Easy Peasy! Nice and Easy!

(Originally posted on Tuesday, December 7, 2010)

Well, after all of the crazy cooking that is associated with Thanksgiving (did you see how incredibly long my Thanksgiving blogs were? And it was in three parts!), I definitely want to take it easy cooking-wise for awhile afterward.

I blame the crazy title of this blog on a Starburst commercial. It was an insanely quirky commercial that made me laugh every time. I don't think many people liked the commercial though, because they didn't air it for very long. But it must have had a cult following, because you can still find it online...plus, there is an extended version that includes dance instruction and the phrase "Easy peasy...nice and easy." Ever since I saw that commercial, that phrase has been stuck in the back of my mind. I had to get it out here! In case you want to check out the commercial, click here. If you want to see the dance instruction and the phrase that lead to the title of this blog, click here.

Besides being easy dinners, these recipes have absolutely nothing in common. But they're all yummy. The first one is an easy sauce that is served over linguine. The second one is an easy sauce that is served over rice. The final recipe uses shredded chicken and puff pastry...yummy puff pastry.

I hope you like them and I hope it makes your dinner preparations easier!


Creamy Italian Chicken Linguine

Ingredients:

3-6 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Directions:

Combine soup, cream cheese, and dressing packet. Pour over chicken in slow cooker and cook all day on low heat. Serve over linguine.

Source: I got this from my mom. I don't know where she got it from though.

Notes: You can serve the chicken whole over the linguine, or you can shred it. I prefer to shred the chicken. It makes the sauce heartier and it goes farther to serve more people. I also usually double this recipe. I've also found no reason to combine the soup, cream cheese, and dressing. I usually sprinkle the dressing mix directly over the chicken, pour the soup over the chicken and just place the cream cheese (un-softened) on top. When you shred the chicken, it mixes the sauce completely. Also, if you keep frozen chicken breasts in your freezer, this is a great pantry recipe that you can keep on hand and throw together any time.

Easy Peasy Foccacia Bread

Ingredients:

12 Rhodes Dough rolls
2 tbsp olive oil
Garlic salt, to taste
Rosemary, to taste
Parmesan, to taste

Directions:

I made this easy foccacia by thawing 12 Rhodes Dough rolls in a ziploc bag. Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, flatten it out in a rectangular shape like you would if you were rolling out a pizza. You can either do this with a rolling pin or with your hands. I stretched and flattened the dough with my hands. Place the dough on a jelly roll pan that is covered in foil and lightly dusted with flour. Brush the dough with a little olive oil and then sprinkle it with garlic salt, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese, to taste. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Source: This just came from my mind when I realized that I hadn't planned any side dishes to go along with this dinner. I had Rhodes Dough rolls in the freezer, so voila! Lovely foccacia!


Mexican Pork

Ingredients:

1 pound pork boneless loin roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 jar (20 ounces) salsa
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces), if desired

Directions:

Mix pork, salsa, and chilies in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-8 hours or until pork is tender. Stir in beans. Cover and cook about 5 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings.

Nutrition information: 345 calories, 10 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 37 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Notes: I usually double this and I serve it over rice. Also, it is great with fresh chopped cilantro on top as well. You can also top it with a dollop of guacamole or sour cream. The recipe suggests that you can serve it over tortilla chips, instead of the rice, if you prefer. Other substitutions suggested by the recipe are to vary the taste by using pinto beans instead of black beans and Cheddar cheese instead of Monterey Jack. It is soooo easy and very flavorful. I used Ortega medium salsa. Also, I think it is basically impossible to find a jar of salsa with exactly 20 ounces. I think most jars come in a 16 ounce size. This amount is totally fine. This dish creates a lot of liquid, so I think it actually works better to use only 16 ounces of salsa instead of 20 ounces. Finally, this dish would be very freezer friendly. You could freeze individual portions served over rice. Just defrost and microwave! Or you could freeze the pork mixture in a freezer friendly container or zip top bag. Don't forget to label and date it! When you are ready to use it, defrost it and reheat it in the microwave. Serve over fresh cooked rice. This is another great pantry recipe.


Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons Frank's® RedHot® Sauce
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the chicken, cheese and hot sauce in a medium bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x14-inch rectangle.

With the short side facing you, spoon the chicken mixture down the center of the pastry. Fold 2 opposite sides of the pastry to the center over the filling and press to seal. Place the pastry, seam-side down, onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cut the pastry in quarters to serve.

Source: Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry website (puffpastry.com).

Notes: The recipe suggests serving this with carrot and celery sticks, additional hot sauce, and blue cheese dressing. The blue cheese dressing is really yummy as a dipping sauce for the stromboli or drizzled on top of the stromboli. You can either poach and then chop or shred the chicken or you can cook the chicken in a slow cooker and chop or shred it. Also, I scored the top of the puff pastry (four small cuts) prior to cooking to allow the steam to escape.

Slow Cooker Sandwiches

(Saturday, November 20, 2010)

Thanksgiving is coming up. It is always a fun time of year to make old holiday favorites and try new ones. But, let's face it, Thanksgiving dinner is a lot of work. It takes hours and hours to make and it gets gobbled up in 30 minutes or less...and then there are the dishes that need to be done!

So, in order to make Thanksgiving as enjoyable as possible, I think it's important to take it easy cooking-wise just before and just after the big feast. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use the slow cooker. I LOVE the slow cooker! Bless the person who invented it (according to a quick google search, it appears that Rival Industries created the first slow cooker called the "Crock Pot" in the 1970's). Wonderful invention! I just wish I had invented it because I would be very wealthy. But I guess since I was only born in 1979, it would have been a lot to ask of an infant to come up with such an invention.

I find slow cooker sandwiches to be the easiest of all slow cooker recipes because you simply slice or shred the meat, place it on a bun and serve it with some easy side dishes. It also makes kitchen clean up so easy. Don't forget to use Reynold's Slow Cooker liners. Because then you don't even have to clean your slow cooker afterward.

Oh, and while some of these recipes call for a specific type of roast, I have found that any cut or type of roast works well. If you use a bone-in roast, just remember to remove the bones when you are cutting or shredding the meat.

I'm sharing a teriyaki pulled pork sandwich (a nice change of pace from the usual BBQ pulled sandwiches), pepperoncini beef sandwiches, and two versions of French Dip sandwiches (the first one is a new find, the second one is an old favorite). Both of the French Dip recipes are delicious, in my opinion. But the second one takes a lot less prep time. They both make a yummy au jus to dip the sandwiches in. To quote Homer Simpson, "Ahhhh. Au jus. Not quite gravy...not quite blood. Mmmmmmm." Hopefully that quote didn't gross you out, but I always get a kick out of it. Plus, it's a good way for me to test to see if you actually read the entire blog post!

One final note: shredded meat is very freezer friendly. If you have extra shredded meat, put it in a freezer zip top bag, label it (what it is and the date you froze it) and pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, simply defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the microwave. So easy!

I hope you like these recipes and I hope they help to simplify your holidays!

Teriyaki Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 (3 lb) boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed
1 bottle teriyaki sauce or marinade
1 (20 ounce) can sliced pineapple rings, drained and liquid reserved
8 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Place roast in a 5 quart slow cooker. Pour teriyaki sauce/marinade and liquid from canned pineapple rings over the pork. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Remove roast and shred meat with two forks. Return the meat to the slow cooker and stir.

Toast whole wheat hamburger buns and use a slotted spoon to top the bun with shredded pork and a pineapple ring.

Source: This is a recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com, but it is actually a Taste of Home Test Kitchen recipe.

Notes: I slightly altered the original recipe. The original recipe has a few more steps to it. First, they browned the roast in 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat and then cut the roast in half before placing it in the slow cooker. I simply found this to be an unnecessary step. They also discarded the juice from the pineapple rings and called for a can of unsweetened pineapple juice. Now, why buy another can of pineapple juice when you can use the juice from the pineapple rings and attain the same results? Also, in the original recipe, they thickened the teriyaki sauce in the slow cooker by whisking 3 tablespoons of flour into the teriyaki sauce and covering it and cooking it in the crock pot on high for 30-40 minutes until the sauce was thickened. At that point, they put the meat back into the slow cooker until the meat was heated again. Thickening the sauce isn't necessary, but it does make for a less juicy and messy sandwich. Again, I found this to be an extra step that wasn't absolutely necessary. Oh, and be sure to use whole wheat hamburger buns. They add such a nice flavor to the sandwiches. It adds much more depth to the taste than using just white buns for this recipe. If you keep a frozen pork roast and frozen buns in your freezer, this makes an easy pantry recipe that you can put together at the drop of a hat!
Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 (3 lb) beef chuck roast
4 cloves garlic, sliced (optional)
1 (16 ounce) jar sliced pepperoncini peppers
Sliced Pepper Jack or Jalapeno cheese
Buns or rolls

Directions:

If using garlic, make small cuts in roast and insert garlic slices into the cuts. Place roast in the slow cooker, and pour the entire contents of the jar of pepperoncini, including liquid, over the meat.

Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat is tender. Shred or slice the beef. Place on toasted buns or hoagie rolls and top with cheese and pepperoncini, if desired. You can also place the sandwiches open-faced onto a foil covered jelly roll pan and broil for 1 minute to toast the bread and melt the cheese prior to serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Joyce.

Notes: If I'm in a hurry, I either skip the garlic, or just add it to the slow cooker with the jar of pepperoncini. Broiling the sandwiches is a must, in my opinion. Just make sure to watch the sandwiches closely while they are broiling. They can burn quickly if you aren't paying attention!

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1 boneless beef rump roast (4 lbs.), trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 package (0.7 oz) Italian dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 hoagie buns, split
1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
12 slices (1 oz each) provolone cheese, cut in half

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray (or use slow cooker liner). In slow cooker, place onion; add broth. Brush all surfaces of beef roast with vinegar. Place roast on top of onions. Sprinkle with Italian dressing mix, salt, and pepper.

Cover; cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours, or until meat is tender.

Remove beef from slow cooker; place on cutting board. Cut beef across grain into thin slices. Return slices to slow cooker; mix well. (You can also shred the meat, if you prefer)

Spoon beef onto bottom halves of buns and top each with bell pepper, cheese, and top half of bun. Serve sandwiches with juices from slow cooker.

Source: A cookbook of my mother's entitled Slow Cooker Sensations.

Notes: You can simply pour the balsamic vinegar over the roast. You don't really need to brush it on. I added a total of three cans of beef broth to the slow cooker. This allowed my entire roast to be immersed...which helped to make it really tender. Also, we usually saute or broil the bell peppers until they are softened. It takes a little of the bitter taste out of the green peppers. You can also use any kind of bell peppers you like. This sandwich is fantastic with green, yellow, orange, or red bell peppers. Oh, and although I didn't toast or broil my sandwiches this time (as seen in the picture above), I usually do because I like to melt the cheese on the sandwich prior to serving (just as described in the pepperoncini beef sandwich recipe above).

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 beef roast
2 cans beef consomme
1 can French onion soup
Hoagie rolls
Butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place roast in a slow cooker and pour consomme and onion soup on top. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Serve on buttered, salted, and peppered hoagie rolls and use the consomme/onion soup mixture as an au jus to dip the sandwiches in.

Source: I have no idea. This is a recipe that my mom has been making since I was a child. I don't know where she got it from.

The Penne is Mightier Than the Sword

(Originally posted on Friday, September 3, 2010)

I think if I could, I would eat pasta almost every night...minimum at least once a week. My favorite is probably spaghetti, but I love all kinds of pasta...including, of course, penne.

Oh, and I must apologize that we have done such a lousy job of posting on this blog lately. My sister and I are both pregnant (just out of the first trimester now) and food DID NOT sound good to either of us during that time. As for my mom (who also posts on this blog), she has no excuse!

The first recipe (pictured above) is a pasta favorite that my mom found. It is my youngest sister's absolute favorite pasta. It is also a quick and easy weeknight recipe. Plus, each serving is only 7 Weight Watcher's Points.

The second recipe is one of my pasta favorites that I found last year. It is a Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe.

I just think pasta hits the spot. Pair these recipes with a nice side salad and some crusty garlic bread or breadsticks and you're set!

Penne with Sausage and Roasted Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked penne or other tubed-shaped pasta
6 ounces 50% less fat pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean)
1 1/4 cups bottled spaghetti sauce (such as Classico with mushrooms and ripe olives...see note below)
1/2 cup diced bottled roasted red bell peppers
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.

While pasta cooks, cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until brown; stir to crumble. Drain sausage.

Add spaghetti sauce and bell peppers to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove from heat; stir in sugar and salt. Cover and let stand 3 minutes. Serve over pasta. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup pasta and 1/2 cup sauce)

Nutrition information: 329 calories, 45.5 g carbohydrates, 9.5 g fat, 3.1 g fiber, 15 g protein, 30 mg cholesterol, 694 mg sodium, 62 mg calcium, 3.1 mg iron.

Notes: I believe that my mom usually uses Prego pasta sauce (just the basic sauce with no vegetables added in). The sweetness of the Prego sauce pairs nicely with the sausage and peppers. Also, as with many pasta dishes, this one is freezer friendly. Freeze the pasta sauce separately (don't forget to label the contents and date them!). When you are ready to use it, simply defrost it overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or over the stove top. New note: My mom identified the Prego pasta sauce in her comments. She uses Prego's Three Cheese pasta sauce. Also, if you keep some frozen sausage around in your freezer, this makes a great pantry recipe. You can have everything on hand and ready to go if you need a dinner idea to throw together quickly!


Tomato and Olive Penne

The cherry tomatoes cook just long enough to bring out their juice, which blends with the garlic-flavored olive oil to make one of the best-tasting pasta sauces. If you're cooking for children who don't like black olives, toss the olives in for the adults after you've served the kids.

If you pit your own olives, the easiest way is to lay a wide chef's knife over it and smack the blade with your fist or the palm of your hand. The olive should split open, and the pit will pop right out.

Ingredients:

Salt and pepper
1 pound penne, or other short pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2/3 pound (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook penne according to package instructions until al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until just golden, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes, oregano, crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until tomato juices run, about 3 minutes.

Add penne, olives, parsley, and 1/4 cup Parmesan to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve with more cheese if desired.

Notes: I add more olives than the recipe calls for (really, is 1/4 cup enough? Not for me!). In addition to that, I ALWAYS buy pitted olives. They cost a little more, but to me, the extra cost is worth it because it saves me a lot of time. Also, I add salt and pepper to taste. I end up adding a little more than the recipe calls for. But this is a tasty and super easy meal. Yum!

Chicken Sandwiches

(Originally posted on Sunday, July 18, 2010)

Summer is the perfect time for sandwiches. I mean, can anyone really have too many sandwiches during the summer? Plus, there are so many sandwiches to choose from--deli, burgers, veggie, pressed sandwiches, toasted, panini, shredded barbecue sandwiches, etc. Then, of course, there is our favorite cost-efficient and versatile protein of choice--chicken.

I'm not going to include a specific recipe for chicken salad sandwiches. I think the best chicken salad sandwiches come from being creative. But, if you need some ideas...start with a base of chopped or shredded cooked chicken and mayonnaise, plain yogurt, or sour cream. Add something to give it a little kick such as yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, etc. Then add a combination of some of your favorite add-in ingredients. Here are some of my favorite add-ins: dried fruit (such as dried cranberries), fresh fruit (such as sliced grapes), toasted nuts, chopped celery, chopped dill pickles (or relish), chopped onions, sliced green onions, and your favorite spices (just a dash). Be creative! Don't forget to taste as you go so that the balance is right. I've made some super tasty chicken salad sandwiches (and tuna salad sandwiches, for that matter--just follow the same guidelines) simply by throwing in a combination of ingredients that sounded good to me and that I already had on hand.

The first sandwich recipe is a sliced spicy barbecue chicken recipe topped with melted cheese (pictured above). The second recipe is a pulled chicken sandwich that is a nice change of pace from pulled pork or beef. The third recipe is a pulled buffalo chicken sandwich. The second and third recipes both use a slow cooker which is nice because then you won't heat up your kitchen too much during the heat of the summer. The fourth recipe is a cool chicken sandwich with an Asian flair. The final sandwich is a cool, summer friendly pita sandwich.

Also, if you keep frozen chicken and buns in your freezer, any of the first three sandwich recipes are great pantry recipes. You can throw them together quickly and easily if you keep your pantry and freezer stocked!

I hope you like them (come on, you've got to at least like ONE of them!)!

Honey-Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches (pictured above)

This recipe yields slow-cooked barbecue flavor in less than an hour. The sandwiches need to be broiled at the last minute, but the rest of the menu can be made ahead of time.

Yield: 4 sandwiches (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup canned tomato puree
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (1 1/2-ounce) sandwich rolls
2 ounces Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, thinly sliced (see note below)
4 (1/8-inch-thick) slices red onion

Directions:

Combine water, 1 teaspoon cumin, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Drain, and place chicken on a cutting board. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; keep warm. (See my notes below)

Remove 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can; set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from can; finely chop and set aside. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add 1 teaspoon cumin; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens to a pastelike consistency, stirring constantly. Stir in reserved 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, 2 chopped chipotle chiles, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add sliced chicken to sauce; simmer for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Preheat broiler.

Split rolls in half; arrange in a single layer, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Remove top halves of rolls from baking sheet. Divide chicken mixture evenly among bottom halves of rolls, and top chicken mixture evenly with cheese. Broil chicken-topped rolls 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; top with onion and top roll halves. Serve immediately.

CALORIES 424 (25% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 3.9g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.9g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; CALCIUM 211mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.1g; SODIUM 765mg; PROTEIN 34.5g; FIBER 2.6g

Cooking Light, MAY 2005

Notes: The first time I made this, I was making it for a crowd and as a result, the pan that I was cooking the chicken in was too crowded. Because of that, the chicken took forever to cook and the water quickly evaporated before the chicken was done. The second time I made this, I simply poached the chicken by putting the chicken in a pot and covering it with water (with the cumin and garlic). This solved the problem perfectly. The chicken cooked faster and more evenly and the cumin and garlic was still infused into the chicken. I didn't think that adding more water diluted the flavor at all. It just simplified things! Also, my sweet husband went grocery shopping for me and got Pepper Jack cheese (which is the kind of cheese on the sandwich in the picture above) instead of Monterey Jack cheese. Both kinds of cheeses work well for this sandwich, so go with your preference!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

The chicken and sauce can be made up to two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat the mixture in a saucepan before serving.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (for the slow cooker version, chicken breasts, or a mix of chicken thighs and breasts can also be used)
Cooking spray

Sauce:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses

Remaining ingredients:

8 (2-ounce) sandwich rolls, toasted
16 hamburger dill chips

Directions:

Regular Version:

Prepare grill.

To prepare chicken, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180°, turning occasionally.

Let stand for 5 minutes. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half.

Slow Cooker Version:

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over chicken. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Remove chicken from the slow cooker (or, if you prefer, drain the juices from the chicken and leave the chicken in the slow cooker). Stir half of the barbecue sauce into the chicken and reserve the other half of the sauce to serve with the sandwiches.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half. Top with extra barbecue sauce, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

CALORIES 365 (23% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.6g,poly 2.6g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 94mg; CALCIUM 78mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.8g; SODIUM 877mg; PROTEIN 28.2g; FIBER 2g

Source: Cooking Light recipe found on Myrecipes.com

Notes: When I made this, I doubled the barbecue sauce so one batch was stirred into the drained chicken in the slow cooker and the other batch was used on top of the chicken when it was served on the sandwich rolls. I created the slow cooker version of this recipe because I thought it sounded great, but I simply didn't have time to do the version of the recipe as printed.

One final note: shredded meat is very freezer friendly. If you have extra shredded meat, put it in a freezer zip top bag, label it (what it is and the date you froze it) and pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, simply defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the microwave. So easy!


Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:

6 frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided (Winger’s or Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce works well)
2 (1 ounce) packages dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions:

Place the frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in ¾ of the wing sauce and 1 package of ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Mix the other ranch dressing mix with the sour cream. The ranch/sour cream mixture can be spread onto the hoagie rolls and used as a dip for carrot/celery sticks or chips. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Divinesoalce21

Notes: I made a few changes from the original recipe. Sometimes this sandwich can be pretty spicy (depending on what wing sauce you use). I have found that spreading the sandwich with a ranch spread (the sour cream/ranch dressing mixture) or blue cheese salad dressing adds just the right balance to the spiciness of the chicken. You can also add blue cheese crumbles and additional wing sauce, if you desire. This recipe is also freezer friendly (just like the pulled chicken recipe above).

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle teriyaki marinade
6 hamburger buns

Suggested Toppings (all or a combination of):

Sliced cucumbers
Alfalfa sprouts
Sliced avocado
Sliced tomato
Pineapple rings
Favorite cheese slices
Mayonnaise

Directions:

Marinate chicken breasts in teriyaki marinade at least one hour or up to overnight in the fridge.

You can grill or broil the chicken breasts. If grilling, grill on high heat for about 6 minutes per side (or until juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle). If broiling, broil on high heat for about 6 minutes per side (again, until juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle).

Place chicken breasts on hamburger buns and top with toppings of your choice.

Source: My mom has been making this for years. I'm not sure if she just came up with the idea or if she saw it in a recipe book.

Notes: You might want to either consider pounding the chicken breasts to flatten them prior to cooking or thinly slicing the chicken once it has been cooked because once you add all of your toppings to the sandwich, it is one tall sandwich (and pretty difficult to eat without everything slipping out of the bun!).

Chicken Caesar Salad Pitas

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
Bagged Caesar salad kit
Pita bread

Directions:

Cook chicken according to your own preference (you can poach it, saute it in a pan, grill it, etc.). Once the chicken is cooked, slice or cube it. You can also often find pre-cooked and sliced chicken in the refrigerated/deli section of the grocery store, if you would prefer to use that.

Prepare Caesar salad kit according to package directions. Mix in chicken.

Slice pita bread in half and open the pockets. Fill the pockets with the Caesar salad mixture and enjoy!

Source: Again, this is a recipe my mom made for us years ago. I'm not sure of its origins. The bagged salad kit is a time-saving idea, but you can also make your own Caesar salad from scratch, if you prefer.