Chicken

Tortilla Chip Casserole

Didn’t someone once say that casseroles are boring?  I guess casseroles used to primarily consist of some kind of leftover meat, mixed vegetables, maybe a pasta, rice or potato and some kind of creamy condensed soup…yeah…boring.  I wouldn’t want to eat that.  Well, unless I’m really hungry.  This Tortilla Chip Casserole is unlike any other casserole you’ve had.  If you are making this for dinner for guests or family, don’t even bother telling them you made a casserole because you’ll have them dreaming of Taco Bell right away.  Instead, tell them you have made the most flavorful, cheesy knock-your-socks-off dish and leave it at that.

Black beans, chicken and tortilla chips are nestled between layers of a spicy, cheesy milk sauce, and topped with enchilada sauce and cheese before being baked until melted and gooey.  Cumin and coriander are added to the milk sauce giving warmth to the already-bold flavors going on in the dish and cream cheese is also melted in making the sauce thick and rich.  Roasted red peppers, which are tucked away in the middle of the layers, add more flavor but sort of disappear in the end result so leave them in or leave them out, it’s up to you.  The best way I can describe this dish to say it’s like eating your favorite Mexican dip for dinner.  It’s creamy, it’s cheesy, it’s hearty, it has chicken, it has chips, it has spice.  It’s everything wrapped up in one little casserole bow.  Don’t let the lengthy list of ingredients deter you:  this will be the best dish you’ve made in a long time.  And no one will be dreaming of Taco Bell.

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The ingredients:

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Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 6 minutes. Add garlic and flour; cook 2 minutes. ­Gradually add milk and stock, stirring constantly; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and cream cheese.

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Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture over bottom of a broiler-safe 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Layer beans, 1 1/2 cups chicken, and 2 ounces chips. Top with 1/2 cup milk mixture. Layer 1 1/2 cups chicken, bell pepper, and 2 ounces chips; top with 1 cup milk mixture and enchilada sauce.

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Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

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Sprinkle with green onions, if desired.  (I was in such a hurry to eat this, I completely forgot the green onions!)

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Red enchilada sauce

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Chicken Sausage Puffs with Creamy Mustard Dipping Sauce

Have you ever used puff pastry? I haven’t and I’m left wondering how I can call myself a cook now. Not that puff pastry is something I made from scratch or anything. I simply pulled it out of the box and thawed it out. But why was I intimidated? It’s not like I have to puff it up by blowing into it or anything. These Chicken Sausage Puffs with Creamy Mustard Dipping Sauce were so, so simple. I’m now obsessed. I want to make everything with puff pastry. I may never eat regular bread again.

Frozen puff pastry is thawed until pliable and cut into squares before being cutely topped with a little button of chicken sausage. As the pastry cooks in the oven, it puffs up around the sausage and becomes light and buttery. What a perfect appetizer for the holidays or just as a tasty snack. Make this with pork sausage, turkey sausage or vegetarian sausage and I swear you won’t be disappointed.

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The ingredients:

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Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface; roll into 1 (8- x 12-inch) rectangle. Cut pastry into 24 (2-inch) squares.

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Place 1 sausage slice in center of each square, pressing down. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet and sausage.

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Arrange puffs on aluminum foil-lined baking sheets, and brush with egg. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.

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Meanwhile, stir together mustard and sour cream in a small bowl.

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Serve pastries warm, with dipping sauce.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • light sour cream

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Coastal Living Magazine

Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Sorry I’ve been M.I.A. for over a week now.  This is what happens when I get uber-busy at work and then take off for Tampa for 4 days and come home only to spend the next couple of days in bed due to the flu/cold.  Please, forgive.  I haven’t had much of an appetite but luckily I made these Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions before my trip so I can now share them with you.

Ground chicken is mixed with dijon mustard and ricotta cheese, giving the blah meet some zing and moisture.  Vidalia onions are cooked low and slow until caramelized and golden brown which adds a sweet textural topping to these burgers.  The simplicity of these burgers are appealing but feel free to add any of your favorite flavors, like soy sauce, horseradish or Sriracha, to the mixture before cooking.  The real star are the onions which, as I’ve mentioned before, were not only one of my least favorite foods as a kid but a food in general which I don’t think ever went down my throat until I was in my 30s.  I swear.  Who knew that one day I’d be eating a burger, not with ketchup or mustard or pickles, but with a pile of onions.  I would have called you a liar if you accused me.

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The ingredients:

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Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook 15 minutes or until well browned; set aside.

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In a large bowl, combine chicken, ricotta, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Form into 4 equal-size patties and flatten.

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Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (I used my Cuisinart Griddler). Cook burgers about 5 minutes per side. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes or until instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees  F.

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Place burgers on buns and top each with some of the onions.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • lettuce

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Family Circle Magazine

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