Caprese Chicken

I've been on such a Caprese kick recently. It makes me think of summer and warm weather and it makes me want summer to be here as fast as possible. After the caprese pasta I made the other week, the hubs suggested I try it out with chicken.

We didn't have any fresh basil on hand; ours always goes bad really quickly. But I suggest adding a leaf at the end to bring out the basil flavor even more!

Caprese Chicken

Source: Tyler's Taste Test Original

4 chicken breasts

1.5 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper

1.5 tbsp garlic powder

1 jar sun dried tomatoes (4)

4 slices mozzarella cheese

4 basil leaves

Season chicken with dried basil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in skillet and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side.

Top chicken with mozzarella and cover the skillet with a lid. Once the cheese is melted, top with sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Enjoy!

"Everything in the Kitchen Fridge" Chicken

This meal came about because I needed to cook dinner but didn't have anything planned. It was my day off and the thought of going to the grocery store made me cuddle even deeper on the couch in my pajamas. So instead I whipped up this marinade with pretty much everything we had in our fridge-and a few things from the closet. It was surprisingly delicious!

"Everything in the Kitchen Fridge" Chicken

Source: Tyler's Taste Test Original

1 lb thin chicken breasts

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar

2tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp ketchup

Combine everything, except for the chicken. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the chicken and marinade for 8 hours.

Take the chicken/marinade mixture from the fridge and add to a skillet. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and continue heating the sauce, stirring often, to thicken. Pour over the chicken and serve. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken with Onions, Potatoes, Garlic and Thyme

This recipe came at the end of a week with very good meals. I was excited about it because it contained everything in one dish but I wasn't expecting it to be my favorite dish of the week!

I loved how all of the flavors mixed together. The lemon and thyme was my favorite combo but I liked how there was a bit of garlic and balsamic vinegar in every bite as well. This is definitely a make-again for us!

Baked Chicken with Onions, Potatoes, Garlic, and Thyme

Source: slightly adapted from Proceed with Caution

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 lb red potatoes, quartered

1 large red onion, cut into eighths

1 head garlic, cloves separated and left unpeeled

6 sprigs thyme

1 lemon, quartered

1 lb baby carrots

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450º. Arrange chicken, potatoes, onion, carrots, garlic, thyme, an lemon in an 8x8 roasting pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar and drizzle over the chicken and vegetables. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 50 minutes.

Chicken and Potato Skillet

I got the idea for this meal from some crazy thing we cooked when I went to Yosemite. We had "Potato Surprise" for breakfast one morning. All I remember was it had potatoes, peppers, and some weird thing called "gluten bits." We had a vegan and a vegetarian on the trip with us and apparently gluten bits are a protein substitute because we had it to replace chicken.

Trips like these remind me why I love my major, not that I needed any reminder. I was required, for a class, to go spend 4 glorious days up at Yosemite National Park. We hiked over 15 miles in 2 days and ended the trip by getting up at 4am to drive to Glacier Point and watch the sunrise. Amazing. There's nothing like sitting in silence surrounded by the beauty that God has created and watching the sunrise. It makes you tear up with the wonderfulness of it. Going into the wilderness is like a mental and spiritual rejuvenation.

I'm always amazed by the amount of people who have never traveled farther than the next state over. Especially when they live less than a days drive from somewhere like this. Get out and go! Go explore. Go use the national parks that were created for your enjoyment and see all that the US has to offer.

Chicken and Potato Skillet

Source: Tyler's Taste Test Originals

3 boneless chicken breasts cubed (mine were on the small side so 2 may be good)

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 oz sharp cheddar, cubed

4 strips of bacon

1 red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

Chop bacon into small pieces. Cook until done and set aside. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, add potatoes, and boil for 8 minutes until potatoes are softened.

In a large skillet, cook chicken until cooked through. Drain any leftover oils and set chicken aside. Add olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes, until softened. Add bell peppers to onions and cook for another 2 minutes. Add potatoes to the mix and brown for about 3 minutes.

Add chicken and bacon to skillet and mix thoroughly. Top with cubed cheese. Cover and cook over low heat until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Super Bowl Saturdays: Crack Dip (Buffalo Chicken Dip)

Crack Dip. Doesn't sound very appetizing. But it is. If you are going for the white trash vibe, feel free to refer to it as "Crack Dip." If you like to keep it on the classier side, you can refer to it as "Buffalo Chicken Dip."

This recipe made the blog rounds awhile back and was dubbed "Crack Dip" because of how addicting it was. I made this to try out for the Super Bowl and was hooked. Luckily, we had an appetizer pot luck at our Growth Group that night so I was able to bring this along with the meatballs and not eat it all by myself.

It tastes just like buffalo chicken but in a dip form. We served it with chips but you could also serve it with celery (or other vegetables), bread chunks (you could scoop out a bread bowl and place this inside and use the extra bread to dip), crackers, pretty much anything that sounds good to you.

I modified the recipe from Frank's Red Hot Website because the original called for canned chicken chunks and Blue Cheese Dressing and Crumbles. Taking the extra time to cook and shred chicken breasts will definitely make this dip taste better. If you like Blue Cheese, feel free to substitute or mix with the ranch and mozzarella.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Source: Frank's Red Hot Sauce

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing

1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Preheat oven to 350º. In a deep baking dish, mix cream cheese, ranch dressing, buffalo sauce, and cheese. Stir until combined and then add in chicken and stir.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until heated through. Serve with whatever you like. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

This might just be one of the best things I've ever made. It's comfort food at its best. The hubs was silent for about 5 minutes when he was eating it. Then, he looked at me, and said, "This is amazing."

The only un-amazing thing about this is that when you reheat the leftovers the next day for lunch, it's a little dry. I was really excited for it the next day but it was really dry. Adding a little extra chicken broth helped a lot though.

I also got a little inspired by Pinterest and made a braided pie crust for the edge. It adds a nice little touch, especially if you are serving it to guests. If you have any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, you could sub that for the chicken

Chicken Pot Pie

Source: adapted from Allrecipes

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast-cubed (I used a small rotisserie chicken)

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 russet potato, diced

chicken bouillon cube

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp celery seed

garlic salt, to taste

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/3 cups milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts (I used the refrigerated ones)

1 egg

Preheat oven to 425º. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, celery, and potato. Add water to cover and chicken bouillon cube (or extra chicken stock). Boil for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and cook onions in it until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, celery seed, and garlic salt. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

If using the roll our refrigerated pie crusts, place one in a greased pan. Make an egg wash with the egg and a little water and brush over bottom crust. Bake for 5 minutes. Then, or if using an unbaked pie crust, place the chicken mixture in the bottom. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Make sure the liquid has mixed with the chicken mixture or else it will be slightly dry. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. You can use this dough for a braided pie crust. Brush top with egg wash. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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Six Can Tortilla Soup

This recipe makes it on our weekly meal list at least once a month, usually twice. It's cheap and easy and pretty delicious. It's rated 5 stars on Allrecipes and it deserves the rating, but only if you make some changes. The original recipe calls for canned chunk chicken, but you can't expect a 5 star recipe to use chunk chicken. Instead, cook up some chicken breasts and either cut them up or shred them into the soup. I leave the black beans out since the hubs doesn't like them and sometimes I exchange one of the chicken broth cans for cream of chicken soup to give it a different flavor. By the time I'm done with it, it's usually more like "4 can tortilla soup with some extras," but it's still worth trying.

Six Can Tortilla Soup

Source: Allrecipes

1 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1 14.5 oz cans chicken broth (or 1 chicken broth and 1 cream of chicken soup)

1 10 oz can chunk chicken (go for 2-3 shredded chicken breasts, cooked)

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed

1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained

cumin

chili powder

garlic powder

cheese, optional

sour cream, optional

tortilla chips, optional

Add all of the cans into a large stock pot. Add seasonings to taste. Simmer over medium heat until everything is heated through. Serve, topped with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Sesame Chicken

The night I made this, we were in a rush to get from school/work to our Growth Group. I hadn't eaten in around 10 hours (except for a Butter Croissant from Starbucks-those are delicious) and needed food before we went. I threw this together in under 15 minutes from the time I opened the fridge to the time it was on the table. This was an easy, but by no means authentic, recipe. We loved the taste with the hint of spiciness.

Sesame Chicken

Source: The Rookie Chef

3 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1/2 bottle of Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Add chicken into pan with cooking spray and cook through over medium heat. Once they are cooked, add the dressing and spices to the chicken over low heat. Keep stirring and allow to caramelize. Serve over rice or by itself. Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Tortilla Soup

It's almost that time of year again. My most favorite time. Fall. I love everything about Fall: going to the pumpkin patch, the crunchy leaves, cooler weather, boots, and most of all the food. Fall food is always a little heavier and heartier but there are so many wonderful flavors. Soup is always a food I associate with Fall. It's warm and hearty and is the perfect thing to eat after a day at the pumpkin farm.

I saw this recipe while browsing through PW's blog and put it on our to make list right away. It's very filling and all the garnishes make it even better. If you are having a chilly day or just want to feel like Fall, you should definitely make this soup!

PW's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Source: The Pioneer Woman

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

1.5 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1o oz can Rotel with green chiles

32 oz low sodium chicken stock

3 tbsp tomato paste

4 cups hot water

2 cans black beans, drained (I substituted Northern white beans)

3 tbsp cornmeal

5 whole corn tortillas, cut into 2-3 inch strips

For garnishes:

sour cream

diced avocado

diced red onion

salsa or pico de gallo

grated cheese

cilantro

Preheat oven to 375º. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle both sides of chicken with a small amount of spice mix. Set aside the remaining spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Shred the chicken and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red and green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in rotel, stock, tomato paste, water and beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water and pour into soup. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes, adding more seasoning if needed. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving. Stir in tortilla strips before serving. Serve and top with garnishes. Enjoy!

Spiced Chicken with Potatoes

I love to cook but I usually stick to the recipe or make a few variations. I kind of put this dish together out of some of the stuff we had and when Neil told me it was blog worthy I got excited. I think I've blogged maybe one or two things that were original recipes and I'd like to create some more dishes. I'll just add it to the to-do list that is currently a mile long.

Spiced Chicken with Potatoes

Source: Tyler's Taste Test Original

3/4 tsp salt, divided

1 tbsp chile powder

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chicken stock

In a bowl, combine chile powder, 1/2 tsp salt, thyme, pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Add chicken and toss to coat. Allow to sit while you prep the veggies.

In a large bowl, combine 1/4 tsp salt, potatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss to combine.

Add chicken mixture to large skillet and brown for 2 minutes on each side. Add potato mixture to pan and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 25 minutes until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This may look like your average grilled cheese sandwich but inside there's a little sumthin sumthin. A nice little kick that takes your average grilled cheese sandwich up a few notches.

Buffalo chicken and mozzarella cheese. This was inspired by a picture I pinned from Foodgawker. Foodgawker is where I go when I'm hungry and I want to torture myself with pictures of delicious looking food that I have no intention of making because my closet doesn't contain the ingredients and I'm too lazy to go out and get them.

But, I had the ingredients for this one folks! I had planned on making buffalo chicken sandwiches and when I saw this I couldn't resist turning it into a grilled cheese. And it was good.

By the way, I'd just like to point out that this is the second thing from my Pinterest "Yum" board and therefore I have already crossed off two things from my 23 x 23 list which is about the progress I had made a month ago on my News Years Resolutions. I've got a good feeling about this list :)

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Source: Foodgawker inspired

Your favorite recipe for buffalo chicken (I used this one prepared in the crock pot)

Mozzarella cheese

Blue cheese crumbles, optional (I didn't use any but I think it would definitely add to the sandwich)

sandwich bread

butter

Prepare your buffalo chicken. Spread butter on one side of a piece of bread. Place bread butter side down in a heated pan and top with mozzarella and blue cheese. Next, add a good amount of buffalo chicken on top of the cheese. Finally, top with another buttered slice of bread, butter side up. Grill until golden brown on both sides and cheese has melted (about 2 minutes per side). Enjoy!

Arroz Con Pollo

Back in high school, I originally planned on taking all four years of spanish and minoring in it in college and going out into "the real world" with a valuable skill. That plan ended my sophomore year with Mrs. Baker. Don't get me wrong, she was a wonderfully nice lady and a good teacher, but she had my older sister a year before me so her expectations were set way too high.

Every time I did bad on a quiz, she would hand it back with a sad little, "Pobre Dana," even though she knew my name was Tyler. If I did good it was always "Dana" who got the felicitas (I think that's the right word for congrats). She also had a nice little southern accent and let me tell you, spanish is hard enough to learn without throwing in the southern accent. I'd attempt to show you how she spoke her southern spanish but "Como say yahma" doesn't come out quite the same over the internet as it would in real life.

That ended my dreams of being a spanish minor. I dropped it the next year. Sometimes I wish I had kept up with it, especially since I now live in southern California.

Anyways, the point of that little story is that I can proudly translate my post title as "Chicken with Rice," or maybe "Rice with Chicken." I can't remember how the order of words go but I do remember the 3 weeks we spent in Spanish 2 learning everything grocery related and spanish hitting words on the board with a fly swatter when she called them out in English. What- your teacher didn't allow you to aggressively push someone out of the way just so you could hit "la leche" when she yelled out milk? You missed out. Big time.

Arroz Con Pollo

Source: Mrs. D Loves to Eat

2 lbs chicken pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp dry thyme

1 bay leaf

2 cups long grain rice

4 cups water

Brown chicken pieces in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add vegetables and garlic and continue to saute until translucent. Add rice, thyme, and bay leaf; stir for about a minute. Add water, bouillon, and tomato paste. Stir well and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Cover and reduce heat to low, cooking another 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid (It makes the rice gummy). Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

Apparently, some couples find it romantic to cook dinner together. Neil and I are not one of those couples. For one, he has more interest in eating rather than cooking. But, I think the real fault lies with me: I'm a control freak. I like doing things my way and making sure I hit all of the bases. We've tried cooking a few times together and while we were able to produce a decent meal, it wasn't very romantic. So we save the romance for the candlelight dinners and the most Neil helps with dinner is cutting. The hubs likes dinners where he gets to help me out with cutting things so this was a perfect dish for him (and me).

Besides the fact that Neil got to help me out, we also liked this dish for the flavors. I suggest toning down the fennel seeds but other than that, it was delicious. We definitely recommend this one for both the couples who like to cook together and for the spouse that likes to cook alone in the kitchen.

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

Source: The Novice Chef Blog

3/4 tsp salt, divided

3/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 tsp black pepper, divided

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

cooking spray

2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper

1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

1.5 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450º. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 tsp salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 tsp black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1.5 tsp oil and sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1.5 tsp oil to pan. Add chicken. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over and cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until done.

Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary. Saute for 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium high. Stir in vinegar and remaining salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken. Enjoy!

Chicken Stir-Fry

Unless we have company, we usually just have the main dish for dinner. It's just a huge hassle to make sides when there's only the two of us. I love making stir-fry because you get your carbs. veggies, and meat all in one. Because who has stir-fry without rice?

Chicken Stir-Fry

Source: Taste of Home Cookbook

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup celery, sliced

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 small onion, cut into wedges

1 cup water

1 tsp chicken bouillon granules

Place chicken strips into a re sealable plastic bad and add cornstarch and toss to coat. Add soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder to bag and shake well. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Stir fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil. Stir-fry broccoli, celery, carrots, and onion for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add water and the bouillon and return chicken to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly. Enjoy!

Bruschetta Chicken

Here is the second recipe for bruschetta chicken! This one comes from The Taste of Home Classic Cookbook, my favorite cookbook. It has a nice breaded coating but doesn't require an extra dipping step so it's still an easy weeknight meal. I added a little balsamic vinegar to the tomato mixture because I love me some balsamic vinegar!

Bruschetta Chicken

Source: Taste of Home Classic Cookbook

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1 tbsp butter, melted

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 tbsp minced fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, optional

Preheat oven to 375º. Place flour and eggs in separate bowls. Dip chicken into flour, then in eggs; place in a greased baking dish. Combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and butter; sprinkle over chicken. Loosely cover baking dish with foil. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes longer or until top is browned.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over chicken. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes until mixture is heated through. Enjoy!

Skillet Bruschetta Chicken

I love bruschetta. Absolutely love it. It just tastes so fresh and summery. Plus, I usually always have all the ingredients in my fridge to make it. Except for the basil. I've tried multiple times to keep a basil plant alive and I've failed each and every time. We usually have something with basil once a week and I always end up killing my basil plant or keeping the store bought leaves in the fridge until they wilt.

The hubs is kind of sick of spending money each week to buy more basil so he has convinced me to have all the meals with basil in one week. So, since I love bruschetta, I have two recipes for bruschetta chicken for you this week! This recipe is from The Milkman's Wife.

Skillet Chicken Bruschetta

Source: The Milkman's Wife

4 thin-cut chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried parsley

salt & pepper

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

half a medium onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1-1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar

parmesan cheese and fresh basil, for garnish

Mix flour, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in the flour and shake off excess. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add chopped tomato and balsamic vinegar, cooking until vinegar is reduced and tomatoes are softened, about 5 more minutes. Remove mixture from skillet and set aside. Cove with foil to keep warm.

Melt butter in the same skillet. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to serving plater. Spoon sauce mixture over the chicken, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and basil. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

Buffalo chicken and pizza are always good. If there is ever a night where I just don't want to cook and we open the fridge and there are no leftovers or frozen meals to pop in the microwave, we usually order pizza. Or wings. Or sometimes both. This recipe from Tiny Tyrant's Kitchen combines both pizza dough and buffalo chicken for a delicious dinner.

1 pizza dough recipe (I used refrigerated pizza dough)

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup buffalo sauce

12 cup bleu cheese crumbles

1-1.5 cups shredded cheese

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375º. Roll out dough and shape into a rectangle. Mix together the chicken, buffalo sauce, and bleu cheese crumbles. Spread the mixture on the dough, leaving a 1-inch perimeter. Cover with shredded cheese. Roll lengthwise into a log. Brush with a beaten egg. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

We have the Crockpot BBQ Chicken quite a bit in our house. It's so easy since it's just a bottle of BBQ sauce and chicken. Neil suggested I use buffalo sauce instead and this was a hit! I followed the suggestions over at Running Mama Cooks and added a few more ingredients. It's a very spicy meal but worth trying out!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breats

1 (17.5 fluid oz) bottle buffalo wing sauce

1 oz package dry ranch salad dressing mix

2 tbsp butter

6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise (or sandwich bread of your choice)

Place the chicken breast in the crockpot along with 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter and shred with two forks. Add the meat to your bread and splash with remaining buffalo wing sauce. Enjoy!

WC Recipe Swap: Chicken with Green Olives, Black Beans and Saffron Rice

One of the posters on a cooking board I frequent recently suggested a recipe swap featuring chicken. I thought this was a great idea because you can never have enough chicken recipes! I submitted my Honey Balsamic Glazed Chicken that I made a few weeks ago and received this one in return.

I was a little nervous before getting my recipe because I wasn't sure what I would be getting! The WC Board has a range of skills and I was afraid I'd end up with a complicated recipe I didn't understand with ingredients I had no clue where to find. Luckily, I didn't.

This was a relatively simple and easy to put together recipe. I didn't make the beans because the hubs is not a fan, as you know. The flavors of this recipe complemented each other and the hubby went back for sec err... thirds. Next time I make this and there will be a next time, I might use boneless, skinless thighs since I have this weird thing about meat on bones. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this recipe to anyone who likes olives! Recipe adapted from Nestie nunyabeeswax.

Chicken

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 small jar Spanish green olives

1.5 cups white wine

1 cup chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

4 tbsp olive oil

Black Beans

1 pkg dried black beans

2 onions

1 head of garlic

1 bunch cilantro

stock or water (enough to cover beans)

Saffron Rice

3 cups white jasmine rice or basmati rice

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

3.5 cups chicken stock

2 tsp saffron threads

1 tsp turmeric

For the beans, rinse and check dried beans thoroughly. Peel and quarter the onions and place in a large stock pot. Peel and smash the garlic and add to pot along with the beans and cilantro. Cover with stock or water, at least 3 inches above. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until soft.

For the chicken, preheat the oven to 350º. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown in 2 tbsp of olive oil on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and saute onion until almost translucent then add garlic and saute another minute. Deglaze the pan with wine, allowing the alcohol to cook off. Stir in chicken stock and green olives. Add chicken back to the pan and pour ingredients into an oven-safe pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until heated through.

For the rice, start by toasting the rice in the butter and olive oil for about 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric and then add the chicken stock and saffron. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until rice has absorbed stock, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit with lid on for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

"Benchiladas"

Excuse the minor burntness of the picture that was a result of me misreading the oven temperature. Yep, yet another enchilada recipe. But this one is a must-make. I can't decide whether I prefer these from Annie's Eats or the Enchi-Ritos that I normally make. I've decided they are both my favorites since these are chicken and the enchi-ritos are beef. They aren't exactly your authentic enchilada recipe but they are delicious!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 oz reduced fat sour cream

8 oz Ranch salad dressing

flour tortillas (10-15)

jar of salsa

shredded mexican cheese

Cook chicken breats by preferred cooking method until cooked through. Set aside to cool.

While chicken is cooling, mix up the sauce. In a large bowl, combine half 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 bowl. Mix with sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Grease a 9x13 pan (I needed two). Take one tortilla and top with a little less than 1 tbsp of 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. Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients. I choose to use the remaining sauce to top on the enchiladas before I put them in the oven.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!