Category Archives: Chicken

Creamy Chicken Taquitos and Tomatillo Salsa

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What do you do when you have lots of leftover roast chicken sitting in your fridge? You can make these for starters. I discovered this one over a year ago at Our Best Bites. They’re quick, easy and delicious and I don’t know why I haven’t shared these with you all before. These have some of my favorite flavors all rolled up in one package. I like to make my own tomatillo salsa for these because it’s so much more fresh and flavorful. It’s simple to make and always cheaper than store bought. I always omit the green onion cause M wouldn’t touch it, and I usually double this recipe because the leftovers are just as tasty.

Verdict: So good – or “yum” as my son put it. We enjoyed these with the leftover tomatillo salsa and our favorite tomato salsa. Oh, I used soft taco sized flour tortillas and we ended up with seven taquitos. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Tomatillo Salsa – Mom Makes

  • 8 to 10 small tomatillos, husked, rinsed and dried
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic with paper on
  • 1/2 small onion, paper off and cut into thirds
  • 1 jalapeno, stem cut and sliced in half from top to bottom
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 lime
  • cumin to taste
  • kosher salt to taste
Directions –
Turn on your broiler and while it’s heating, prepare your tomatillos, jalapeno, garlic and onion for roasting. Slice the tomatillos at the equator and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Add the rest of your prepared vegetables to the baking sheet and place under the broiler – about 5 or 6 inches from the heating element. I roasted mine for about 10 minutes, but if you prefer more char on yours you can leave them in a little longer. Just keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Take them out and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack until they’re easier to handle. Take the paper of your garlic cloves in preparation for blending.
Using a food processor or blender, carefully place all the contents – including the juices into the work bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lime over all, sprinkle your cumin and salt, then add your cleaned cilantro leaves. Place the lid on and pulse until your desired consistency is achieved.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos – adapted from Our Best Bites

  • 1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
  • 1/4 C green salsa
  • 1T fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 1 t chili powder
  • 1/2 t onion powder
  • 1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
  • 3 T chopped cilantro
  • 2 T sliced green onions
  • 2 C shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 C grated pepper jack cheese
  • small flour or corn tortillas
  • cooking spray or vegetable oil
  • kosher salt (optional)
Directions –
Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, and roll them up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

BBQ Chicken & Bacon Pizza

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This is M’s fave. He loves the smoked Gouda with our fave barbecue sauce and roasted chicken combo – oh, and I can’t forget the cilantro or the bacon. I baked of some thick cut bacon for this (400 degrees for 25 minutes) and it was perfectly crispy. When I need shredded chicken, I always buy chicken breast with skin and rib bones which I then roast at 350 for 30-35 minutes. I simply season them with olive oil, kosher salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper – it’s perfect and juicy every time. This time I tried fresh mozzarella (the kind packed in water) and it was nice and creamy. I recommend letting the cut pieces dry a little on some paper towel before you put it on the pizza. I was reminded why this was his favorite, it was so good; and the flavors are wonderfully complimentary to each other, It’s a party in your mouth, people! Just try it 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza –

    • 1 – 15 ounce ball of pizza dough, I always use this recipe
    • 1/3 cup of store bought BBQ sauce, I used this
    • 1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese
    • 3 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, torn
    • 1/8 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
    • 4 – 6 ounces shredded, cooked chicken – sauced with a few tablespoons of BBQ and ranch dressing – trust me on this one!
    • 3 slices of crispy bacon, sliced
    • Fresh cilantro (optional)  if you have it
    • Pizza seasoning and dried oregano (optional)

Directions –

*Preheat your oven to 475 about 15 minutes before you make your pizza. I use a pizza stone and place it on the lowest rack of my oven.

1. On a piece of parchment paper, shape the pizza dough into the desired diameter. I use a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Work from the inside out, and gradually move your hands away from the center of the dough. You could also do this with a rolling pin – I happen to love using my hands for the job. Once you’ve achieved the size you want, take a fork and poke the tines all over the surface of the dough.

2. Spread the bbq sauce all over, making sure to leave about an inch around the circumference. Next, take your torn mozzarella and place on top of the sauce. Because it’s fresh mozzarella, you can leave lots of empty space because this type of mozz melts beautifully and spreads itself nicely when heated. I love the stuff!  Add some smoked Gouda and top with your roasted chicken, bacon, more cheese, cilantro leaves and dried seasoning if desired.

3. Carefully transfer the pizza – still on its parchment paper to an upside-down sheet pan. I use it like a pizza peel to move it to the stone in the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes. Using the sheet pan again, remove the pizza from the oven and place the parchment paper and all onto a cooling rack.

Rotisserie-Style Chicken (…in a crock pot)

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I haven’t used the crock pot in a long time. I do enjoy the convenience of it, especially when it comes to cooking a whole chicken and not worrying if it’s going to become dry. Now, I am a fan of roast chicken; but this recipe is great because there is no added fat to ensure moist chicken.

Verdict: This is pretty good, but I will do things a little different next time. First, I’ll start the crock pot earlier in the day to cook it on low, (because of the late start I cooked it on high for 5 hours), be sure to place the bird breast-side down and skip the foil. We ate this with PW’s crash potatoes and some steamed broccoli. I will post the recipe for the potatoes tomorrow – they’re really easy and complimented this dinner nicely. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Crock Pot Rotisserie-Style Chicken – adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

  • 1 whole chicken (my bird was less than 4 pounds)
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 4 whole garlic cloves
  • 1 yellow onion (I had over 1 cup of diced white onion)
Directions – 
*I used a 6 quart crock pot, lined with this. I also roll some foil into balls and place on the bottom of the slow cooker, then place the chicken on top*
1. In a bowl, combine all of dried spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Plop the bird breast-side down into the crock pot. If desired, shove 4 whole garlic cloves and a quartered onion inside the bird. Do not add water.

2. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8. The meat is done when it is fully cooked and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat.

Hot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

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These are always really tasty! I have used this recipe more times than I can count. If you love the taste of Franks Red Hot and blue cheese you’ll love these. I bought boneless, skinless chicken breast halves and pounded them to make them cook quicker and for ease of eating. Doing this at home saved me over a dollar per pound – Publix wanted over 5 dollars for cutlets.

I took many liberties with this recipe starting with marinating the chicken – that’s a must in our house when we grill chicken. It adds so much to this meal and it couldn’t be easier. I also combine mayo with the sour cream to mellow out the sauce – it makes a lot so if you want to use the suggested celery and carrots you have plenty left over to dip. I’m sure I can talk M into getting us some buffalo wings later on this week to use the rest!;) We love all things “buffalo” and if you’re a regular visitor to this blog – that’s easy to see. Here are just some of the other buffalo style meals I have made. My two favorites by far are the buffalo chicken calzone and the buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese…so good!! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches – (heavily) adapted from Rachel Ray

  • 1.5 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast – pounded to an even thickness
  • 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of one large lime
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional

Sauce for Chicken –

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot
  • Romaine lettuce leaves
  • 4 crusty rolls, split
  • 1 cups sour cream
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 1/2 pound blue cheese, crumbled

Prepare your marinade by combining the lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl. Place your chicken in a zip-top bag and pour the marinade over all. Mush the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours – the longer the better.

Preheat your grill to medium high heat, then cook your chicken for 5-7 minutes each side.

Heat a metal or oven safe glass bowl over low heat and melt butter in the bowl. Add hot sauce to the butter and combine. When the chicken breasts are done, remove from pan and add to the bowl and coat evenly with hot sauce mixture.

Place chicken breasts on bun bottoms and top with crisp lettuce. Combine sour cream, mayo, pepper and blue cheese and slather bun tops with blue cheese mixture. Affix bun tops on sandwiches and enjoy!


Jamaican Jerk Chicken

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It’s my SIL’s 18th birthday today so I asked her what she’d like me to make for her birthday dinner. This was one of her requests, and to be honest I wasn’t crazy about it. I have never eaten this let alone tried to make it before. I have heard of this style of preparing chicken but I had no idea how many seasonings were required. I’m just glad that I have a well stocked spice cabinet! It’s weird because I had all but two ingredients on hand for this marinade – it’s like she knew I have all the stuff this dinner. Well, whether she did or not, I’m glad she chose it. It’s always a good thing to try new types of cuisine with interesting flavor combinations. The scotch bonnet is a mean pepper! I was grating it over the marinating chicken and the fumes made me choke, so I thought it best to use about one third of it.

This dinner was a success! We all enjoyed the unique flavor of the chicken, and it wasn’t too spicy. Next time I will use the whole pepper instead and maybe use dark meat next time. Oh, and I tried this sauce (I made half a batch) that was recommended to me. She said it helped to cool down the chicken, which was something I worried about once I added the scotch bonnet. I had everything for this recipe too, except the cucumber but I don’t think it would have made a huge difference. The sauce had good flavor and paired well with the flavors of the chicken. If I make this again, I will be sure to update this post with the changes I plan on making. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken – adapted from Carribean Choice

  • 1 tbs. Ground allspice
  • 1 tbs. Dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Ground sage
  • 3/4 tsp. Ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp. Ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbs. Salt
  • 2 tbs. Garlic powder
  • 1 tbs. Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup White vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Orange juice
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 cup Chopped white onion
  • 3 Green onions, finely chopped
  • 4 Chicken breasts (6 to 8 oz)trimmed of fat
Directions –
In a large bowl, combine the allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, garlic powder and sugar. With a wire whisk, slowly add the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice. Add the Scotch bonnet pepper, onion, and green onions and mix well. Add the chicken breasts, cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, longer if possible. Preheat an outdoor grill. Remove the breasts from the marinade and grill for 6 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. While grilling, baste with the marinade.


Fettuccini Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

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Quick Post: Super simple dinners that can be whipped up quickly are a mom’s best friend! I thought this one up while looking through the weeks sale items on the Publix website. I was happy to find boneless, skinless chicken on sale and snapped up a few packages. Hopefully I can come up with good ideas for the four or so pounds of chicken that I have in the fridge! Thanks for reading:)

Grilled Chicken and Fettuccini Alfredo – a Mom Makes original

  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • juice of one whole lemon
  • salt, pepper and dried oregano to taste
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast – pounded to an even thickness
  • 1 pound fettuccini noodles
  • 1 jar of alfredo sauce (I had a few jars I needed to use, or I would have made this one)

Directions –

1. Mix the oil, lemon juice and seasonings together then pour over the chicken. Let marinade for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat your grill and cook the chicken about 10-15 minutes or until done.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a generous amount of kosher salt and add the noodles – cook to package directions, drain and set aside.

4. Take the chicken off the grill, add the alfredo sauce to your cooked and drained noodles. Slice the chicken, serve up the fettuccini alfredo and top with the grilled chicken. Serve with a nice green salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!


Grilled Teriyaki Sandwiches with Pineapple, Bacon and Swiss

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One of the biggest stress relieving things I can do for myself is to come up with a weekly meal plan. There are only a few things that are more frustrating and stressful than not knowing what I’m going to make. This was a good week because I easily came up with five meals without really trying and that isn’t something that happens often. This was one of them:

Teriyaki Marinade – heavily adapted from Allrecipes

  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 2 TBSP honey
  • 1/2 cup low sodium soy
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/3 tsp. grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast – pounded thin
  • these buns
  • 1 pineapple sliced 1/2″
  • 3 strips bacon
  • 3 slices baby swiss
  • romaine lettuce

Directions –

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a microwave safe container. Heat the marinade for about 1 minute or until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

2. Place pounded chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over top. Marinade for at least 12 hours.

3. Preheat grill to 350 -400 degrees. Grill the chicken for 15 – 20 minutes total. Once you’ve flipped the chicken to cook the other side, put the pineapple slices on the grill. After about 5 minutes, flip the pineapple slices over and place the bacon and cheese on the chicken to warm through.

Chicken Parmesan

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Quick Post: This recipe is a combination of a few different techniques and ingredients I pulled together from some simple chicken parm recipes. I liked the addition of Panko in this recipe verses the typical Italian breadcrumbs. I pulled the shallow fry method from the same recipe, but baked the chicken, sauce and cheese in the oven before serving like this one. Oh, and I used my favorite marinara sauce for this recipe. This was a tasty and filling meal – even my picky eater happily ate this. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan – a Mom Makes Recipe

  • 4 chicken breast cutlets
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 TBSP water
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • oregano, salt, pepper to taste (for Panko)
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 batch of this marinara or at least 2 jars of your favorite store-bought sauce
  • 1 pound of thin spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions –

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees and put a large pot of water to boil.

2. Clean and dry your chicken well. Set up an assembly line for your breading – one shallow dish for your flour, one for your egg, and one shallow dish for the season Panko. Season your chicken with kosher salt and pepper then lightly coat with the flour, then dip in the egg mixture, then coat the chicken with the seasoned Panko – set aside.

3. Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat until a pinch of the breadcrumb mixture sizzles immediately when added. Add the chicken breasts and fry without disturbing for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, turn the chicken breasts and fry another 4 to 5 minutes, or until just cooked through and golden brown.

4. Place the finished chicken in a 13×9 baking dish. Top the chicken with enough marinara sauce to cover the tops of each, then sprinkle the parm and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

5. While the chicken is in the oven, cook off your spaghetti noodles in rapidly boiling, liberally salted water – cook according to package directions. Drain pasta, spoon over some marinara and set alongside your yummy chicken parm! Enjoy!:)

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

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I have used this recipe so many times and we’re not sick of it yet. This time however, I served myself a lot less rice than I used to and tons more veggies instead. This picture was taken after I had already eaten some (oops) then I remembered I wanted to blog about it! Normally this is served over white rice and steamed broccoli then topped with some of the sauce the chicken cooked in – it’s so yummy! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Baked Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients – adapted from Allrecipes.com

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 12 skinless chicken thighs

Directions –

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.


Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

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Oh, this is too good! While searching for a recipe to use up leftover roasted chicken, I came across this. I had to buy the cheese but I had everything else on hand which is always good:) While reading through a few of the comments, I noticed that several people wrote that this recipe makes “a ton” but they successfully halved it. Well, that sounded like a good idea to me because I didn’t have enough chicken to make three cups anyway. The recipe also doesn’t seem so decadent when you halve the amounts of cheese and butter;) Everyone enjoyed this, but M still prefers this one over all others I’ve made. Honestly, I’m looking forward to eating leftovers;) Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese – adapted from Food Network

  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank’s)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 pound yellow sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used Gorgonzola)

Directions –

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.