Chicken and Dumplings

I love chicken and dumplings. My dad really loves chicken and dumplings, but no one in my family has learned how to make them for him. (I think he tried to learn once when we lived in GA)
Now, one day, I will learn how to make them from scratch, but until then this recipe will do. It is really very good.
So good in fact that I made it on a Tuesday, and Matt ate all the leftovers that week and requested I make it again for dinner on Monday. Which I did ( I did manage to get some leftover this time)
I have been torturing my dad with texts and taunts of this yummy yum, I am making them on Friday so I can take him his own big bowl of CnD. :-D Best daughter ever.
This recipe is adapted from Kevin and Amanda's Recipes
[Printable Recipe]
Ingredients:
1lb of chicken breasts (I used about 3 breasts)
10 bouillon cubes
2 qts water
2 c. bisquick
2/3 c. milk
2 tbsp butter
4 eggs
2 stalks of celery
1 small onion
20-25 baby carrots
Directions:
Put 10 bouillon cubes, chicken and water in a large pot and bring to a boil.

Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
While chicken is cooking boil the eggs. I do this by placing the eggs in a pot, covering with cold water and bringing to a boil. I boil for 1 min and then cover the pot and remove from heat. I let sit in the hot water for 17 mins then immediately place into a bowl of ice water and let cool completely.
When chicken is cooked, removed from pot.
In a small bowl mix together the bisquick and milk until a dough forms.
Drop spoonfuls of dough into the chicken stock.

Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes covered, then uncover and cook for another 10 mins.

While dough is cooking, cut veggies and sauté in a pan with the butter on a low heat. Let the veggies slowly become tender. Season with  a little pepper (avoid salt because the bouillon cubes add a lot of salt)


Cut the chicken into small pieces.

Add to the veggies and season with a little pepper.
Stir everything to combine.

Add the chicken and veggies to the stock.
Shell the eggs, and remove the yolks.

Chop the egg whites and add to the soup.

Stir everything to combine.

This takes about an hour start to finish but is totally worth the time. The original recipe didn’t call for onion and carrot, but I figured why not sneak in more veggies. I really like it with the added flavors.

When you go to reheat – sometimes you need to add a little water to thin it. I reheated mine in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time stirring in between. Matt reheated his on the stove. Both worked fine.  This is a must make!

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

[Printable Recipe]

Matt and I were watching Giada on the food network one day, and she made this dish. It looked so good that we printed the recipe and made it the next night for dinner. I also made it for my family when they came to visit. I think my brother ate 4 helpings (probably half of a 9x13 pan – no joke)
I describe this meal as a grownup’s mac and cheese. You have to try it.
Ingredients:
1 c. pastina pasta( or any small pasta – I used elbow)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 c. cubed chicken breast
1/2 c. diced onion ( I actually used more like 1 c.)
1 clove garlic (used more like 2 or 3, but we like garlic)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400.  Butter a baking dish.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over a high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender. Drain pasta into a large bowl.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes, dice the onion and garlic.
  
While pasta is cooking, put olive oil in the pan, and cook chicken, about 3 mins.  Season the chicken with garlic salt, pepper if desired

Add onions and garlic. Cook until onions are soft and the chicken is cooked.

Put chicken in bow with pasta. Add canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.


Place the mixture in the baking dish. I used to circular baking dish. I doubled the recipe and used a 9x13.

In a small bowl mix together bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture.
 
Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until top is golden brown, about 30 mins.



This was so good. Definitely making the rotation. My only suggestion is season all the layers, season the chicken, then season the mixture. I may try to use melted butter on top next time. There seemed to be some dry spots. But still worth making again, and again.

Chicken Enchiladas

Wow... sorry I went MIA... life is a little crazy right now. It comes in waves, lately I've been super busy, but I think I see it chilling out a bit... I think. Unfortunately, I have done basically 0 baking :( .

This is Dads- with salsa and peppers on top... i used sour cream

I did make my version of my dad's famous Chicken Enchiladas, I think his recipe came from the Members Mark chicken breasts in a can.

[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:



2 cans 13oz Members Mark premium chicken breast in water, drained

1 cup chili salsa

1 4oz can chopped green chilies

2.5 cup Heavy whipping cream

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

10 8" flour tortillas

Directions

1- combine salsa, chiles and chicken



2- place mixture in tortillas and roll (I added mixed Mexican cheese in the tortillas too)




3- place seam side down in 9 by 13 baking dish



Note: these are not 8 inch tortillas - they are much bigger burrito size - we only fit 5 in a pan

4- pour whipping cream over top ( dad only bought a small thing of it, but it gave me 2 cups, and it seemed to work fine)




5- bake for 45 mins at 350 degrees

6- sprinkle cheese on top with ten minutes remaining



yum-o

These were really good, very cheesy - I let dad help me and we loaded it up... but cheesy is good. I want to try them again with smaller tortillas - i liked the cheese in the middle too :-D This was a good and easy dinner.

Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole

I'm Back! The AC is working, and I am feeling nice and cool. I also read a really cool article on how to photograph food... gave me some pointers, maybe my pictures will get a little better. No promises though.

When I was little mom used to make this casserole a lot. I am sure I hated it at one point in time. But finally broke down and tried it and liked it. Just like the snickers bar. (SHOCKING I KNOW!)

Anyway, as I am thinking about getting ready to move, I was going through mom's recipe box copying things that I like so I can have them with me. I saw this one, and I have been craving it ever since. Then I was browsing the food blogs I read, and I saw someone made this too! I am pretty sure it was the same recipe, but I can't remember which one I saw it on, so I can't double check.

This comes from mom's recipe box

[Printable Recipe]


Ingredients:

1 Can cream of chicken soup

1 8oz can sour cream

4-5 chicken breasts (I used 4 but they were HUGE!)

poppy seeds

1 Sleeve Ritz crackers

1 stick butter

Directions:

Cook chicken and dice them. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with the diced chicken.

Cooked and diced chicken


mix the soup and sour cream together and spread over the chicken.

Smother with mixture


sprinkle with poppy seeds ( Note: 1/2 the casserole has poppy seeds sparingly for Matt's belly)

yummy poppy seeds


Bake 350 for 20 mins until bubbly.

After 20 mins, crush a sleeve of ritz and mix with 1 stick melted butter.

Mixing Ritz and butter


Sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 5 more mins.

The finished product


It tasted just like my mom used to make it. Matt liked it so that is good. I will be making it again but with 1/2 the pan without poppy seeds. They aren't good for Matt's belly. The blog that I saw made with without poppy seeds and said it was yummy. I am sure it would be fine without. It was quite a hit here...I took my serving and went back to clean up and it was almost gone!
easy peasy

Chicken Kitchen

[Printable Recipe]


Chicken Kitchen with Mustard Curry Sauce

If you have ever had the pleasure of eating at a Chicken Kitchen you are so lucky. I was introduced to this yum yum on my first trip to Miami, spring break 2006. Matt always talked about how good this is, but it wasn't until I had it that my life was changed. Ok, exaggeration, but I find myself craving it often. CK is located in FL(there is one in Orlando mom and dad Tracy), TX and CO. Being in Maryland we don't have it. It makes us sad. The famous CK Chop Chop is yellow rice, grilled chicken and the sauce of your choosing. The mustard curry is the most popular, but they offer sweet and sour, and bbq.

Matt, having grown up eating CK and missing it most, found the recipe for the famous mustard curry sauce, made it, and we have found the almost perfect replication.

Now I have said before I am a picky and plain eater. I don't like the curry sauce, I use sweet and sour sauce. But it is still super good to me.

What I use, unless I have leftover from China Wok


We make the basic Chop Chop.
Ingredients


Ingredients:

chicken tenderloins

Goya yellow rice

2 tbsp Mayonnaise

1 tsp Yellow Mustard

1/2 tsp Curry Powder

1-2 tbsp Water

Directions:

Matt always makes his sauce while I start cutting up the chicken. I watched this time, but it is simple, mix the mayo, mustard, curry and water.

pre water and mixing


Finished sauce


It shouldn't be too thin, but it is personal preference how thin it is. You don't want it watered down too much. Matt puts it in the fridge to chill until the rest of the meal is ready. The recipe should be doubled or tripled depending on how many people are eating. Matt doubles the recipe when it is just us eating (just him using the sauce) but he also eats enough for 2. I think the couple times we have made this for my family we doubled the recipe, and made it twice.

I take the chicken and cut into small pieces.

chicken

That's a lot of chicken


Once the chicken is cut, start the rice according to the packaging. It takes 25 mins to cook.

cooked rice


I spray my pan with PAM and put in the chicken.

Season with garlic salt and pepper. The pieces cook pretty quickly, I like to let them get a little brown.



When everything is ready it is time to eat.

Put a bed of rice on the plate, add your chicken and sauce, mix and eat.

Matt's


Mine


CK serves with a pita, we skip it. Your choice.

Those who have had the real deal, and our version have said they are very similar. I agree. Now we get CK without flying to Miami!