Hawaiian Haystacks

From what I can gather, this is a Mormon staple, but I'd never had it until I moved to Texas. A few years ago we were in Missouri visiting Mike's brother and his family, and my sister-in-law made her version of it. The sauce for the chicken was UH-mazing. I've made it a few times since and we love it, so I wanted to pass it along.

Chicken / sauce:

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked, cut in small pieces
2 1/2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 c sugar
4 T ketchup
2 c pineapple juice (1 can), pineapple chunks (optional)
1/2 c vinegar
1/3 c cornstarch
1/3 c cold water

Mix together and cook juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and ketchup until sugar is dissolved.
Mix 1/3 c cornstarch with 1/3 c cold water. Add to sauce and stir until clear.
About 10 minutes before serving, add chicken and pineapple chunks (optional)
Serve over white rice

What to add on haystacks:

Shredded cheese (we use cheddar or sharp cheddar), pineapple chunks, slivered almonds, green onions, tomatoes, avocados... There are a bunch of other things too - what else do y'all use?

Also:

Try serving it with THIS salad. It's incredible!!!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Brought to you by Our Best Bites, one of my new favorite websites. HERE is a link with step-by-step instructions and pretty pictures. ♥

I have been hearing about these taquitos for awhile now, but just made them tonight. I did have to make a couple substitutions, but they still turned out awesome. Next time I'm definitely making the dressing that goes with them.

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepper jack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

*You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can.Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

And from Our Best Bites -

Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or this dressing.Wanna make it a meal? Serve with a side of Black Beans and a simple green salad with Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

I made these for Mike's birthday dinner last night. I couldn't believe how good they tasted. I got it from HERE, on the website that I love so much.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded
2-3 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
1 bag mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 bag cheddar cheese, shredded
Flour tortillas

Sauce:

1/3 c Honey
1/4 c Lime juice
1 tbsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1. Mix together all sauce ingredients and then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.
2. Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. I used two 9x13 pans, but may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas.
3. Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom.
4. Mix together equal parts of cheeses
5. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.
6. Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy!
7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

The recipe says to then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer to the top of oven, and then let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. I didn't do that this time, but next time I will.
I served them with homemade guacamole & 7-layer dip. I also offered tomatoes / onions / salsa for those that wanted it.

These were a hit - TRY THEM!!! ;)

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

I got this from a friend who got it from Kraft's website -

We made this the other night and it is DANG good. Promise.

What You Need!

1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained 2 oz.
(1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It!

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.

COOK and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel.

DRAIN pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.

BAKE 20 min.; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

**Confession (I'm so embarrassed to admit this!) - Because I didn't know what Neufchatel is, and I didn't bother to Google it, we used cheddar cheese instead. But it was still awesome. Next time we'll try the Neufchatel though! ;)

Salsa Chicken

This is Kandis' recipe:

Put your chicken breasts in a crock pot - I usually put about 4-6. Pour over top a jar of salsa (a small or medium size jar will do....not a Costco size he he) and then sprinkle a pack of taco seasoning over the chicken and salsa.

Let cook all day.

Then about 1/2 hour before serving put about a cup to a cup and a half of sour cream in the crock pot with chicken and sauce and it will melt. Before serving stir everything really good so the sour cream mixes.

Serve over white rice.

I promise it is so good... I have given this recipe to so many and EVERYONE loves it!

Enjoy!

Shoyu Chicken

I got this recipe from a lady in my mom's ward who got it from a Samoan guy they knew - family recipe.

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
ground ginger (up to 1 tbsp - to your liking)
1 5 lb bag chicken thighs

Mix soy sauce, pineapple juice, sugar and ground ginger in a big pot. add chicken. When it comes to a boil, turn the burner down to medium heat, let cook for 45-60 minutes. While it is cooking, make your rice.

The hardest part for me in this recipe is taking all the fat off the chicken. long process - but worth it. So yummy!

Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers

Submitted by: Mary M.
From http://eatingwell.com

Makes Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Canola oil cooking spray
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup whole-wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large egg whites
1 pound chicken tenders (see Ingredient Note)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.
2. Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
3. Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. (Discard any remaining egg white and almond mixture.) Place the tenders on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray; turn and spray the other side.
4. Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Tips
Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.”

Pecan Crusted Chicken

Submitted by: Shannon S.

I don't remember what cook book I got it from but it is easy and delicious.

2 chicken breast halfs
4 tablespoons finely crushed and toasted pecans
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
Dijon mustard

Crush the pecans and spread in a single layer over a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for about ten minutes or just until ligthly browned. Remove pecans and mix with the salt. In separate bowl lithgly whisk the egg whites. Take cleaned chicken breast halfs and coat with egg whites then dredge in the pecan and salt mixture. Place on ungreased pan and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with dijon mustard.

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

This is my favorite soup recipe!!! Its autumn now so it's time for soup and rolls right?

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cooked boneless chicken halves shredded
1 (4.5 oz) pckg quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet (I use Uncle Bens)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream or milk

Bring broth, water, and chicken to a boil then stir in rice (do not add season packet yet). Follow the directions on rice bo x for how long to cook. Then in another bowl add salt, pepper, flour. In a saucepan over medium heat melt butter then stir in season packet reduce heat to low and then stir in flour mixture a little at a time to form a roux. Whisk in cream a little at a time as well until incorporated. Cook until thickened (about 5 minutes). Stir in cream mixture to broth and rice and cook until heated through about 10 minutes.

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts, cubed 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 tsp. dried oregano
½ lime, juiced 10 (6") tortillas
1 tsp. white sugar 1 tomato, diced
½ tsp. salt monterey jack cheese
¼ c. shredded lettuce ½ tsp. pepper
salsa 2 green onion stalks, chopped

Sauté chicken in a medium saucepan over medium high heat for about 20 minutes. Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and oregano. Simmer for an extra 10 minutes. Heat an iron skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan, warm and turn over to heat the other side. Serve lime chicken mixture in warm tortillas topped with tomato, lettuce, cheese, and salsa

Bowtie Festival Pasta

This one is inspired from the dish at Johnny Carino's. Bow tie Festival is my husband's favorite thing on the menu. We modified a cheese sauce recipe from one in the Betty Crocker cook book, and added everything we thought was in the dish.

Cook 1 package of chicken tenders (cut into bite size pieces) with 3 - 4 strips of Bacon (also cut into bite size pieces) in a frying pan, and 1/2 red onion (red onion optional.) over medium heat
While cooking chicken, boil 16 oz of Bow tie Pasta. When chicken and bacon is cooked, turn heat to low and add 1clove of garlic, and 1 large diced tomato (2 small)
(I usually double the sauce- we like our Pasta creamy) In a separate sauce pan, melt 2 TBSP Butter over medium/medium low heat
Add 1 clove of garlic, and 2 TBSP Flour to Butter to make a rue.
Add 1 Cup of Half and Half to rue and stir constantly until sauce becomes thick. Cook for 1 more minute. Add 1 Cup of 4 Blend Italian Shredded Cheese to sauce. Stir until melted. Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Drain Pasta.
Combine Pasta, Sauce, and Chicken/Bacon Mix.
Goes Great with Garlic Bread and Caesar Salad.

(Yea- I am finally a contributor not a recipe stealer!)

Curry Chicken

1 c. Cooked, diced chicken
2 c. cooked rice

One 29 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb plus 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tb onion powder
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)

Combine tomato sauce and spices in a med sized non-aluminum saucepan and bring to a low boil. Simmer gently for at least a few minutes so that the flavors blend. (Longer is fine, too). Add chicken. Serve over rice.

Makes 2 1/2 cups, enough for 5 to 6 servings.

Chicken A La King

Ooooh this brings back memories! I would love it when my Mom would fix this for dinner.

1 can mushrooms (discard juice)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon chicken bullion
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cup hot water
2 cups chicken (cooked and cubed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cook mushrooms, green peppers and onion in margarine until tender. On low heat blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low hear stirring until bubbly. Add bullion, milk, water, lemon juice, and chicken. Cook until all is heated through. Serve over rice.

Teriyaki Chicken

They made this on Studio 5 the other day, it sounded good and easy and it was!

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp Mirin(if you cant find it you can substitute white vinegar)

1 clove garlic

6 slices of fresh ginger

6 chicken breasts(small) or 3 large butterflied (cut in half but not all the way through)

Stir ingredients until sugar is dissolved pour into large Ziploc bag and add chicken. I reserved 1/4 cup to pour over rice . Marinade of 3hrs or up to 24 hrs. Grill chicken till cooked. Discard marinade. Serve over rice and any steamed veggies you like, I just did broccoli.

Enjoy!

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

I got this from my sister-in-law, Jenny. She is an amazing chef! We love to grill and this is one of our favorites! My mother-in-law is allergic to chicken (I know, how tragic!!!) so we substitute steak for her.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves

Directions:

• Place large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.
• 
  Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing.
• 
  Turn chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on grill. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill an additional 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF).

Hawaiian Chicken

Recipe from Missy Tingey (my cousin)

1 cup pineapple juice drained from can
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons corn starch

Heat the ingredients to boiling. Pour over frozen chicken breasts in 9x13 pan. Bake for 1 hour @ 350 degrees. Serve with rice.

Ritz Chicken

Another favorite of our family!!!

6-8 Chicken Breast
2 C. Swiss Cheese
2 Cans Cream of Chicken ( I add another can so we can have more gravy for rice!)
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1/2 C. Water (I usually add about 1 can of water.)
2 C. Ritz Cracker Crumbs
1/2 C. Melted Butter

Put Chicken in bottom of dish (I use a 9x13 glass pan). Top each with Swiss cheese. Mix soup, sour cream, water, and then poor over chicken. Mix crackers and butter in separate bowl, then spread over the top of chicken. Cook on 275* for 3 hours.

Makes a really good gravy. We like to put it over rice, but is also good over a baked potato! Enjoy!!

Chicken and Dumplings

• 4 lbs. chicken breasts
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Rinse chicken breast and place in a large stockpot. Cover with water. Add carrots, celery, onion, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. When chicken is cooked, approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, remove from pot and shred. Return to broth.

Dumplings:

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. parsley, minced
• 4 Tbsp. shortening
• 3/4 to 1 cup milk

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and parsley in a bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles course meal. Add mild and stir briefly with a fork. If necessary, add additional mil to make dough hold together. Drop mixture by spoonfuls on top of boiling chicken mixture. Cover and steam for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. Don't even peek!

This one takes a little longer, but it's really easy. Our toddlers like this one too, so it's a great way to get some protein in!

Chicken Salad Croissants

This recipe is from my cousin Missy. It's our Grandma Burnsides recipe. It goes great with croissants, but sometimes she said she'll just use tortillas. It's also good because it leaves extra for lunch for the next couple days.

4 cups cooked chicken
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/4 cup seedless grapes
3/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This recipe is from Paul's side of the family. It takes kind of a long time, but is so worth it.

1/2 cube of butter
1/4 c. of flour
1 pinch of salt
1 dash of pepper
1 pkg. of swiss cheese
2 pkgs. of ham lunchmeat
1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large tub of sour cream
3 cups milk

Cut the chicken breasts into 3/8" strips. Cut the cheese and ham into thirds. Place a piece of cheese and a piece of ham onto the chicken and roll it and secure with toothpick. Place rolled chicken in 9 x 13 pan.

Make a white sauce using 1/2 cube of melted butter & 1/4 c. flour. In sauce pan and heat until flour and butter melt together into a paste. Add 3 cups of milk and cook until thick. Add sour cream then pour over chicken, covering the chicken completely. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours. Uncover and bake for another 1/2 hour.