Chicken - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with chicken, including Chicken Alfredo Pasta Skillet and Barbecue-Cheddar Chicken Pasta. Enjoy!

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

This recipe is from Tyler Florence and was posted on the Food Network.

Prep Time: 1 hour; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Yield: 16 enchiladas, 8 servings; Level: Intermediate

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons cumin powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped

4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced

1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour

16 corn tortillas

1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned

1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses

Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Ingredients

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

CHICKEN PICCATA

This is from Ali Slagle at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Ali wrote, "Chicken piccata is an Italian-American staple beloved for its piquant flavors cradled in a silky, butter-rich pan sauce. It also doesn’t hurt that it cooks up very quickly. This version is mostly traditional except that it uses lemon two ways, calling for lemon slices to be caramelized (to soften their tang) and for a hit of fresh juice at the end (to brighten the whole dish). This ensures a sauce that's neither too rich, nor too puckery. Serve with a starch — pasta, polenta, rice or white beans — for sopping up the sauce, and a green vegetable."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 25 minutes

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019883-chicken-piccata.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved horizontally (see tip)

Kosher salt and black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 shallot, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1 lemon, halved (half thinly sliced and seeds removed; half juiced, about 2 tablespoons)

3/4 cup chicken stock

4 teaspoons drained capers

Coarsely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, add the chicken and sauté until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Remove the chicken, place on a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces, adding more olive oil if needed.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the shallot and lemon slices to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, capers and lemon juice, to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over the top. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Tip

Freezing the chicken breasts for 15 minutes will make slicing them through the middle easier.

CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA SKILLET

Here's a simple, yet yummy, meal from Betty Crocker that begins, "A scratch dinner done in 40 minutes using just one pan? It’s not too good to be true—but it is so very good! A classic homemade Alfredo sauce gets tossed with cooked chicken, peas and ziti pasta for an impressive meal that you can make on the fly."

Prep Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online at the Betty Crocker site, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

3 cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

8 oz uncooked ziti pasta (2 1/2 cups)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken

3/4 cup frozen sweet peas

Chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, if desired

Directions

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium heat until melted; add garlic. Cook and stir constantly about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add broth, pasta, salt and pepper; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and most of liquid is absorbed.

Stir in whipping cream and Parmesan cheese; cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until bubbly. Stir in chicken and frozen sweet peas; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated through.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley.

Expert Tips

Leftover shredded cooked chicken may be used in place of deli rotisserie chicken.

Penne pasta may be substituted for the ziti pasta.

APPLE PECAN CHICKEN SALAD

This is from Linda Larsen, who wrote for About.com and The Spruce Eats. Linda wrote, "Apple pecan chicken salad is a fan-favorite main dish salad recipe. The combination of tender chicken, crisp pecans, tart apples, and a creamy honey mustard dressing is fantastic.

"Like all chicken salads, using a rotisserie chicken often brings the best results. Most other chicken cooking methods do not come close to matching the tender result of these grocery store birds. There is just something about roasting chickens while on a spit that results in the most tender and flavorful meat. Remove the meat from the bird and cut it into large chunks.

"You can double or triple this recipe if you would like. When hot summer weather is at hand, there's nothing nicer than having a huge batch of fabulous apple pecan chicken salad in the fridge, ready and waiting for you. Just add some bakery muffins or breadsticks, some iced tea or white wine, and you have a fabulous meal with absolutely no cooking at all."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/apple-pecan-chicken-salad-481444.

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons honey mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt (to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

3 cups cooked chicken (chopped)

1 Granny Smith apple (chopped)

1 cup small pecans

1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, honey mustard, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cooked chicken, the chopped apple, pecans, and dried cherries or cranberries to coat.

Cover and chill the salad for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Tips

Store any leftovers of the salad, well covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days.

You can cook your own chicken for this apple pecan chicken salad recipe. Try baking chicken breasts, on the bone or off, in parchment paper, or simmer them gently in water until they just reach 160 F. When the meat stands after cooking, the temperature will rise to 165 F, which is the safe final temperature for chicken breasts.

Or try cooking a whole chicken on a rotisserie on your grill; you need special equipment and instructions for that task. You can cook large batches of chicken this way, let the meat cool, cube it, then store it in the freezer in 2 cup portions for recipes like this one.

BARBECUE-CHEDDAR CHICKEN PASTA

This is from a Publix email. Servings: 6; Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 6 hours, 16 minutes

To view this online, go to https://ww4.publix.com/recipes-planning/aprons-simple-meals/barbecue-cheddar-chicken-pasta-with-simple-watermelon-ice-cream. It comes with another recipe (Simple Watermelon Ice Cream).

Ingredients

1 small red onion, coarsely chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 block sharp cheddar cheese (6–8 oz), shredded

1 Deli smoked (or oven-roasted) chicken, shredded

4 slices thick-cut bacon

1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained

2 cups no-salt-added chicken stock (or broth)

1/2 cup bold and spicy barbecue sauce

9 oz fresh linguine (or fettucine) pasta

3 oz presliced green onions

Directions

Chop red onion and pepper. Shred cheese (about 2 cups).

Shred chicken (2 cups).

Cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces, then place in large sauté pan on medium (wash hands); cook bacon 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in pan.

Return pan to heat, then add red onions and peppers; cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, stock, and barbecue sauce; stir to combine and bring to a simmer.

Stir in chicken, pasta, and 1 cup cheese; cook and stir 2–3 minutes or until pasta is tender, cheese has melted, and sauce has thickened. Divide mixture among serving plates; top evenly with reserved bacon pieces, remaining 1 cup cheese, and green onions. Serve.

Aprons Advice

Complete your meal with fresh salad blend, steamed vegetables, crusty bread, and lemonade.

2-STEP SKILLET CHICKEN BROCCOLI DIVAN

This is from FamilyTime, and begins, “This is our go-to recipe when we need good food that can be ready really fast. It features a scrumptious combination of creamy chicken and broccoli topped with cheese- and it's ready in 25 minutes.”

Serves: 4 servings (about 1 1/3 cups each); Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

Stir the broccoli, soup and milk in the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Flavor Variation: Try this recipe with Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup and shredded Swiss cheese.