Bacon Ranch Chicken Soup – Okay, so whether this dish is a soup or a ridiculously creamy pasta is besides the point – we’re choosing for it to be a soup and it is AMAZING
People have obsessed over chicken soup since the domestication of fowl around 7,000 to 10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia. The Ancient Greeks also had their own version of chicken broth, and believed the soup to have those healing properties I was harping on about earlier. Today, the dish is a staple meal in cuisines from all around the world. You can practically feel tomato soup quaking with envy – always in second place, never in the spotlight.
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat and sauté onion, carrot and celery until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
Add dry ranch mix and cook for 1 minute, stirring until veggies are evenly coated, then add chicken broth and chicken soup.
Stir together and mix in spaghetti, bacon and chicken, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, or until noodles are cooked and veggies are tender, then stir in cheddar cheese and half-and-half.
Cook for another 3-5 minute, then serve and enjoy.
Cajun Sausage and Chicken Gumbo – This is a Cajun-style gumbo made with a seasoned roux, a classic from the bayous of south Louisiana. I revised the recipe after many, many trials. Serve it hot over cooked rice or with potato salad.
Origin. Scholars agree that gumbo originated in Louisiana in the early 18th century, but its uncertain etymology makes it difficult to pinpoint the origins of the food.
1lbandouille or smoked sausagesliced 1/4 inch thick
4clovesgarlicminced
salt and pepper to taste
creole seasoning to taste
6cupchicken broth
1bay leaf
1rotisserie chicken boned and shredded
Instructions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the roux has cooked to the color of chocolate milk, 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the roux. If you see black specks in the mixture, start over.
Stir onion, bell pepper, celery, and sausage into the roux; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning; blend thoroughly. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken, and simmer 1 hour more. Skim off any foam that floats to the top during the last hour.
Creamy Ritz Chicken Casserole – We love it for how good it tastes and the fact that it’s a breeze to make – does it get any better than that after a long day?
In the early 1900s, the Jackson Cracker company of Jackson, Michigan, developed a small, round cracker called the Jaxon. The company was bought out by Nabisco in 1919. Nabisco introduced the Ritz Cracker in 1934.
Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 8×8-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
Combine soup and sour cream in a large bowl, then stir in shredded chicken.
Season generously with salt and pepper, and stir in Italian seasoning, paprika and red pepper flakes.
Pour mixture into greased baking dish, then top with crushed ritz crackers.
Evenly pour melted butter over the crushed crackers, then place baking dish in oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until dish is heated through and crackers are golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken – The whole concept of stuffing chicken breasts with your favorite fillings and having a complete dinner is just too good to pass up. All the flavors cook inside the chicken breasts and make the chicken super juicy and flavor-packed!
The classification of today’s chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) recognizes its primary origin, the Red Junglefowl. Domestication probably occurred 7,000-10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and Oceana.
The whole concept of stuffing chicken breasts with your favorite fillings and having a complete dinner is just too good to pass up. All the flavors cook inside the chicken breasts and make the chicken super juicy and flavor-packed!
Chop the broccoli florets into small pieces. Put all the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl and about 2 tablespoons water. add water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Use a sharp knife to slice each chicken breasts horizontally to form a pocket. Be sure not stop cutting about 1/2 inch from the ends and sides. Season chicken breasts with a generous sprinkle of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the steam and chopped broccoli, bell pepper, garlic, cheeses and salt & Pepper; set aside. Spoon the mixture into each chicken breast evenly. Secure with toothpicks if needed.
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a large cast iron or oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden. Cover with aluminum foil and transfer to preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
As you probably would have guessed, like most chain-restaurant, Americanized versions of Chinese dishes, PF Chang’s wraps aren’t totally authentic or traditional. However, they’re not as far off as you might think, and a lettuce wrap actually are believed to be Chinese in origin.
While wraps originated in China, they’ve since migrated throughout Southeast Asia, and they’re especially popular in Laos and Thailand. Which brings us to Larb, an uber-popular meat salad from Laos and Thailand, and my personal favorite variety of wrap filler.
PF Chang Lettuce Wrap (NOLOW)
The chicken lettuce wraps! The perfectly seasoned chicken – those crunchy water chestnuts are a game changer!
Heat oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned on all sides. 5-7 minutes.
Drain fat, then add onions and cook until translucent. 4-5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add garlic and ginger and cook for another 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, giving flavors a chance to blend.
Mix in diced water chestnuts and green onions, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Serve with butter lettuce, scooping chicken mixture into lettuce “bowls.” Enjoy!
Deep-fried chicken wings have long been a staple of Southern cooking. But the concept of cooking wings in peppery hot sauce was born in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, when co-owner Teressa Bellissimo cooked leftover wings in hot sauce as a late-night snack for her son and his friends.
In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt, garlic powder, chili powder and black pepper.
Wash, dry, and dip the wings into the flour mixture until coated.
Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with a generous spray of cooking spray.
Place the wings in a single layer on the cookie sheet, and place in the oven.
Cook for 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of the wings, turning once.
While they are baking, make the sauce by slowly simmering the sauce ingredients over the lowest heat.
When the wings are done baking, carefully dip them in the sauce, and place them back in the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling.
