Chicken Stew with Sausage and Cannellini Beans

We all have those meals we love to make for family and friends.

Mine include Baked Ziti, Cajun Turkey Jambalaya and Turkey, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili.

And this favorite, straight from the pages of the Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook. The first time I made this -- way back in 2012, I was hooked. It was my first time cooking with fennel and the amazing flavor it imparts to the dish is addicting.

I've since served this up to many of our house guests, but hadn't made it recently. So glad I did. This stew does require some prep work, which makes it great for a weekend, not to mention cold, cloudy days.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Chicken Stew with Sausage and Cannellini Beans

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound mild or sweet sausage links, sliced
2 onions, minced
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced (remove the stops and the core and cut in half first)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus extra as needed
2 bay leaves
2, 15 ounce cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces baby spinach
Shredded Parmesan cheese for topping

Cut off extra fat from chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.

Over medium-high flame, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet. In batches, brown chicken on both sides, about 5 to 8 minutes per side. Add more oil if needed. Place cooked chicken in bowl until next steps.

Heat remaining oil in the pan. Add sausage and brown well. Transfer to bowl with chicken. Reserve 1 tablespoon of fat in pan and pour off the rest.

Add onions, fennel, garlic, tomato paste, thyme and red pepper to pan and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in wine, scraping up browned bits. Add 1 cup broth and stir to smooth out any lumps.

Transfer to slow cooker. Add 3 cups of broth and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Add chicken, sausage and any juices in the bowl. Cover and cook 4 to 6 hours on low.

Remove chicken to large plate or cutting board and shred into small pieces with two forks.

Skim off any fat on top of stew and remove bay leaves.

Stir in beans and spinach. Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes to wilt spinach. Add chicken, stir and allow to heat through.

If stew is too thick, add hot broth.

Ladle into bowls and season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan.

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Soup

I am loving my slow cooker these days because life is busy and much to my boys' chagrin, I don't want to eat take-out for every meal.

We eat a lot of chili at our house, and this chicken version is a nice change of pace.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Soup

Inspired by the Kitchn

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 4-ounce cans diced green chili peppers

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

For serving: Chopped cilantro and green onions, lime wedges, shredded cheese or sour cream

Combine the onions, celery, green chili peppers, garlic, cumin, salt, coriander, oregano and bay leaves in a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Stir to combine. Nestle the chicken into the vegetables. Pour the chicken stock on top.

Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook for 6 hours on low. 

About 1 hour before the end of cooking, remove the lid of the slow cooker and add the beans. Taste and add more salt or other seasonings as desired. 

Replace the lid and continue cooking.

Remove chicken to a plate and use 2 forks to shred into bite-sized pieces. Remove bay leaves. Stir the chicken back into the soup.

Serve with shredded cheese, wedges of lime, chopped cilantro, and sour cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice with Spinach and Feta

This is comfort food for me. I've made this recipe many, many times. It's a great dinner for dreary days because it warms you up while delivering bright flavors of lemon and briny feta.

Leftovers make for an easy lunch.

The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution Vol. 2: The Easy-Prep Edition. If you don't have that cookbook and you love your slow cooker, check it out.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice with Spinach and Feta

1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups Minute Ready to Serve White Rice
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 5 ounce container baby spinach (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup pine nuts, optional

Put onion, oil, garlic and oregano in a small bowl and microwave about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer to bowl of slow cooker. Stir in rice. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into rice mixture.

Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours on low or until chicken is tender.

Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred into bite-sized pieces. Stir chicken, spinach and half-and-half into rice mixture remaining in slow cooker. Add feta and combine. Let sit until spinach is wilted.

Add lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir.

Serve topped with additional feta and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Stew

Fall is slowly arriving and school and other activities are kicking into high gear. Enter the slow cooker. I love the ease of prepping a meal in the morning — or even the night before — pushing a button and having a meal ready by dinner time.

We love chili and Mexican food at our house, so this recipe for Chicken Enchilada Stew seemed like a good fit.

I made a double batch to stock my freezer and we had plenty of leftovers for a second meal, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Stew
Inspired by this recipe from The Kitchn

For the stew base:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon (or more to taste) of canned, chopped jalapeño peppers
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sugar
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Additional ingredients:
1 15 ounce can of corn, drained
1 15 ounce of black beans, drained
3 pounds boneless chicken thighs and/or breasts
Splash heavy cream, to taste (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

You'll need a 6 quart slow cooker for this recipe.

Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or deep skillet. Add onion and jalapeño and cook until softened, about 6 minutes.

Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then transfer to the bowl of your slow cooker.

Add the corn and beans to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Nestle chicken into the stew. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or high for 4 hours.

Remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Return chicken to the crock pot and stir to combine. Mix in a splash of heavy cream.

Serve with shredded cheese, sliced green onions and tortilla chips. Refrigerate leftovers.

Sheet pan Lemon Chicken with Olives & Capers

Sheet pan suppers are a great way to whip up a savory meal in less than an hour. This recipe is one I made with items I had on hand.

My pantry is usually stocked with olives and capers so this was a good way to put them to work.

The bonus with this dinner is that as the olives cook they release their oils, which blends with the juices from the lemon and chicken to make a nice sauce.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Sheet pan Lemon Chicken with Olives & Capers

2 pounds of chicken pieces (I used an assortment of boneless thighs, skin-on legs, and boneless skinless breasts.)
1 cup whole green olives, pitted and stuffed with pimento
1 cup whole kalamata olives, pitted
1 cup whole black olives, pitted
2-3 tablespoons capers
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, sliced
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Spaghetti for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread 1 tablespoon on bottom of a shallow sheet pan. Place chicken pieces on pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a bowl mix olives, capers, lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil. Pour evenly over chicken pieces. Top with lemon slices.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through. Baste chicken pieces and stir olives occasionally during cooking time.

Serve chicken alone with capers, olives and pan sauce or on top of spaghetti.

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Slow Cooker 15-Bean Soup with Sausage and Spinach

For dinner in the winter, I'm satisfied with a warm bowl of beans. Growing up we'd often have beans and cornbread. Not fancy beans — just thrown in the crockpot with water or broth, a diced up onion,  that "ham" flavoring packet and maybe a leftover ham bone. And it was good. This is better, healthier even thanks to the spinach. In fact, I've made these beans twice in recent weeks and am officially declaring it my official, go-to, wintertime bean recipe.

The recipe is adapted from a favorite line of cookbooks: America's Test Kitchen's Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution. I made a few tweaks. For starters, I omitted the mushrooms (just sounds unappealing to me to cook mushrooms and beans together for 9 or so hours). I increased the amount of sausage from 8 ounces to 9-12 ounces (for easier math) as sausage typically comes in 12-ounce, 4-link packs. Likewise, I upped the spinach by an ounce, because the baby spinach I buy comes in a 5-ounce clamshell container. Lastly, the second time I made it, I used a 4-ounce container of chicken broth and the 2 cups of vegetable broth leftover in my fridge. Why open another container of chicken broth?

Anyhow, if you are craving an easy dinner that takes the edge off the winter chill, try this out. Tweak it; make it your own.

XOXO,
Amy

PS: A great thing to serve with this: my Family Cornbread.

Slow Cooker 15-Bean Soup with Sausage and Spinach
Adapted from Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution

9-12 ounces (3-4 links) hot or sweet Italian chicken sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 onion, chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
8 ounce bag of 15-bean soup mix, flavoring packet(s) discarded
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
Black pepper to taste
5 ounces (5 cups) baby spinach

Microwave sausage, onion, garlic, thyme and pepper flakes in bowl until onion is softened (about 5 minutes), stirring halfway through. Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth, water, beans, bay leaves and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add black pepper — to taste — now or later, if desired. Cover and cook on low until beans are tender — 9 to 11 hours on low or 6 to 8 hours on high.

Discard bay leaves. Stir in spinach and let sit until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Molly's Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches

This dish is slow cooker gold, my friends. And I can't thank fellow mom Molly enough for sharing it with me. (Molly is also the genius behind Half-Day Chili Sauce.)

Molly's a mother of two boys like me, and we're always running our kids to some activity or another after school. Her creation is the new go-to meal at our house, especially since my son Sam declared, "This chicken is so good! Thank you for making it Mommy!"

When he asked me to pack it for his lunch, I knew we were on to something.

This recipe makes enough for a few meals (dinner and lunch!) which is especially nice.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Molly's Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (I used Penzy's Italian Dressing Base)
1 cup sliced, mild banana peppers
1/2 cup juice from banana pepper jar
1 cup chicken stock
Hoagie buns
Provolone cheese slices
Extra banana pepper slices for serving

Place chicken breasts in bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Top with banana peppers. Pour banana pepper juice and chicken stock over everything.

Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken to a plate. Shred chicken. Return meat to slow cooker and stir to combine with sauce.

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees.

Scoop chicken and banana pepper mixture into buns. Top with provolone cheese.  Put sandwiches on a cookie sheet and place in oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve with a side of banana peppers.

Chicken Tikka Skewers

You know you have too many cookbooks when you realize you've forgotten about some really good ones you haven't even tried yet. This happened to me recently when I saw my copy of Indian Inspired Gluten-Free Cooking staring back at me as if I'd never laid eyes on it before. Sssh, don't tell my BFF and fellow bringer of hot dinner Andrea; it was a gift from here MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.

OK, so new year, new goals, and one of mine is to use all of my cookbooks more.

With my one and only Indian cookbook, I decided to start with the Chicken Tikka Skewers, because my children recently discovered they love chicken tikka masala at one of our favorite Indian restaurants in Charlotte.

I also appreciated this dish because it goes with another goal: eating lighter. No sauce, no rice required. Next week, I'll tell you all about the side dish I made: Indian-spiced Brussels Sprouts.

XOXO,
Amy

Chicken Tikka Skewers
Adapted from Indian Inspired Gluten-Free Cooking

PROTEIN
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks

MARINATE
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
3-4 garlic cloves, minced

EQUIPMENT
8 (6-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes.

Whisk marinade ingredients together in bowl and add cubed chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Preheat broiler to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with olive or vegetable oil.

Thread chicken pieces onto skewers, leaving about 1/4-inch space between piece to allow for even cooking. Place skewers on lined baking sheets. Spray chicken lightly with oil.

Broil for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through.

Asian Chicken & Corn Chowder

Every time I go to Costco, I snag a rotisserie chicken. They are so good, so easy, and so cheap. I find the biggest chicken I can and wedge it into my SUV-sized cart between the behemoth pack of paper towels and enough Goldfish to survive a week of toddler tantrums. And I rely on that chicken to make fast paninis after work, Curry Chicken Salad, and Fried Rice when I can't wait for take-out.

Last time I had a Costco bird in my fridge, I whipped up Asian Chicken & Corn Chowder inspired by the Penzey's Spices catalog. It's my new favorite speedy meal, and it's perfect for these chilly January nights. It's even hearty enough to count as an official dinner in the eyes of the husband. No side sandwich needed.

The ingredients may seem like a strange combo (sesame oil and ginger with creamed corn??), but trust me on this one. It's awesome. The creamed corn adds richness and a subtle sweetness that complements the Asian flavors of the soup.

Next time you grab a rotisserie chicken (or if you have leftovers of Amy's Roasted Chicken), give this soup a try. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Asian Chicken & Corn Chowder
Adapted from Penzey's

2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped OR 1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups* low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper
Extra sesame oil, for serving
Chili flakes, for serving

Heat sesame oil in a pan over medium-high. Add chicken and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits into the broth. Stir in creamed corn and corn kernels. Cover and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Slowly make a figure eight stirring motion in the soup with a fork. While you're stirring, very slowly pour the beaten egg into the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of chili flakes.

*If your soup is a little too thick, feel free to add a little more broth at the end.

Chicken and Mushrooms in a White Wine Sauce

Last week, I wrote about this past New Year's Eve dinner theme: French. This post is part deux.

For NYE 2016 dinner we had French Onion Soup and Chicken and Mushrooms in a White Wine Sauce — the latter from The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo.

I've cooked several of Khoo's dishes — Lemon and Lavender Chicken, Parisian Asparagus and Coq Au Vin on Skewers, to name a few. Each one has been accessible for us home cooks and delicious for all who enjoy simple French dishes. And the photography in this book is gorgeous. It's the prettiest cookbook I own. I'm such a fan that I've given it to several friends and family for holidays and weddings.

My uncle Frank, a recipient of LPK, says this is one of his favorites in the book. He sometimes makes the sauce to put on top of other dishes. Mais oui!

BTW, I didn't change up Khoo's recipe at all, except I forgot to slice the mushrooms (no big deal). Why mess with perfection?

XOXO,
Amy

PS: After writing this entire post, I got this feeling of déjà vu. Guess what? We rang in 2016 with a French theme and Little Paris Kitchen. Quelle surprise!

Sous chef Penny, 7, stirs the cream sauce.

Chicken and Mushrooms in a White Wine Sauce 
(a.k.a. Poulet aux champignons avec une sauce au vin blanc)
The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock (plus extra in case thinning is necessary)
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

For rest of the dish:
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound chicken (or turkey), cut into chunks
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
Handful of finely chopped tarragon or parsley

Start by making the sauce. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the flour and beat hard until you have a smooth paste (roux). Continue to beat until the roux begins to have a golden color. Remove from the heat and gradually add in the stock, whisking constantly.

Put the pan back over medium heat and simmer on low for 10 minutes, whisking frequently to keep sauce from burning the bottom of the pan. If sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a little more stock.

Add the wine and continue simmering for 10 minutes. When time is up, remove from heat and whisk in the cream and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

While the sauce is simmering, melt the butter in a large frying pan until sizzling, add the chicken and fry for a few minutes until golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

To serve, mix the sauce with the chicken and mushrooms and sprinkle with some fresh tarragon or parsley. (I much prefer tarragon.)

Ramen with Chicken & Vegetables

My kids keep seeing a commercial for Ramen noodles, so I recently bought a 12-pack at the grocery store so they could try them. It was a trip down memory lane to my post-college, working-as-an-intern days when I often ate cooked and drained ramen mixed with a little butter, the seasoning packet and (canned) chicken.

My kids now bring ramen soup (in a thermos) for their school lunch about once a week. For the dinner table, I decided to see if I couldn't expand my old college recipe a little bit.

Adding lots of veggies and some Asian seasonings did the trick. Go ahead and add more or different vegetables or leave out the chicken for a vegetarian meal and/or experiment with the sauce to find a blend that fits your tastebuds.

The great thing about this recipe is that the day after we have this for dinner, there's enough leftover ramen for my lunch, too!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Ramen with Chicken & Vegetables

4 packs of ramen noodles, cooked and drained (reserve seasoning packet for another use)
2 tablespoon oil, divided
1 cup carrots, julienned (Make life easy and buy a bag of shredded carrots!)
1 cup snow pea pods, julienned
1/2 a large red bell pepper, julienned
2 cans (5 ounce) or 1 can (10 ounce or 12 ounce) of chunk white chicken, packed in water OR 1 1/4 cups to 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 or 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce (depending on your taste)
1 or 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (depending on your taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced green onions for serving
Chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Cook ramen noodles according to packet directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add vegetables and cook, stirring often until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.

Remove veggies from pan and set aside in a bowl.

Add remaining oil to skillet and add chicken. Cook until heated through. Add vegetables back into pan and stir to combine.

Add soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, ginger, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Add more soy sauce, Hoisin and ginger to taste.

Add ramen noodles to pan and stir to combine and to coat noodles in sauce. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through.

Top with green onions and cilantro and serve.

Herb Roasted Chicken with Shallots & Garlic

I just wrapped up a big work project that kept me out of the kitchen for a bit. With my deadline behind me, I needed some time to nest.

A roasted chicken always does the trick for a family dinner, but this time I wanted to change things up a little. I turned to my trusty 365 Ways to Cook Chicken cookbook for ideas.

This recipe is tweaked a bit, and I bet it would work with a turkey, too, if you need some Thanksgiving inspiration (hint, hint.)

Don't be put off by the large number of shallots called for in this recipe. They are quite mellow after roasting and they give the chicken such amazing flavor.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Herb Roasted Chicken with Shallots & Garlic

5-6 pound whole chicken
Kosher salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup softened butter or 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
10 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus more for decoration
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary, plus more for decoration
6 sprigs of fresh oregano, plus more for decoration
10-12 fresh sage leaves
16 shallots, peeled
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup white wine, such as chardonnay

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pat inside and outside of chicken dry with paper towels. Discard. Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan.

Rub half of the softened butter or half of the olive oil between skin and chicken breast, being careful not to pull the skin apart. Stuff some sprigs of the herbs (about 3 on each side of the bird) under the skin.

Season inside cavity with salt and pepper. Pour in lemon juice. Stuff with some of the herbs.

Rub remaining butter or oil on the outside of chicken, covering the entire bird. Season with salt and pepper.

Put pan in oven and roast chicken for 15 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and arrange peeled shallots and unpeeled garlic cloves around chicken. Top with remaining herbs. Pour wine over shallots.

Roast for another 45 minutes or until thigh juices run clear.

Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Carve chicken. Place on platter. Arrange shallots around meat. Gently press garlic out of skins and arrange on the serving platter with the chicken. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

Tasty Thai Noodles

My little lady is 14 months old. She's adorable, hilarious, strong, and full of joie de vivre. Also, she likes to be held. Especially while I'm trying to make dinner.

I've been doing my best to get ready before the dinner time drama begins, and this recipe is a prime candidate for nap-time preparation. You can make the sauce, cook the noodles, prep the chicken, and chop the broccoli earlier in the day or the night before. Then you can stir fry these Tasty Thai Noodles at the last minute while your clingy toddler is distracted by Caillou and the Tupperware drawer.

When it comes to getting hot dinner on the table, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Tasty Thai Noodles
Gently adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Serves: 4

12 ounces chicken breast, sliced crosswise 1/4"
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces rice noodles (I used pad Thai noodles like this.)
About 12 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used red wine vinegar because I was out of rice wine vinegar.)
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 large head broccoli, cut into 1" pieces
Lime wedges for serving

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, water, and baking soda. Set aside on the counter for about 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain, and pat dry.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drizzle with a couple teaspoons oil and toss until noodles are evenly coated so they don't sit together. Set aside.

Next make the sauce. Whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Set aside.

Place your biggest non-stick skillet over high heat and add a couple teaspoons vegetable oil. Add the chicken in a single layer. Allow to cook 2 minutes, until the first side is browned. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in a couple tablespoons of sauce and push the chicken to one side of the skillet.

Add another couple teaspoons of oil to the empty side of the skillet, then add eggs. Use a spatula to gently stir the eggs until they're barely set. Then stir the eggs into the chicken for another minute. Transfer to a bowl and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add another couple teaspoons oil to the now empty skillet. Stir in broccoli and 3 tablespoons sauce. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until sauce is thickened and broccoli is crisp-tender. Add broccoli to the bowl with the chicken.

Yet again, add another couple teaspoons oil to the now empty skillet. Add half of the cooked noodles and 2 tablespoons sauce. Cook for 2 minutes until the noodles start to brown, then stir and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove the noodles to the bowl with the chicken. Repeat with another few teaspoons oil, 2 more tablespoons sauce, and remaining noodles.

Once the final batch of noodles is stir fried, stir in chicken, eggs, broccoli, and remaining noodles. Cook for a couple minutes, until everything is heated through. If desired, stir in extra sauce until the noodles are as "saucy" as you'd like. Serve with lime wedges.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My husband loves my Easy Crockpot Mexican Lasagna and even counts it among my top five dinners. What I like most about it is that it's so easy to make. Recently, I was craving another easy dinner and decided to experiment. Enter Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

The verdict Chez George: Jeff liked this dish as much as Mexican lasagna and the kids liked it more because it wasn't as "spicy" — due to green enchilada sauce vs. red — and didn't contain any cilantro, which they don't like at all. We all decided I couldn't call it Chicken-Mex Lasagna as I'd intended, because the chicken is too chunky and not at all like ground meat and so not very lasagna-y.

Bottom line: An easy family dinner that was a hit with all.

Sometimes you just need dinner to be easy, so I hope you enjoy my Easy Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

XOXO,

Amy

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Ground pepper
1 small onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
1-2 cups salsa
20 ounces of green enchilada sauce (I have seen this in 10 and 20 ounce cans)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cilantro for garnishing, optional
Sour cream for serving, optional
Sliced black olives for serving, optional

Place chicken in glass dish, sprinkle with ground pepper. Place onions and peppers around chicken and top everything with salsa. Bake at 350 until chicken is cooked through.

Using two forks, shred cooked chicken and cut up the onions and peppers into smaller pieces. Stir in one cup enchilada sauce and 1 cup of cheese.

Line your slow cooker with an aluminum foil collar and spray with vegetable oil spray. (The purpose of the foil collar is to put a layer between your food and the heating element of the slow cooker. Without a foil collar or sling – the latter involves lining the bottom of your slow cooker – some dishes, like this one, and fish, will overcook and dry out. To make a foil collar, simply fold two pieces of aluminum foil to fit around the inside of your slow cooker.)

Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce at bottom of crockpot.

Arrange 3 tortillas at the bottom, breaking the third tortilla in pieces so that it will fit to fully cover the bottom. Top with a third of the chicken mixture and 3 more tortillas; repeat layering two more times until all 12 tortillas have been used. Cover the top layer of tortillas with enchilada sauce and cheese. (For more photos on the process, refer to Easy Crockpot Mexican Lasagna.)

Cook for 3 hours on low, until casserole is heated through.

Remove foil collar. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired. Top each serving with sour cream and black olives, if desired. Enjoy.

Crockpot Sweet Chili Chicken

Do you ever have a week when it feels like everything is hitting the fan?

Yeah. I'm having one of those weeks. Work is crazy. The kids are sick. The husband is stressed about a super duper important test he has to take for his job. And the house is in a total state of disarray. I've gotta get my act together. Or a cleaning lady.

With everything on my plate, I didn't have the mental capacity to get creative with dinner. So I stalked Pinterest for a simple meal with serious leftover potential. Thanks to Sweet Peas and Saffron for saving the day with this tasty slow cooker meal featuring the chicken breast that happened to be on sale this week. Boom. Crockpot Sweet Chili Chicken for the win.

A few minutes of work on Sunday afternoon, and we were eating hot dinner all week long. And this is a dump-and-stir kind of slow cooker meal, too. Easy, delicious, healthy—just what I needed on a crazy week. Now about that cleaning lady...

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Crockpot Sweet Chili Chicken
From Sweet Peas and Saffron

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (for me this was 3 huge breasts)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Salt and pepper

For serving:
Cooked rice
Lime wedges (I think the lime really makes this meal special!)
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped peanuts

In a small bowl mix together chicken broth, chili sauce, and soy sauce. Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour chili sauce mixture over chicken and turn to coat. Cook for about 3 hours on low, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees and you can shred the chicken pretty easily with a fork.

Remove chicken to a plate and use two forks to shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place back in slow cooker to keep it warm while you prep the sauce.

Pour cooking liquid into a small saucepan. Whisk together 1/4 cup water and cornstarch, then whisk into cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce begins to thicken, about 4-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and stir to coat.

Serve chicken over cooked rice. Top it with a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro and peanuts.

Jamie's Pressure Cooker Fried Chicken

Today marks the start of another school year in my neck of the woods. With a 5th grader and a 2nd grader in the house, life just keeps getting busier.

All the more reason to seek out quick ways to get dinner on the table. Enter fellow mom Jamie and her penchant for healthy dinners made in the pressure cooker. If we both happened to be at the pool together with our kids this summer, we'd sit and talk recipes. Jamie has a knack for creating new recipes, too.

Since I'm still just dabbling with my pressure cooker, I asked Jamie to let me know the next time she came up with something yummy. Soon after our conversation, I got this message: "I just made fried chicken legs (my family's fave) in the power pressure cooker! Amazing and less mess!"

Jamie speaks the truth!

This fried chicken recipe comes together faster than the Oven Fried Chicken I made earlier this summer and I think it tastes even better.

Pressure cookers with a browning function are the key for this meal. The quick cooking process keeps the meat moist and flavorful while maintaining the crispy fried coating.

I served up fried chicken legs and fried boneless skinless chicken thighs from my pressure cooker and they were simply wonderful.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Jamie's Pressure Cooker Fried Chicken

4 to 8 chicken legs or 6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or some of both
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 to 1/3 cup flour
2-3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons seasoned salt (I used a salt rub because that's what I had on hand)
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Oil (olive, avocado, coconut)
**A note on the spices: You can easily eyeball the amounts you use here. Just go with whatever seems right to you.

Rinse and dry chicken pieces with paper towels. Mix egg and mild in a medium bowl.

Mix flour and seasonings in a large bowl or large ziplock plastic bag.

I completed the following steps with 2 pieces of chicken at a time:

• Dip chicken into egg/milk mixture to coat.
• Transfer chicken to seasoned flour mixture and gently toss to ensure entire piece of chicken gets coated in the flour.
• Transfer chicken to a plate. 

Add 1 to 2 inches of oil to your pressure cooker. Hit the brown button. Once heated, add chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side.

Here's how the chicken legs look after browning.

If all pieces of chicken do not fit in a single layer on the bottom of your pressure cooker, work in batches.

Return all browned chicken pieces to pressure cooker and lock on the lid. Pressure cook on the high setting for 15 or 20 minutes.

Let out the steam and remove lid.

Drain chicken on a plate lined with paper towels and let cool about 5 minutes. Enjoy warm or cold. So yummy!

And the best part? No oil splattered all over my stove top. The pressure cooker insert did a great job of controlling and retaining any splattering.

The Husband's Grilled Chicken

Let me brag on my man for a minute. Not only is he an all-around swell guy, he's also a grill master. Armed with his trusty Weber, he can barbecue the best burgers, steaks, and pork chops I've tasted. My current favorite of his culinary masterpieces: Grilled Chicken.

When most people think of grilled chicken, they picture a boneless, skinless chicken breast that is charred beyond recognition. It's dry, bland, and all-around terrible. But the husband has solved the problem of grilled chicken.

He starts with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Using bone-in chicken adds extra flavor. The skin helps protect the chicken, and its rendered fat bastes the chicken as it cooks. Then he adds a flavorful spice rub to give the mild meat extra pizzazz. Seasoning the chicken the night before really allows the flavor to sink in. He grills the meat over high heat to crisp up the skin, then moves it to low heat to finish cooking without drying out.

Put the husband's Grilled Chicken on your menu for this weekend. Let us know how you like it, and post your pics to our Facebook page or share them on Instagram with the hashtag #HDHH. We can't wait to see what you've been up to!

Let's get cooking grilling!
Erin

The Husband's Grilled Chicken

Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces - We use breasts, legs, and thighs.
BBQ Spice Rub (see recipe below)

Use your fingers to gently lift the skin away from the chicken while still leaving it attached. Generously sprinkle BBQ Spice Rub in the pockets you create under the skin as well as on top of the skin. Cover chicken with plastic wrap and allow it to sit in the fridge overnight if possible. This helps the flavor sink into the meat. (If you forgot to plan ahead, oh well! Just proceed to the grill!)

Pull chicken out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.

Meanwhile, preheat charcoal grill to medium hot with a double-banked fire. (That means you make a pile of charcoal on both sides of your grill, but leave the middle empty.)

Place chicken skin side-down over the hot part of the grill. (The sides with the coals.) This crisps up the skin. Cook chicken about 6 minutes, until the skin is browned.

Flip chicken and continue cooking over direct heat to crisp up the other side for 5-6 minutes longer. Then move chicken (still skin-side up) to the middle, cooler section of the grill. (If your grill has a thermometer, make sure the temperature is around 375-400 degrees.) Finish cooking the chicken over indirect heat until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 5-6 minutes longer.

Remove chicken to a plate, tent with foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

BBQ Spice Rub
1/4 cup chili powder (I use Penzey's Chili 9000.)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store covered at room temperature until you're ready to use it. This recipe makes quite a bit of  seasoning, so you might not use it all at once. You can store any extra BBQ Rub in a sealed container at room temperature for a few weeks.

Greens, Chicken & Pasta Salad

As I may have mentioned, I'm a baseball mom. This means many of my waking hours are spent on a ball field in the spring, summer and fall months, but especially in the summer. Last Saturday I was at the diamond for 12 hours straight.

This doesn't leave much time for cooking and a mom can only stomach so many hot dogs and pork chop sandwiches for lunch and dinner.

Enter the summer salad. If it can be made ahead and holds up for a few days in the fridge, I am all over it. Last season, Amy's Chickpea Salad was my go-to meal. 

This year, it's going to be this yummy spin on pasta salad, thanks to my latest issue of Cooking Light magazine, which features simple summer dinners. I made some changes to the original recipe to help it keep longer in the fridge and to use what I had on hand. I also prefer to double the recipe, so that I can feed a crowd. Let me know how you make it your own!

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Greens, Chicken & Pasta Salad

Inspired by this recipe from Cooking Light

8 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta, fusilli or your favorite shape

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and finely chopped

2 cups of skinless, shredded boneless chicken breast (make it even easier and use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken)

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon ground pepper, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

5 ounces of arugula, spinach, baby kale or baby chard (or a mixture of these)

1/2 a pint of grape tomatoes

Cook pasta until al dente. Do not add any salt or oil to the water. Set aside 1/4 cup pasta liquid before draining the pasta. 

Place sliced shallot and garlic in a small bowl. Pour pasta water on top and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine hot pasta and Brie cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add chicken, vinegar, shallot mixture, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt.

In a separate bowl, toss greens with olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add greens to pasta mixture. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. 

Serve immediately or chill. Holds up well in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

Oven Fried Chicken

Summer and fried chicken seem to go hand-in-hand, but I've never really made it before. So when Max and Sam started asking for fried chicken that didn't come in a bucket or a box, I figured why not? I can compete with Popeyes, right?

My mom used to make a corn flake fried chicken in the summers that I remember taking to picnics. I'll have to ask her for the recipe and a demo when she visits this summer!

Until then, I'll tide my boys over with this version, inspired by two different recipes from Farm Journal's Best-Ever Recipes. This main dish is perfect for lunch or dinner.

Next time, I want to try soaking the chicken in buttermilk overnight before frying it up in a Dutch oven. Stay tuned.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea


Oven Fried Chicken
3 to 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, or one whole chicken, cut up
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray bottom of a roasting pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towel.

Pour milk into small bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, spices, salt and pepper.

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip chicken into milk, then coat with bread crumb mixture. Place chicken in roasting pan with the skin side up. Repeat until all chicken pieces are coated in bread crumbs.

Cook for 30 minutes, then drizzle with melted butter. Cook for another 20 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm or cold. Delicious either way!

Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken

Usually when I'm working on an idea for dinner, I read a gazillion recipes and then cobble them together for a new final product. Or I stand in front of the open cupboards long enough to come up with a recipe that uses up what I have on hand. Yeah, usually the second one.

When I stumbled across a recipe for Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken on Pinterest, I had to try it. No substitutions to use up the half-empty box of whatever in my pantry. No additional research. No comparing similar recipes. I even bought special ingredients I'd never used before. (I'm talking to you, sweet chili sauce.) And I barely tweaked the recipe.

After one bite, I knew I had to share this one here on HDHH. It was SO good. Worth a trip down the Asian aisle at the grocery store.

And it's a crock pot recipe! Amy is the crock pot queen around here, but I thought she'd be willing to share the spotlight for this delicious dinner.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken
Gently adapted from Carlsbad Cravings

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons sweet rice wine
2 tablespoons fresh chopped peeled ginger
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds* boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Cooked rice for serving, optional
Steamed broccoli for serving, optional
Sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Whisk together soy sauce, water, brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, sweet rice wine, ginger, Hoisin, salt, and pepper. Place chicken in the slow cooker. Top with 1/2 cup sauce and turn to coat. Refrigerate remaining sauce. Cook chicken on low for about 4 hours**.

Remove cooked chicken to a plate and use two forks to shred it. Return chicken to the slow cooker.

Place reserved sauce in a pan over high heat along with the liquid from the slow cooker. Whisk in cornstarch. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 6 minutes. Stir as much sauce as you'd like into the shredded chicken and keep on the warm setting until you're ready to eat.

Serve chicken over rice with remaining sauce on the side. Garnish with sesame seeds. This meal is extra tasty with steamed broccoli.

*This was two gigantic chicken breasts for me.
**After 4 hours, my chicken was fall-apart tender and not over-cooked. I think my slow cooker tends to run a bit hot, so yours may take longer. When you can shred the chicken with two forks, you'll know it's done.