red pepper slices to the sauce.  Stir frequently and keep an eye on the heat so it doesn't boil.  Drain the cooked pasta and stir it together with the sauce.  Add chopped parsley or basil when serving.

Recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I love to make casseroles.  They are quick and easy and everyone seems to like them, but I get tired using the same ingredients over and over.  Even though this is a chicken casserole, it doesn't taste like every other one.  Adding the ham and the sauce makes this a very unique and tasty meal.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

• 2c cooked rice
• 3c cooked chicken, cut into 1 inc pieces
• 6 slices of swiss cheese (or enough to cover, if slicing it yourself)
• 10 slices of deli ham, chopping
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1/2c milk
• 1/2c sour cream
• 1/2c bread crumbs (or 10 saltine crackers)
• 1/2t paprika
• 1/4t garlic salt
• 1/2t parsley

Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray

Spread the cooked rice on the bottom of the baking dish.

Layer the chicken pieces on top of the rice.

Arrange the swiss cheese over the chicken.

Spread the ham on top of the swiss.

In a separate bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, milk and sour cream.  Spread on top of the ham.

Mix together the bread crumbs, paprkia, garlic salt and parsley.  Spread on top of soup mixture.

Bake at 350' for 30 minutes.

Recipe from: Organize and Decorate Everything

Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken

The first time I ever tasted a Jalapeno Popper was back when I was in college.  We had just finished an orchestra performance and as per tradition, headed over to Applebee's for a late dinner/celebration.  One of the performers worked at Applebee's and told us that they had this great appetizer that wasn't even on the menu.  He talked the cook into making some for us to try, and I've been addicted ever since.  

So, of course the idea of pairing Jalapeno Poppers with any main dish sounds awesome to me, but these little chicken rolls really were awesome.  And I love that I can eat them and not feel guilty because they are relatively low fat and low calorie.  

 Servings: 4    Serving Size: 2 stuffed breasts    Calories: 371

Fat:  17.5g    Protein: 42.7g    Carbs:  11g    Fiber:  1.5g

Sugar:  0.6g     Sodium: 355.8mg (without salt)

• 2 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 jalapenos, chopped (remove seeds for milder flavor)
• 3oz "1/3 less fat" cream cheese, softened
• 4oz reduced fat shredded cheedar jack cheese
• 2T chopped scallions
• 8 thin sliced chicken breast cutlets, 3oz each
• 1/2c Italian seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 juicy limes, juice of
• 1T olive oil
• salt and pepper
• olive oil non-stick cooking spray

Season chicken with salt and pepper.   Preheat oven to 450'.  Lightly spray a baking dish wiht non-stick spray.

Combine cream cheese, cheddar, scallions, jalapenos and bacon crumbles in a medium bowl.

Lay the chicken cutlets on a working surface and spread 2T of the cream cheese mixture on each cutlet.  Loosely roll each one, secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent the cheese from oozing out.

Place breadcrumbs in a bowl.

In a second bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Dip the chicken in the lime-oil mixture, then in the breadcrumbs and place seam side down on a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken.  When finished, lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray.

Bake for 22-25 minutes.  Serve immediately

On a side note, this filling also tastes wonderful as a cracker dip.  Yum!

Source: Gina's Skinny Recipes

Sweet & Spicy Bacon Chicken

I love this chicken.  It was so quick to but together and it really tastes great.  I made 12 pieces (4 chicken breasts) because my children have been on a "chicken strike" for a while now.  I figured we would have leftovers and I would get a nice lunch the following day.  Nope, my kids loved it.  They each ate 3 or 4 helpings and Dear Hubby and I had to make PB and Honey sandwiches later because the kids ate all of our chicken.

I cooked the chicken in the oven because, well, it's 6'F outside and I'm pretty sure Dear Hubby isn't willing to barbecue in that weather no matter how good the chicken is.  This would taste wonderful on the grill, though and I'm planning on trying it as soon at the weather warms a bit.

Sweet & Spicy Bacon Chicken 

•  4 Chicken breasts cut into thirds (12 pieces)
• 12 bacon slices (if you use thick slices, add a couple minutes to the cooking time)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic powder
• Chili powder
• Brown sugar

Cut each breast into 3 pieces, season all the chicken wiht the spices, then wrap a bacon slice around each piece, roll in brown sugar and place in an oven proof dish ... make sure to spray your dish with cooking spray or coat in olive oil.

Bake at 400' for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is nice and brown and crispy.

Souce: Diary of a recipe addict

Chicken Marsala

This recipe has now been added to my list of favorites.  It's not a quick recipe but it is easy & it tastes amazing.  My husband loved it & my 7 year old (who is extremely picky) asked if she could take the leftovers for school lunch.  The only thing that I would do differently is not cook it so long at the end.  I was trying to get dinner on the table while helping one child with homework & breaking up a fight between the other two so I ended up reducing the sauce a little more than I would have liked.  It still tasted amazing, there just wasn't as much to use as gravy for the potatoes.

You can get this recipe from Domestically Dreaming

It's that simple.  ENJOY!!!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

AND WE HAVE A WINNER!!!  It's so nice when I kids really enjoy the meal I make.  They are extremely picky & some nights I wonder why I even cooked when they would be much happier with chicken nuggets.  But this doesn't happen when I make these Taquitos.  All 3 of my kids eat at least 2 & are always telling me how much they love this dinner.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

• 3oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4c green salsa
• 1T fresh lime juice (1/2 a lime)
• 1/2t ground cumin
• 1t chili powder
• 1/2t onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3T chopped cilantro
• 2T sliced green onions
• 2C shredded cooked chicken
• 1c shredded Mexican flavored cheese
• 12 small flour tortillas (I buy the raw tortillas & cook them myself.  They taste so much better & they're easier to roll)
• salt
• cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 425'F.  Line a baking sheet with wax paper.  In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder & garlic.  Once combined, stir in the cilantro & green onions.  Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20-30 seconds).  It you are using the raw tortillas, cook them & then you won't have to reheat them in the microwave.

Spoon 2-3T of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla.  Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

Place the rolled tortillas, seam side down, on the baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas, until the mixture is gone.

Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. 

Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray & sprinkle with a little salt.  

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp & golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream & guacamole.

Recipe from Chef in Training

Black Bean & Corn Salsa Chicken Tacos

This is an extremely easy recipe to make & it freezes really well.  I like to make a double batch & then freeze half for when I need a quick meal.

Black Bean & Corn Salsa Chicken Tacos

• 2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 cans corn, drained
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 4-5 chicken breasts
• 1c salsa
• 3/4c water

Put the beans, corn, taco seasoning & water in a crock pot & mix together until the seasoning is dissolved.  Place the chicken breasts on top & spread salsa on the chicken.  Cook on high for about 4 hours.  Shred the meat & serve with home cooked taco shells & whatever taco toppings you like.  We used cheese, sour cream lettuce, avocados, tomatoes & hot sauce.

Recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff

Slow-cooker Chicken Fajitas

This was a great meal that I could just throw in the pot & forget about.  I really liked that the peppers cooked with the chicken so I wasn't dirtying a bunch of pans cooking everything separate.

Slow-cooker Chicken Fajitas

• 3 sweet peppers, sliced (I used red, green & orange simply because they looked pretty together)
• 1 1/2lbs chicken breast
• 1/2c chicken broth
• 1/2t salt
• 2T cumin
• 1 1/2T chili powder
• squirt of lime juice
• tortillas
• fajita fixings

Combine sliced onions & peppers in the bottom of a greased crockpot.  Lay chicken on top of the veggies.  Pour chicken broth over the top.  Sprinkle everything with cumin, salt, & chili powder.  Give a nice squirt of lime juice over the top.  Cover & cook on low for 8 hours.  When the meat is done, shred with two forks or better yet, use your Kitchen Aid) and stir back into the juices.  Serve meat mixture with a slotted spoon on tortillas with your choice of fixings.

Recipe from Stacy Makes Cents

Crockpot Honey Bourbon Chicken

I love to hear my kids say "I Love This Dinner!"  This chicken really was good & simple to make.  My 2 year old even had 3 helpings.

Honey Bourbon Chicken

• 1lb boneless chicken breasts
• 1t salt
• 1t pepper
• 1c honey
• 1/2c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4c ketchup
• 2T canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2c diced onion
• 1/4t red pepper flakes
• 2t cornstarch
• 6t water
• sesame seeds, for garnish (I forgot these in the photo)

Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot & sprinkle with salt & pepper on both sides.

In a medium bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, onion, & red pepper flakes.  Stir to combine well.  Pour over the chicken in the crockpot.  

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2hours.

When done, remove chicken from the pot & shred into large chunks.  

Prior to putting the chicken back into the crockpot, combine some cornstarch in water and whisk it into the crockpot to thicken up the sauce a bit.  

Throw the chicken back into the pot & stir around to recoat the chicken in the sauce.

Serve hot over a bed of white rice and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.

Recipe adapted from The Tasty Kitchen

Greek Salsa Chicken

Wow, is all I can say.  This recipe was so easy to make & was wonderful.  I definitely will be making this again, soon.

Greek Salsa Chicken

 Salsa:

• 4oz crumbled feta cheese
• 1c halved grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/4c pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4c minced fresh parsley
• 1/4c lemon juice
• 1/4c olive oil
• 1T freshly chopped oregano

Chicken:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (7oz each)
• pepper to taste
• 2T olive oil
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450'

In a large bowl, combine feta, tomatoes, olives, parsley, lemon juice, 1/4c olive oil and oregano.  Cover & chill in refrigerator.

Heat 2T olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat.  Season chicken  with kosher salt & pepper.  Sear chicken, about 1-2 minutes each side; remove from heat.

Squeeze lemon wedges over the chicken to coat.  Place the squeezed lemon wedges around the chicken breasts.  Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 25-30mins.  Transfer chicken & lemons to a large platter.  Top with Salsa.

Note:  I served the salsa on the side so that those who didn't want to try it (aka the kids) wouldn't have to.

Recipe from Sweet Pea's kitchen

Herb-Roasted Chicken

So I've failed in my goal to only post recipes that included pictures.  I forgot to take photos with 2 of the recipes that I made.  I probably should wait, to post the recipes, until I have made them again & taken photos but I didn't want to forget about these recipes.  So, I'll post them & you can use your imagination until I am able to take photos of them.

Herb-Roasted Chicken

Makes 4 servings

Calories: 285   Protein: 31g   Carbs: 3g   Total Fat: 16g   Fiber 1.5g

• 1 whole chicken, about 3 lbs (I adjusted this recipe & only used chicken breasts but I'm including the original recipe since I don't know the nutritional information for the things I adjusted).
• 2T dried rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram, or any combination of herbs (if using fresh herbs, reduce amounts to 1T)
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Butter-flavor nonstick cooking spray
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.  Clean chicken and place breast side up on rack in a roasting pan (you want to do this even if you're just using breasts so that you aren't cooking it in the fat drippings).

Rub the inside of the chicken (or the tops of the breasts) with the crushed garlic.  Use 10 spritzes of the cooking spray to coat the outside of the chicken and sprinkle evenly with the herbs, salt & pepper.

Cover with foil & bake for 55 minutes.  Bake uncovered for 15 additional minutes or until juices run clear.

Serve chicken without the skin to reduce calories.  Serve with Roasted Root Vegetables.

Recipe adapted from the TurboFire nutritional guide

Easy Chicken Quesadilla

This recipe was so easy to make but it tasted like it took a lot of time.  

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

• 1c shredded chicken  (tip)
• 1c taco blend shredded cheese
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1t Fajita seasoning
• 1/2c Ranch dressing
• 1/2 a yellow onion, diced
• Large flour tortillas (I buy the raw tortillas & cook them myself.  They taste so much better than the ready to eat ones, at the store)
• sour cream

Place the chicken in a bowl.  Set aside.

Saute the peppers & onions.  

To the chicken, add the peppers & onions, ranch dressing, fajita seasoning & mix well.  

Spread 1/2c of the mixture over half of a cooked flour tortilla, sprinkle with cheese & fold over.  

Place in a saute pan & cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  

Serve with sour cream for dipping .

Recipe from 3 Princes and a Princess 2

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella

I found this recipe on Pintrest.  It calls for Smoked Mozzarella but I couldn't find any at the store.  I figured it was more important to have that smokey flavor than the mozzarella flavor so I made it with Provolone.  It turned out really good.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella 

Topping:

• 3/4c bread crumbs (if you want to avoid the PHO & HFCS you'll need to make your own)
• 2T butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2lbs), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
• 12oz penne pasta
• 2T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced 
• 1t dried thyme
• 1/4c all-purpose flour
• 2c chicken broth
• 1c heavy cream
• 1t salt
• 1/2t pepper
• 1 1/2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
• 3oz smoked mozzarella, shredded
• 8oz jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained & chopped into pieces (I omitted these because my husband hates tomatoes)

* In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

* Preheat the oven to 400' and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven.  In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil.  Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli.  The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close!  Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green.  Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate.  Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven).  Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1T olive oil.  Leave in the colander and set aside.

* Wipe the pot dry.  Add the remaining 1T oil and return to medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic & thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add the flour, salt & pepper and cook , stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes.  Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.

*Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine.  Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping.  Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Another winning recipe for the whole family.  YEAH!!!  I love when I can get my kids to happily eat.

Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Filling:

• 2c shredded chicken (Tip)
• 2 (4oz) cans of green chilies, lightly drained
• 1pkg (8oz) cream cheese, cubed
• 1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of beans that you prefer)

Sauce:

• 2T butter
• 1/2c chopped onion
• 2T flour
• 1/3c chicken broth
• 1/4c milk
• 1/4t salt
• 1/4t pepper
• 1 can (7oz) green chile enchilada sauce
• 1/2c sour cream

• 8oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 medium flour tortillas (I recommend using the uncooked ones & cooking them yourself)
• Handful fresh chopped cilantro

*Preheat oven to 375'

*In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chilies.  Mix well.  Add the chicken & black beans.  Mix to combine.  Set aside.

*In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour over the onions & stir well.  Cook for 1 minutes, stirring.  Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk.  As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth.  Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat and sti in the enchilada sauce & sour cream.

*Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread about 1/4c of the sauce on the bottom of the dish.  Fill each tortilla with about 1/2c of the chicken/cream cheese filling.  Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoons for each enchilada.  Roll the tortillas up and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.  Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full.

*Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned.  Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top & serve.

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chicken Chimichangas

I love this recipe.  It's a little time consuming but definitely worth it.  I found it as a copy-cat recipe for the Chicken Chimichangas from Chi-Chi's restaurant.  We haven't had a Chi-Chi's in the area since I was a little kid so I can't tell you if it tastes the same but it is a really good recipe.  It is a little spicy so I usually make something else for my picky little eaters.  

Chicken Chimichangas

• 1/2c chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2T olive oil
• 1/3c chili powder
• 16oz salsa
• 1/4c water
• 1/2t ground cumin
• 1/2t ground cinnamon
• 1lb shredded chicken  (Tip)
• salt
• Six 10" flour tortillas, warmed
• 1c refried beans
• olive oil
• sour cream 
• guacamole
• cheese, grated

*Preheat oven to 425'.  Grease a 13x9 casserole dish.  

*In a large saucepan, saute the onion & garlic in oil until tender.  Stir in the chili powder, 2/3 jar salsa, water, cumin & cinnamon.  Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor.  Process until smooth.  NOTE:  Add a little more water if the mixture is too thick to blend.  Pour back into the saucepan; stir in the chicken.  Add salt to taste.

Have you ever tried using uncooked tortillas?  You can find them in the grocery store near the cheese.  They only take seconds to cook & they taste so much better than using the precooked ones.  

* Working with one tortillas at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of the refried beans down the center of each tortilla.  Top with 1/2c of the chicken mixture & a little grated cheese.

*Place the chimichangas in the greased baking pan, seam-side down.  Brush all sides with oil.

*  Bake for 15mins or until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 minutes. (I usually only turn them once & they're fine; just a little softer)

*Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole & cheese.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is supposed to be a "copycat" recipe of the Chicken Enchilada soup from Chili's restaurant.  I have never eaten their soup so I can't tell you how it compares but this recipe is really good.  I have brought it to a few family functions & have received many compliments on it.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

• 1/4c Canola oil
• 1 1/2c chicken broth
• 1 12c diced yellow onion
• 1t ground cumin
• 1t chili powder
• 1t garlic powder
• 1/4t cayenne pepper
• 1c Masa Harina flour (this is a tortilla flour.  You can find it on the Hispanic isle in the grocery store).
• 6 1/2c water
• 1c canner crushed tomatoes
• 4oz Velveeta
• 1 1/2lbs cooked chicken, shredded

• Shredded Cheddar
• Tortilla chips
• Pico de Gallo

Put oil into a large pan.  Add onions, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder & cayenne pepper.  Saute until the onions are soft & clear.  About 5mins.  Put the onion mixture into a crockpot.

In a large bowl, combine the Masa Harina with 2c of the water.  Stir until all the lumps have dissolved.  Add to the sauteed onions & mix together.  

Add the remaining water & the chicken broth to the pot.  Add the tomatoes & the shredded chicken.  

 I usually let this sit all day & cook but at least let it cook until heated. 

When ready to serve, add the Velveeta.

Dish into individual bowls & garnish with cheddar & Pico do Gallo.  You can either scoop the soup using the chips or crunch them up into the soup.

**This soup freezes well**

Chicken Rollatini with Prosciutto and Cheese

These roll-ups were really easy to make & my family loved them.  They aren't big so you'll want to eat at least two.  We used smoked ham, thinly sliced, from the deli.  It tasted great & was a lot cheaper than prosciutto.  

Chicken Rollatini

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 chicken • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 168.6 • Fat: 6.4 g • Protein: 22.1 g • Carb: 4.6 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Sugar: 0.0 g

• 8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
• 4 (2.8 oz) slices thin lean prosciutto, sliced in half
• 4 slices Sargento reduced fat provolone or mozzarella, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese (or parmesan)
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• fresh pepper
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• olive oil non-stick spray

Wash and dry cutlets well with paper towels. Combine breadcrumbs and grated cheese in one bowl and olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in another bowl.

Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Dip the chicken in the lemon-oil mixture, then in the breadcrumbs to coat well. Place each cutlet on a work surface such as a cutting board and lay 1/2 slice prosciutto, 1/2 slice cheese and a few chunks red onion on one side of the chicken cutlet.  

Roll and place seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, top with remaining crumbs and spray lightly with oil.

Bake 25 - 30 minutes. Serve immediately! 

Recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Parmesan Chicken

This is a meal I serve when I'm not really in the mood to cook.  I don't have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen & my family still gets a delicious home-cooked meal.

• 1/2c grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
• 1/2t garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400'.  Mix cheese, garlic & dressing mix in a bowl.  Moisten chicken with water, then coat with the cheese mixture.  Place in a 13x9 baking dish.  Top with additional cheese mixture.  Bake at 400' for 20-25 mins or until juices run clear.

Recipe from Zandra Wansgard (Pheasant Point 2nd ward)