Chicken Pillows

I recently wanted to find a somewhat "girlie" lunch to make for a couple friends who came over for a play date.  And I wanted to use what was in my house, so as not to have to make a special trip to the store!  Well, I hit upon a recipe shared by my dear friend Stacy many moons ago:  Chicken Pillows. 

True, when I made these for the fabulous ladies who came to luncheon with me (sounds so proper, doesn't it ;)), I didn't have all the ingredients called for.  But I made substitutions, and it worked out marvelously well.  Even the two toddlers who ate with us gobbled them down! 

But then, a couple nights ago, I made them the almost real way. (Almost, because I still used breadcrumbs in place of crushed up stiffing mix).  Once again, my toddler devoured her portion.  And it made plenty for me and hubby to enjoy as well :) (and after leftovers!). 

This recipe is originally from beckyhiggins.com.  I will share it below as written, with my changes in the parentheses.

CHICKEN PILLOWS
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, diced or shredded (or two cans of chicken if you're pinched for time)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
6 to 8 regular crescent rolls
stuffing mix, slightly ground up (I use plain breadcrumbs)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk

Combine chicken, cream cheese and seasonings.  Add a spoonful of mixture to center of crescent roll.  Wrap up dough and pinch the edges.  Dip in melted butter and then roll in stuffing mix (breadcrumbs).  Bake at 325 for 25 to 30 minutes.  Serve with mushroom sauce (combine soup and milk in saucepan and simmer over low heat until smooth and creamy).

I'm not sure why I haven't made this recipe more often.  I included it in our family cookbook we made for our 2008 Family Reunion, because when I'd had them at Stacy's, they were so delicious!  And then I never got around to making them.  Well, no longer to be true!  These are pretty quick and easy, especially if you already have some chicken to use.  The first time I made these, for the lunch, I subbed shredded cheddar for the cream cheese and puff pastry for the crescent rolls (it's what I had on hand) and used canned chicken and my friends said it was enjoyable.  So I think you can take some liberties with this and still come up with a great meal!

Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheese Skillet Meal

This is just one of those tried and true recipes for my family.  I found it through Pinterest.  Here is the original recipe.

I've made this recipe 4 or 5 times now in the last year.  And I just really like it.  What's not to love about the combination of cheese, chicken, pasta, and broccoli?  For me, nothing :).

I also love that it's stove-top (therefore perfect for summer, in my opinion).  And it's a one-dish meal, so fewer dishes to wash!  And it's not terribly time-consuming to make.  The most tedious part is probably dealing with the raw chicken.  Which I didn't have to do this time, since I used my THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Strips :).

So here's the recipe the way I made it tonight:

1 to 1 1/2 cups THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Strips*
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
1 can cream of chicken soup + 2 cans full of water
black pepper to taste
1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pour cream of chicken soup and water into a large skillet.  Warm over medium-high heat.  Throw in the chicken strips.  Add all other ingredients, except cheese.  Stir together.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes or until pasta is tender.  (Checking to make sure there is enough water at about 15 minutes.)  Stir in cheese until melted and combine.  Allow to heat 2 more minutes.  Serve.

*1 chicken breast can be substituted.  Just cut it into bit size pieces and cook it in the pan in olive oil before adding the soup and water.  The THRIVE just saves me time :).

It's yummy.  My toddler loves it.

French's Slow Cooker Chicken

1/2 cup French's mustard
1/2 cup honey
2 pounds boneless chicken

Mix mustard and honey.  Pour over chicken in the crock pot.  Cover and cook on low 6 to 7 hours.

Personal Notes:  So this is super super easy.  And only 3 ingredients!  And not weirdo ingredients either.  Of course, I forgot to do the mixing step.  And the sauce was kind of thin, so I added about a tablespoon of cornstarch while letting it cool for a bit and whisked it in so it would mostly dissolve. 

Verdict: Discard.  We didn't really enjoy the flavor.  It's strong.  I give it an A for ease.  But definitely not something I'll make again.  I appreciated that it was so easy and that I had all the ingredients, and that I could do something fast and easy on a hot day in the crock pot :).  But it just wasn't delicious to us. 

I forgot to take a picture before storing the leftovers, so I'm sure the picture make it seem even less appetizing ;).

Foil-Pack Taco Chicken Dinner

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix

2 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes

1 cup shredded cheese

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

 

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Sprinkle chicken evenly with seasoning mix.  Place 1/2 cup of the potatoes on center of each of 4 large sheets of aluminum foil; top each with 1 chicken breast, 1/4 cup of cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa.

2.  Bring up foil sides.  Double fold top and both ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside.  Place in single layer in 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

3.  Bake 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.  Remove packets from oven.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Place 1 packet on each of 4 plates.  Cut slits in foil with sharp knife to release steam before opening.  Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

 

Recipe from kraftfoods.com

Personal Notes:  Because this is a Kraft recipe, the ingredients called for are all specific to their brand.  I just used what I had.  We eat meat, but not a lot of it, so I cut one large chicken breast in thirds and only made 3 foil packs.  I forgot to add the sour cream.  And I don't feel 25 minutes was sufficient time (for either the chicken or the potatoes).  I ended up finding that out after I opened mine to eat it.  I decided to put it back in (open) before eating any of it.  I put them in for another 15 minutes, making a total of 40.  And I had small pieces of chicken, so using a whole piece would, I think, definitely require more cook time.

Verdict:  Keep.  I liked the flavor, and it was easy.  I don't think it's something I'll make often, but I think it will be a fun every-once-in-a-while dinner.  And it may seem fun and exciting to kids as they get a little older.  So I'm always looking for fun and different things to do with my kids.