Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

My BF raves about my chicken pot pie. Raves. To anyone who will listen. I swear, I think I got it straight from Veg-All years ago, although I couldn't find it on their website to verify. (But I did find a blogger who uses the same recipe, just so I could share it with you.)

So, I knew making these cupcakes, adapted from a post at Quick Dish by Tablespoon, was a huge gamble. Even though the ingredients are very similar, I went ahead and prepared him that it would not be the same, but to just go with me on the experiment.

And, yes, we both still prefer my chicken pot pie...but I still loved this fun alternative. It was a little more time-consuming, but it wins hands-down in the presentation category. Adorable. Perfect little individual servings.

Printable recipe

2 small (5-count) cans flaky biscuits
1 small can Veg-All, drained
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste


Flatten each biscuit and press into greased muffin pan, in bottom and up along sides. Stir together remaining ingredients and fill each cup with mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken, Rice and Corn Casserole

So, this is how the conversation went. Me: "What do you want for dinner?" Him: "Something kind of Mexican...with corn in it."

I wanted to cook out of my pantry, so I plugged in a couple of ingredients and came up with this, from what happens to be one of my favorite blogs: Christy Jordan's Southern Plate.

I had seen several variations on this, most without chicken, but I wanted it to be a main dish. I also used Mexicorn...you know, for that specified Mexican component (plus, it added some color).

My oven happened to go out last night, so I cooked the rice in the microwave, assembled the casserole, and headed next door to my sweet neighbor's house to bake in the oven...and I made him a healthy serving as a thank-you.

This had just the right amount of kick...and comfort food to the hilt. It was a huge hit!

Printable recipe

1 bag Mahatma spicy saffron yellow rice mix
1 stick butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Mexicorn, drained
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese


Cook rice according to package directions and transfer to casserole dish. Add butter in pieces and stir until melted. Add remaining ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Ranch Chicken

I saw a recipe for Sour Cream Chicken over at Making Life Delicious, and it looked too easy to pass up. I had sour cream on hand, but when I opened my fridge, I saw a jar of Ranch dip (like those found in the chip aisle) that I had purchased for pretzel-dipping. I thought this may make a more flavorful recipe...and OH MY. It was rich and creamy, with a nice crunch from the stuffing and a great mix of seasonings. I packed the stuffing on the top and sides of the chicken, completely sealing it in.

Printable recipe

1 package chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
1 cup sour cream or prepared Ranch dip (like Lay's)
1-1/2 cups crumbled herbed stuffing (like Pepperidge Farm)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed


Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray. Place chicken breasts close together (touching). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread sour cream or Ranch dip across chicken, coating completely. Sprinkle stuffing across the top. Dot with butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until top is browned and chicken is cooked through.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

So...this one's on me. I was standing in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store, picking up ingredients for this dish, courtesy of Emily Bites. I saw the can of diced chiles it called for...and then saw a can of diced jalapenos next to it. I thought, a) we like spicy food, b) I can never really taste chiles in recipes anyway, and c) go for the kick.

You bake this in two stages...I took a small bite of the corn cake layer to make sure it was set, and it had some serious heat from the jalapenos. I thought, "No big deal. The enchilada sauce, chicken, and cheese I'm about to add will offset and even it out."

Ultimately, I thought this was spicy but still delicious...however, my BF declared it too hot to eat and microwaved leftover pizza. So...I personally highly recommend this recipe, but stick with the chiles (like you would make the same mistake I did, anyway). 


I loved the sweet component from the corn muffin mix (I love me some Jiffy), and I could pretty much eat Mexican every other day/night.

Printable recipe

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can cream-style corn
1 box corn muffin mix
1 small can diced green chiles, drained
1  can enchilada sauce
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
 
Mix together ¼ cup of the cheese, the milk, egg, cumin,  corn, muffin mix and green chiles in a bowl until combined. Pour into a greased 9x13 dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).

Poke holes all over the surface of the corn cake with a fork. Pour the enchilada sauce over the top and spread across the surface. Sprinkle the chicken evenly across the top and follow with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for another 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Creamy Chicken Chili

I'm an awards show junkie, and I hate to cook on those nights...so I usually pull out the slow cooker. Yesterday, thanks to Plain Chicken, I threw this together (it's that easy), went to the movies with my mom to see One for the Money, and came home (to a house smelling heavenly) in time for the red-carpet arrivals.

The original recipe calls for shredding the chicken at the end, but I like to do that with about an hour left of cooking, so that the chicken absorbs all of the flavor of the sauce.

This came out thicker than I envisioned...so we ended up eating it more like a dip. Tonight, when I re-heat it on the stove, I think I'm going to add some chicken broth to make it more soupy.

Flavor-wise, though, this was a winner!

Printable recipe

2 chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 8-ounce package cream cheese

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine next six ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Top with brick of cream cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir melted cream cheese into sauce. Shred chicken with two forks. 

King Ranch Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

  

After my Southern Living recipe challenge in 2009, in which I cooked 100 of their recipes in a year, I didn't think I would ever make another SL recipe again...but then I saw the January cover, and I was sucked in.

King Ranch Chicken is a popular Southern dish, but this is a twist, using macaroni in place of the traditional tortillas. I made some changes to the original, omitting the onion and bell pepper for personal preference. 

How can a recipe that starts with a base of Rotel dip be anything but delicious? It was looking fantastic as I was preparing it, but once I added in the chili powder and cumin, it transformed it into not just a rich, creamy, cheesy dish, but a fragrant one, as well.Whatever you do, don't leave the spices out.

This is comfort food at its finest!

Printable recipe

8 ounces macaroni
1 can Rotel
8 ounces Velveeta, cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni and set aside. Combine cubed Velveeta and Rotel and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until cheese is melted. Stir in soup, sour cream, and spices to cheese mixture. Add chicken and cooked pasta. Pour into 9x13 casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Crockpot BBQ Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

 

I love, love, love buffalo wings (hot, please!), but since I try to keep fried food to a minimum, I'm always looking for other ways to replicate the flavor. This recipe comes from the blog Forever Now and Then, and it completely hit the mark.

My chicken breasts were on the small side, so it looked pretty soupy during the cooking process. I was beginning to re-think the addition of chicken stock and wondering if I should drain the chicken before serving. But, after I shredded the chicken and kept it warm in the sauce for a little while longer, to make sure every bite of chicken was coated, it really came together.

I used a bottled sauce from a local BBQ joint, which happened to be a thin, heavy-on-the-vinegar variety. You could certainly use a sweeter, thicker sauce, which would cut the heat. However, I absolutely loved the spice and tang of this chicken. I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese, but I think a few crumbles in this sandwich would have put it over the edge.

Printable recipe

4 frozen chicken breasts
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup ranch dressing

1 cup chicken broth

Place frozen chicken breasts in crock-pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the top. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Shred chicken with two forks and stir. Cook on low until sauce thickens.

Lazy Man's Chicken Parmesan

This recipe was floating all over Pinterest a couple of weeks ago. Even though I love the recipe I have for chicken parmesan, I couldn't help but try one that eliminated the coating/breading stage. It was originally called Easy Chicken Parmesan Bake, but when I showed it to a friend, he renamed it Lazy Man's Chicken Parmesan. Indeed...even a child could have put this together.

This is a fantastic way to get dinner on the table with little effort. Some of the croutons kept their shape, adding a nice chewy element, like a bite of garlic bread. Most of the croutons "melted" while cooking, giving the illusion of breading. In fact, if you closed your eyes, the taste is exactly the same. That, to me, is a fake-out success.

Printable recipe

4 chicken breasts
2 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 5-ounce package of garlic croutons


Drizzle olive oil in bottom of 9x13 pan and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Place chicken breasts in pan and coat with spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over chicken. Top with croutons and remaining cup of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.