Crockpot Chicken Curry

I am often experimenting with different curry recipes to find one close to my husband's favourite restaurant dish. This is one I came up with on my own after looking at several different recipes, and it's a winner for me and my husband. I think it's one of my new favourite meals. It makes the house smell SO good. This is also gluten free.

Chicken Curry

3-4 large chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 small can tomato paste
1 400 ml can coconut milk
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, diced finely

Saute onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes for a few minutes in a tablespoon of oil. Add everything to the crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is done. Serve over jasmine or basmati rice and naan bread.

Turkey & Rice Casserole

This is a great way to use up leftover turkey & dressing.

Turkey & Rice Casserole - serves 8

2 cups cooked and chopped turkey (or chicken)
1 cup diced celery
1/2 small onion, diced
1 cup sliced almonds
4 cups cooked brown rice (approx 1 1/2 cups uncooked)
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water

Combine all ingredients. Place in a large casserole dish. (I get 2 medium casseroles with this recipe.)

Topping: Mix 3/4 cup crushed cornflakes with a tsp of melted butter. Sprinkle on top. Alternatively, you can spread leftover turkey dressing on top. Both ways are good.

Bake at 400 F for 45 minutes.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is so simple and delicious. Mine isn't much to look at, but it tastes good! The recipe come from my husband's aunt. Adjust amounts to suit however many people you need to feed.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken breasts, thinly sliced (I usually slice mine horizontally)
Small box of ritz bits crackers, crushed
Slices of mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
Slices of ham

Mix melted butter and crushed cracker crumbs. In a greased 9 x 13 inch pan, spread half of the crumb mixture on the bottom. Top with half the chicken slices, then all the ham slices, the mozza slices, and then the rest of the chicken. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 F for 1 1/2 hours or until done.

Sweet & Tangy BBQ Chicken Coleslaw Wrap

I am not much of a sandwich person, but the sweetness of the barbecue sauce combined with the crunch and tanginess of the coleslaw makes this one of my favourite ways to use up leftover cooked chicken or turkey. This wrap is a huge hit with our family and is so simple to throw together. It makes a great lunch!

Barbecue Chicken & Coleslaw Wrap

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken or turkey
1/3 cup barbecue sauce (I like Diana sauce the best)

Mix together and set aside.

Coleslaw Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dijon mustard
pinch of garlic powder or 1 minced clove
salt and pepper to taste

Small bag of prepackaged coleslaw (or make your own)

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over coleslaw. Toss to coat.Spoon chicken into pita or wrap. Top with coleslaw.

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*Linking up to Raising Homemakers homemaking link-up*

Chicken Parmesan (Easy and Freezable)

I don't know where I came across this recipe, but it is simple and tastes fantastic. It is also freezable.

Chicken Parmigiana

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3-4 large)
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cups bread crumbs (seasoned, if desired)
1/2 cup oil
32 oz tomato sauce (or just use a jar of your favourite pasta sauce)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
8 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded

Pound chicken breasts until about 1/2 inch thick. Combine lightly beaten eggs, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken into egg mixture and then bread crumbs. Heat oil in skillet until hot, and then quickly brown chicken on both sides until no longer pink, and then remove to a shallow baking dish. Stir tomato sauce and garlic powder into skillet, heat to boiling. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened (You can probably skip this step if using pasta sauce out of a jar). Stir in butter. Pour over chicken, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, cover with mozzarella cheese, and cover with foil. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer. To freeze, do everything except bake. (So, cover with foil, and then freeze). Serve over spaghetti or other pasta.

*My Edit Nov. 15, 2011 --> Try baking at 350 for 30 minutes instead of pan frying, to save calories. Then, cover with sauce and cheese and freeze.

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*linking up to Raising Homemakers

Easy Curry Chicken

Here's a very easy curry chicken recipe that only take minutes to prepare! I once tried a fancier version of curry chicken, but my husband actually prefers this recipe, which is much simpler and very quick to put together.

Easy Curry Chicken

4 chicken breasts (I use boneless, skinless)
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup honey (liquid works best, but I've used creamed)
4 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp curry powder

Place chicken in a single layer in a casserole dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour or until the chicken is done. Serve over rice.

*Note: Just check this every so often to make sure the sauce doesn't burn. The last time I made this, I accidentally let the sauce burn on the sides a bit. Oops!

Chicken Enchiladas

We tried a new recipe for chicken enchiladas a few weeks ago, and they were a huge hit. My husband said I should definitely make them again sometime. As an added bonus, they freeze very well, too! I made a few changes to the original recipe, which I found here. Here's my version:

Chicken Enchiladas
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or use leftover cooked chicken)
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of salsa (or more if you want)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp chopped green pepper (or red pepper)
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
4-6 tortillas
1/4 to 1/2 small jar enchilada sauce (or taco sauce)


Cook chicken in skillet until no longer pink. Shred it with 2 forks and return it to skillet. Add onion, sour cream, 1/2 cup cheese, salsa, spices, green pepper, and garlic. Cook together until cheese melts and mixture is bubbly. Put a few tablespoons in each tortilla, roll up tortillas, and arrange in a 9 x 13 inch dish. Spoon enchilada sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes in preheated 350 F oven. Serves 4-5

Tip: Make a double batch and freeze half! These freeze really well.

Freezing directions: Prepare enchiladas as directed, but do not spread enchilada sauce or remaining cheese on top. Cover and freeze. To make, take frozen or thawed enchiladas, cover with enchilada sauce, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, and bake in 350 F oven for 30 minutes, or until hot.

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken with Veggies

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken with Veggies

1 small onion
4 carrots
1 celery stalk
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1/2 green pepper
3-4 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Cut onions, carrots, celery, and peppers into chunks. Put in casserole dish. Brown cubed chicken in frying pan with oil. Add chicken to veggies in casserole dish. Whisk together remaining ingredients, and pour over chicken and veggies. Cover and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes. Serve over rice.

Chicken Fingers & Dipping Sauce

This is a much healthier version of chicken fingers you get in a restaurant. Quick and simple to make. The coating has a nice zip to it and the dipping sauce is really good! We usually have them with salad.

Baked Chicken Fingers & Plum Sauce (or Buffalo Sauce)

Chicken Fingers
2/3 cup bread crumbs
3 Tbsp cornmeal
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried vasil
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 large chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 450 F. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut chicken breasts into strips and place in separate bowl. Beat egg with a fork and pour over chicken. Toss to coat chicken with egg. Roll each chicken strip in crumb mixture and coat well. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Dipping Sauce:
3/4 plum sauce (use store-bought plum sauce, apricot jam, yellow plum jam, or peach jam)
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp mustard
Combine jam, vinegar, and mustard in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Serves 4.

**UPDATE** Just tried this EASY Buffalo Chicken sauce for the chicken fingers and my husband absolutely loved it.
Here it is:

1/2 Cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
5 Tbsp butter

Add butter and hot sauce to saucepan. Stir until butter melts but do not allow to boil. After the chicken fingers have been cooked, toss them in the hot sauce and serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing. So spicy and good!

Chicken Macaroni Bake

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I got busy in the kitchen cooking up doubles of nearly everything (casseroles, pizza crust, taco meat, spaghetti sauce, meatballs, chili, muffins, pies etc.). I kept busy cooking and baking to help the days go by during the long last 2 months of my pregnancy (And, let me tell ya, those were long days!). Anytime I cooked something for supper, I would double it and freeze half. I stockpiled our freezer so that right after our daughter was born, I wouldn't have to cook hardly anything if I didn't want to. My stockpile lasted us for almost 6 weeks after she was born! My general philosophy is that if you are going to go to all the work to make something in the first place, you might as well at least double the recipe and freeze half of it. During my crazy pregnant cooking frenzies, I found some really tasty casserole recipes that freeze very well.

As I was going through my fridge yesterday, I found some broccoli and mushrooms that needed to be used up, so in the evening I decided to use them and cook up one of my favourite freezer-friendly casseroles, Chicken Macaroni Bake.

Here's a picture I took of the casseroles before I wrapped them and put them into the freezer.


Here is the recipe:

Chicken Macaroni Bake (This recipe yields 1 casserole that will feed 4-6 people. I double it)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (do not dilute)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 cups dry macaroni (or any pasta variety)
• 1/4 cup buttered bread crumbs
• 1 cup broccoli florets, fresh or frozen

Directions: Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain pasta and set aside. In a large skillet, brown onion and mushrooms in butter. Stir in soup, chicken, milk, 3/4 cups cheese, and broccoli. Heat until cheese melts. Blend sauce with cooked noodles. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Mix remaining 1/4 cup cheese with bread crumbs and sprinkle on top. (At this point, BEFORE BAKING, you can wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and then freeze it). Or, if fresh, you can bake it at 350 F for 30 minutes or until hot. If cooking frozen casserole, remove foil or plastic wrap, and bake at 350 F for about 1 hour or until hot.