Chicken. In my book there is nothing more versatile. Chicken can be used with such a wide variety of spices and sauce that the recipes are endless.
One Pan Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Skillet
This creamy dish has graced my table several times.
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 c. chicken broth
½ tsp. kosher salt
⅛ tsp. chipotle chili powder optional
¼ tsp. oregano
4 oz. chopped green chiles
4 oz. chopped black olives
3 whole boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 c. sour cream
12 whole corn tortillas cut into bite-sized pieces (I use whichever ones I have on hand)
2 c. colby-jack cheese grated
In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute and whisk in chicken broth. Continue stirring until smooth and thickened — about 2-3 minutes.
Stir chipotle chili powder, salt, oregano, green chiles and black olives into the sauce and place chicken breasts into pan. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from pan, leaving the heat on low, and place chicken on a plate to shred into bite-sized pieces.
Stir sour cream into the sauce and return chicken to the pan along with the tortillas. Stir until combined and top with grated cheese. Cover pan and cook for 5-8 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
www.heatherlikesfood.com/one-pan-sour-cream-chicken-enchilada-skillet
STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC CHICKEN
Strawberries and chicken? Why not!
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. balsamic vinegar, divided
salt and pepper
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
4 oz. fresh mozzarella ball (or shredded mozzarella), roughly chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine chicken breasts and 1/2 cup balsamic in a ziplock bag. Refrigerate for at least 5 minutes, or up to 5 hours. When ready to cook, place chicken in a baking dish and pour the remaining vinegar on top.
Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
Meanwhile, bring the remaining 1/2 cup vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Remove and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together strawberries, mozzarella and basil to make a caprese topping.
When the chicken is ready, transfer to serving dishes. Then top with the strawberry caprese topping, and then drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar.
**For an additional option, you can add the strawberry caprese mixture to the chicken in the baking dish once the chicken during the last 5 minutes of baking. Then the cheese will thoroughly melt, and the strawberries will be warm. Either way works great!
www.gimmesomeoven.com/strawberry-balsamic-chicken
BUFFALO CHICKEN GARBAGE BREAD
Don’t let the name scare you away. This is another one of my favorites.
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp. olive oil
1 pizza dough (I used store bought and let it sit out for about 20 minutes)
8 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese
3 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. of your favorite wing sauce
1/3 c. of ranch or blue cheese dressing
Cut chicken into cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Heat teaspoon of olive oil in skillet and add chicken when hot. Cook chicken completely and then add 1/4 cup of wing sauce. Stir to coat chicken and let simmer for a minute or two. Take chicken off heat and let cool.
Pre-heat oven to 425°F.
On a well-floured surface, spread pizza dough into a long rectangle shape.
Add ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing (depending on your preference) and remaining 1/4 cup of wing sauce. Spread across the dough. Add chicken and then top with mozzarella and cheddar cheese. You can also add a bit more of the wing sauce on top of the cheese if you want it to be a little bit spicier.
Roll the dough like a pinwheel until you reach the end. Make sure to tuck the ends of the dough in so the middle doesn’t ooze out when baking.
Spray baking sheet with light coat of non-stick cooking spray. Place garbage bread on the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Let sit for five minutes and cut into and enjoy.
STRAWBERRY NUTELLA PIZZA
You may have a few strawberries left over from your chicken dish, so let’s end your meal with this delish dessert.
Dough
1 tsp. instant yeast
1/4 tsp. sugar
3/4 c. warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2-2 c. all-purpose flour
Topping
1 small banana, sliced (optional)
1 pint strawberries sliced
2 tbsp. almonds sliced
3/4 c. Nutella, divided
powdered sugar optional
Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water in a mixing bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Add salt, oil, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead a few times on a floured countertop just till smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into an 11-12″ circle.
Place on a pizza stone or cookie sheet. Poke all over with a fork. Bake at 500° for about 8-10 minutes, or till browned.
Warm the Nutella slightly in a glass bowl in the microwave, then spread evenly over both pizzas (reserve a little bit to drizzle on top).
Top each pizza with half of the sliced bananas, half of the sliced strawberries, and half of the sliced almonds. Drizzle with remaining nutella.
Top with powdered sugar if desired. Serve immediately.
