Cheesy Chicken Bacon Ranch Potato Foil Packs

 

Very simple and easy clean up! 

Cheesy Chicken Bacon Ranch Potato Foil Packs

 

2 chicken breasts, cubed

4 medium potatoes, cut in large cubes

1 medium onion, quartered

2 teaspoons oil

2 tablespoons ranch dip mix (from 1-oz package)

4 slices cooked bacon, coarsely chopped

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut 2 (18x12-inch) sheets of heavy-duty foil. Spray with cooking spray.

Add cut potatoes and onion to a medium bowl. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with ranch dip mix. Add chicken; stir until evenly coated. Place an equal amount of mixture on the center of each sheet of foil. Evenly sprinkle with bacon.

Bring up 2 sides of foil so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again, allowing space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal.

Place the packs on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F 30 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and chicken is done. Remove packs from the oven and cut large X across top of each pack. Carefully fold back foil, (contents will be hot and will release steam) and sprinkle potatoes with cheese. Return to the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and starting to brown a little.

Chicken Crack Pasta

Many food bloggers are sharing recipes of Crack Chicken Dips, Sliders and Buffalo style dips. I decided to make it more of a meal. I served it with pasta. In this case, spaghetti! You can make this in an instant pot in 8 minutes or a slow cooker on high for 4 hours. 

2 chicken breasts pounded thin
1 cup chicken broth
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 package dry ranch seasoning, or 3T mix
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

3-6 drops of hot sauce (I used 4 drops of Texas Pete)*
2-4 servings of spaghetti noodles

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt pepper and garlic.
Add chicken breasts to an instant Pot.** In a glass bowl, microwave cream cheese for 1 minute to soften, then stir in ranch seasoning and chicken broth. Pour over chicken in the Instant Pot.

Place the lid on the instant pot, and press the pressure cook button. Select the high setting, then set to cook for 8 minutes. 

While the chicken is cooking, boil spaghetti noodles or your favorite pasta until done. 

When the chicken has finished cooking and pressure is released, open lid when safe to do so. Shred chicken inside pot with two forks.

Add pasta, hot sauce and cheese to chicken, and stir.

Garnish with scallions and crumbled bacon if desired.

* Taste the sauce after adding a little hot sauce, and adjust by adding more until you get the desired kick. 

** If you don't have an instant pot, you can use a crock pot/slow cooker. Cook on high for about 4 hours. 

Chicken Scampi

My guys love scampi. I didn't have shrimp, but I did have chicken breasts in the freezer. It turned out delicious! 

1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
2-4 Chicken Breasts, cubed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Chicken Broth (add a little corn starch if you want a thicker sauce)

Bring a large pot of salted water (with a drizzle of olive oil added) to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair pasta, and cook until done; drain. 

Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and fry in a little oil. Remove and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Once the onion is translucent, add the chicken and Parmesan. Cook and stir until heated through. Add in cooked pasta and toss. Add enough chicken broth to create a sauce as thick or thin as you want. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Chicken Lo Mein... More Chinese Takeout at home!

I didn't have the Lo Mein noodles, so I just used what I had in the pantry. Angel Hair Pasta worked just fine! 


Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

8 oz Angel Hair Pasta or Spaghetti

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 head of broccoli cut into flowerets
1 carrot, matchstick cuts
1 onion halved and sliced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic minced

Cook the noodles one minute shy of the directions.
Drain and toss with a little oil in a bowl to coat. 

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat.Cook the chicken about 5-10 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove from the pan and add in the vegetables and garlic and cook them for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until just softened.

In a bowl add water, cornstarch, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Mix to dissolve the cornstarch and pour into the skillet. Bring to a low boil to thicken the sauce.

Add in chicken and noodles. Stir until heated through. Serve! 

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Red Sauce or Mama's Chicken Hawaiian Style

I got this recipe from my Mama's recipe file and modified it a little. When I made it, I realized it tastes just like the Chinese Restaurant's Red Sauce! I had been trying to duplicate that sauce for years because that's the main reason the hubby eats Chinese Food! LOL Stumbling on to this recipe was a real find! Mama called this Hawaiian Sauce!

 My version of Chinese Take-out!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is Mama's recipe...

Chicken Hawaiian Style

1 ½ lbs Chicken Breasts, cut into strips or cubes
1 cup Pineapple Chunks

1 cup Pineapple Juice

½ cup Vinegar

6 oz Tomato Paste

¾ cup Sugar

1 cup Water

1 t Salt

1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 Red Bell Pepper

1 medium onion

2 T Cornstarch

Brown chicken strips in butter.* Drain pineapple, reserve syrup. Combine syrup with enough water to make 1 cup. Mix with tomato paste and water, vinegar and sugar in saucepan. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup water and add to pot. Heat until thickened and clear. Add pineapple chunks and bell pepper. Pour over chicken and simmer.

Mama's Note: “I used to make this for company a lot…It’s a change from the same old chicken…”

My modification...

*I used her tempura batter recipe and fried the chicken strips or cubes. I then prepared the sauce minus the green pepper. I didn't have any and my family doesn't like them anyway. I used the sauce as a dip instead of simmering the chicken in it like Mama's recipe.

Chicken Parmesan

This recipe is as old as the hills. Some people will scoff at using mayonnaise, but it really helps to keep the chicken moist and tender. This is also a recipe that I think you have to be willing to get a little messy in the kitchen. I've never been able to do the "wet hand, dry hand" method of breading chicken, and believe me, when you've worked in a kitchen frying chicken by the 5 gallon bucket loads... you'll try every method available... So get in there and get your hands dirty! I like to prepare the chicken for the Chicken Parmesan this way, so it stays nice and juicy. 

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan or large casserole dish with oil. In a flat dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese and seasonings. Place mayo on a plate. Coat the breasts with mayonnaise (I actually used my fingers), and then roll in the bread crumb mixture. Bake chicken for 25 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

To assemble and prepare the Parmesan you'll need:

Spaghetti Noodles

32 oz Spaghetti Sauce, make your own or use your favorite store brand
½ t Basil, dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Cook spaghetti noodles in boiling salted water until done and put in a greased casserole dish. Combined sauce and spices and pour over noodles. Remove chicken from oven and place on top of the noodles and sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of chicken then top with the Parmesan Cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Serve with a Caesar or Garden Salad and Garlic Bread.

Chicken Bacon Roll-ups

I wanted to come up with something a little different, so I took the smothered chicken recipe and kind of used a roll-up concept on it. It was quiet at the table. That's usually a very good sign! LOL

4 chicken breasts
1 package bacon
1 cup cheese (I used colby jack)
1 bottle of Zesty Italian dressing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out each chicken breast evenly. Arrange 2 slices of bacon on each chicken breast, then top with cheese. Starting at the narrowest end of each breast, fold the chicken edge over and roll up each breast into a bundle. Pour a little dressing in a casserole dish and spread out. Place each chicken bundle in the dish. Arrange 2 more slices of bacon on each chicken bundle. Cover with a good coating of Italian dressing, and top with garlic powder and pepper.

Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is done. If the bacon starts to get too brown, lay a sheet of foil over the dish. Do not seal it or the bacon will get soggy... Unless you like soggy bacon, that is.