Dawn's Tortilla Soup

Everyone enjoys this soup...and my cook book might not last forever...just noticed a spill!  So here it is for posterity...and anyone else who might want it!

Heavenly Chicken

I LOVED this meal when I was a teenager. Mom would make it when I came home on visits from college. Yesterday, I made it. Boy was it delicious!

Here is what you do.  The sauce is 1/2 a jar of apricot preserves mixed with 1 package of dry onion soup mix and 1/2 a bottle of Russian dressing.   Slather it on your chicken, reserving some to add on when you flip the chicken.  Bake in an oven. Add more when you flip and at the end of the cooking time.

Serve with rice and a side of peas.  Bon Apetite!  (After we devoured this...I went grocery shopping and picked up ingredients for another day!  I'll snap a pix of the meal and add it next time.)

Ranch Chicken Melt

3 cups chicken breast, boiled and cubed
1 celery, thinly diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 green onions, diced
1 shake garlic powder
1/2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix, dry
3/4cup mayonnaise
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 tomato, diced
1 French bread loaf, sliced 2 inches thick

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all the ingredients, except the tomato to the consistency of dry tuna and then carefully add the tomato. Spread butter on the bread slices and then place chicken mixture on the top of each slice. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Makes about 8 slices.

mexican chicken lasagna (PC)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (50 mL) lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 pkg (8 oz/250 g) cream cheese

2 cups (500 mL) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided (8 oz/250 g)

1 medium onion (about 2/3 cup/150 mL chopped)

1 can (28 oz/825 mL) enchilada sauce (see Cook’s Tip)

12 (6-in.) corn tortillas

3 cups (750 mL) diced or shredded cooked chicken

Additional chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)


Directions:
1. Chop cilantro with Chef's Knife. Place cream cheese in Classic Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Add cilantro and 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) of the Monterey Jack cheese; mix well. Chop onion using Food Chopper; set aside. Spread 2/3 cup (150 mL) of the enchilada sauce over bottom of Deep Covered Baker. Pour remaining enchilada sauce into Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl; set aside.

2. To assemble lasagna, using Sauté Tongs, dip four of the tortillas into enchilada sauce in mixing bowl and arrange over sauce in baker, overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over tortillas using Small Scoop; spread using Small Spreader. Top with 1 cup (250 mL) of the chicken and one-third of the onion. Repeat layers one time. Dip remaining tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) Monterey Jack cheese.

3. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until center is hot. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro. Cut into squares using Utility Knife; serve using Mini-Serving Spatula.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 400, Total Fat 23 g, Saturated Fat 12 g, Cholesterol 105 mg, Carbohydrate 24 g, Protein 26 g, Sodium 680 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, 1 bottle (22 oz/650 mL) medium salsa combined with 1/2 cup (125 mL) water can be substituted for the enchilada sauce.

another Teri-- Delightful chicken

Teri took her Covered Stoneware Baker from PC but you could use any covered whatever.

Placed 3 (or how many) again frozen chicken breasts in the bottom. Poured over a full, large bottle of Kraft Classic Caesar Salad Dip and Dressing and let 'er bake. I'll correct the time and temp when next I chat with her

The chicken falls apart so nicely. Great over pasta.

chix salad in pastry

Chicken Salad in Pastry


Puff Pastry Ring
1 1/3 cups water
2/3 cup butter
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery seed
6 large egg

Chicken salad
3 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup + 1 T honey mustard
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cracked pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
curly leaf lettuce



1 Ring: Trace or cut out a 9" circle on a piece of parchment. Turn paper over, and place on a greased baking sheet; set aside.
2 Combine water and butter in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil Combine flour, salt, and celery seeds; stir well. Add to butter mixture, all at once. stirring vigorously over medium-high heat til mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a smooth ball. Remove from heat, and let cool 2 minutes.
3 Add eggs, o ne at a time, beating thoroughly with a wooden spoon after each additioin; beat til dough is smooth. Spoon dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip. Working quickly, pepe dough into 12 rosettes on 9" circle.
4 Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes or til puffed and golden. Let cool on a wire rack away from drafts.
5 Salad: Combine chickena dn celery in a bowl. Combine mayo and next 5 ingredients; stir well. Add to chicken mixture; toss gently. Stir in almosnds.
6 Sp[lit puff pastry ring in half horizontally; remove and discard soft dough inside. Line bottom half of pastry ring with luttuce; top with chicken salad Replace pastry ring top.


Servings: 12

OG parmesan crusted chicken

Olive Garden Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1 cup plain bread crumbs 2 Tbs flour 1/4 cup Kraft Parmesan Cheese 1 cup milk 6 1/2" thick pieces of chicken breast strips, chicken tenders vegetable oil for frying 2 cups dry bowtie pasta 2 Tbs butter 3 Tbs olive oil 2 tsp crushed garlic 1/2 cup apple juice 1/4 cup water 2 Tbs flour 3/4 cup half and half 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp basil leaves 3/4 cup mild asiago cheese, finely grated GARNISH 4 broccoli Florets, lightly steamed 2 white mushrooms, quartered, lightly steamed 1/4 cup crushed red pepper 1 Prepare pasta according to package directions. Wash and drain chicken strips. Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together. Place milk in dish for dipping. Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs. Place in fry pan that the oil has been heated and fry at medium to medium low temperature until golden. Remove and drain chicken. In a saucepan on medium heat, melt butter, add olive oil. Whisk in flour until mixture is blended. Quickly add garlic, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt stir well. Add apple juice and blend. Immediately add half and half and sour cream stir. When mixture is smooth add grated cheese stir until melted. Finally sprinkle fresh basil in the sauce and stir lightly and remove from heat. 2 Garnish Broccoli Florets (lightly steamed) White Mushrooms (quartered lightly steamed) /4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Assembly: Place 2 cups pasta in individual a pasta dish. Spoon about 1/2 - 3/4 cup sauce over pasta, add broccoli and mushrooms. Place Parmesan Chicken on pasta and sprinkle red crushed pepper and add grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Servings: 2

applebee's santa fe stuffed chicken

Applebee's Santa Fe Stuffed Chicken

8 boned, skinned chicken breast halves 8 oz block Monterey Jack cheese, divided 1 cup Italian bread crumbs 1 1/2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 Tbs butter 1 Tbs flour 1 cup milk 1 small red bell pepper, diced 1 small green bell pepper, diced Place 1 chicken breast between two sheets of wax paper. Working from the center to the edges pound with a meat mallet until flat and rectangular shaped. Repeat with remaining breasts. Cut half of the cheese block into 8 slices. Wrap each flattened chicken breasts around a slice of cheese. Secure with wooden picks or uncooked spaghetti noodles. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, cumin, and pepper. Roll the secured chicken pieces in the melted butter and then in the bread crumb mixture. Place chicken breasts in a 13" X 9" baking dish, being careful not to crowd them. Drizzle remaining butter over the breasts. Refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze to bake later (baking time will be increased by about 5-10 minutes). Bake in 400F degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Grate remaining cheese. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour, whisk in milk, then bring to a simmer. Add cheese, reduce heat, and simmer until thick, stirring constantly so cheese doesn't burn. Place chicken on plates, pour sauce over, and top with diced peppers. Servings: 8

applebee's Oriental chicken salad...dawn's favorite

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

3 Tbs honey 1-1/2 Tbs rice wine vinegar 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon grey poupon dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil SALAD 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup cornflakes 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast 2 cups vegetable oil for fryingq 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce 1 cup red cabbages 1 cup napa cabbages 1/2 carrot, julienned 1 green onion , chopped 1 Tbs sliced almonds 1/3 cup chow mein noodles 1 Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep pan over medium heat. You want the temperature of the oil to be around 350 degrees. 2 Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Put dressing in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the salad. 3 In a small, shallow bowl beat egg, add milk, and mix well. In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt and pepper. Cut chicken breast into 4 or 5 long strips. Dip each strip of chicken first into egg mixture then into the flour mixture, coating each piece completely. 4 Fry each chicken finger for 5 minutes or until coating has darkened to brown. 5 Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots. Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles. 6 Cut the chicken into small bite-size chunks. Place the chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle. Serve with salad dressing on the side. (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com) Makes 1 dinner-size salad.

PC Lemony Chicken Popover Puff

Popover Puff
3 T margarine, melted, divided
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 t. salt

Chicken and Vegetable Filling
2 medium carrots, pelled
1 cup sugar snap peas, cut in half
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T butter or margarine
1 lemon
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1-1/2 t. Pantry All-purpose Dill Mix (PC)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450. For popover puff, measure 1 T of the butter into Deep Dish Baker; brush over bottom ONLY. In bowl, combine milk, eggs and remaining butter using a whisk. In small bowl, stir together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; whisk 1 minute or til smooth. Pour batter into baker. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350, continue baking 10-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, prepare chicken and vegetable filling. Using Crinkle Cutter, cut carrots in half lengthwise then corsswise into 1/2" slices for a total of 1 cup. Chop onion. Place carrots, snap peas, onion and butter in covered microwave dish and microwave, covered on HIGH 2-3 minutes or til vegetables are crisp-tender; set aside.

3. Juice lemon to measure 2 T. juice. In bowl, combine lemon juice, soup, chicken, bell pepper and dill mix; mix well. Microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes or until hot stirring once. Add cheese and half of the vegetable mixture into the filling; mix gently.

4. Remove puff from oven to Cooling Rack; let stand 3 minutes or until puff begins to fall. If necessary, cut around sides of puff to loosen from baker. Spoon filling into puff; arrange remaining vegetable mixture around edges. Slice and serve.

yields 8 servings.

PS. you can substitute broccoli florets. Dried dill weed can be substituted for the dill weed mix.

copy cat that!

Applebee's Spicy Orange chicken Bowl
	Spicy Orange Sauce 1 cup orange juice 1/2 cup light brown sugar 3 Tbs orange marmalade 2 Tbs soy sauce 1 Tbs vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon minced parsley 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes 1/4 tsp minced garlic 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme 1 tsp rice vinegar Almond Rice Pilaf 3 Tbs butter 1 cup uncooked converted rice 2-1/4 cups chicken broth 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds 1/4 cup diced celery 1/4 cup diced onions 1 teaspoon minced parsley OTHER 20 ounces breaded chicken fingers, baked --approx 12 strips 1-1/2 cups broccoli florets 1 cup sliced red bell peppers 1 cup sliced mushrooms 3/4 cup sugar snap peas 1/4 cup shredded carrots 1/2 cup crispy chow mein noodles 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds 1 Make the spicy orange sauce by combining all ingredients, except vinegar, in a medium saucepan. Simmer over med/low heat for 15 minutes or til thick...might need to add cornstarch/mixed with a little water to thicken. Remove sauce from heat and add vinegar 2 Make rice pilaf by melting 2 T. butter ofmediumheat in a med. saucepan. Be sure to use a saucepan with a lid. Add 1 cup uncooked converted rice and saute rice for 2-4 minutes in butter or til some of the rice begins to turn light brown. As the rice is cooking heat chicken stock on high in microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or until stock begins to bubble. When the rice begins to brown, quickly add the hot stock and salt to the pan. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer rice for 20 mionutes. As the rice cooks, melt remaining 1 T. butter in a medium skillet over mediumheat. Add almonds and saute for 1-2 minutes ro tuntil the almonds begin to brown. Add celery and onions and saute for another couple of minutes until the onion begins to turn translucent. When the rice has cooked for 20 minutes, remove it from the heat. Add almonds, celery, onion, and parsley to the rice, then let it sit, covered, for 5 miknutes or until the remaining liquid is absorbed. 3 If you haven't already baked your chicken fingers, now's the time to cook them following the directions on the package. 4 Steam the broccoli, red bell pepper, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and carrot in a steamer basekt in a covered suacepan over simmering water for 10 miknutes or until the broccoli si tender. Salt and pepper the veggies 5 Prepare each dish by spooning 2 cups of the rice pilaf into two large bowls. Divide the steamed vegetables in half and spoon them over the rice. Cut each of the chicken fingers in half and slide them into a large bowl. Pour the orange sauce over the chicken and toss. Spoon the chicken and sauce onto the veggies in each bow. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of chow meain noodles over each dish, followed by about 2 Tablespoons of almonds 6 serve. Servings: 2 but almost 3, depending on how piggly wiggly you are. Next time I will not thicken the sauce as much.

Ranch Style Chicken from hank and marissa

We just returned from Hotlanta and had a lovely near week...this is what Hank and Marissa served us on the first night. Ranch Style Chicken from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Website

Theirs turned out looking exactly like this picture.

I have copied only the Pioneer Woman's running dialog/recipe but if you go the link, you can see the actual pictures or the recipe in progress.







The Cast of Characters:

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Thick cut bacon
Bacon grease
Honey
Dijon Mustard
Lemon juice
Paprika
Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Canola oil (not shown, because I’m an airhead.)

To begin, mix together 1/2 cup Dijon or country/grainy mustard with 1/2 cup honey. Add juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. And have some fun here! Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy.

Whisk it together until smooth.

Next, rinse the chicken breasts under cool water and pat them dry.

We’re going to pound the chicken breasts so they have a more uniform thickness, which means they’ll cook more evenly and won’t be dry around the edges.

Plus, I just like to pound things with my mallet. It’s an unbelievably effective stress reducer.

Place one chicken breast between two sheets of waxed paper…

Lightly pat the waxed paper so it adheres to the chicken. The reason we’re using waxed paper is that it will prevent teeny tiny bits of grody raw chicken from flying al over the kitchen.

Because nothing ruins your day more than finding a teeny tiny bit of grody raw chicken stuck to the side of your blender. *Shudder.*

With a mallet or a rolling pin (you can also use a heavy can!) lightly pound the chicken breast so that the thickness is uniform. By the time it all evens up, it’s usually around 1/2 to 3/4″ thick.

Nice and even. And you can go ahead and trim off the little pieces of fat if you’d like. Also, if the chicken breasts are overly huge, I often cut them in half just to create more manageable (and kid-friendly) pieces.

Next, just add all the chicken to the bowl with the marinade. You’ll want to cover this with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge for at least an hour—usually I let it go about 2 to 3 hours, but that’s only because I’m always running behind.

While the chicken is marinating, go ahead and fry up some bacon:

I happen to think there’s nothing better on earth than thick cut peppered bacon. But not all areas of the country—or supermarket chains—agree. So any kind of bacon will do; just keep in mind that the bacon will eventually go into the oven, so you don’t want to get it too crisp in the skillet.

A warning about thick cut (or any) bacon: make ten times (not an exaggeration) more than you think you’re going to need. This has been a public service announcement.

Next, and this is important, reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease, and go ahead and clean out the skillet. Otherwise, it’ll get too smoky.

When you’re ready to prepare the chicken, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade into the sink. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with an equal quantity of Canola Oil in the clean skillet over medium-high to high heat. (We want to sear the chicken, not cook it completely.) When the grease is sufficiently heated, add a batch of chicken to the skillet. Don’t overcrowd the skillet—just 3 pieces is usually enough.

Watch the chicken, and when it starts to get brown/black on one side…

Flip it to the other side. Cook just until brown/blackish areas appear. Each side should cook for a maximum of 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Fact: Your kitchen smells divine right about now.

Repeat with all the chicken breasts, then set them on a large baking sheet. If you look a little closer, you’ll notice the chicken is definitely not fully cooked. Gross, man.

Go ahead and throw the pan of chicken into the hot oven for about ten minutes to continue cooking. Then remove the pan from the oven…

And lay a couple of bacon slices over each chicken breast.

Next, grab some grated sharp cheddar and sprinkle it over the top as generously as you’d like.

I really like to grate my own cheese. I just like the way it melts.

Just return the pan to the oven for an additional five minutes, or until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling.

Then serve immediately…

Monterey Chicken

Dawn Mercedes' Monterey Chicken

1/4 c. flour


7-8 T taco seasoning


4 pieces of chicken breast...I had chicken tenders...and had a heaping plate of them.


1/2 c. butter, melted


2 c. tortilla chips, crushed...a lot


3 T. finely chopped onion


1T. oil


2 T. flour


1/4 t. salt


1 can evaporated mlk


1/4 t. hot pepper sauce (or a few dabs)


1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I had colby monterey jack in stock today.)


1/4 c. sliced olives


1 t. lemon juice (or a splash)




Put flour and taco seasoning in brown lunch bag. Shake chicken (a few at a time) in the bag to coat. Dip into the butter. Then roll in the tortilla chips. Back at 375 for 50 minutes. (Again I did not set a timer so just keep an eye on them.) I flipped the chicken at some point during the cook time.




Saute onion in the oil. Then add flour, salk, milk and hot sauce. Cook until thick. Add cheese, olives and lemon juice. Stir until cheese melts. Serve chicken and sauce on a bed of lettuce.




Ken loved this...I mean LOVED it. LIke he was trying to get every last chip morsel left in the pan. And the cheese sauce would make a nice dip for chips. We had maybe a cup left over. Also, our friend, Chef Randy suggested that you serve the sauce on the side. Or serve it UNDER the chicken so as not to lose the crispy crust on the poultry.