Lemony Chicken Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8 to 10

1 pound acini de pepe pasta, uncooked
2 cubes Knorr(R) chicken bouillon (or 4 regular cubes)
2 c cooked chicken, chopped*
1 c red onion, chopped
1 c green bell pepper, chopped
1 c red bell pepper, chopped
1 c mayonnaise
1/4 c fresh lemon juice

Cook acini di pepe in water with bouillon according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water when done cooking.

Add pasta and remaining ingredients to large bowl and mix well.

Note: It can get a little dry when refrigerated.  Instead of adding extra mayonnaise, I prefer to mix in a little bit of milk until it's the desired consistency.

*I use the leftovers from a rotisserie chicken.

Candied Poppyseed Chicken

Prep time: 45 mins
Serves: 6-8

This is a fairly rich dish, buttery with a little sweetness, so it is difficult to eat a lot of it at once. But I find myself going to the fridge to have a bite quite often, just like I do with dessert! It's absolutely delicious!

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 roll of crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 Tbsp poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix soup, sour cream, and cooked chicken in a medium bowl. Place in a 13x9 baking pan. Combine crackers, butter, and poppyseeds. Spread cracker mixture over chicken mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

My sister-in-law, Whitney, made this back when we were doing a meal exchange and it was one of my favorite dishes. She got it from her sister-in-law, Ruth. Yummy!

Spanish Chicken Stew

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6 to 8

1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken breast, cut in 2" pieces

1 tsp adobo

1 cup sofrito

6 to 8 cups water or chicken stock

3 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes*

4 medium potatoes, washed and cut in 2" pieces

2 cups bite-size carrot pieces

1/2 cup Spanish green olives

1 pkg Sazón Goya(R)

1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked

Season chicken breast with adobo and sauté over medium heat until no pink remains. Add remaining ingredients, except rice. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are soft.

Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions. Serve stew over rice.

*Only use bouillon if you are using water for the stew

Serve with any of these:

Slices of avocado that have been seasoned with salt and pepper

Tossed salad

Mango

Tostones

Confetti Bella Chicken

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken tenderloins
1 large green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, quartered

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add the chicken and saute for 5 to 10 minutes or until cooked through; remove from pan. Add peppers, onion, and garlic to pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the peppers are tender, mixing well. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until mushrooms and chicken are heated through and tender.

Serve on a roll for a really yummy sandwich or with buttered pasta and a tossed salad

I got this recipe from "Mr. Food's Italian Kitchen" by Art Ginsburg (Confetti Portobello Mushrooms, 28) and adapted it.

Spanish Chicken with Yellow Rice

Arroz Amarillo con Pollo

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

This is another recipe that my mother-in-law gave to me and it is one of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes.

1 lb. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Goya Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
2 cups uncooked rice
1 envelope Sazon Goya con Azafran
1 Knorr Chicken-flavor bouillon cube
1 tsp dry parsley
Pepper, to taste
4 cups water, divided
1 can (15.25 oz) whole-kernel corn, drained (optional)

Sprinkle the chicken with Adobo. In a 3-quart chicken fryer or saucepan, saute chicken in oil over medium heat until light brown; remove chicken from pan. Add butter and onion to pan and saute until soft, stirring often. Meanwhile, dissolve bouillon in one cup water in microwave. Add rice to onion and stir to coat with oil. Add Sazon Goya, dissoved bouillon cube, parsley, pepper, remaining 3 cups of water, and corn; bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until all liquid is gone. Add chicken and gently toss with rice; cover and reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender about 15 to 20 minutes, turning rice once halfway through cooking. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Substitutions:

• 4 cups chicken stock for bouillon and water
• 4 chicken breast halves (not cubed, with or without bones, but skinless)
  
• 4 center-cut pork chops
  

Serve with a tossed salad, sliced avocado, mango, and/or tostones.

Bowties with Chicken and Bacon

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Whitney. It's delicious (therefore not so healthy), even my picky eaters love it! Here's the recipe as given to me:

1 box bowtie (Farfalle) pasta
2 to 3 chicken breasts, depending on size
4 to 6 strips bacon
1 stick butter
1/4 cup dried basil
2 cloves garlic

Cook pasta according to box. Meanwhile, cook bacon until a little overcooked. You want it to be crisp. Dump out grease, but don't wash pan. Cook chicken and let cool. Cut chicken into chunks. Dump out grease, but don't wash pan. Melt butter and cook garlic. Add dried basil. Put bacon in a plastic bag and crush into bits. Combine everything in a large serving bowl. Serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese.


This is what I do when I'm in a hurry (almost always!):

1 box bowtie (Farfalle) pasta
1 cup frozen vegetables (such as broccoli, peas, or chopped spinach), optional
1 stick butter
1/2 cup precooked bacon pieces*
1 tsp dried minced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 can (13 oz.) chicken, drained
1/4 cup dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Put frozen vegetables in a colander in the sink. Drain pasta over vegetables. Lower heat to medium-low and add butter, bacon, and garlic (if using garlic powder, add with the basil). When butter is melted add the chicken, basil, salt, pepper, and pasta. Remove from heat and stir. Serve immediately topped with Parmesan cheese.

*I found a big bag of precooked bacon pieces in the refrigerator section at Sam's Club. When I got home, I put 1/2 cup bacon into labeled snack-size ziplock bags, then put all of the bags in a large freezer bag and put it in the freezer. Now when I need crumbled bacon, I just grab a bag and heat it in a skillet or microwave it just to crisp it up. So easy!!


Serve with garlic bread and a green salad.

ABC Chicken Soup

Prep Time: 2 hours
Serves: 4 to 6


Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
6 cups water
1 1/2 cups ABC Soup Mix
1 cube Knorr chicken bouillon
2 cups mixed vegetables (try mixing and matching these: cubed zucchini, chopped carrots, chopped celery, chopped onions, chopped bell pepper, mushrooms, corn, peas*)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp dried parsely

Cook chicken in water for about an hour. Remove chicken and add soup mix and bouillon to water; cook covered for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, remove bones and skin from chicken; cube and prepare vegetables. Add vegetables, pepper, and chicken to soup mixture. Cook 30 more minutes, or until split peas are fully cooked. Add parsley and serve. Serves 6.

We put shredded cheddar cheese on top. Yum!

*I used some fresh, some frozen and some dried vegetables. Just remember to add extra water if you use any dried veggies.