Quick and Easy Chicken and Rice

I was looking for an easy chicken recipe to make for dinner and came across this one on All Recipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-and-Easy-Chicken-and-Rice/Detail.aspx


The worst part of this recipe is that the chicken and rice both need to be precooked...but if you buy a rotisserie chicken, that would make this recipe so much simpler. I chose to poach some chicken tenders in chicken broth since I had extras in the freezer.

I LOVED this recipe. 4+ stars from me!! I sauteed the mushrooms separately since Brian is allergic to them and then just added them on top of mine. YUM! Allison took one look at it and quickly procliamed that it was "bisgusting." After much coaxing she eventually did eat it. She didn't love it, but she ate it. Brian was very leary of trying this one too. He thought it was going to have big chicken breasts/tenders on top instead of chopped up and mixed in. He said he'd eat it again though, so that's positive.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crumbled
2 cups milk
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (we omitted)
3 cups cooked Texmati® White or Brown Rice (I used Basmati rice since it was much cheaper!)
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Blend in flour and chicken bouillon cubes. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken and mushrooms. Spread cooked Texmati Rice in buttered 9 x 13 inch baking dish; spoon chicken mixture over rice. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, covered at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbly.

OK, made the cake balls...

I made the cakes balls today for part of Curt's birthday treats. I used yellow cake and 4/5 of the can of milk chocolate frosting. I dipped them in chocolate then. They were a hit...despite how terrible they look! I give it 5 stars regardless of the appearance...they are going to work with Curt tomorrow so I don't eat them all!

Potato Chip Chicken

I am always looking for variations for chicken recipes. I came across this one on the Betty Crocker website (http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/quick-n-crunchy-potato-chip-chicken/703fe479-0743-4db4-b1e9-c5d33ad8a1e2)



I wanted to make this healthier (how can you do that when it's coated in potato chips right?) so I baked it instead of frying it in oil. I don't think it made much of a difference. Next time I will also try baked chips.  My family loved this! Brian gave it 4 1/2 stars, I gave it 4 stars, and Allison gave it 5 stars.
 4 cups sour cream and onion-flavored potato chips, crushed (1 cup)
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 large egg (next time I would use 2 egg whites instead.)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (if you are frying it)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)

1. In shallow bowl, mix crushed potato chips and parsley. In another shallow bowl, beat egg and Worcestershire sauce.
2. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with potato chip mixture.
3. If frying: Cook chicken in oil 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F)
If baking: Bake 25 minutes in a 370 degree oven (or until cooked all the way through)

Watermelon and Feta Salad

It looks odd right??? Yet a little intriguing?? That's what I thought too, so when I came across this recipe I knew I just had to try it. I found this in my Family Fun magazine (http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/try-a-surprising-salad-907310/) and immediately ripped it out.

It's weird. But it's surprisingly very good. I had it for breakfast and lunch, and I'll probably have it again for dinner! I'd give this a low 4 stars. I didn't have any fresh basil or mint so I just used a pinch of dried basil. I think the fresh basil would definitely make it a lot better...and prettier!!

Ingredients:
8 cups cubed watermelon
2 to 4 ounces cubed or crumbled feta
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil or mint

Instructions
Mix the watermelon and feta. Toss with a dressing made from the lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with slivered fresh basil or mint. Serves 8.