Chicken Pesto Bake

I am starting to realize that I may have an addiction to pesto sauce, but I can't help it, I LOVE it!  It's so versatile, it can be plain, creamy, mixed with pasta, used as a pizza sauce, in a sandwich, so why not in a casserole?  I had some bell peppers that needed to be used up and my pesto sauce in the freezer, so I went for it!

Chicken Pesto Bake

3 cooked chicken breasts (chopped or shredded)
2 bell peppers (chopped)
1/2 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup pesto sauce (homemade or prepared)
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
3 cups milk
1 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
salt and pepper
1 lb pasta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook pasta according to directions (if I'm baking the pasta in a casserole, I usually cook it one minute less than the directions call for to avoid soggy pasta), drain, but don't rinse.   While the pasta is cooking, saute bell peppers and onion in olive for about five minutes, then add the garlic in for about a minute, remove from heat.  In a sauce pan melt butter and add flour, cook for about one minute and then slowly whisk in the milk.  Cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, then add the cheese, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Add the pesto sauce, chicken and veggies, stir and pour over pasta.  Pour mixture into a large baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Sauteed Chicken with Herbed Brown Butter Sauce

This dish was amazing!  It's modified from a recipe I saw in Cooking Light magazine.  The browned butter in the title caught my eye.  I love browned butter, in savory and sweet dishes.  I served the chicken with garlic, buttered orzo pasta and a salad. If you are looking for a quick, but flavorful chicken recipe, definitely try this one!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped lemon thyme
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Place each breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Place flour in a shallow dish (season with salt and pepper); dredge chicken in flour.

Add chicken to pan; sauté for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan.2. Add butter and lemon thyme and parsley to pan; cook over medium heat until butter browns.  Add shallots; cook for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice; cook for 30 seconds. Serve on top of chicken

Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce

I know...sounds weird, but really, it's quite tasty...and it's a great way to use left over pumpkin puree.  This is my favorite way to make enchiladas, and one of my favorite things to do with shredded chicken.

This recipe was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe I've been making for years.

1/2 leftover Roast Chicken skin removed, meat shredded
6 scallions, thinly sliced (or a 1/4 of a small onion chopped)

1 can white beans (drained and rinsed)

1 cup chopped spinach or kale
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeno chile, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
1 teaspoon chili powder
18 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, scallions(or onions), beans, and spinach. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

 In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 9 x 13 inch pan (or other shallow baking dish).

 

When I make enchiladas, I like to do it the lazy way.  So, instead of rolling the tortillas, I layer.  

Lay six tortillas on top of the sauce.  Then place half of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas and pour another cup or two of sauce on top of the chicken.  Repeat, one more time.  Finish with tortillas on top.

Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Best Roast Chicken Recipe

I used to be a bit intimidated at the thought of roasting a whole chicken.  I had no idea that it is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to cook chicken.  I have been using this recipe from Allrecipes for a few years: Roast Sticky Chicken.  This chicken comes out tasting just like rotisserie chicken, because of the way it's cooked.  It is cooked at a low heat for about five hours, so make sure you plan ahead if you want to make this recipe.  I do play with the herbs a bit, and add a little more or less of each, or just add different herbs all together.  For a basic recipe, this is great, but you can use any herbs or spices you think would taste yummy.

After the chicken is roasted, you can shred all of the meat and use it for a couple of meals.  I made chicken salad with honey mustard dressing. I'll share the other meal I made on Monday!

Honey Mustard Dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and knew I had to try it!  I had all of the ingredients on hand and made it the other day.  I cooked it in my slow cooker on high for six hours, and served it over rice, it was so yummy.  The recipe can be found here.  Enjoy!