Let Them Eat Salad!

I love salad.

I would eat salad everyday...but...I live with 4 guys who much prefer a diet of meat and potatoes.

Sad, really.

So - we compromise!

I make a delicious garden salad...and top it with spicy chicken tenders!

Everybody's happy, (especially me)!!

Thai Spiced Chicken Patties

Last week we made Thai Spiced Chicken Pitas for dinner. The chicken patties used in that recipe can easily be made ahead and frozen to be used as needed. With grilling season quickly approaching, this is a recipe I will be referring to so that I can stock our family's freezer.

Assemble ingredients for chicken patties:

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lb ground chicken

1 TBS fresh ground ginger root

1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp Thai seasoning (I used Spice Islands Thai Seasoning blend)

1/2 tsp salt

* Combine in a medium bowl, shape into patties and place between sheets of wax paper before freezing. Place patties in wax paper in a freezer safe container, or freezer bag. (I like the freezer bags.)

* Pull out frozen chicken patties to use as desired, and grill on low heat until fully cooked. (Internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F)

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

3 TBS vegetable oil

3 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped onion

1 TBS minced garlic

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 quarts chicken broth

1 cup buffalo wing sauce

1 (16 oz) container sour cream

5 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup uncooked rice, prepared as directed

For garnish: blue cheese crumbles, bacon crumbles, chopped celery & additional buffalo wing sauce

* Saute onion, celery, and garlic in vegetable oil over medium heat in deep skillet or pot on the stove top.

* Add AP flour, stirring constantly for approximately 2 minutes.

* Slowly add chicken broth, whisking into flour and vegetable mixture until smooth.

* Next add buffalo wing sauce and sour cream. Continue to whisk ingredients.

* Pour over chicken thighs in crock-pot.

* Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 4-5 hours.

* Add prepared rice, just before serving.

* Garnish with blue cheese crumbles, bacon crumbles, chopped celery & buffalo wing sauce.

**Would be excellent served in bread bowls**

Rock Star Chicken Mac-N-Cheese

Why is it Rock Star Chicken Mac-N-Cheese? Because it's AWESOME!!

Me personally, I'm not really a fan of Mac-N-Cheese. Because I love my children, I include it in our menu. My youngest is faithful to order Mac-N-Cheese whenever we eat at a restaurant. I cringe at the idea of paying upwards of $5 for a small bowl of his favorite food, but it makes him happy and I know that it is something he will eat. In my mind the bigger problem would be me paying for chicken tenders or a burger and fries that he doesn't eat.

If my favorite restaurant served this....I would have no problem paying for it! I enjoyed this dish completely!!


Ingredients:

1 lb box of elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 (13 oz) can chicken breast, drained
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 large white onion, diced
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 cup prepared ranch salad dressing
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 can cheddar cheese soup
*paprika*

1 - Cook elbow macaroni in boiling water for approximately 8 minutes. Drain, return to pan.
2 - In a deep skillet - saute celery, onion, chicken, and butter until vegetables are beginning to become translucent.
3 - Add cheddar cheese soup, ranch dressing, hot sauce to chicken and vegetable mix. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes until contents are completely combined and thoroughly heated.
4 - Add cheesy chicken mixture to drained macaroni and stir well.
5 - Serve topped with paprika if desired.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Pizza:

1 seamless crescent roll

3/4 lb cooked chicken breast fajita meat

ranch dressing *

hot sauce *

bacon, cooked & crumbled

1/2 med red onion, diced

mozzarella cheese shredded (I use the 8 oz. bag)

Preheat oven to 375.

Unroll and press crescent roll onto cookie sheet or stone. Mix ranch dressing and hot sauce by 3 parts ranch to 1 part hot sauce (or as desired by taste). Use dressing mix as pizza sauce, reserve small amount to drizzle over top of pizza before cooking. Add precooked chicken, diced red onion, and bacon crumbles to top of sauced crust. Mostly cover with shredded mozzarella cheese. Drizzle remaining ranch-hot sauce mix sparingly over cheese.

Bake until cheese begins to bubble and brown.

After it cools a bit........Enjoy!!