Chicken Nacho Bake

I tried this recipe tonight and it was 3 of my favorite things- YUMMY, HEALTHY, and EASY!

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins (or chicken breasts)
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 to 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 cup crushed baked (or multi grain) tortilla chips
1/2 cup 2% Kraft shredded cheddar cheese

1 can fat free refried beans
1/2 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix together sour cream and salsa. Spread each piece of chicken evenly with sour cream and salsa mixture and sprinkle evenly with tortilla chips. Bake for 20 min. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. In small saucepan heat beans with 1/2 cup salsa till warm. Serve chicken over beans and with a salad for a great meal!

Mexican Chicken

This is an easy and yummy Weight Watchers recipe that is a good dinner served with Spanish rice and a salad.


1 package taco seasoning
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup fat free sour cream


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breasts and taco seasoning in a seal able plastic bag; shake to coat well. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Place chicken in casserole dish. Bake 30 minutes. Top with salsa about 5 minutes before breasts are done. Top with sour cream before serving. One serving is 4 points.

Rosemary Parmesan Chicken

This recipe was in the Real Simple magazine this month (my favorite magazine) and we had it for dinner the other night. It was super quick and YUMMY! So yummy that even my chicken hating husband loved it!

12 ounces (3 cups) pasta (any type)
3 1/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Shred the chicken, using a fork or your fingers, while the pasta cooks. Discard the skin and bones. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 1/4 cups of the water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the reserved pasta water, chicken, rosemary, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pot. Stir over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Mushroom Chicken with Peppercorn Sauce

4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 t oil
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 t dried green peppercorns
1 cup low salt chicken broth
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
3 t flour
2 cups cooked small pasta


Rinse chicken and pat dry. Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Cook 10 minutes turning to brown. Remove and add oil, onions, mushrooms, and peppercorns. Cook 4-5 minutes. Stir in broth and add chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove chicken. Add milk and flour and stir well. Cook till bubbly- stirring often. Return chicken and heat till warmed. Serve over pasta.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Mom's Pizza

Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is an easy way to make a fabulous entree!

6 chicken breasts - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
6 slices low fat Swiss cheese
6 slices deli shaved ham
1 can (low fat) cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder


Place one slice of cheese and ham on each chicken breast. Roll up and secure with toothpick, place in bottom of crock pot. Mix soup and milk. Pour over chicken. Stir seasonings into breadcrumbs. Sprinkle chicken with breadcrumbs. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Serve over your favorite pasta or rice.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: White Texas Sheet Cake

Pesto Chicken Breasts

6 boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In food processor combine basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and butter. Process until well combined. Cut a small slit in the side of the chicken breast with a small sharp knife. Put 1/6 of butter mixture into the pocket formed by the slit. Dip the chicken in the egg followed by the breadcrumbs. Place on foil lined pan and cook for about 35-45 minutes.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
2 T (1/2 of 1-1/4-oz. pkg.) Taco Seasoning Mix
2 T flour
1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese (I use 2%)

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place chicken with seasoning and flour in slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients except the shredded cheese; cover with lid.Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir well just before serving. Top with the shredded cheese and serve over rice.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Pesto Chicken Breasts

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

These chicken breasts are a fabulous and quick dinner when paired with a side of pasta and some veggies! If you like Bruschetta, you are going to love this healthy chicken!

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided
4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil


Place large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Pour 2 T 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. (or longer) 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 T 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.



Tomorrow's Daily Special: Graham Cracker Brown Bread

Chicken Parmesan

This is a great Italian meal that is a nice change from traditional lasagna and spaghetti. Because it takes awhile to bake I typically save it for a weekend meal or bake it the night before I want to serve it.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg or egg substitute
2 T butter
2 cups spaghetti sauce (canned or homemade)
shredded mozzarella cheese
spaghetti, cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound chicken to flatten. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and Italian seasoning together. Dip chicken in egg; then in bread crumb mixture. Fry in butter in hot skillet, turning and browning for 10 min or until chicken is done. Remove from skillet. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Pour spaghetti sauce in pan and lay chicken on top of sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and cover loosely with foil. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

TIP OF THE DAY: When trying to pound chicken to flatten, place between two sheets of wax paper and use a meat mallet or rolling pin. It's a great way to get rid of any frustration you may have!

Tomorrow's Daily Special: Grandma's Pound Cake

White Chicken Chili

Although I love to cook and make many things from scratch, I also use some ready made products to help me get good meals on the table fast. This white chicken chili starts with a mix made by McCormick that is spicy and absolutely wonderful! This is a meal that I can have on the table in less than 30 minutes and that my family adores!


1 T canola oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 package McCormick White Chicken Chili Seasoning Mix
1 cup water
1 can northern beans
1 can canelli beans


Heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken- cook and stir for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in seasoning mix, water, and beans. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.


TIP OF THE DAY: To make this super simple meal even more simple- use pre-cooked diced chicken that can be found near the deli meat at the grocery store.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Apple Pie Bread

Mama's Marvelous Chicken Salad

I shared last week that I am a cornbread snob. Well, I must share another confession- I am also a chicken salad SNOB. The only chicken salad I like is my mother's recipe. It's a very simple recipe- which is what I think is the beauty of the recipe. I know some people use canned chicken or boneless chicken in their chicken salad, but to me- REAL chicken salad requires the time and effort of boiling and then de-boning your own chicken. It's so worth every minute of the work!


1 package skinless chicken breast with bones (usually 3-4 breasts)
1 1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 small lemon
1 small lime
1 cup light Miracle Whip (I never measure this so I'm guessing here)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste


Place chicken breasts in large pot of water seasoned with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil until chicken is completely cooked. Drain and cool. De-bone chicken and dice into small bite sized pieces. Place almonds in a layer on cookie sheet and turn oven on to broil. Place cookie sheet in oven to toast the almonds. Be sure to watch them very carefully. Immediately take almonds out of oven as soon as they begin to turn brown. DO NOT wait or you will burn your almonds (trust me says the girl who has done it before :). Set almonds aside to cool. In large mixing bowl place diced chicken. Sprinkle with the juice of lemon and lime. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Miracle Whip- adding more than the cup called for if necessary. Carefully stir in toasted almonds. Cover and refrigerate. (You can skip that step but I think it's best after it's been chilled a bit). This chicken salad is best served on fresh croissants or fresh white bread. It's one of the only times I ever eat white bread but it just isn't the same on wheat.


TIP OF THE DAY: If you are going to the time and trouble of cooking and de-boning chicken- do double what you need and either use it for either some homemade chicken soup or freeze it for another day.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Maple Butter Blondies

Swiss Chicken

This is an easy chicken recipe that even my chicken hating husband likes. The low prep time makes it a perfect weeknight meal.






1 package chicken tenderloins
2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% fat free version)
1 cup Swiss cheese
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
1 package wide egg noodles

Boil noodles and set aside. Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken tenderloins with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cook for 4 minutes on each side till done. Remove chicken from pan. To pan add soup and Swiss cheese. Cook over medium heat till bubbly. If sauce is too thick- add a bit of water to dilute. Turn heat down to low and add chicken. Simmer for 15 minutes- stirring often. Serve over wide egg noodles.

TIP OF THE DAY: When pressed for time, use wide egg noodles because the cooking time is much shorter than that of regular pasta. I buy the NO YOLK brand and just love them.

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Tomorrow's Daily Special: Coke Cake

Spicy Potato Chip Chicken

This is a variation of a Weight Watcher recipe I got a few years ago and it is one of my family's favorites. It's speedy, spicy, and as a bonus- healthy!


1 package chicken tenderloins
2 cups Baked Potato Chips (I use Lay's)
Tony's Chachere's Famous Creole Seasoning (or any other seasoning you prefer)
Cooking spray


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Place potato chips and seasonings (as much or as little as your family prefers- be careful if using Tony's- I used too much one day and our chicken was so spicy that Tony almost couldn't eat it) in large Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and crush up chips using your hands or the back of a wooden spoon. Lay chicken tenders out on a piece of wax paper and spray with cooking spray. Turn over and spray other side. Place chicken pieces in the bag a few at a time and shake to coat. Lay on foil lined cookie sheet. I usually sprinkle any remaining potato chip mixture on top of chicken tenders before baking. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping once during baking, until chicken fingers are golden brown. One serving would be 4 WW points.


TIP OF THE DAY: To skip the seasoning step in this recipe and make it even easier, just use flavored baked potato chips like BBQ or sour cream and onion. Your kids will love it!


Tomorrow's Daily Special: SUPER EASY Dump Cake