Chicken Pot Pie (GF)

Serves 6

2 pie crusts*
2 T. butter
2 T. flour or GF cornstarch
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/8 t. thyme
1/2 c. chicken broth (homemade is best!)
1/2 c. whole milk
1-2 c. cooked, shredded chicken breast
2-3 c. frozen or fresh veggies (corn, peas, celery, onion, carrots, green beans, etc.)

1. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan and blend in the flour or cornstarch and spices. Stir until smooth.

2. Immediately add the broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

3. Add chicken and veggies to sauce mixture. Place bottom pie crust in pie plate and pour filling into crust. Add top crust and pinch edges to seal.

5. Bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 min.

Delicious served with fresh fruit or a salad!

*For a wheat pie crust, use this recipe. For a gluten-free crust, try this one. Or purchase a store-bought crust.

Chicken Corn Chowder (GF)

I don't know about you, but we love soup for an easy fall dinner. I had a ton of milk to use up a couple weeks ago and was scavenging Pinterest for a good creamy soup recipe to try.

I am a huge fan of potato soup, sadly it is one of the very few things my husband doesn't like. He prefers spicier soups like my White Chicken Chili or Taco Soup. Since he is such a good sport and eats so many of my experimental meals, it's only fair to try and accomodate his tastes when I can.

If White Chicken Chili and Potato Soup had a baby--they would name it Chicken Corn Chowder. Ha ha! It's a bit on the spicy side to please my man (but easily tamed down for those who like things more mild) yet still incorportates some well-hidden potatoes and is topped with crunchy bacon bits, green onions and delicious cheddar cheese.

I think it's a winning combo! Paired with a simple tossed salad it definitely hits the spot on a crisp fall night.

Enjoy!


Chicken Corn Chowder
Serves 6

8 slices nitrate-free bacon
1/2 c. onion, chopped
4 oz. can mild green chilies (optional--but I highly recommend adding)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. chicken broth, divided
2 c. frozen hashbrowns, shredded or diced variety
2 c. frozen corn
2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1 t. Old Bay seasoning (or make your own but don't omit--this ingredient makes it perfect)
1/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt (less or more to your taste)
dash pepper
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped or 1/2 T. dried parsley
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
2-3 T. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
3 c. whole milk
shredded cheddar cheese for serving
chopped green onions for serving


1. Chop bacon into small pieces and fry until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Save cooked bacon for serving chowder.

2. Reserve approximately 2 T. of bacon grease and saute garlic, onion and green chilies.

3. Pour onion and garlic mixture into a large pot and add 1 cup of chicken broth, corn, potatoes and chicken. Simmer 5 minutes.

4. Add remaining broth and seasonings. Whisk arrowroot powder or cornstarch into cold milk and pour into the pot.

5. Simmer for at least 30 min. for chowder to thicken and flavors to meld. For thicker chowder, add more arrowroot or cornstarch (1 t. at a time). To thin, add more milk or broth.

6. Top with bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions. Serve warm.

Sweet & Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken (GF)

I cannot take one bit of credit for these delicious BBQ crusted chicken tenders. A sweet friend named Lauren, who moved to California awhile back, is the one who introduced me to these tasty little treaures. I love that I can have this delicious dinner in the oven in under 5 minutes. Don't let the title fool you, these are just mildly tangy--not really all that spicy. Think sweet BBQ flavor.

The first few times I made this recipe I used a whole piece of bacon per chicken tender, but felt like it was a bit too much. Feel free to use a whole piece if you prefer. My hubby (AKA Resident Taste Tester) and I agree that a half piece imparts all of the perfect bacon flavor and is a bit less greasy.

My kiddos aren't really into the bacon (gasp!!), so I oh-so-lightly dip theirs into the seasoning and leave off the bacon. Seriously...whose kids are these anyway? Haha! And if you happen to have leftover seasoning, just throw it into a labeled plastic bag or small container and freeze it for the next time you make these. You definitely want to keep it in the freezer, though, since you dipped raw chicken in it. I do this regularly with my chicken nugget breading and this dry BBQ seasoning. Feel free to freeze the leftover bacon, too. I hate wasting perfectly good food. And trust me when I tell you these are mmm, mmm good!

Sweet & Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Serves 4 (approx. 3 pieces each)

1.5 lb. Chicken tenders or 4 boneless breasts cut into strips

About 6 slices of nitrate-free bacon (if using 1/2 slice per tender)

1/4 c. Chili powder

1/4 c. Brown sugar

Toothpicks, if needed

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. If using boneless skinless breasts, cut into strips the size of chicken tenders.

3. In a wide, shallow bowl mix together the chili powder and brown sugar until well combined.

4. Cut the bacon strips into half, width wise. Wrap a half piece of bacon around one of the chicken tenders diagonally. This may take a couple tries until you get the hang of it. If needed, use toothpicks to secure. (I just hold it in place, personally.)

5. While holding the ends of the bacon in place, dip the chicken into the seasoning on both sides to coat it well.

6. Place bacon wrapped and seasoned chicken tenders onto cookie sheet and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the bacon is thoroughly cooked and the chicken is no longer pink.



Looking for a recipe to use up that leftover bacon? Try this!


Pasta Carbonara

Fiesta Lime Chicken ~ Applebee's Copycat Recipe

Serves 4

Chicken & Marinade
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (organic or free-range is best)
1 c. water
1/3 c. teriyaki sauce (We use Soyaki sauce from Trader Joes.)
2 T. lime juice
2 t. garlic, minced
1 t. Liquid Smoke (Totally not "crunchy" or healthful, but it's in the recipe and the flavor is hard to mimic)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. tequila (optional)


Mexi Ranch Dressing
1/4 c. mayo
1/4 c. sour cream
1 T. milk
1 1/2 t. white vinegar
2 t. tomato, minced
1 t. jalapeno, minced (optional)
1 t. onion, minced
1/4 t. parsley, dried
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. dill weed
1/8 t. paprika
1/8 t. cumin
1/8 t. chili powder
dash garlic powder
dash black pepper

*Note...I tried making this with 1/4 c. mayo, 1/4 c. sour cream, 1 T. buttermilk, minced tomato, 1/2 T. ranch seasoning, 1/2 T. taco seasoning and a pinch of cayenne pepper and it was excellent. It was so nice to not have to measure out 1/8 t. of this and that. :)


For Serving
1 c. cheddar jack cheese, shredded
2 c. tortilla chips, lightly crushed (We like Garden of Eatin' brand blue corn chips.)
Mexican Rice (Here's a recipe for homemade Mexican Rice with great reviews. Make sure to read the suggestions from others for best results!)



1. Combine all ingredients for marinade in a sealed plastic bag or a lidded container. Add chicken breasts and allow to marinade for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Hint: I make up an extra batch of marinate to freeze for the next time I make this dish. Just freeze in a labeled freezer bag, thaw overnight in fridge and add chicken breasts the following morning.

2. Stir together all ingredients for the Mexi Ranch Dressing and allow flavors to blend while the chicken cooks. This dressing could be made up a day ahead and kept in the fridge.

3. Grill chicken breasts on an outdoor grill, cast iron grill pan on the stove, etc. until they are cooked thoroughly and no pink remains in the center.

4. Place grilled chicken breasts in a casserole dish, cover with 1/4 c. dressing and 1/4 c. shredded cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly or microwave for several minutes until cheese melts.

5. Serve chicken over 1/2 c. crushed tortilla chips with Mexican rice on the side.

Tip for Dealing with Picky Eaters:  My kids will eat the tortilla chips (of course!), mexican rice (sometimes) and the grilled chicken (plain), so I leave one chicken breast "unadorned" and cut it up for the kids. That just leaves more dressing to put on the chicken for the grown-ups! :)

Chicken Supreme with Gravy

Photo credit: Taste of Home

Serves 4-6 (recipe can be doubled & baked in 9 x 13 in. dish)


Casserole
2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1/2 c. onion, diced
3/4 c. celery, diced
1/2--3/4 c. apple, diced (optional)
1/4 c. butter
10 slices *slightly stale bread, cut into one inch cubes (or 7-8 if slices are overly big)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. milk
1 t. + 1/8 t. salt
1 t. + 1/8 t. rubbed sage
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. baking powder
6 oz. chicken broth

Gravy
1 c. cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (from-scratch recipe HERE)
1 c. water, or a bit more if gravy is too thick



1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Saute onion, celery and apple (if using) in a skillet with 1/4 c. butter just until tender.

2. In a large bowl, add cubed bread, salt, sage, pepper & baking powder. Spoon in onion, celery and apple (if using); toss to combine.

3. Beat eggs in a small bowl and add milk. Pour over bread mixture and coat evenly.

4. Layer half of the bread mixture into a greased 8" or 9" square casserole dish. Add one cup of chicken, the rest of the bread mixture and top another cup of chicken. Reserve the last cup of chicken for the gravy.

6. Pour chicken broth over the top of casserole. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees F for 70 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Uncover and bake 10-15 min. longer.

7. In a small saucepan, combine the last cup of chicken with one can of soup and one cup of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 min. Spoon chicken gravy over portions of cooked casserole*. 


*Tip: Serve the gravy on the side instead of pouring over the top. That way if you have leftovers to refrigerate, they won't be soggy from the gravy.)

**To "stale up" your bread, place slices on a towel and leave on the countertop for a few hours, uncovered.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

White Chicken Chili (GF)

Serves 4-6


1 T. olive oil (or oil of choice)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chile peppers
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. dried oregano
1/4--1 t. ground cayenne pepper (Some like it hot! We prefer 1/4 t. in ours!)
1 (32 oz.) quart chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (or chopped cooked turkey breast)
3 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed**  
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 c. sour cream (optional)


1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender.

2. Mix in the garlic, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Add in the chicken broth, chicken (or turkey) and beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Serve warm. Top with cheese and sour cream (if desired).


**I like to soak and cook dry beans ahead of time for this soup. Dry beans are MUCH cheaper and have less yucky "fillers" than the canned variety. After soaking overnight and cooking in the crockpot on low until tender, I freeze 3 c. of beans in Ziploc freezer bags for future meals. I typically use about 1 1/2 c. of Great Northern beans and about 1 1/2 c. kidney beans for this recipe.

Chicken Gumbo

Serves 4-5

8 skinless chicken thighs (I use a pkg. of 6 and it serves about 3-4 adults)
1/4 c. flour
2 t. Cajun or Creole seasoning blend**
2-3 T. olive oil (or oil of choice)
1 lg. onion, chopped
1/2 c. thinly sliced celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
1 lg. green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1/2 to 1 t. hot pepper sauce (optional--I don't use this, personally)


1. Put flour and Cajun seasoning in reclosable bag, add 2 pieces of chicken (slightly wet) at a time and shake to coat lightly. Save remaining flour/seasoning as you will need to add it later.

2. Place chicken in oil over medium heat, brown on both sides (about 2-3 min. per side), remove and set aside.

3. Saute onion, celery, garlic until tender (about 5 min.).

4. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, remaining flour/seasoning mixture and hot sauce (if using)--bring to boil.
5. Return chicken to pan, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally.  After 15 min. add green pepper and simmer another 15 min. or until chicken cooked completely.

6. Serve hot over rice or noodles. Best served in a large, shallow bowl.
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**Cajun Seasoning Mix

1 T. + 3/4 t. sea salt
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 1/2 t. paprika
3/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a plastic bag and shake to mix.