Chicken Spaghetti for a Crowd

Every year over Labor Day weekend, my extended family has a big get-together at the beach.  Each family is in charge of a dinner on a particular night.  This year I decided to make chicken spaghetti.  It's easy, makes a ton and it freezes well, which allowed me to make it ahead of time.  Also, it's very economical to make for a large group.  I was able to feed about 25 people for under $15.

Chicken Spaghetti for a Crowd

Adapted from this recipe on TasteofHome.com

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
• 2 cans (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 2 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 lb. Velvetta, cubed
• 1 package (12 oz.) spaghetti, cooked and drained
• 1 can (2 1/4 oz.) sliced olives, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and celery in 2 tbsp. of butter or olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the sauteed veggies, cooked chicken, mushroom soup, chicken broth, parsley, salt, pepper and Velvetta over medium low heat.  Stir until cheese has melted.  Add the spaghetti, and olives is desired.  
3. Pour into a greased 11 x 13 baking dish.  Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 10 minutes.

Notes & Suggestions:

I used my Boiled Chicken recipe to make the chicken for this.  I was also able to reserve 2 1/2 cups of the chicken broth from the boiled chicken to use in this recipe.  I used the rest of the chicken broth to cook the spaghetti in, which gave it a lot of flavor.

I used 1/2 the amount of Velvetta the recipe called for because I had some people in the crowd that weren't big cheese lovers.  You can use any other kind of cheese if you don't like Velvetta.  It just may not be as creamy.

For a little kick, you can add in 1 can of Rotel.

This can be frozen for up to 3 months.  Make as directed but don't bake.  Freeze, then thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.  Bake as directed.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is a wonderful Southern inspired dish that is sure to spice up the dinner table.


Cajun Chicken Pasta

Adapted from this recipe on ThePioneerWoman.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time:  15 minutes
Serves:  6


Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 3 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1 lb. fettuccine or linguini
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• cayenne pepper, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.
2. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning over the chicken pieces and toss to coat.  Heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet over high heat.  Add half the chicken pieces in a single layer (do not stir).  Cook for about 1 minute or until brown.  Flip and brown on the other side for an additional minute.  Remove and place on a clean plate.  Repeat with remaining chicken.  
3. With pan still on high heat, add remaining tbsp. of butter and olive oil.  Once heated, add peppers, onions, mushrooms and garlic.  Sprinkle with remaining Cajun seasoning.  Cook over very high heat, stirring gently for 1 minute.  Try to get the vegetables as brown as possible.  Add tomatoes and cook for 30 seconds.  Remove from the pan.
4. Pour the wine and chicken broth into the pan and cook on high heat for 3-5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add in the cream, whisking constantly.  Cook for a few minutes, until mixture starts to thicken.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne.   
5. Add chicken and vegetables to the sauce, including all the juices from the plate.  Stir and cook 1-2 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add fettuccine or linguini and toss to combine.

Notes & Suggestions:

If you don't want to mess with cooking the chicken, you could use 3-4 cups of chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.  Just season it with the Cajun seasoning and add it in at the end.

Personally, I thought a pound of pasta was too much, so next time I will just make 3/4 of a pound.

I had a problem getting my sauce to thicken up so I had to add some flour to it.  I also added more Cajun seasoning to spice it up some more.  I like my food spicy!  :)

Boiled Chicken

This is a great basic recipe for boiled chicken.  It's so easy because there's not much prep involved.  My grocery store has whole chickens on sale for $.77/lb. about once a month, so I stock up my freezer.  I use boiled chicken for all kinds of casseroles and dishes, and as a bonus, I get several cups of chicken stock that I freeze for later use.


Boiled Chicken

Adapted from this recipe on Allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:  1 hour 30 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
• 1 large onion, halved
• 3 carrots, cut into chunks 
• 2 stalks of celery, cut into chunks
• 2 whole cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. whole peppercorns

Directions:

1. Remove any giblets from inside the chicken.  Rinse the whole chicken well.
2. Place chicken in a large pot along with the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and peppercorns.  Add water to cover.  
3. Cover pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is falling off the bone.  
4. Remove chicken, cool and remove meat from the bone. 
5. If desired, strain broth, cool and freeze for later use.

Notes & Suggestions:

Usually the chickens I buy are 4-5 lbs. so I just add 1 extra carrot, celery stalk and clove of garlic, along with an extra 1/2 tbsp. salt.   

This recipe also works well if you just want to boil chicken breasts or thighs and not a whole chicken.  

A hint - to ensure your chicken stays juicy and doesn't dry out, cool it in the broth before picking the meat off the bones.  

I usually measure out the chicken broth in 1 cup portions and then freeze either in small containers or Ziplocs. Then whenever a recipe calls for chicken broth, I defrost whatever I need.  It has so much more flavor than the box stuff.  

Unbelievable Chicken

This chicken definitely lives up to it's name.  So juicy and tender!


Unbelievable Chicken

Adapted from this recipe on Allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12-16 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. coarse ground mustard
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lime, juiced (about 2 tbsp. juice)
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 tbsp. juice)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 6 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustards, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Whisk in the olive oil.  
2. Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken.  Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
3. Grill over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes per side.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Discard marinade.  

Notes & Suggestions:

The longer you marinate the chicken the better.  I usually try to marinate it overnight, but sometimes I only have time to marinate for a few hours.  It still turns out great!

I use whole grain mustard instead of the coarse ground mustard since it's what I usually have on hand.

Make sure you use fresh lime and lemon juice.  The bottled stuff is very concentrated and may be too overpowering.   

This chicken is also great on top of salads.  We usually use the leftovers to make a big chicken salad for dinner the following night.  

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

This is one of our favorite go-to recipes.  It's great served with garlic bread and a salad.

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

Inspired by this recipe on Kraftfoods.com

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 package (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 package (10 oz.) of fresh sliced mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook pasta as directed on package.  One minute before the pasta is done, add the spinach to the boiling water.  
3. While pasta is cooking, saute the chicken in 1 tbsp. olive oil a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.  Remove and place in a bowl.  
4. Add the onions, red pepper and mushrooms to the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  
5. Add the chicken back in the pan with the vegetables.  Stir in spaghetti sauce and cream cheese.  Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 3 minutes or until the cream cheese has melted.  
6. Drain the pasta mixture and return to pan.  Add the chicken mixture and stir until combined.  
7. Spoon into a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
8. Bake 20 minutes.

Notes & Suggestions:

In order to same some time, you can use leftover Perfect Roasted Chicken or pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken from your grocery store.  Just pick the chicken off the bones and use 2 - 2 1/2 cups of the shredded chicken in place of the chicken breasts.  I do this with a lot of casserole dishes to make it faster and easier.  Make sure you season whatever chicken you use.  Otherwise, it will be bland.  

For a healthier version, you can use whole grain or whole wheat pasta, Neufchatel cheese (low-fat cream cheese), and 2% mozzarella cheese.  

Perfect Roasted Chicken

Up until a couple of years ago, I had never roasted a chicken in my life.  It seemed a bit intimidating, but I followed this recipe and it actually ended up being really easy.  I was so impressed with the results!  It doesn't involve a whole lot of prep and you end up with a whole meal in one pan.  The oven does all the work for you. Now I make this at least once a month.  So simple and delicious!


Perfect Roast Chicken

Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours
Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients:

• 1 (5 to 6 pound) whole chicken
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
• 4 carrots, cut into 1/2" chunks
• 8 red potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp. flour

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 425 degrees.
2. Remove the giblets from the chicken and discard.  Rinse the chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.  
3. Place the vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan or large glass baking dish.  Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. 
4. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken.  Place the lemon halves, bunch of thyme and all the garlic inside the chicken.  
5. Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.  
6. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hour.  Spoon 2 tbsp. of the pan drippings into a small cup.  Cover the chicken with foil while you prepare the gravy.
7. Add the chicken stock to a pan and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes.  Combine the flour with the 2 tbsp. of pan drippings.  Whisk the mixture into the chicken broth.  Boil for a few minutes until thickened.  
8. Slice the chicken and serve with gravy and vegetables.

Notes & Suggestions:

When I first started making this recipe, all I had was my mom's old turkey roasting pan.  So I used it a couple of times and noticed that my veggies kept burning.  So I started using a large glass baking dish instead, and I waited to add the veggies to the pan after the chicken had roasted for 1/2 hour.  That seemed to solve my burning problem.  

Make sure you season the chicken and the veggies well.  Along with salt and pepper, I also use Emeril's Chicken Rub (you can find it in the spice aisle of your store).  

A variation of this recipe I make every now and then involves adding bacon on top of the chicken while it roasts.  After you coat the chicken with melted butter and season it, cover it with slices of bacon.  I usually use 5-6 slices.  After the chicken roasts for 45 minutes, remove the bacon (otherwise it will burn) and continue roasting for another 45 minutes.  Great flavor and very juicy!

You can also roast the chicken (without the veggies), take the meat off the bone, freeze it and use it in casseroles (such as Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake).  

Grilled Chicken Taco Pizzas

Tonight we made some grilled chicken taco pizzas.  Since it's summer, we like using our grill a lot, and we were looking for something different and fun to make.  We have tried these pizzas once before, but since it was so long ago, we didn't remember how they turned out.  So we decided to give them a try again.  They were delicious!!!


Grilled Chicken Taco Pizzas
Adapted from this recipe on FoodNetwork.com

Prep Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 3

Ingredients:

  For the taco seasoning:

• 2 tbsp. onion powder
• 2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 tbsp. ground black pepper

 For the pizzas:

• 1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (16 oz.) tube pizza dough
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 avocado
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. diced red onion
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Mix all the taco seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Mix 2 tbsp. of the taco seasoning and the canola oil in a shallow bowl or small baking dish.  
3. Pound chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap until they are both the same thickness, roughly 1/2".  
4. Add the chicken to the bowl, turning to coat.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Preheat gril to medium high heat.  Grill the chicken for about 5 minutes per side.  Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.
6. Divide the pizza dough into 3 pieces.  Roll out each piece onto a floured surface until you have an 8" circle.  Brush each side with canola oil and sprinkle with taco seasoning.  Grill 3-5 minutes or until crisp.  Remove from the grill.
7. Mix the cheese in a bowl then sprinkle on the crusts.  Top with chicken.  Return to the grill, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  
8. Mix the avocado, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and red onion.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  
9. Top the pizza with the avocado mixture, salsa, sour cream and cilantro.

Notes & Suggestions:

I made the pizza crust from scratch instead of using the store bought kind (only because I wanted to try making it from scratch).  Boy was it worth the little bit of extra time!  I will include the pizza crust recipe in this post as well.  

On the taco seasoning, I only used 1/2 tsp. of the cayenne pepper.  If you have little ones, you may want to use a little less because the pizza crust was a bit spicy.  The recipe makes about twice as much as you need, but you can always use it for other recipes, or to make tacos.  :o)

I let the chicken marinate for a couple of hours, instead of the 30 minutes.  While my husband was grilling the chicken, I rolled out the 3 pieces of pizza dough into 8" circles (about 1/4" thick) and got them ready for the grill. We weren't real sure how they were going to hold up on the grill, but they ended up grilling up beautifully.  

I think next time we will try pico instead of salsa.  It seems like it will go better because it's in small chunks like everything else.  Also, we thought we could use more avocado mixture because there was only enough for 2 of the 3 pizzas.  

All in all, it was very yummy!  It was a little bit of work and it got a lot of dishes dirty, but it was definitely worth it. This one will go in our favorite recipes binder for sure!

Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Adapted from this recipe on Williams-Sonoma.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water (105 degrees)
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 cup plus 3 tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar and water.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. In a food processor bowl, combine the cake flour, all purpose flour and salt.  Pulse 3-4 times to mix.
3. Whisk 1 tbsp. of the olive oil in the yeast mixture.
4. With the food processor running, slowly add the yeast mixture a little at a time to the flour mixture, allowing each addition to be mixed well before adding more.  After all the yeast has been added, pulse 10-15 times to knead the dough.  The dough should clean the inside of the bowl but still be a little sticky.  
5. Coat the inside of a large bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Dust your hands with flour and remove the dough.  Form dough into a ball and place in the bowl.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, place in a warm place and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.  Divide the dough in half and roll out as directed in the pizza recipe.  Makes two 10" pizzas.

Notes & Suggestions:

I followed the recipe exactly as written.  I was surprised how easy the dough was to make, as well as how easy it was to handle and roll out.  I'm not very good at rolling out any kind of dough, but I didn't have any problems with this one at all.  Very impressed!  

When making the chicken taco pieces, I just separated the whole dough ball into 3 pieces and it worked out to be just the right amount for that recipe.  

If you have the extra time, I would suggest trying this pizza dough.  I don't think you will be disappointed.