Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Yay for the Panini Maker!

Mama Loves her Panini Maker and this recipe was perfect for it. The filling was super yummy, a nice and quick & fresh dinner, and when there were leftovers they were great to each for lunch.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

borrowed from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature--I used Uncle Ben's Ready Rice

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken---I used unseasoned Rotisserie

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)

1/2 red or green pepper, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

2 cups shredded cheese

Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt.

Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream.

Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla.

(Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it made the wraps delightfully creamy.)

Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open.

Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet ( I used my Panini Maker) over medium heat for 1 minute (I used my SEAR setting on the Panini Maker).

Arrange wrap, seam-side down, and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side (6 minutes on the Panini Maker).

Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps.

Pepper Jack, Chicken and Peach Quesadillas

LOOKY WHAT I FOUND!!!!

these were phenomenal and I made them over the summer, but drafted them and never finished the actual post. See my slacking almost caused me to lose out on such a yummy meal. I know they sound a little odd, and I was skeptical but I stepped outside the box and YUM! These would be awesome as an appetizer for a spring-summer party.

Pepper Jack, Chicken and Peach Quesadillas

from Cooking Light

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers

1 cup chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast

1 cup thinly sliced peeled firm ripe peaches

4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro ( I don’t see it in the picture so I might not have had any)

Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine honey and lime juice in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir sour cream into honey mixture; cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Place tortillas flat on a work surface. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over half of each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken, 1/4 cup peaches, and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Fold tortillas in half.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan, and top quesadillas with a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp and lightly browned (leave cast-iron skillet on quesadillas as they cook). Remove quesadillas from pan; set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve with sauce.

Chicken with White Bean and Parmesan Baked Orzo

HOLY COW, I am almost caught up (my fingers and cramped and I am so HUNGRY!)

I am not proofing and I have no clue what I am writing anymore.

I actually ate this last night!!!!!!

I had pinned this awhile ago and never got to it for some reason, but I am so glad I did. I have big plans for this recipe and want to put a more greek spin on it. I can't wait. While I was eating it, I was writing notes so I wouldnt forget. I changed it up a bit and am so glad for the inspiration. I love the original blog. So funny, and everything I have made I have loved.

This is also a keeper because my kids ate it deconstructed and say it with me....I cooked it....they ate it....and no one complained!!!!

Chicken with White Bean and Parmesan Baked Orzo

adapted from How Sweet It Is

1 cup of regular or whole wheat orzo pasta

2 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups of raw spinach

1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 tbsp. heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring water to a boil and prepare pasta according to directions, lessening the cooking time by 1-2 minutes since the pasta will bake.

While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and peppers and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic and spinach, and stir until spinach wilts, then turn heat down to low. Add in white beans. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain pasta and add pasta & chicken to the mix, then toss to combine. Turn off heat, add heavy cream and half of the grated parmesan, and toss once more.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Spoon orzo mixture into the baking dish, then top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, then if desired, broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese on top is golden.

Chicken Soup Noodles

Chicken Soup Noodles, without the broth....who thunk it? So SMART!

I love a big bowl of noodles and the people who eat my dinners do as well. I threw this together super speedy, everyone ate it, and no one complained...WAHOOO!!!

I ate all the leftovers happily.

Can't ask for more then that

Chicken Soup Noodles

borrowed from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

3 celery stalks, sliced thinly

3/4 cup chopped onion

49 ounces chicken broth (about 6 cups)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 cup cold water

1 lb. package egg noodles

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoon parsley

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken--I used rotisserie

3-4 green onions, thinly sliced (I omitted since my kids would not eat)

Instructions

Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the vegetables and saute until tender crisp, about 3-5 minutes, depending on how thinly they are sliced. Add chicken broth to the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water. Add mixture to the broth. Add the noodles and bring to a rolling boil. Check noodles every few minutes and remove from heat when noodles are mostly cooked. The noodles will continue to soften after you stop the boiling. If you boil for too long, they’ll get mushy and break apart easily.

Add butter and herbs and stir to combine. Mix in chicken and season with salt and pepper. Mixture will thicken slightly as it cools; there should be enough of a thick broth to cover everything but not enough to be runny. Stir in green onions just before serving.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

I realized since Pinterest has entered my life, I have begun to rely on that to collect and organize my recipes. So this poor blog has been neglected. I dont even know if anyone reads this thing anymore, but if I dont update it soon with the 26 (gasp) recipes I have been cataloging to save I will never get it done and I am afraid they will be lost forever and any changes I made to the originals will be lost forever. So I am going to buckle down and get it down. Today is the day, and maybe tomorrow. Being able to sit outside in the sun while the kids kill each other.....I mean "play" doesnt hurt my motivation to get it done either. So off I go.......

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake

slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is

serves 4-6

2 cups shredded chicken breast or diced grilled chicken

4 cups cooked brown rice

3/4 cup frozen corn

1 -15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups low fat sour cream

1 can of Rotel drained

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup grated cheddar & monterey jack cheese (low-fat cheese works too!) + more for topping if desired

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the sour cream and cheese is mixed in throughout the entire bowl. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese . Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.

As suggested by the original poster of the recipe....To make this process easier, I always have cooked rotisserie chicken on hand, and use Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice. If you have those two things, this meal can be throw together in a matter of minutes and doesnt taste like it at all.

VERDICT:

I maKe this recipe a lot. I always have the ingredients in my house and while my kids dont eat the actual "bake" they eat all the components of it so I can easily deconstruct it and they will be thrilled. They are so weird in their old age that they will eat all the things in it, but not mixed into one dish.....annoying yes! But I should be happy my kids eat Chicken, Rice and Beans. This is the perfect weeknight meal in our house and it will continue to stay a staple

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I was cleaning out my giant stack of recipes in my kitchen and stumbled across this one. I was SHOCKED I never blogged it when I made it last November---oopsie!

I love all things Chicken Pot Pie. I know you cant kid yourself into thinking that a chicken pot pie is healthy...the creamy filling, the pie crust, BUT when its good its so worth the slurge. There will be no Weight Watchers Points listed for this one. This soup was such a quick and easy replacement for the real deal.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

adapted from Food Network.com

Ingredients:

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 small white onion, diced (1/4 cup)

2 stalks celery (1/2 cup), diced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 1/2 pounds frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2 to cut down on calories

Pinch sea salt

1 store-bought pie crust

Directions:

Add diced potatoes to a large bowl filled with cold water. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the celery cooking until translucent, 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and whisk until it forms a roux. Add the Italian seasoning and pepper; cook for 3 more minutes.

Whisk the roux into the broth and bring back up to a boil. Drain the potatoes. Add the potatoes and the chicken to the broth over low heat. Stir in the frozen vegetables. Place a lid on top and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and a pinch of sea salt and cook for 5 more minutes.

Preheat the oven as directed on the pie crust package.

Lay the pie crust on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Cook according to package instructions, or until the pie crust is golden brown. When the crust has cooled, break up into pieces.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the pie crust.

BBQ Chicken Burritos

This is one of the quickest and easiest meals I have made in a long time. It is now going into heavy rotation with our busy summer schedule. I dont know if I would make it for company but it got the job done, and it was good. Great idea for a quick lunch too, or piled onto salads if you are looking to go low carb

BBQ Chicken Burritos

Slightly adapted from Eating Well Magazine

4 Servings

****4 WW Points Plus****

Ingredients

1 2-pound roasted chicken, skin discarded, meat removed from bones and shredded (4 cups)

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I like Stubbs brand)

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed, or canned corn, drained

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

4 leaves romaine lettuce

4 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas (2 pts each)

Directions

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add chicken, barbecue sauce, beans, corn and sour cream; stir to combine.

Cook until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.

Assemble the wraps by placing a lettuce leaf in the center of each tortilla and topping with one-fourth of the chicken mixture; roll as you would a burrito.

Slice in half diagonally and serve warm,

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Aside from being addicted to food, I also have a slight addiction to buying cookbooks. I have SO MANY. I never use them either. That is the weird part. They sit on the book shelf, they sit in the closet, they are hidden in lots of nooks and crannys of my house. This past month I got 2--Hungry Girl 300 under 300 and Ellie Kreiger Foods You Crave. So far I have tried a handful of recipes from both and I am really happy with my purchases. Stayed tuned for my results and recipes

I got the Hungry Girl cookbook from Costco and even though there are no pictures, I wanted to try it out. You can see pics on her webpage and she converts everything to WW points on her site, so that was helpful. But she does use a lot of weird ingredients and she doesnt season her food enough for me. I kick up every single recipe because they tend to be on the bland side. Or maybe I just am used to big flavor? Either way, I have made this soup twice in 3 weeks. It is my new favorite lunch and I plan to make it again as soon as I can get a rotisserie chicken. I did change the recipe after the 1st time I made it. It was very bland and the celery didnt get tender. I like my version :)

The Whole Enchilada Chicken Soup

adapted from Hungry Girl

serving size 1 Cup

****3 WW Points Plus****

Ingredients

3 cups fat-free chicken broth

1-1/4 cups finely chopped celery

1/2 cup diced sweet onion

3 cups green enchilada sauce

1 15oz. can pure pumpkin

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp cumin

10 oz. cooked boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped or shredded

1 cup frozen corn

dash of hot sauce

In a large pot coated with cooking spray saute celery and onion until slightly tender. Add chicken broth and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in enchilada sauce, spices and pumpkin. When soup returns to a low boil, add chicken and corn and mix well Cook for 3 to 5 minutes more until soup is heated. Add a dash of hot sauce, if you like. Serve and top with cheese and/or chips for extra points

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

This was not supposed to be featured on my weekly menu until Wednesday but I had an issue with Meatless Monday's main ingredient, the Spaghetti Squash. WHAT THE HECK? I was going to cause some permanent damage to myself had I continued hacking into this thing. It was solid as a rock and I was sweating and barely made a dent. I just dont get it? I carve pumpkins with the best of them...what's the deal with this darn squash? I am even more curious now to try it. So instead we had this salad that is featured in this month's cooking light magazine

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

borrowed from Cooking Light April 2011

4 servings

**** 7 Weight Watcher Points Plus****

• 6 cups torn romaine lettuce

• 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast

• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts

• 1 cup shredded carrots

• 3/4 cup sliced celery

• 2/3 cup light coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

• 4 lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper)

in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool for 2 minutes. Pour warm coconut milk mixture over lettuce mixture.

Sprinkle with peanuts; serve with lime wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

VERDICT: LOVED the dressing. I am already trying to figure out what else I can put it on. I need to figure out the points for the dressing alone, because between the 2 of us, we finished the dressing. The salad just needed it. It was a great salad though, and the dressing was the star of the show. I can imagine the full fat version would make me shudder but this is a great alternative. Next time I will leave out the bean shoots, I liked them cooked up in lomein, but in the salad they were just bleh. And I might saute or grill some chicken with some seasonings instead of using rotisserie which I am always a fan of, but I felt the chicken needed a little kick also. It came together really quickly, even with cooking up the dressing, but it was so tasty and so worth it, I will make this again for sure.

Lightened Up Chicken Salad

I am a chicken salad freak. I love it. I always order it on menus, and some are better then others. I did perfect chicken salad back in the day.....but it was kind of filled with fat from the whipping cream I used as its creamy base. So not so good for my new lifestyle. Not horrible, but I can do better for right now.

I take a lot of time to cook things for my lunches. I have only eaten 1 frozen meal for lunch since starting WW, and it wasnt that good. I eat a lot of soups, which I promise to include once I make them again, and I make a lot of burritos with all sorts of ingredients. I think its important for me to take time to prepare my food and use good ingredients. If I am going to eat it, I want it to be something good......and good for me!

Here is what I came up with based on a Weight Watchers Recipe.

Lightened Up Chicken Salad

from me & ww

****3 WW Points Plus****

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients

3/4 pound(s) roasted chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces (chopped) (I used unflavored rotisserie)

1/2 cup(s) celery, finely diced

1/4 cup(s) reduced-calorie mayonnaise

2 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream

2 Tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice ***you might like more, I am adjusting next time***

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Place all ingredients in a large bowl; mix until blended. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving

**Optional Additions: 1 Tbsp. Dried Cranberries for 1 point, Chopped Apple for 0 Points, Walnuts 1 TBSP for 1 point

I also wrapped it in a delicious Whole Wheat Wrap from Costco, that is 2 points.

Queso Chicken Pasta

It's raining in NJ........it hasnt rained in weeks and weeks and while it isnt ideal for it to rain on a Saturday afternoon, I will take it. This is the perfect cold weather comfort dish. Its still 80 degrees outside but I can imagine making this again in the fall and winter. You really cant go wrong making any noodles fully of cheesy goodness....

Queso Chicken Pasta

borrowed from Evil Shenanigans Serves 4-6

8 ounces penne pasta***I used Barilla Whole Wheat Shells***
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/3 cup milk, 2% or higher
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cream cheese
6 ounces colby-jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup drained Ro*Tel tomatoes***I threw the whole can in***
2 cups cooked shredded chicken***I used Rotisserie***

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray a medium casserole dish with non-stick spray.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, but reduce the cooking time by two minutes.

In a medium pot heat the oil over medium heat. Once it begins to shimmer add the onion, garlic and peppers. Cook until they begin to soften, about three minutes. Add the cumin, coriander and salt and cook for an additional two minutes, or until the spices become fragrant.

Add the flour and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly, until all the flour is moist. Gradually whisk in the milk and stir until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to thicken.

Turn off the heat and add the cream cheese and 4 ounces of the shredded cheese and whisk until melted. Stir in the Ro*Tel tomatoes.

Pour the pasta into the prepared casserole dish, stir in the shredded chicken and sauce. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pasta is bubbly and the cheese has melted. Let stand five minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

VERDICT---AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME Pasta dish. I usually have all these things in my pantry/fridge so I need to make sure not to forget this recipe. I did mess it up a little which is why the picture wasnt so creamy looking in the picture....I left my oven on broil and so it broiled for about 20 minutes before I baked it for a little longer so it did lose a touch of its creaminess, but it was still so delicious. It did have a little kick which I liked, but the kids still ate it. I think you could also make this a great side dish without adding the chicken or black beans for vegetarian.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas aka Benchiladas

This recipe came from a site called Annie's Eats. She is quite the talented chef and her recipes are usually too involved for me to attempt on a weeknight.....and since I rarely cook on the weekends, I am out of luck. But this one caught my eye because it was soooo easy and we love all this Mexicanish. I seriously thank the heavens this recipe came into my life. We will be adding this to the all time favorite recipes column and will be making this a couple time per month. So get what you need and make them, don't argue, just do it!

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

borrowed from Annie's Eats *** I used the picture right from Annie's site until I re-shoot mine, it was just about the worst picture I ever have taken so until I make it again I will borrow this one, she actually makes it look like something you would want to eat.... another p.s they are named benchiladas for her husband Ben because its his favorite meal.

Benchiladas”

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 oz. reduced fat sour cream

8 oz. Ranch salad dressing

flour tortillas (10-15) – we like Azteca, packs of 10

jar of salsa

shredded mexican cheese (I usually use close to 4 cups, I love cheese!)

Directions:
Cook chicken breasts by preferred cooking method until cooked through. Set aside to cool a bit. Or use a Rotisserie Chicken!!!!!

While chicken is cooling, mix up the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the sour cream and half of the Ranch dressing. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the sour cream and Ranch dressing. Stir both until well combined. Shred or chop the cooked chicken and add to the large mixing bowl. Mix well with sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9 x 13″ pan (and possibly another, smaller pan if needed). Take one tortilla and top with a little less than 1 tbsp. of the sauce from the small bowl. Spread over the tortilla in an even layer. Add some of the chicken mixture to the center of the tortilla. Top with salsa to taste. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, to taste. Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients (usually makes 10-15 enchiladas).

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (30 for a crispier tortilla). Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

VERDICT--While they arent "authentic" Mexican, these are awesome!! So simple, the ingredients are things I keep on hand most days and since I used Rotisserie chicken it was so quick to put together. I love the crunchy outside and the leftovers were highly coveted. I did make sure I didnt put them too close together so that they could get crunchy all around. When I saw the filling I was afraid they would be too soupy but the filling creamed up nicely and they werent too sloppy. The recipe calls for 4-6 chicken breast, so the other ingredients can be adjusted accordingly. I dont think you can mess this one up!

Chicken & Mango Salad

I would have been quite sad if this recipe didnt make it onto the blog because I really want to make it again. Must not be so careless with my blogging habits or else recipes like this might be lost to me forever!!!! Can you make a new years resolution in July???? Must make sure I blog at least once a week so I dont get so far behind. Can I blame it on the heat?

Chicken & Mango Salad

borrowed from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup peanut or canola oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 2 to 3 tsp. Asian chili oil (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup mango chutney
• 2 cups shredded roast chicken, homemade (see
  related recipe at left) or purchased
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup roasted salted cashews, coarsely
  chopped
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce

• Directions:

  Make the vinaigrette
  In a food processor or blender, combine the peanut oil, vinegar, mustard and chili oil and process until blended. Add the garlic and chutney and continue to process to form a smooth puree.
  
  Assemble the salad
  In a bowl, combine the chicken, celery, onion, cashews and mango. Add the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Divide the lettuce among individual plates, top with the chicken mixture and serve. Serves 4.