Southwest Chicken Chili

Even though I posted a similar recipe not that long ago, I thought I’d throw this recipe up as a simpler and slightly less spicy option.  I clipped this recipe out of a Parade magazine because it seemed like it would be easy to make, and I liked all of the flavors in the dish.  I’ve made this several times since then and tweaked it here and there, and it’s always been a hit.

Easy Chicken Chili (adapted from this recipe)

What You’ll Need

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1” cubes [Note: Originally I used 1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs with the fat trimmed off]
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 can 98% Fat Free Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup [Note: I used 2 cans of soup because I like more liquid]
• 2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 ½ cups frozen corn
• ¾ cup water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp kosher salt

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion and pepper. 

Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is white throughout. Season with the various spices.

Once the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft, add the condensed soup, water, corn and beans. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 5 more minutes.

I served this with crusty Italian bread and some Mexican cheese sprinkled on top.  This is a quick alternative to the other chicken chili recipe I posted, and uses items that are basic staples of your pantry, making it a great option for those weeknights when you get home late and don’t feel like slaving over a stove for hours. I have made this with other vegetables thrown in (finishing off the random dribs and drabs in my freezer) and have added other spices (chipotle powder, cayenne pepper).  You can tailor this to your own taste, or enjoy it as is!

Rosemary-Crusted Chicken with Tomato and Chickpea Sauce

This recipe was made somewhere around when TRFD started out, but for some reason I never got around to posting it.  In an effort to keep up with my recipe backlog, here it (finally) is!

Rosemary-Crusted Chicken with Tomato and Chickpea Sauce
What You'll Need:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. jar tomato sauce (I used Garlic and Herb style)
4 cloves garlic, roughly minced
2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil

What To Do:
Heat a skillet on medium heat with the olive oil.  While it's getting hot, trim the fat from the chicken breasts and pound them so that they're approximately the same thickness. Sprinkle half of the rosemary onto the tops of the chicken breasts. Flip and repeat.

Cook the chicken for 4-6 minutes, until it gets lightly golden brown on both sides:

Remove the chicken breasts and keep them nearby on a plate.  Add your garlic to the skillet and saute until it for 1 minute (this is about when it starts to soften and brown on the edges).

Dump the sauce into the skillet, then add the cayenne pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, giving it a good stir to mix in all the spices.  Return the chicken to the skillet; cook covered on medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes.

Then, add the chickpeas and cook for an additional 2 minutes (or until the chickpeas get hot).

I served this with some whole wheat penne and a side of mixed veggies and potatoes.

This was good, but not fanTAStic.  The chicken seemed a little one-dimensional, even though the sauce was robust and spicy.  If you're not big on spicy foods, you can cut down on the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes, although to my taste buds this was only moderately zippy. There was a TON of sauce + chickpeas left over, so the next night I cooked 2 more chicken breasts, but in a traditional "chicken parm" style (dipped in egg, covered with seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, cooked in garlic and olive oil).  I enjoyed this so much more the second night that I recommend using the chicken parmesan style from the outset.  Since there's no cheese in this dish (HORRORS), using the egg wash and breadcrumbs adds only a negligible amount of calories and fat.  This is a good twist on the classic dish, and the chickpeas were a pleasant but unexpected surprise.  If you decide to make this, let me know which chicken style you go with and how you like it!

Chicken, Broccoli & Cheddar Casserole with Stuffed Peppers

Thanks to all of the October birthdays among my friends and family (seriously - we've decided to call it Rocktober because there's so many of us, and we're all so awesome), there has been and will continue to be a glut of dessert-themed posts this month.  As such, I decided to post these two dishes before some of the others I have waiting in the wings. It's been a bit of a rough week, and whenever I need to feel better, I know I can turn to the wise, wise words of The Beatles:

"When I find myself in times of trouble,
Mother Mary sings to me.
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be CHEESE."

LET IT CHEESE, LET IT CHEESE!

Chicken, Broccoli & Cheddar Casserole with Stuffed Peppers
What You'll Need:
-Chicken Casserole:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" cubes
3 small heads of broccoli cut into florets
1 small or 1/2 of a medium white onion, cut into strips
2 cans 98% Fat Free Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
2/3 cup skim milk
Salt and pepper to taste

-Stuffed Peppers:
2 green bell peppers
1/4 cup rice (I used jasmine rice)
3/4 cup water
1/2 medium white onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1 1/2 cups medium chunky salsa
1/2 cup Mexican or Taco shredded cheese
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil

What To Do:
The peppers have to bake in the oven for awhile, so I started with those.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut off the tops of peppers, retaining the usable parts.  De-seed the insides, cut the peppers in half, and remove any of the white veins. Place the peppers in an oven-safe baking dish.

Heat the rice in the 3/4 cup water until it reaches a boil; lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes uncovered.  While the rice is cooking, chop the celery, onion, garlic, and the remains of the pepper tops.

Heat a saute pan with the olive oil on medium heat; cook the veggies for 3-5 minutes or until they are slightly softened.

At this point, the rice should be finished cooking on its own - the water should be fully absorbed.  Transfer the rice to the saute pan, then add the salsa.  Season with the cumin, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 3 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into the peppers - mine had just enough room for all of the filling. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven, then cover the peppers with the cheese.  Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Cheeeeeeeeese.

While the peppers were baking, I got to work on the main dish, the chicken casserole.  This was mostly born out of what I had in my cabinets and what veggies were laying around.  I trimmed the fat from my chicken breasts, cut them into approximately 1" cubes, then sauteed them in a hot skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil.

While the chicken was cooking, I chopped the stalks off the broccoli and roughly chopped the onion.

After I was sure the chicken was fully cooked, I dumped all the veggies into the skillet.  I then had to transfer everything to my giant skillet, because apparently I never learn. Cover the pan and let the veggies steam for about 2 minutes. Mix the condensed soup and the milk in a separate bowl, then add to the skillet, tossing the contents to coat everything.

Since this would be pretty bland on its own, I gave this a liberal dousing with black pepper and a little bit of salt, both of which livened things up considerably.  From start to finish, this part takes about 25 minutes, so if you're making this along with the stuffed peppers, I recommend starting about halfway through the peppers' bake time.

Miraculously, mine finished at almost the exact same time, so I was able to photograph and eat everything while it was still hot!

This was exactly what I was hoping for - melty, cheesy goodness with a little bit of kick, courtesy of the salsa in the peppers.  There was more than enough for 4 servings, so this would be a good dinner for a family, and it also reheats well for those singles or couples out there. You could also make the casserole on its own and serve it with a side of rice or mashed potatoes if you don't want to try both at once!

On a side note, stuffed peppers are usually made with a meat-based filling coated with a tomato sauce.  I had tomato sauce on hand, but I didn't feel like opening a new jar for the little bit I'd need, hence the salsa.  I almost liked this better because it had a bolder flavor, but it does give the dish a decidedly Mexican flavor.  If you prefer a more traditional stuffed pepper, use ground beef, turkey, or veggie protein crumbles to give these some more substance, and use Italian spices (oregano, thyme, parsley, etc.) for flavoring.  Enjoy!

Mexican Tortilla Casserole

For my very first official recipe post, I've decided to go with....(drumroll please)...something I can't find the recipe for!

I KNOW. 

But you guys, this was SO. GOOD.  It deserves to be the first thing I post because it was so yummy-noise-inducing, plate-scrapingly delicious.

I got the starter recipe for this in my daily AllRecipes.com email, but, as I am wont to do, I used it more as a starting point than a concrete set of instructions.  There's a decent amount of prep work before this goes into the oven, but I've always enjoyed chopping, dicing, and slicing (now I sound like a serial killer) so I didn't mind it at all.

Mexican Tortilla Casserole

What You'll Need:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with all fat removed cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 can of low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups of medium chunky salsa 
3/4 cup 2% shredded Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
1/4 tsp chili pepper
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp olive oil (2 swirls from a bottle)
3 low-carb, whole wheat tortillas

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 375F. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat until both the pan and oil are very hot.  Add the chicken and cook for 2 min. until all pieces are white on the outside. Add both the onion and green pepper and cook for another 2 min. until the onions are translucent and the pepper is slightly softened.  Add salsa, tomato and black beans, then cook for 1 min.  Add cumin, salt, black pepper, and chili pepper, and mix all ingredients well to evenly distribute the spices. 

Spoon 1/3 of chicken mixture into a medium casserole dish. Cover with 1 of the whole wheat tortillas and 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat for second layer.  Add remainder of chicken mixture and finish the casserole by topping with the final tortilla.  Reserve the remaining cheese.  

Bake casserole for 20 minutes.  Add remainder of cheese and bake for 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.  The tortilla on top should be slightly crispy to the touch.  Let casserole sit for 2 minutes after removing from oven to allow ingredients to solidify within the dish.  

Prep time: 25 min.
Total time: 50-60 min.

I served this dish with non-fat sour cream on top and corn as a side.  It is extremely filling, so rice would have been a bit of a carb-overload.  The slight heat from the chili pepper and salsa blended well with the coolness of the sour cream and cheese, while the beans and chicken helped prevent the dish from getting too mushy.  This was great when initially served, but was definitely a dish that improved when reheated.  The layers were more clearly defined and the salsa juice had been absorbed, although nothing was soggy.  

You can easily get 5-6 large servings from this dish, and possibly more if you choose to serve smaller portions with more side dish options.  My husband and sister-in-law both paid me the ultimate compliment by making lots of yummy noises and not speaking until their plates were practically scraped clean.  This is great comfort food and a perfect recipe for evenings or weeks when you're short on time!