chicken

Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (Instant Pot or Stove Top)

October 3, 2018

This easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is a classic one-pot meal made even faster in the Instant Pot pressure cooker (or on the stove top) for a comfort food dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes or less.

Silky, Saucy, Easy Chicken Alfredo Recipe

I’ve finally felt a brisk bite in the air. Oh, why, hello October! I’ve yet to make the jump from t-shirts and flip flops to down coats and scarves, but layering is definitely a part of my current wardrobe.

It’s what I like to call hoodie weather. Which in my cooking world translates to comfort food.

I’ve not yet fully committed to the long braise I love so much in colder months, but my Instant Pot is totally getting a workout. And because you’ve asked to see more pressure cooker recipes here on le blog, I’m sharing this simple, silky, saucy, super easy Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine.

This Chicken Alfredo recipe comes together fast. The chicken and noodles are cooked together with the cooking liquid becoming a creamy sauce you could slurp through a straw. It’s incredibly easy to create whether you have an Instant Pot, or want to use the stove top instead.

And just like a zippered hoodie, it’s a simple classic, too.continue to the recipe… about Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (Instant Pot or Stove Top)

One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

September 17, 2018

This creamy chicken and rice casserole is a fast and healthy 30-minute meal made right on the stove top, making it a favorite one-pot dinner that feeds a family of four for under $10.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

September is Hunger Action Month. As someone who has the access and the means to buy/grow/order food at my fingertips (or within a short walk or drive) every day of the week, this public initiative is a reminder that it isn’t nearly as easy for far too many. Helping others cure food scarcity is near and dear to my heart. And I hope to yours too.

So when Kroger asked me to participate in their #ZeroHungerZeroWaste donation challenge, I immediately said count me in. And now I’m challenging you to join too.

It’s one thing to donate that stray can of beans at the back of your pantry or the expired box of crackers. But it’s so much more to make healthful eating approachable and economical, showing families that there are better choices to easily cook and eat at home.

That’s why I’ve created this easy one-pot dinner to show you and those I’m donating it to that fast and easy dinners don’t have to come from a cardboard box, or sodium-loaded freezer meal, or be expensive.

They can just as easily come from real good, real food. And for many who are food challenged, most of the ingredients can be kept on hand in the pantry with little waste to be had.continue to the recipe… about One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

August 22, 2018

Healthy boneless chicken breasts can be shredded, sliced, or diced, and used as the base for countless healthy recipes, and when you cook them in the Instant Pot pressure cooker they can go from frozen OR fresh chicken breasts to fully cooked with just 10 minutes cooking time.

How many times have you come home and realized you’ve forgotten to pull the chicken from the freezer for tonight’s dinner? If you’re like me, it’s way too many.

But since I discovered how to cook both frozen chicken breasts and/or fresh chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, those days are over.

It seems like all too often us recipe creators aka food bloggers get caught up in creating that totally unique recipe.

The recipe that intrigues.

The recipe that nobody’s ever thought of before.

But the reality is, while those recipes are fun to bookmark and make every so often, it’s the basics for daily cooking that we really need.

Like how to cook the basic boneless chicken breast, and how to cook it fast.

I’ve shared my recipes for the Best Grilled Chicken Breast and the Best Baked Chicken Breasts and you guys love them. So when I received requests for an Instant Pot version, how could I not oblige?

And once I started cooking chicken breasts STRAIGHT FROM THE FREEZER in my Instant Pot, I realized I needed to share with you how you can do the same.

So let’s talk basics.continue to the recipe… about How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

Italian Chicken Wrap

August 21, 2018

You may see pinwheel wrap sandwiches so often at the store or the quick mart you don’t even realize how easy they are to make at home. But this healthy Italian Chicken Wrap sandwich has a few secrets up it’s tortilla that’ll make it so you’ll never want a take-it-with-you lunch any other way again.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

It seems that lunches are the meal that can make or break your best eating intentions.

I know you know what I’m talking about. And I know that if you’ve said it to yourself once, you’ve said it 4053 times.

“This week I’m totally taking my lunch every day.”

But then it’s the night before and you’re too tired to pull a lunch together, or your morning is in a frenzy, or your delicate ingredients have all gone bad.

And then there you are. Once again, your intentions are dashed, leaving you staring emptily at the vending machine or forking over $13.84 for a lame something or another that really is just not that good. And worse, that marginal lunch is both taking away from your budget’s bottom line while adding too many calories to your very own bottom that soon won’t fit into your jeans if you keep this up young lady. (oops, did I say that out loud?)

But this easy Italian chicken wrap lunch is different. And here’s why.continue to the recipe… about Italian Chicken Wrap

Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

August 13, 2018

Greek food and especially gyros are one of my favorite kind of meals, but since I’m not much of a fan of lamb, it’s my marinated Greek chicken and chickpeas that adds the protein to this easy Greek gyro style salad with a yogurt tzatziki sauce perfect for a meal prep lunch or dinner.

This Greek gyro chicken salad is one of those types of salads that makes a statement, declaring that Mediterranean dishes are just as good in a bowl as they are stuffed in a pita or grilled on a skewer.

This Greek salad is far from contrived, or uppity, or way too out there. It’s just a good, basic salad that covers all the major food groups. I love that this salad can be prepped ahead for take-to-work or school lunches—proven by my Ali Smudge who is obsessed with it.

On busy weeknights, it makes for a super fast dinner. It’s ready to roll for everyone at to eat together, or parceled out as your peeps filter in for meal time.

Because doesn’t it seem that’s more the case than ever these days?continue to the recipe… about Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

August 7, 2018

This Chinese Chicken Salad takes the healthier high road than the heavier versions I always see at those popular food chains that everyone loves. But this one with crunchy romaine, wontons, and an almond crunch, topped with protein-packed chicken breast, pasta noodles, and a flavor-flav sesame dressing.

Lighter fare that totally satisfies is what I’m craving now. And as summer’s flowy skirts and loose-fitting shift dresses morph into fall’s jeans and thigh hugging pants, it seems lighter food is part of my weekly anthem.

Goodbye my fave potato salad and chocolate drizzled ice cream cones dripping down my chin. Hello meal planning, gym going, and my fave weight loss plan.

And that’s where my all-time favorite—and healthier—Chinese Chicken Salad comes in.

I’ve updated this recipe post because I refer to it all the time and it needed some updated love.

I CRAVE this salad, and it’s one I love to make for ladies lunches or for a simple, and lighter meal for a crowd. Because who doesn’t love a good Chinese Chicken Salad anyway?

continue to the recipe… about Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

June 21, 2018

This easy chicken marinade infuses chicken of any cut with the classic Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano plus Greek yogurt for a more tender bite.

Hey, ho, whaddya know?!!! You ready for the best? Because I’m giving you the best!

It may be a bold statement to make, but unlike fake politicians, sorcerers, and that guy in Nigeria who says he’ll double your money if you’ll just wire it to him, I’m standing behind my claim that this super easy, extremely delicious Greek Chicken marinade very well could be:

the ying to your yang.

the butter to your nutter.

the pop to your lock.

Which would make this little diddy of a recipe the best lemony, best garlicky, best Greek-y oregano-ish chicken marinade you just might ever make.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs

June 12, 2018

Boneless, skinless chicken breast marinated in the traditional Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano then threaded on skewers with a few veggies makes these grilled chicken kebabs an easy and healthy weeknight dinner winner.

Dinner on the grill makes up about 95% of our summer dinner cooking routine, and with so much variety to be had (pork, steak, shrimp, and even cheese!) cooking skewers and kebabs is an easy, all-in-one healthy dinner that take as little as 15 minutes to marinate only about 15 minutes for the chicken kebabs to cook on the grill.

I’m not sure when I dropped the shish in shish kebabs, but whether you spell them kebabs or kababs, or maybe call them skewers too, these small chunks of chicken threaded on wooden or metal skewers with vegetable chunks are incredibly versatile to make.

Nearly every cuisine has it’s own ethnic flavor of chicken kebab (Indian, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Japanese and Thai) as a popular street food to eat on the go.

But today we’re staying at home to make our own, and cure my summertime Mediterranean flavor-craving with grilled Greek chicken kebabs, all day, all the way, babe-ae.

How to Make the Greek Chicken Marinade

This greek marinade is my favorite go-to recipe for anything and everything chicken and it does double duty as a dressing for salads too.continue to the recipe… about Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs

Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie with Asparagus and Mushrooms

May 30, 2018

This chicken Pot Pie—one of my favorite comfort food recipes—is a lightened-up version thanks to a puff pastry crust, loads of fresh veggies, and a creamy yet lower-fat and lower-calorie sauce that brings all the flavors together.

This recipe is brought to you by Almond Breeze

Chicken pot pie, with its homemade buttery crust and thick creamy sauce, rings in the comfort food season each and every Fall and then continues well into the cozy vibes of winter. Who’s with me in calling this pure comfort in a bowl?

But when winter gives way to spring and we start easing into our summery daze, those cravings for traditional chicken pot pie get a literal gut-check when faced with the fact it’s time to transition from hiding underneath winter’s cocooning cardigan sweaters to strutting our stuff in summer shorts and sassy swimsuits.

But that’s what I love about this lighter chicken pot pie recipe: It cures my still-holding-strong comfort food cravings (because do they ever really disappear?) with a healthier adaptation of ingredients, making it a favorite home-cooked dinner no matter what season it shows off in.

continue to the recipe… about Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Mediterranean Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Olive Tapenade

May 29, 2018

A simple marinade with two kinds of balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, and grainy mustard gives this grilled balsamic chicken topped with an easy olive and sun dried tomato tapenade a classic Mediterranean flavor zing.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

It’s no secret that I have a love affair with Mediterranean flavored food, and there’s no better season than summer to really get into exploring all the flavors as a cook and relishing every bite as an eager eater.

From Italian-style Burrata and Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salads to classic Greek Pork Souvlaki and The Best Lebanese Fattoush Salad, summer is the season to take advantage of Mediterranean vegetables in their prime, fresh herbs at their peak, and outdoor grilling techniques that naturally become the dinnertime norm.

This grilled balsamic chicken served with a super-simple-to-make olive and sun dried tomato tapenade is one of my favorite, and easiest gateways to making healthy Mediterranean eating a weekly ritual.

continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Olive Tapenade

Beyond Easy Chicken Mole Enchiladas

May 3, 2018

This super easy, no-cook, homemade mole sauce is made from scratch, and gives regular chicken enchiladas a delicious twist for a super fast Mexican dinner to meal prep or even throw together for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

I recently heard about a study that reported that no matter how many recipes they have on their Pinterest wish list or the dog eared in their favorite cookbooks, the home cook generally makes the same 15-20 recipes over and over and over again.

Now, on one hand, this limited recipe strategy can be a bonus, because:

They’re recipes you know you and your family will eat.
They’re proven recipes that work.
Since you’re familiar with them, there’s no time wasted leaning into a recipe learning curve.

But on the other hand, those recipes can get you totally get stuck in a rut. And who wants to be the boring cook in the kitchen anyway??!!

Today’s recipe is a hybrid of one of my go-to recipes to cook (enchiladas) with a twist (mole sauce!), because:

It’s totally familiar = enchiladas. Approachable = chicken. But with the addition of just two ingredients to regular enchilada sauce, this recipe gets serious brownie points for uniqueness.
When they’re as easy to make as these, enchiladas are pretty much impossible to screw up.
All you need to know about these babies is how to use a blender, an oven, and how to roll with the best of them.

How to Make Mole Enchiladas

Because mole sauce isn’t found at most ordinary Mexican American restaurants, many people aren’t familiar with it which leads to the most popular questions about mole sauce: what is mole made of and what does mole taste like?continue to the recipe… about Beyond Easy Chicken Mole Enchiladas

Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Broccoli and Tomato

March 20, 2018

Chicken quinoa bowls have staked their healthy claim on quick and easy meal-prep dinners that are flexible enough to mix and match ingredients for take-to-work lunches that never get boring, too.

This quinoa bowl combines what seems to be my ever-lasting, default flavor combo, inspired by Mediterranean flavors ala Donny and Marie: it’s a little bit Italian, and a little bit Greek goddessness. And it all taste good to me.

Over the years I’ve found myself adopting more and more recipes inspired by the Mediterranean diet to my weekly eating plan. I eat more anitoxidant-rich vegetables and fruits (avocado all day!), healthy legumes and whole grains, and loads of fresh herbs. I don’t eat a whole lot of red meat, but chicken, turkey, and EFA-loaded fish like salmon are my friends and olive oil tinged with lemon is one of my favorite flavorings.

And wine. Yes, wine is heart-healthy too.

I’ve known about the heart-healthy benefits of the Mediterranean style of eating ever since my days designing health and wellness magazines, way back when you had to shop for quinoa in specialty health food stores and when my editors made sure I didn’t sound alike a complete goof when I said “kwin-O-aaa” instead of “KEEEN-wa.” Bless their hearts, they were always looking out for me.continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Broccoli and Tomato

Crispy Parmesan Buttermilk Chicken Tenders (Baked and Air Fryer)

February 28, 2018

Totally healthy and surprisingly crispy, these juicy chicken tenders are crisped with a panko and Parmesan crunch with directions for baking or cooking in the air fryer.

I think my Smudge pretty much lived on Dino Nuggets from the day she began “choosing” her own solid food as she blossomed into a picky-eating toddler until the time she finally released her hold on those toaster oven chicks by the time she was 5 or 6 year old.

Whether you’ve had McDonald’s chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, chicken strips, or chicken fingers, the question has always been who has the best, and whether you can actually get a good and juicy, crispy piece of chicken without deep fat frying them in a tub of oil that only loads on the calories and the greasy bites. Because while there are times for enjoying a crunchy piece of finger lickin’ good fried chicken, weeknight dinners that need to be ready quick and with minimal mess isn’t exactly that time.

But unlike the deep fried variety, this buttermilk chicken tender recipe made with panko and a bit of Parmesan cheese delivers two wholesome methods to achieve that crispy, crunchy bite by simply baking or air frying for any fast weeknight meal. And they’re so good you just might break them out for the weekend too.continue to the recipe… about Crispy Parmesan Buttermilk Chicken Tenders (Baked and Air Fryer)

Chicken and Mango Rainbow Veggie Wraps

February 22, 2018

If you’re still debating whether a wrap is really a sandwich or not, you can use this one as proof that either which way the vote comes in, we all agree that healthy, crunchy rainbow wrap lunches are what make the world go ’round.

This post is brought to you by Almond Breeze

My daughter is mildly amused with the return to my teenage fascination with rainbows.

Chalk it up to reliving the memories of my eighth grade year as she makes her way through hers. Or it may be thanks to my continuing countdown of the quickly fading days of this age of innocence for my lil’ baby. Or maybe it’s thanks to the ’80s boomerang of denim overalls, scrunchies, boom boxes, Polaroid cameras, casseroles, mom jeans and new remakes of Full House, CHiPs and Roseanne.

🌈 Either/or/and/alloftheabove…ahhh, 8th grade. Best year ever. 🌈

This easy, veg-heavy Thai-flavored lunch wrap represents all the things right with eating the rainbow. You’ve heard it a hundred times. At least I hope you have: Eating the rainbow is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting all the right nutrients in one fell swoop. And it’s just one more reason that eating a healthy wrap for an easy lunch or quick dinner is a good idea.

continue to the recipe… about Chicken and Mango Rainbow Veggie Wraps

Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps

February 20, 2018

This better-than-P.F. Chang chile-flavored orange chicken lettuce wrap recipe is incredibly easy to make thanks to the Instant Pot pressure cooker that does double duty as a self-serve, low-carb appetizer or as a healthy main meal that’s quick to make and even more fun to eat.

Just ask any three year old—or my 13 year old daughter’s best friend Elise who has yet to conform to the norm—eating with your hands is supremely gratifying.

Her parent’s say she’s “expressive and artistic.” I think she’s just laser-focus hungry and doesn’t want to play by anyone else’s rules. Either which way, lettuce wraps are a fun way to “nosh-on-it” and this Asian chicken lettuce wrap recipe proves it.

Because who says eating with a knife and fork should be the norm anyway? Cultures all around the world have eaten without utensils for centuries, and even more. Indian. Ethiopian. From Asia to Africa to the Middle East. As quoted in this New York Times article, cookbook author Julie Sahni emphatically states, “Eating with the hands evokes great emotion,” she says. “It kindles something very warm and gentle and caressing. Using a fork is unthinkable in traditional Indian eating. It is almost like a weapon.”

Okay. It looks like I need to give Elise a break. But I will NOT ease up on reminding her to wipe her hands and her face, even if I get that teenage “look” in return nearly every single time.

When Williams Sonoma Test Kitchens sent me their new The Instant Pot Cookbook to review, I was more than happy to say, heck to the yes, let’s do this. Their cookbooks are some of my very favorites and I regularly refer to their entire Dish of the Day series and every single Williams Sonoma cookbook authored by Kate McMillan who is one of my favorite recipe developers because of the series.

But this cookbook is different, just like the Instant Pot itself.continue to the recipe… about Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps

20 Chicken Dinner Ideas You Can Make On the Sheet Pan

February 12, 2018

When deciding what to make for dinner, you can never go wrong with chicken, especially when it’s a whole meal cooked on just one sheet pan. These 20 fast and healthy chicken sheet pan dinners are great for easy meal prep, and are exactly what we need to usher us through the busy week.

One pot wonders and sheet pan dinners are the saving grace of the workweek. I mean, how can you possibly resist an entire meal that effortlessly comes together on just one sheet pan?

You can’t. And a chicken sheet pan dinner? Forget it!

Chicken is this country’s go-to, and something we seem to rarely tire of eating. It’s healthy, tasty, easy, reliable, and affordable. Plus, we pretty much always have some in our fridge or freezer.

These sheet pan dinners not only save you time in the kitchen, but they also save you clean up, and fewer dishes means more time to relax on the couch with some Netflix and a glass of wine (cue the singing angels).

continue to the recipe… about 20 Chicken Dinner Ideas You Can Make On the Sheet Pan

Roasted Beet, Avocado and Goat Cheese Spinach Salad with Chicken

January 24, 2018

With a bit of planning and beginning of the week meal prep, your mid-week lunch can be a fresh tasting and totally fast to make bed of fresh spinach salad topped with make-ahead chicken breast and sliced avocado, tossed with everyone’s favorite salad combination of beets, goat cheese and pecans.

While I can often be found finishing off the leftovers of recipes you’ll find here on the blog, more likely than not, what you’ll most often find me eating for lunch is going to be a version of this salad, right here.

And yes, I totally agree, this spinach salad does look “so good”. I’m pretty dang happy with it too.

If you’re like me, this is one of those salads that once you hit midweek you feel pretty chuffed about and praise “hallelujah” for having a bit of forethought to do some basic beginning-of-the-week meal prep, because usually by the time Wednesday rolls around, my resolve is beginning to dissolve.

I cleaned out my fridge on Monday and this is a sampling of what survived the scourge (pecans, spinach) plus a few of the things I meal prepped (pickled beets, salad dressing and baked chicken) to be ready for a lunch situation just like this .

How Do You Make a Spinach Salad?

I’m defnitely a fan of the famed wilted spinach salad with warmed bacon dressing, but that’s more of a style I prepare to accompany dinner rather than serve as dinner, or in this case, lunch.

So this is how I do it…continue to the recipe… about Roasted Beet, Avocado and Goat Cheese Spinach Salad with Chicken

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

January 16, 2018

Thanks to the Instant Pot pressure cooker, this easy chicken with wild rice soup is rich, creamy (without any added cream), and fast to make, and it tastes even better the next day, making it a great addition to your meal prep plans. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, not to worry, I’m sharing my stove top directions as well.

It’s soup week!

This week I’m sharing a few of my favorite soups, old and new. And a good thing too, because when my daughter came home from school and looked at me with a red-ringed nose and her eyes at half-staff and announced her “throat was sooooooo sore”, as she breezed past me and coughed, wheezed, and hacked her way down the hall and into her room to flop onto her bed like a left-behind Raggedy Ann doll, I knew we were in for the night.

Good thing I had this soup prepped and ready for cookin’.

Creamy chicken and rice soup. Pure comfort and totally right for all that feels wrong.continue to the recipe… about Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

The Best Baked Chicken Breast

January 10, 2018

Whether you’re working on making your weekly meal prep easier, or need a quick and simple recipe for weeknight dinners, this recipe has all my secrets for the best baked chicken breast guaranteed to come out perfectly juicy every single time.

The ubiquitous chicken breast could quite possibly be the most popular protein of any out there. Beloved by eaters for its neutral flavor and lauded by home cooks for its versatility, there isn’t much one can’t do—or many who won’t be pleased—when it comes to including chicken in the meal.

Unless it tastes like a piece of dry shoe leather.

This baked chicken breast recipe is the total opposite of some worn-out old loafer, and is about to become your secret weapon when it comes to easy eats.

This is my tried-and-true, tested-for-years basic baked chicken breast recipe that is easily mastered no matter what your skill level, and it’s the centerpiece of turning weekend meal prep into successful weeknight eats.

Because let’s face it, even if chicken breasts are easily dressed up to fit most any meal, they can be a bit boring on their own. Unless they’re cooked to juicy perfection. And this my friends, is how you nail baking the best baked chicken breast every time.continue to the recipe… about The Best Baked Chicken Breast

How to Make Homemade Chicken Parmesan

December 20, 2017

This surprisingly easy, 30-minute dinner recipe is a far cry from the over-floured and fat-fried version of the past. Instead, I’m sharing my tips to deliver juicy chicken breasts with a delicious bite nestled in a flavorful tomato sauce with a mozzarella cheese-pull that’ll stun even the cheesiest eater, with every single bite.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

So why do they call it Chicken Parmesan? Probably because someone in the family didn’t like eggplant. Go figure!

Italians on the island of Sicily (who we lovingly thank for introducing us all to the Mediterranean flavor-ed influences we love about Southern Italian cooking #bowdown) would dip slices of eggplant in egg and ground bread crusts, fry them up, and then top them with slices of home-made tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese then pop the whole shebang in the oven. So most likely, some husband said (sound familiar?), “I’m not going to eat EGGPLANT! Give me CHICKEN!” (Is that my husband I hear speaking up?)

And this is likely where Chicken Parm was born.

Chicken Parmesan may not be authentically Sicilian, or even red-blooded-Italian. But seriously…this version prepared with 2018’s healthy-ish-but-still-comfort-food-in-30-minutes-goals in mind, ticks off so many of my meal planning check boxes I’m pretty sure nations of eaters are totally okay with looking past it’s family tree.continue to the recipe… about How to Make Homemade Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

December 14, 2017

This Mexican-flavored chicken soup is truly chicken soup for the soul, with a warm broth filled with chunky bites of black beans, sweet corn, shredded chicken and tomatoes topped with its namesake tortilla strips and a surprise crispy jalapeño topper.

This recipe is brought to you by French’s

“Honey, what should we have for dinner?”

Gah. The question to end all questions, and the same one that comes up day after day, week after week. But over the years I’ve developed a strategy that serves the family’s cravings and makes dinner prep so much easier, just about every time.

I narrow the choices to get the answer I want.

“Well, I prepped a batch of chicken breasts for the week (even though he prefers steak, we gotta use those chicks up!) and a I have our yummy chicken stock in the freezer (because I’m on a clean-out-the-freezer mission.) So, are you craving comfort food flavors (we all love our Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup) or maybe something with Mexican flavor and spice? You love Mexican…”, I steer him, already knowing that spices and ethnic flavors win at our house every time.continue to the recipe… about Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

How to Make the Best Chicken Stock

November 13, 2017

This post has everything you-didn’t-even-know-that-you-need-to-know to make homemade chicken stock or broth on the stove, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Follow the same guidelines and steps for making turkey stock, too.

Just about every cook knows to keep at least one can or carton of chicken stock on hand. It’s a reliable pantry staple that many of us use on a weekly basis in everything from soups to gravies and stir-frys too.

While store-bought chicken stock work just fine in recipes that don’t call for much of it (or bouillon cubes when you’re in a real pinch), no one can deny there’s nothing like homemade chicken stock for adding the ultimate flavor.

It’s pure liquid gold.

Homemade chicken stocks and broths (and turkey too) lend a richness and complexity to dishes—particularly risottos, soups, stews—that the store-bought stuff simply can’t match. So if you find yourself with some leftover chicken bones from last night’s dinner and a little hands-off cooking time on your side, make a vat of rich, savory stock to stick in the fridge or freeze for later. Pinky swear, you won’t regret it.

Never made chicken stock before? Fret not, it’s actually incredibly easy. In fact, it’s really hard to mess up.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Chicken Stock

Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Spinach and Goat Cheese

October 30, 2017

30-minute recipes like this stuffed chicken thighs recipe with a mixture of creamy, melty goat cheese, spinach, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes that sits right under the crispy skin, not only make boring chicken dinners a thing of the past, but since it’s cooked all in one cast iron skillet, the typicial stack of dishes to wash goes by the wayside, too.

As a recipe creator, it’s part of my job to look through cookbooks. But as a regular-old, home cook, one of my favorite hobbies is to look at them for fun, too. Call me crazy—I’m okay with that—but don’t ever think I don’t find myself one of the lucky few who actually gets to weave a hobby they love into their full-time job. I mean, how many of us can count walking through the grocery store and squeezing avocados or deciding on shrimp or chicken for dinner tonight as the means for their paycheck? So when I receive another new cookbook in the mail, it’s like Christmas at our house. Make that Christmas in the kitchen.

Today’s recipe comes from Megan of the blog Country Cleaver‘s new cookbook Cast Iron Gourmet, with recipes any home cook can easily master. From one-pot dinners, to meals made with just 5 ingredients, or those ready in 30 minutes or less, these cast-iron skillet or dutch oven recipes prove her tagline of “with less fuss and fewer dishes” totally true. And totally my kind of recipes.

Chicken is always a popular recipe to prepare. The best grilled chicken. Oven roasted chicken (proof that garlic, lemon and rosemary are made for one another.) And of course slow cooker chicken. So it’s no wonder that while looking through Megan’s book that’s loaded with a bounty of comfort food recipes and deliciously inspiring photos, chicken is what made me stop and stare.

To put it simply, chicken can sometimes get boring. But not this one. I’ve been ready to add a cheese stuffed chicken recipe to the blog forever, so when this one loaded with my best-loved Mediterranean-inspired ingredients of artichokes, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes caught my eye, it went straight to the top of my to-make-list.continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Spinach and Goat Cheese

Cast-Iron Skillet Whole Roasted Chicken With Potatoes

October 16, 2017

Nothing says simple comfort food like a whole-roasted chicken, and when tossed into an already-hot, cast iron skillet with sliced potatoes and onions, you have an incredibly easy one-pot-meal that’s ready in just one hour for dinner any night of the week.

If you’ve ever watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa, you know that Ina’s husband Jeffrey’s favorite meal is a whole roasted chicken. Every Friday night. She even wrote a cookbook about it. So while it may have become a bit of a schtick, I’d have to say those two are onto something.

I like to make a roast chicken on Sunday as part of my meal prep to have on hand for lunches and throw together dinners through the rest of the week.

And every time I roast that whole chicken I wonder why I don’t hear more about others preparing the whole humble bird. Because we all know, people love their chicken. Chicken breasts? Absolutely! Drumsticks? They’re the most transportable bite. Wings are always a party favorite, and even chicken thighs are having their day.

So when I picked up the latest issue of Bon Appétit’s Sunday Suppers issue and discovered a new variation on whole-bird roasting, I was in. And now, you are too. continue to the recipe… about Cast-Iron Skillet Whole Roasted Chicken With Potatoes

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Stuffed Bell Peppers

October 9, 2017

Fresh green bell peppers become their own all-in-one serving vessel when stuffed with chicken, rice, mushrooms, and a creamy mushroom-infused sauce to create a weeknight dinner that puts the all the essential nutrients in one easy-to-make and totally delicious dinner.

You know how you have staples in your culinary repertoire? Those dishes that no matter how gourmet you try to fool your family and friends into thinking you are—and more often trying to convince yourself? The recipes that are the staple for Sunday night comfort food cravings and oh so easy to make on a weeknight, too?

This here recipe is one of them. Crave-a-licious.

I first shared this stuffed bell pepper recipe nearly 5-years-to-the-day-ago and after referring back to it so many times over the years, I felt it needed an update. Five years ago it was one of our go-to, favorite dinners then, and it absolutely still is today.

My mom used to make stuffed peppers with hamburger and tomato sauce, but as I kid I was so. not. into. peppers. Ew. But true to form, I began to like them the more I had them. I keep telling myself my little girl AliSmudge would be making the turn too. And she has. Oh yes, she’s a fan too.

My man and and I came up with this stuffed bell peppers recipe that will forever be in our top 5 favorite meals to make at home: Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Stuffed Bell Peppers for the all-in-one-dinner-for-the-stuffed-bell-pepper-win.

continue to the recipe… about Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Stuffed Bell Peppers

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bowls

September 25, 2017

When weeknight dinner making seems like almost too much to add to your already full plate, prep the ingredients for these slow cooker teriyaki chicken and vegetable rice bowls over the weekend and then toss together for a quick and easy answer to your weeknight dinner question.

These days everyone’s talking about meal prep. There’s a reason for that. Because it works.

All it takes are a couple of base recipes and a little extra time over the weekend to partially cook ahead and then whip out a healthy weeknight dinner. Even if you get just one meal prepped ahead and ready to roll, you’ll find yourself feeling surprisingly proud and a little enamored with your forethought and meal-planning ways.

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bowls

Game-Day Baked Chicken Wings with 4 Winning Sauces

September 20, 2017

Who loves a decadently-decorated, ready to dive into cheese board? Apparently everyone. These days you can barely skim through your Instagram feed without seeing one and liking, liking, liking. So what happens when you take baked chicken wings and draft them as the standard board’s starting player. THIS!

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

Today we’re taking the concept of everyone’s favorite cheese board and putting it into game-day chicken wing overdrive that starts with a crispy baked chicken wing recipe that’s then dressed in four different sauces and teamed up with all the dippers for a chicken wing platter that’s sure to score.

We all know the game-day tailgate drill.

Decide on a menu that’s easy-ish to transport.

Hustle to the grocery store to get the shopping done.

Start cooking. Realize you forgot something.

Head back to the store.

Look at the clock and wipe the sweat from your brow.

Finish cooking. Pack up the food. Freak out that everyone else isn’t ready to leave yet. (because they’re waiting for you. Doh.)

Swing back by the store for ice for the cooler.

Hope that nothing spills in the car on the way over.

Unpack. Set-up. Wish you’d remembered the paper towels to clean up the car.

Really, really wish for that beer but the chip dish needs a refill first.

Wait! Whhhhaaat?

The game’s about to start and we already have go to our seats? But we haven’t even gotten started yet!

guys. Guys. GUYS! Game day feasting doesn’t have to go down that way. It’s why I have a new favorite way to enjoy my tailgate festivities, and it all starts at home.

Introducing the game-day homegate party, where it’s easy to prep for, and do I dare say actually become an enjoyable event to cheer, jeer, drink your beer all in the comfort of your own home. Or better yet, at a friends (and leave the clean-up for them to do later!)

continue to the recipe… about Game-Day Baked Chicken Wings with 4 Winning Sauces

20 Chili Recipes to Cozy Up to This Fall

September 13, 2017

From crockpot to stove-top, there’s no better time to hunker down and cozy up to a bowl of homemade chili than right now.

Picture this: outside the wind is blustery, trees are rustling, and the scent of burning leaves and wood hover in the air. Inside, the football game’s on and a pot of chili is simmering away in the kitchen. Nothing conjures up fall like all of these things—particularly the aroma of home-cooked chili.

Whether you make it meaty and beefy or opt for a vegetarian version, chili really is one of the most flexible dishes you can prepare no matter what your cooking skill level. Throw it together to stew all day in the crockpot or make it quickly on the fly, you can always count on chili to bring on all the comfort food feels.

We can’t think of anything cozier than curling up under a blanket on the couch with a hearty bowl of any flavor, and that’s why we’re bringing you 20 chili recipes to make while you hibernate and warm up this fall and winter.

Grab your spoon and belly up to one of these pots of stick-to-your-ribs deliciousness. And remember to never forget the fixin’s.continue to the recipe… about 20 Chili Recipes to Cozy Up to This Fall

Pesto Pizza with Balsamic Chicken and Peaches

August 23, 2017

This pizza gets its savory wings thanks to a fresh, green pesto and thinly sliced balsamic chicken that goes with summer’s best, sweet peaches and provolone to create a pizza that’s worth every bite.

With peaches at their peak, there’s plenty of ways to savor them besides smoothies (although this one is GRAND), my grandma’s peach and blackberry cobbler, and even as a balsamic-ed topping for grilled pork chops.

But one of my new favorite peach recipes comes from FoodieCrush contributor Hayley of the blog Seven Day Weekend. She sent me this recipe a year ago, and with seasonal peaches in their prime, it’s due time she shares it with you too. Take it away Hayley!

There are very few things I could eat every day without getting tired of them. Pizza is one of those foods, only I don’t eat it every day, because unfortunately I don’t have the resilient and forgiving metabolism of Chrissy Teigen (and her cookbook is great!).

For a long time now, my go-to pizza toppings have been pepperoni, mushrooms, and green peppers. But that’s comfy pizza—the kind you eat too many slices of, in your pajamas, on the couch, after a long day. Or even more likely, after a long night.

When I want fancy pizza though, I always welcome deviations. I try to embrace what’s in season. Sometimes it’s a white pie with bacon, potatoes, Swiss chard, and rosemary in the fall, or garlicky, lemony roasted broccoli with Italian sausage and goat cheese in the winter.

But one of my favorite slices is a summery one, inspired by a pizza I had several years ago at a cute little café in Raleigh, N.C., called Zest.

continue to the recipe… about Pesto Pizza with Balsamic Chicken and Peaches

Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

May 29, 2017

Summer salads like this Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad with black beans, corn, avocado, and crunchy romaine lettuce topped with an easy 5-ingredient homemade BBQ sauce are more than just a first course, they make the meal.

Someone recently interviewed me and asked me what was the one food I couldn’t live without. Obviously that is a very loaded question for someone who spends their days thinking, creating and obsessing over what to eat and to cook.

I surveyed myself and did the count-off. Chocolate. Cheese. Eggs. Avocados. Wine. Pasta. Oh man, the list goes on and on. But I couldn’t really narrow it down to just one ingredient, because it’s actually a whole dish I crave over and over again, every day.

Salad.

I LOVE salad. Whether it’s a simple lettuce and dressing affair, or a full blown all-in-one-meal-deal like this BBQ chicken recipe situation, salad is the rock to my Gibralter and if I was on a desert island, I’d want to be swimming in my leafy greens.

continue to the recipe… about Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

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Pesto Pizza with Balsamic Chicken and Peaches

Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

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