chicken

by

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

The Best I Ever Made
The Best I Ever Made

Here I go again with another casserole.  Maybe I should rename my blog site to “Casseroles for you and me”.  I can’t help it.  Having a casserole in the freezer makes me a “happy gal”.  I don’t have to worry “what’s for dinner”.  This is one of my go to casseroles.  It is so easy and kids to adults love it.  I’ll bet you will be like me and want to eat all the topping, right out of the bowl.  Yum!!!   Make one tonight, but you know me, make two or three – one for your family, one for the freezer and one to share.  The picture below shows an afternoon of cooking I did last week.   My nephew and his sweet wife had a new baby boy, Maddox.  So, since what I do is cook, I made casseroles.   Now, when they are tired and no one is bringing dinner, they can pop one in the oven and dinner is ready.   The great thing about making casseroles and delivering them frozen is that you can cook on your time schedule and they can heat and enjoy them on their time schedule.  Easy for all.   Who do you know that you can share the joy of “dinner is ready” with a casserole for their freezer or dinner that night?  Be a Blessing!

Burrito Supreme, Easy Shepperd’s Pie, Poppy Seed Chicken

 

I like using Frozen Chicken Tenderloins
Make sure to remove the tendons from the chicken tenderloins
Cut cooked chicken into cubes with Kitchen Shears.
IMG_1810
Sleeves of crackers in plastic bag.
Use mallet to crush.
Butter, crushed crackers and poppy seeds
Butter, crushed crackers
and poppy seeds ready
to mix together.

Cooked all bubbly and ready to serve and enjoy

Cooked all bubbly and ready
to serve and enjoy.   “The Best I Ever Made”

Poppy Seed Chicken

Delicious chicken casserole with a buttery, cracker topping
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts or 1- 2 lb. bag frozen chicken tenders
  • 1 can mushroom soup
  • 1 8 oz sour cream
  • 1 stick Ritz Cracker or Club Crackers, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 stick butter salted

Method
 

  1. Boil chicken. Remove skin, debone, and cut up.
  2. Mix soup, sour cream and chicken.
  3. Pour into casserole dish.
  4. Mix crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter.
  5. Spread over chicken.
  6. Bake in preheated oven 350 degrees till hot and bubbly around 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Notes

I like to make 2 small 8X8 pans sometimes instead of 1 larger casserole. 
To Freeze:  Place in freezer safe container.  Make sure to cool completely before freezing.
To Serve:  Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 degrees till hot and bubbly around 45 minutes to 1 hour.
May be cooked frozen, add extra time. 
Tidbit Tip:  To cool casserole quicker before freezing, place lightly covered casserole in refrigerator or the freezer.  Once cool wrap tightly and freeze.    It freezes  great.   Yum, Yum.  Enjoy 

by

Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake with Chicken

IMG_1069

All the cold weather here in Atlanta makes me long for comfort food, but you can only eat so much pot roast and chili although we have had some great Southwestern Black Bean Chili.  To the rescue is this delicious pasta casserole with garden vegetables and chicken. I love the sauce made with chicken broth, oregano, flour and other spices.  Of course, you know I love sauces.  I also like using low-fat cream cheese without affecting the taste or texture.  This dish is so colorful with the cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas. See below for difference between sugar snap peas and snow peas. If you don’t like these particular vegetables use ones you do like.  I think this recipe is a good starting place for lots of variations of vegetables and even different filled Tortellini’s.   What would you and your family like?  Leave me a comment I would love to see what combinations you come up with.  Let’s eat our veggies!!!

Tortellini in boiling water
Add Ingredients mixed together before pouring into baking dish
"The Best I Ever Made"
“The Best I Ever Made”

Snow Peas and Sugar Snap Peas

Prepare to be confused till you are not-confused!!! 

There are generally 3 types of green peas. The one we know best is the Garden Pea, probably one of the first things you ate as a child.  Then the Snow Pea, used in Chinese food and the Sugar Snap Pea which is a combination of both developed by Calvin Lamborn in 1979.  

Garden Peas – the ones of “eat your peas and carrots”.  Their pods are rounded and full of large peas.  Their pods are not edible; must be shelled and then the peas can be eaten raw or cooked.

Snow Peas – Chinese Peas —Their pods are edible and are flat, wide,  flexible and bend easily.  They are not shelled, they are eaten whole, raw or cooked. The peas are very small and appear as tiny bumps that can be seen through the thin skin.  They are most often used in Chinese stir-fry dishes.

Sugar Snap Peas – the combination of Garden Peas and Snow Peas –Their pods are edible; they do not need to be shelled but can be.  The peas are large and sweet and can be eaten raw or cooked.  Their shape is similar to a traditional garden pea pod fat and rounded.

The bottom line is you can use either Snow Peas or Sugar Snap Peas in this recipe.  I prefer Sugar Snap Peas, but hey you may want roasted broccoli now that sounds good!

Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake with Chicken

Delish pasta casserole with garden vegetables and optional chicken
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 10 ounces dried or two 9 ounce packages of refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into small pieces
  • 1 carrot sliced
  • 1.5 cups sugar snap peas
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
Cream Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Topping
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Method
 

  1. Cook the tortellini in boiling water
  2. Add sliced carrots during the last 5 minutes and the sugar peas during the last 1 minute; then drain
  3. Sauté the chicken and mushrooms in butter in a skillet for 5 minutes until done, then remove from pan.
Cream Sauce
  1. Whisk chicken broth, flour, oregano, garlic salt and pepper with milk in the skillet. Cook until bubbly, stir in the cream cheese until smooth, and remove from heat and add splash of lemon juice
Combine Cream Sauce with chicken and vegetables
  1. Toss the tortellini, vegetables, chicken, and sauce together.
  2. Transfer to a 13X9 inch baking dish
  3. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, uncover, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Notes

Try different vegetables, whatever you have on hand.
Make it vegetarian by leaving out the chicken. 
Enjoy!  It will the “Best You Ever Made.”

 

 

 

 

 

by

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

IMG_1383

These Enchiladas are not your typical enchiladas.  No tomato or enchilada sauces at all.  They have this creamy, full of flavor sour cream sauce.  ( I should be know as the Saucy Gal-I love sauces).  I made these so many times over the Holidays for Dinner Parties and for quick dinners.  The quick dinners happened because I always doubled the recipe to have some for the freezer.  Even for the Dinner Parties I made them ahead so I could be out of the kitchen enjoying my guest.  They come out of the oven so beautifully browned and people just ooh and aah over them.  But when they taste them the accolades really start.   And of course, you have told them  “They are the Best I Ever Made”.  Win, Win!!!   Enjoy!

 

Melt butter with flour- to form a paste.
Roll up tortillas with chicken mixture spread down the middle.
Pour sour cream mixture into bottom of baking dish sprayed with Pam
Pour sour cream mixture into bottom of baking dish sprayed with Cooking Spray
Place rolled tortillas in baking dish

 

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream

Creamy, flavor filled chicken enchiladas with a sour cream sauce
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups 4 cheese Mexican- shredded
  • 1 cup mild cheddar cheese – shredded
  • 2 cans green chilies – diced 4 oz. size
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder (more if you want it spicer)
  • 16 ounces sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tortillas

Method
 

  1. Melt butter add flour to form a paste. Mix well making a paste
  2. Slowly add broth and cook until bubbly
  3. Add sour cream mixing well and set aside
  4. Mix together chicken, onion, green chilies, cumin, chili powder, salt and 4 cheese Mexican cheese. Mix well
  5. Pour enough sour cream sauce in a 9 X 13 pan to cover the bottom
  6. Spread out tortillas and evenly distribute chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla
  7. Roll up each tortilla and place in prepared baking dish
  8. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas, spreading to cover
  9. Sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly on top
  10. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly

Notes

Make a complete Mexican dinner by serving with re-fried beans, Mexican rice, chips and salsa.
To Freeze:  Bake without cheddar cheese.  Cool completely and wrap tightly in foil.
To cook frozen:   Bake as directions above, but adding additional time.  When bubbly, top with cheddar cheese and continue to bake till cheese is melted. 
This dish freezes well; you wouldn’t think so with sour cream but it does.  Your family will love this creamy, yummy twist on a Mexican dinner.  Enjoy!
It will be “The Best You Ever Made”