Buffalo Chicken Panini

Lately, I have been on a panini kick. I got a panini make as a wedding present almost two years ago and haven't really used it a whole lot until recently. You may remember a while back I made Grilled Cobb Paninis and that was about the last time I used it, up until a few weeks ago. I have been experimenting with different kinds and this Buffalo Chicken one was an instant hit. 

Buffalo Chicken Panini

Ingredients 

2 cups shredded cook chicken (I used rotisserie chicken) 

1/2 cup mild or medium Buffalo wing sauce

1 can refrigerated french or Italian loaf 

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese 

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the chicken and wing sauce. Cover, microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until hot. 

2. On a cutting board, carefully unroll dough. Cut into 8 rectangles. Place 2 rectangles on preheated panini grill and close. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from grill. Repeat with remaining rectangles. 

3. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto each of 4 rectangles,. sprinkle with about 11/2 tablespoons blue cheese. Top with remaining rectangles. 

4. Place 2 sandwiches on the grill and close lid. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. 

Kung Pao Thursday

Kung Poa Chicken is my favorite dish at most Chinese places. So when I came across this recipe to make it at home I was pretty excited. I have wanted to make it for a while now, but finally got around to giving it a try. I was afraid that it would not taste as good, but was pleasantly surprised how good it tasted. Not quite as good as PF Chang's, but pretty close! 

Ingredients: 
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" pieces
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoons powdered ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts 

Directions:

1. Combine chicken and cornstarch in a small bowl and toss to coat. Heat the sesame oil over medium heat, add chicken and stir fry 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan. 

2. Add green onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and powdered ginger to the pan and stir for about 15 seconds.

3. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Mix well and add the sauce to the pan.

4. Return the chicken to the pan and coat in sauce. Stir in peanuts and heat thoroughly. Top with green onion and serve over white rice.

Enjoy!

Kraft Fresh Takes

I recently had a coupon for a Kraft Fresh Take in the dairy section of the grocery store. At first I was not really sure what these were, but since I had a coupon and they were on sale I decided to pick up the Rosemary & Roasted Garlic and made it with chicken, it says it can also be made with pork and fish.

 The "fresh take" comes with a blend of cheese, breadcrumbs, and spices that is used to coat the chicken. The pouch that it comes is pretty cool. It keeps the cheese separated from the bread crumbs and spices. When you open it up, it creates one big pouch that can be used to dip the chicken right into. (Less clean Up!)  The prep was next to nothing, super easy. All you have to do is open the plastic bag and mix the ingredients together, then dip the chicken into the mixture to coat and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet, less than 5 minutes prep time!

Overall, we enjoyed the chicken, it had a nice flavor to it. The coating on the chicken also became pretty crispy in the oven, giving the chicken a nice crunch to it. The taste combined with the easiness of this makes a great, quick week night meal. The other flavors include Italian Parmesan, Savory Four Cheese, Cheddar Jack & Bacon, Southwester Three Cheese Chicken, and Chili Lime & Panko, I will be buying another one on my next trip to the store.

Zesty Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

This recipe is a huge hit, at first I thought the BBQ sauce and Italian dressing combo sounded a little weird, but it turned out to be delicious! This chicken could be served so many different ways too; in a roll, on a baked potato or just by itself. Leftovers could be used on a BBQ chicken pizza also! The possibilities are endless.

Ingredients: 
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
12 ounces of BBQ sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dress
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 table spoons Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic

Directions:
1. Place chicken in slow cooker. In a bowl mix the BBQ sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Add onion and garlic and pour over the chicken.

2. Cover, and cook on high for 3 hours or until soft enough to shred. Cook for an additional hour. Sauce will be thin after 3 hours, but is absorbed once chicken is shredded.

Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken, Yes Please!

I am a sucker for all things Buffalo Chicken, and am always looking for new ways to make it, and new ways to incorporate it into some of my already favorite dishes. Here is what I have come up with in my recent search for new Buffalo Chicken recipes. Don't all of these recipes look delicious?

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dips in Mini Bread Bowls

Care's Kitchen

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

Closet Cooking

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

My Own

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

I will not eat oysters

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Rachel Ray's

Buffalo Chicken Cheeseball

What's Cooking Chicago

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

how sweet it is

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak 

caloriecount.about.com

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

My Own

Leanne's Favorite Pizza Dough

This pizza dough recipe is my favorite pizza dough that I have made this far. It works great with a number of different pizzas from Pepperoni to White to BBQ Chicken. The dough is not to soft, and not to sticky which makes it easy to work with. Plan ahead when making this pizza dough because it must rise in the fridge for at least 12 hours. That makes it perfect to put together Sunday afternoon, for dinner Monday night. This recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas.  

Ingredients 

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 cup ice cold water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil 

About 5 1/4 to 5 1/2 cups bread flour

Directions

1. In a small bowl, with a fork, stir yeast into warm water. Let stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes. 

2. In another small bowl mix together cold water, olive oil, salt and sugar and stir until dissolved. 

3a.If using a stand mixer with a dough hook, add 5 1/4 cups of flour to the bowl.Stir the yeast mixture again to blend, then add to the flour mixture along with cold-water mixture. Beat with the dough hook on a low speed until the mixture is smooth and not sticky, 14-16 minutes. (Do not let the dough climb up above the dough hook, if it gets to high, stop the mixer and push the dough down.) If the dough remains sticky add 2 more tablespoons of flour and beat 2 minutes longer, continue to do the same until non-sticky and smooth. 

3b. To make pizza dough by hard, place 5 1/4 cups of the flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the yeast mixture along with the cold water mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix the dough, incorporating as much of the flour as possible. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, 10-12 minutes. It will still be a little sticky, but should not stick to your hands. Add only a minimum amount of flour to the work surface to keep the dough from sticking. 

4. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half. With floured hands, pick up one portion of dough, pull opposite edges together toward center and pinch to seal. Repeat steps with second portion. Place each portion in a 1-gallon plastic bag. Squeeze out air and seal bag allowing enough room for the ball to double. Chill at least 12 hours, or up to 2 days. 

5. Allow pizza dough to come to room temperature before stretching to desired shape and thickness. 

On Valentine's Day I made a heart shaped White Pizza with this dough:

 Here I made a BBQ Chicken Pizza with the pizza dough:

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

What a long week it has been! I know I was off on Tuesday for Valentine's Day, and only worked a half day today, but it sure felt like a long week! I am excited for the 3 day weekend this weekend. Thank you Presidents!

I have made this Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa a couple of times before, but forgot how good it is. It is light and refreshing and has lots of flavor.(Isn't everything with avocado good?) It is pretty quick and easy to make also.

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Chicken Ingredients:
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking Spray

Salsa Ingredients:
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado peeled and chopped

Directions:
1. For the chicken, combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl and add the chicken. Let stand for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan cook 6 minutes per side, or until finished

2. For the salsa combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Add avocado and stir gently.

3. Serve chicken over rice and top with salsa.

* Sorry for the blurry iphone pictures!!!

Skinny Baked Chicken Parmesan

Recently Chicken Parmesan has been one of my favorite meals. I found a way to make it diet friendly with the help of skinnytaste.com, and it still tastes great!

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast Tenders
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Marinara sauce
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Spray large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. Placing on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Lightly spray a little more cooking oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve over pasta

Skinny Carnitas Tacos

Jordan and mine healthy eating continues with crock pot pork carnitas tacos tonight.  We both really enjoyed them, and it was nice to be greeted with the smell when I walked in the door after work. The best part was that my whole dinner was less then 425 calories and I walked away full.

I found this recipe on www.skinnytaste.com, which is quickly becoming my favorite website to find healthy recipes. I have tried several different ones and they have all been really good. All of her recipes include the nutritional information and weight watchers points, so they can be adjusted for any diet. I have also been using the My Fitness Pal app on my iphone to track the calories I am eating and I have been able to find all the recipes that I have made already in the app.

I prepped the meat the last night and put it in the fridge. Then all I had to do this morning before work was take the crock pot out of the fridge and turn it on. It was all ready to go when I got home from a long day at work. I served them on Mission white corn tortillas, with avocado, and homemade salsa, I will definitely be making these again!

New Mexico Chicken Tacos

The other day when I was grocery shopping at our local Sprouts, and I came across Frontera's New Mexico Taco Skillet Sauce for chicken tacos and at $2.99 I decided why not give it a try. I am always up for a new kind of taco. To be honest, I did not have the highest hopes for it because I am so picky about prepackaged, convenience foods, but was pleasantly surprised. The flavors were bold and smoky and it gave the chicken a real southwest flavor. It was quick, easy and delicious. 

I used the package of sauce with 1lb of ground chicken cooked according to the package directions and served it in corn tortillas with a little bit of homemade salsa. 

On there website, http://www.fronterakitchens.com they feature many different kinds of sauces and I am anxious to try a few more of them. 

Santa Fe Crock Pot Chicken

To start off 2012 Jordan and I both decided that we needed to start eating a little healthier to loose like 5lbs (or 10lbs). We have been counting calories and I have been looking for healthier recipes. We are both doing really well so far! I have come across skinnytaste.com, which has a lot of good healthy recipes and all the recipes on the website include nutritional information. I tried this one for Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken the other night and it was delicious (especially for diet food). 

Santa Fe Crock Pot Chicken 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts 

1 can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies

1 cup frozen corn 

1 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth 

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne 

salt to taste

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

3 chopped green onion  

Directions 

1. Combine tomatoes, corn, chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, green onion, and salt in crock pot. 

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place on top in the crock pot. 

3. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. 

4. Shred the chicken when soft and mix in. 

5. Add salt and seasoning as needed. 

6. Serve over rice and top with sour cream

According to the website, 1 cup of the chicken mixture has 190 calories (rice and sour cream extra). Her recipe included beans and mine does not so 1 cup would be even less then 190 calories!

Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

I began cooking dinners for Jordan when we will still dating, and from that time until the present he has bugged me to make Chicken and Wild Rice for dinner. It was one of his favorite recipes that his mom use to make. I finally broke down and made it for him (It only took a year and half of marriage!) After reviewing several different recipes on how to make it,  I took a little but from each of them and made my own. 

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

8oz packaged Long Grain and Wild Rice (I used 2 boxes of Rice-a-Roni)

1 medium onion 

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sour cream 

10 3/4oz can of Cream of Chicken Soup 

2 cups shredded chicken (I made it easy on myself and bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded the white breast meat) 

Directions:

1. Cook the rice according to the package direction. 

2. While the rice is cooking melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Saute until tender. 

3. Add the chicken, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup to the onions and remove from heat.

4. Add the cooked rice to the mixture and combine 

5. Cook uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes in an oven safe casserole dish. 

6. Enjoy!

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

I made something new for dinner tonight, this deep dish pizza casserole. It was quick, easy and really good! And it could be customized to include your favorite pizza toppings. I made it with ground beef because that is what I had, but could easily be made with ground chicken, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.

Ingredients 
1lb ground beef
1 med onion chopped
15oz jar of Pizza Sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 cup fresh oregano
8oz mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat over to 350. Brown hamburger and onion together and drain well. Add garlic salt, oregano, and pizza sauce and stir well. Meanwhile, grease a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on the bottom of it.  Spread the meat mixture over the cheese. In a mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, flour, milk, and oil and pour over the meat in the pan. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top and bake for 30 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Why are tacos so good? And there are so many different kinds that you can make. I will normally make tacos a couple a times a months. They are easy and a favorite in our house.

I am always looking for new taco ideas, and I came across this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Tacos a couple days ago. I haven't made them yet, but I am hoping to in the next week or so.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

1lb chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/3 cup flour

3 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce 

1 tablespoon olive oil

10 6-inch yellow corn tortillas

Toppings:
Shredded butter Lettuce
Diced onions mixed with cilantro
Avocado slices
Ranch dressing
Green onions, sliced thinly

Directions:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and once it gets hot, add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, set it aside in a bowl and toss with ⅓  cup buffalo wing sauce.

Assemble 10 tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.

Quick Easy Dinner

Williams and Sonoma seriously has the best sauces and starters. They are so easy to use after a full day at work; they are simple and delicious. 

My favorite one is the Sloppy Joe Starter. It is simple just brown 1lb of ground beef until cook. Pour the starter over it and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve on a hamburger bun. The starter sauce "combines vine ripened tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, sweet red bell peppers, garlic, and spices." It is delicious, everyone will love it. It is priced at $14.95 which is a little bit expensive, but I normally will just use half the jar at a time and save the other half for the next time I make them. 

A Few Things I am Thankful For

Thanksgiving is next Thursday! Holy Moly when did that happen? With that being said I thought I would share a few items that I am currently thankful for (besides my family, friends, and health or course) in no particular order.

Philospophy Body Wash 

L'occitane almond and apple moisturizer

White iphone 4s

My Cole Haan Boots

Modern Family - One of the funnies shows ever

Bath and Body Works Candles

My Vera Bradley Grand Traveler in Very Berry Paisley

Homemade Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup hot sauce 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 8 ounces yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes 
• 8 ounces jack cheese, cut into cubes
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.