Greek Salsa Chicken

If you love a dish with big, salty, yummy Mediterranean flavors, this is for you.

From Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Ingredients:
For the salsa:
~4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
~1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
~1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
~1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
~1/4 cup lemon juice
~1/4 cup olive oil
~1 tbs. freshly chopped oregano

For the chicken:
~6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
~salt & pepper
~2 tbs. olive oil
~2 lemons, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine salsa ingredients. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tbs. olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat (I don't have a roasting pan that is stovetop safe, so I used a pot and transferred to my roasting pan when it was time for the oven).
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown; about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
4. Squeeze lemons over chicken. Place squeezed lemons around the chicken in the roasting pan. Roast until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 25-35 minutes. Chicken will form a delicious brown crust on the outside. Serve with salsa.

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas

From Six Sisters' Stuff, original recipe from Dinner on a Dime

You will want to eat these all the time. An EXCELLENT enchilada dish. The marinade, while so simple, is super delicious.

Ingredients:

Marinade:

~6 tbs. honey

~5 tbs. fresh lime juice (1 large lime)

~1 tbs. chili powder

~1/2 tsp. garlic powder

~1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used ground chicken b/c I had it on hand)

~8 tortillas

~1 pound Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

~16oz. green enchilada sauce 

~1 cup heavy cream

1. Whisk the first four ingredients and toss in a ziploc bag with the chicken. Let it marinade at least half a day (I cooked the chicken the night before and let it marinade overnight).

2. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

3. Fill tortillas with chicken and cheese. Save the marinade!

4. Mix remaining enchilada sauce with cream and leftover marinade.

5. Cover the top in cheese.

6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. 

Brunswick Stew

Soup does not get easier than this, folks. Give it a try on a night when you work late!

From Paula Deen

~4 slices bacon, chopped
~1 large onion, chopped
~1 rotisserie chicken, meat chopped
~1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
~1 16oz. can creamed corn
~10oz. frozen lima beans (I do not like lima beans, so we used a can of Northern beans instead)
~1 cup chicken broth
~1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I recommend smoky rather than sweet. I used a sweet one and the smoky flavor would make more sense)
~1 tbs. distilled white vinegar
~1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
~1/2 tsp. celery salt
~black pepper

1. In a large saucepan (I used my soup pot), cook the bacon over medium-high heat until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 more minutes.
2. Add the chicken, tomatoes, corn, beans, barbecue sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire, celery salt, and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the lima beans are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Mandy Forester's White Chicken Chili

Our friends Dave & Stef introduced us to this yummy chili. The recipe calls for you to cook it quickly in your crockpot on the high setting, but we actually cook it low and slow all day long. Instructions for both are included.

Featured on Rachael Ray's website.

Ingredients:
~1 32oz. box chicken stock
~3 cans white beans, left undrained
~5 cups cooked chicken*
~1 16oz. jar salsa (I think a black bean and corn salsa adds a nice flavor and texture)
~1 8oz. block pepperjack cheese, grated
~2 teaspoons ground cumin
~2 cloves garlic, minced
~black pepper to taste
~1/2 cup crushed Frito chips (optional - it helps thicken the soup)
~sour cream and extra cheese, for garnish

*If cooking on high for the quick method, use cooked chicken. If cooking low and slow, you can use uncooked chicken. I use 1 and 1/2 lbs. fresh chicken tenderloins when cooking all day.

1. Place all ingredients but corn chips in crockpot and cook on high until cheese is melted. If cooking all day, cook on low for 7-8 hours.
2. When chili is ready, add corn chips and cook 10 more minutes to thicken. Serve into bowls and top with more chips, sour cream, and cheese.

Rosemary Chicken & White Bean Stew

We LOVE this stew. I adapted this recipe from the cookbook that came with my crockpot. In the book, it was not the stew, but just the chicken and veggies. If want to make just the chicken and veggies instead of the stew, you would just use less veggies and only 1/2 cup of dressing.

Ingredients:
~2 tbs. oil
~4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
~2 cups carrots, chopped
~2 cups celery, chopped
~2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
~1/2 tsp. salt
~1/2 tsp. pepper
~1 tsp. dried rosemary
~1 bottle Italian salad dressing

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken.
2. Place celery, carrots, and beans in the bottom of the crockpot and add the chicken.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the salt, pepper, rosemary, and Italian dressing and pour over the other ingredients. Stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Chicken-Corn Chili

A hearty version of white chicken chili.  Delish!

From Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:
~1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
~1 small onion, chopped
~2 cloves garlic, minced
~1 large jalapeno pepper, chopped (I don't care for them, so I left them out and added another can of green chilies)
~1 4 oz. can green chilies
~1 tsp. ground cumin
~2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
~2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
~2 15oz. cans great northern beans or pinto beans (1 undrained, 1 drained)
~1 cup frozen corn
~1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
~1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
~sour cream for serving (I also used scallions for topping)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, green chilies, and cumin and cook, stirring, until the cumin is toasted, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth, chicken, and beans, along with the liquid from one of the cans of beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
3. Using a potato masher, mash the chili until about half of the beans are broken up.
4. Stir in the corn, cilantro, and 1/2 cup cheese. Divide the chili among bowls and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Serve with sour cream, if desired. I also topped with scallions - I think they add a nice flavor.

Chicken Bruschetta Bake

Super simple. Super delicious.

From kraftfoods.com

Ingredients:
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained - I use an italian diced tomato, which adds tons of flavor
1 pkg. Stove Top for Chicken
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, garlic, and water until stuffing mix is just moistened.
3. Layer chicken, basil, and cheese in a 9x13 baking dish.
4. Top with stuffing mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.

That's it. Seriously. Give it a try for a quick and delicious weeknight meal.