Baked Tortilla Chicken-and a Better Chip review! #TBCInsiders

By now, you probably know I tend to prefer natural, real, fresh food. Which is why I was SO excited to sample and develop a recipe using  The Better Chip! The Better Chip is essentially a tortilla chip that uses farm-fresh ingredients for a real, simple, great taste. The Better Chip is also naturally gluten-free, vegan friendly, and verified non-GMO!

AND there are currently 5 varieties of The Better Chip! Classic corn chips, for purists like myself, Chipotles and Jalapeño will give your snack some kick, while the Beet and Spinach & Kale varieties put your veggies in your chips! My faves are probably the corn chips and the beet (surprisingly, because I don't really like beets!) so I used those 2 to create a simple and delicious tortilla crusted baked chicken recipe (but you could use any of the chip flavors!) Match made in heavennnn!

This recipe is crazy customizeable! You want some spicy chicken? Use the jalapeno and/or chipotle chips and maybe throw some chili powder in there too! Interested in getting your veggie on? Use the beet and spinach/kale varieties! And don't even get me started on the ways you can use your finished chicken/what sauces you could serve it with! I know I was horribly negligent by not making a sauce to go with the chicken but...well...I just didn't have the time or ingredients. I'm sorry guys...forgive me? Learn from my mistakes! Get some sauce with yo chicken!

Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings (with Slow Cooker Method)

2019 update: I perfected the recipe with a slow cooker method that has a much thicker texture and is perfection!! It's a new favorite and I've added the instructions under the regular recipe. xoxo

Um...I don't know if maybe I did something wrong here? I'm just gonna 'fess up: I thought this recipe would be thicker but...for me...it was kind of like soup. Now....that's totally cool. It's yummy soup! But I'm not sure if my perception was wrong or if I did something wrong? Regardless, I've slightly minimized the amount of chicken broth in this recipe.

ANYWAY. Now that we got that out of the way. I want to tell you that this is really comforting. And delicious. I've never been to the South (aside from driving through it and a couple family vacations in Virginia and Disney World-but I don't think Disney counts). But...I really feel like I'd enjoy the food. Comfort food. That's the thing. And that's what I AM ALL ABOUT!

And, uh, yeah....for the record...while we're on the subject: Ohio's not the South. Anyone actually from the South knows this but there are weird groups of people who do not. I'm always like "It's a pretty Northern state...sooo..." and then people tell me they love my southern accent and I'm like "I DON'T HAVE ONE?!" (I don't. Seriously. I took a whole class in school about sounding phonetically neutral and I am. I am accentless. There were 2 words when I went into the class that were just slightly Michigan/Chicago-esque. But those got fixed, sooo). Of course there are also the people who think I'm from Idaho. Or...that Ohio is Idaho. Or...I don't know. All I know is I tell people I'm from Ohio and (seriously, this exact phrase has come out of at least 20 different peoples' mouths) they say: "Oh. I love potatoes!" ...."That's Idaho." and then they're confused.

That tangent aside...

This recipe for chicken and dumplings is beautifully simple to make and it tastes so...mmmm. Like...you know? It's that warm, chicken-y, carb-y, comforting kind of flavor. I can't find a word for it. But you know what I'm saying, right? Of course you do. You're my people. You get me. Right?

Yeah. You do. You understand that this is the kind of meal that soothes your soul. Mmmhm.

{Healthier} Chicken and Waffle Sliders

I've always been like...crazy curious about fried chicken and waffles. Like...I like fried chicken...I like waffles...I'm intrigued.

But I feel like maybe I like it more in a making the waffle savory kinda way as opposed to putting syrup on both. But who knows. I haven't tried it yet.

In the meantime...I tried these:

SAVORY waffles with baked, crunchy chicken. And cheese. Of course there's cheese. These sliders were super tasty-the waffles were crisp, yet tender, and had a yummy cheesy-slightly garlic-y flavor, and then the chicken was perfectly cooked, and the cornflake breading gave them just a hint of subtle sweetness. And the cheese was cheese. And cheese is good.

These are good.

Cheesy Chicken and Potato Chowder

I know...I go nearly 3 years with nary a soup recipe and now here I am with 2 recipes 2 weeks in a ROW!

But..guys...it's been SO COLD (I don't even wanna talk about the fact that another winter storm is happening today. I am OVER this winter). I need comforting, warm, food!

Michael loved this soup so much that he declared, "I'm kind of sad-everything you make from now on is just downhill, because this soup is THE PINNACLE."

I've already made it twice, and it was only a few weeks ago that I made it for the first time.

This soup really has it all: it's like the popular kid who's also really nice and smart and well rounded and genuinely gets along with everyone, and who gets all the best superlatives in the yearbook and goes on to have an amazing life.

This soup is that person.

This soup is pretty darn easy to make-the only things that take time are chopping the veggies (gah I hate chopping) and cooking the chicken (but if you already have chicken or buy a rotisserie, hey, look, that's done!). It's chock full of veggies so I get all proud of myself for eating it. AND it is so lusciously creamy and cheesy and flavorful...it is just the perfect balance of all things. It could not be better. Not possible!

We ate the whole batch in about 2 days. So...brace yourselves. Maybe do a double batch. I dunno but, whoever you feed this soup to will become your new best friend. Use this power wisely.

Chicken and Swiss Sandwich with Roasted Garlic Aioli for #SwissWeek

Here we are, the final recipe of #SwissWeek with Lorraine cheese!

(you should totally check out the crostini and healthified dip I've already shared)

It's a party, so we've gotta have a sandwich, amiright?

Sandwiches always make me think of my brother, Josh, (and countless other boys) demanding "Woman, make me a sammich!" Michael stopped doing this because...well...I would go to make him a sandwich. Apparently this took all the fun out of it.

But this was a time no one needed to tell me to make a "sammich". I just did it. And it is good! And a lot of that is attributed to that gorgeous melty Swiss you see up there (AKA the best Swiss I've ever tasted!) It's absolutely PERFECT for sandwiches. I've been using it for all of the sammies I've been making Michael for his lunch as of late. But this sandwich...is SO much more than those little things I throw together usually.

This is like...a serious sandwich.

I intended to make the hoagie myself, from scratch. But...well...I got busy. So I bought hoagie bread. But feel free to do whatever appeals to you! And then I made a fantastic roasted garlic aioli, which has just the right punch of garlic flavor. And I made one of my fave, easy, chicken recipes: it tastes like fried chicken but it's baked! Hooray! And then, obv. Lorraine Swiss and some lovely arugula to add some pretty green. Viola! Sandwich! I really enjoyed this sandwich, and I think Michael might have liked it even more. We were both happily munching away for awhile.

So do yourself a favor. Endear yourself to others and bring some of these sammies to your next party (or, if you're hosting, set them out). You're gonna get yourself a WHOLE BUNCH of new best friends.

And for more Swiss goodness, check out Lorraine Cheese's facebook page and pinterest!

Pesto Chicken Pizza-Guest Post at Sarcastic Cooking

Bloggy friends are precious. And when they are in need and ask you to guest post for them you say "OF COURSE!" especially when that friend just had her 1st baby AND you participated in her virtual baby shower.

Yepp...I'm talkin' about Stef from Sarcastic Cooking.

That hilarious, fun, witty, genius in the kitchen who has great taste in TV. And less than a month ago gave birth to her little man, Andy. And today I'm taking over Sarcastic Cooking with this pizza!

THIS. PIZZA. A total fave. It uses my new fave crust (the Neapolitan style), pesto, tomatoes, and chicken to create a little variety in my pizza liiiife. So crisp and delicious.

But hey...if you wanna hear more (and GET THE RECIPE) jump on over to Sarcastic Cooking!

Go on, get your tushes over there!

Roasted Garlic, Chicken, and Herb White Pizza

I'm generally not an adventurous pizza eater (Ok fine, I'm not an adventurous eater, period.) But like...I'm that lame person where, in a group setting, people are like, "Ok we want pineapple and banana peppers on this pizza, and artichokes and capers on this one...Kayle what do you want?

"....just plain cheese please." I always choke out in the most timid voice.

(The exception to this rule is when I hear about ricotta and truffle oil pizzas, I'M ALL OVER THAT. But even when I eat margherita or grandma style pizzas, they're still the same basic ingredients as a plain, old, boring, not adventurous pizza.)

And when I'm making pizza at home, I'm no different. There's always a thin crust, tomato sauce (or at least tomatoes) mozzarella/Parmesan cheese, and some basil. That's it. But this pizza, YOU GUYS this pizza is something totally different and so amazing and so delicious.

Look at me, growing up.

Anyway, I really don't know what's not to like about this pizza.

I used my favorite, whole wheat, pizza crust (you can use whatever crust recipe-or storebought crust dough-you prefer). We have a white sauce that essentially just tastes like garlicky goodness (and that I cut some calories on by using fat free evaporated milk). Then theres the goodness of chicken, cheese, and red onions. But really, you can def. play around with toppings-as with any pizza. You can omit and add whatever your little heart desires. That's the fun!

Mozzarella Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

We're due for another chicken recipe, yeah?

Yeah, I think so too. 

AND they're baked, so hey, none of that fried business, hooray!

AND they're stuffed with pesto and mozzarella (YUM).

Speaking of pesto...I have a bunch of cubes of frozen leftover pesto thaaaat...I'm somewhat uninspired about. Anyone have any recipe suggestions? (Although now that I say this I'm thinkin' pizzaaa)

I'm super sorry for this super short post guys I juuust....can't think of a thing to say and stuff. This is becoming a frequent problem. While you're helping me out with recipe suggestions, let me know if there's anything you wanna know about me or that you'd like me to share? Hm?

Yepp...phoning it in. Food blogger style.

One Pan Chicken Alfredo

Uuuuuuugh I hate doing dishes. HATE IT! I feel like I live under the constant weight of dishes, such is the life of a person who cooks and bakes a lot. What's ironic is I used to love doing dishes! As a kid it was like this treat that I adored-my mom didn't let me do them often (I didn't do a good enough job, I guess?) so it was so fun to me. Then when I would go over for dinner at my best friend's house, her dad would tell me I had to wash the dishes (something about me eating their food so needing to wash the dishes...ironically when Alex was at my house she'd say "I'm the guest! Guests don't wash dishes" and I'd look at her like...hmm...something here seems off). After a few times of that...it got old. Gone were the fun days of dishes. And now I do them daily. *sigh*

So...it's sort of nice when I make something that doesn't require a bunch of dishes, because that means less for me to wash later! Hooray!

Enter this one pan chicken alfredo. It's creamy, garlicky, and I healthified it a bit. Instead of heavy cream I used fat free evaporated milk, which I think doesn't compromise the flavor at all, so win! It's def. a nice, easy, tasty dinner. Without the regret you get when you've dirtied a ton of dishes. 

Honestly, it's not my most favorite. Partly because chicken alfredo isn't my most favorite. And it's not creamy enough for Michael. So, while we did like it, it probably won't make frequent appearances here in the apartment. But it'll ocassionally pop up. Like a friend that you kind of like and enjoy seeing occasionally, just not all the time, ya know?

Sicilian "Enchiladas"- #SundaySupper

EEe! It's my first #SundaySupper post! Yay! So excited to be a part of this amazing group. This week is celebrating the holidays that are coming up-Easter and Passover, and is hosted by one of my bloggy buds, Carla from Chocolate Moosey.

But enough oohing and ahing, let's talk about a little something my family calls "scapelli"/"scapellis" (I have no idea if that's how it's spelled, I've never seen it written, we just say it. I'm told it apparently translates to "hot hands"...maybe in Sicilian or some local dialect? I'm unsure.). My grandma (dad's mom) has been making them, usually about once a year (and almost always for Easter), for as long as I can remember. She learned how to make them from my grandpa Blogna's mom, my great-grandma Helen. So they're some kind of Italian dish, but no one has ever heard of them, and I have had 0 luck finding anything about scapellis on the interwebs. I now am assuming they are some sort of family recipe, that is pretty much exclusive to my family (and possibly any relatives I have back in Italy). Now, let me explain what scapellis are, and if they sound familiar OMG tell me because I'll freak out.

Now...my knowledge is sort of fuzzy. I've never watched my grandma make the whole thing start to finish, and the woman has been insanely stubborn about writing it all down for me. Scapellis are a sort of crepe-like thing (made from flour, eggs, and water), made in a skillet greased with um...saltback, porkback? Something like that. And then they soak in hot chicken broth (wedding soup is usually being made at the same time, so I'm pretty sure she uses the same chicken stock). Now here comes the "hot hands" part. You take out the hot, soaked, scapellis and sprinkle Romano cheese inside, then you roll them up and transfer them to a dish, where they will all be soaked in hot chicken broth again. And you sprinkle more Romano cheese on top of all of that. It's served in a shallow bowl with some of the broth and lots of Romano. It sounds really strange, and simple, and like not that big of a deal.

BUT OH MY LORD IT TASTES AMAZING. We cannot get enough of them. My brother and grandpa hold contests to see who can eat more, but we all gorge ourselves. They're even one of the things my mom misses about that family, so we usually try to sneak her some home. Just....so full of flavor and goodness, yet they're somehow indescribable. It's like...there's no way you can understand their appeal until you try for yourself.

And I like...never get to eat them. I'm rarely home and am lucky if I'm there for a time when they're made. And, like I said, my grandma is being a real pain about getting me that recipe.

Then, when I made homemade tortillas and enchiladas for Michael's birthday, inspiration struck! I could make my own version of scapellis in the meantime! In sort of a scapelli-enchilada hybrid kind of way. Pretty much what I did was use my homemade flour tortillas to try to simulate the flavors of scapellis (and add in some shredded chicken to make it a bit more entree-worthy). And it was a success! These definitely are not exactly the same as my family favorite, but they will definitely keep me happy until I can try making the real thing. And they're just awesome in their own right, as they are. :)

Give em a try. You'll see. 

UPDATE: I FOUND THEM (probably, slightly different but pretty much)!!! THEY'RE SPELLED SCRIPPELLE and they're actually from a different side of my grandpa's family than I realized, they're from his family that are from Abruzzo, not Sicily! MYSTERY SOLVED!

Cheddar Crusted Chicken Fingers

Ok, I know sometimes I can be kind of ditsy but...

correct me if I'm wrong...

it is MARCH, correct??

Yes? Yes.

That's what I thought.

Someone please tell the weather. Because I am looking out the window at a bunch of snow. And it's not Ok.

(Well...I was when I was writing this. Snow doesn't generally last long in NYC. It's still cold, though!)

SPRING! WHERE YA AT?

Ah well, I'll just have to cook myself some food to comfort my snow woes.

And we all know...

I love chicken.

And it had been awhile since I'd tried a new baked chicken recipe! These are great because they have cheese, like, in their breading. Which adds the wonderful smoky goodness of cheese to these awesomely crisp, baked chicken fingers. For serious, who needs a deep fryer? Not me!

Butter Cream Chicken

Yepp. That's right. Happy Monday everyone,

I have another chicken recipe for you!

I feel that it's been established, I'm a big fan of butter. It's delicious. When I was a kid, I would literally take a finger-full of butter (ok...margarine...but...close enough) and eat it. I would drown my mashed potatoes in it. I would cover my pancakes in it. Even though my self control and...let's say palate...have matured, I still love anything that tastes buttery. Enter this chicken. It's coated in nothing but delicious, buttery, Ritz crackers. Then, you pan fry it. Then, you make the most amazing buttery cream sauce. Which I had a ton of leftover, btw, but this sauce tastes delicious on lots of different kinds of chicken and other stuff (I put it on my butter baked chicken as well). Put together, the chicken and sauce create a moist (sorry I know everyone hates that word), buttery, extremely flavorful entree. So yummy.

Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole

I don't go into this a lot but...I've had really awful experiences with roommates (not including Michael, he's an angel <3). They always have ended in ruined friendships, panic attacks, crying, and me hiding in my bedroom from roommates who hate me (I swear I didn't do anything!). Anyway, details aside, they didn't go so well. The first real incident I had of this was in my first (non-dorm) NYC apartment, in Brooklyn. It ended very badly. I have very few fond memories of my time there or of the people I lived with. Especially of one roommate (who I hadn't really liked to begin with)--probably the only thing about her that I liked was a poppy seed chicken casserole she made. Prior to the fallout she made it and shared with all of us-and it was delicious! It tasted fattening and bad... but oh sooo good. Then, post fallout, she would still make this casserole frequently...and oh how I wished I could have some. Anyway, since I moved out, I haven't thought much about it. Until I saw a recipe for just this casserole online!

Now, I made a few adaptations. I didn't have poppy seeds, and really didn't think they'd make much of a difference (they didn't seem to). I also thought I'd try to somewhat healthify the recipe by using homemade cream of chicken soup (good choice), subbing in Greek yogurt for sour cream (altered the flavor slightly, but not in a bad way), and using homemade Ritz crackers (BAD CHOICE--they just weren't crisp enough. Stick with the store bought for that one). Of course you can completely disregard my adaptations and make this the original way, but now you have options :).

It's delicious. It's rich and buttery and really unforgettable.

 After all that roomie drama this casserole stuck with me. 

And I'm sure you'll find it just as memorable and addictive!

Crock-Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Well.

Winter is here.

It's cold. I now officially always wear long johns under my pants or leggings when leaving the house. My only shoes that are getting worn outside are boots. I'm even occasionally donning a hat and gloves (and boy oh boy I hate wearing gloves almost as much as I hate wearing socks-speaking of...) AND SOCKS! Ugh I'm wearing socks. Not all the time, mind you, but more than I would like. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some perks of winter.

Christmas. Gotta love that.

And comforting, happy, delicious food, that warms you from the inside out.

Like this slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe. 

It is pretty darn simple, and at the end you have a big bowl of warmness. It's quite lovely. Michael and I both absolutely adored this (although it does make a lot so be prepared for a lot of leftovers, or maybe make sure you serve more than 2 people). Michael was especially fond of the dumplings. I adored it but felt it was missing something. So, I whipped up my simple biscuit recipe-but I added cheese, some herbs, even a little chicken bouillon granules in there for flavor, made them drop biscuits, and it was exactly what I feel it needed! The bite of the cheesy biscuits was just sooo good slathered in the rest of it. Mmmmm hmmm. Yes. Either way, you should totally take my word for it and make the most out of winter by making yourself some!

White Chicken Enchiladas with Scallion Sauce

Here it is! The main event!

The actual main course of Michael's birthday dinner.

He wanted Mexican and he wanted something I would eat too--so I found a enchilada recipe that had all ingredients that I liked, except for the sauce. 

The sauce had green chiles in it. I don't do chiles. 

Don't hate me but...I replaced them with scallions! So...it's like not authentic at all. 

But...I liked it! Michael liked it! 

It was quite tasty and is a winner if you've got a picky eater in your household (like me *hangs head in shame*).

It's also pretty easy. And not too unhealthy either (I maaay have used Greek yogurt in the sauce instead of sour cream...). Give it a try, K? For me? :D

Baked Parmesan Chicken "Fries"

....

..

.

I have some chicken for you.

(somewhere Jen is squealing in delight)

But like...Ok...let me take you on a journey.

Imagine those thin, super crispy, extra delicious chicken tenders that you get at like...a carnival or a pizza place or something. Remember how salty and chicken-y and gloriously fried they are.

Now imagine that you can have that chicken at your house. And it takes you less than an hour to make them. And they're not fried, but baked. So your arteries thank you.

Do you like this scenario? 

Me too.

It's like if chicken fingers were french fries, ya know?

Seriously, one of my favorite new recipes. Michael wholeheartedly approves too. So...ya. 

Chickennnn.

Creamy Chicken on Biscuits

A few months back my mom is talking to me on the phone, and she's all like:

"Oh, Kayle, I found this old recipe that your grandma use to make me and I've made it for Josh (my brother) a few times. I think you might like it. I just cook some canned shredded chicken, chicken broth, and cream of chicken soup together, then you spoon it on top of some Grands biscuits."

Me: "Yeah, that sounds pretty good. And I could make some homemade biscuits, and my homemade cream of chicken soup recipe, and just roast and shred some chicken."

Mom: "Oh, Kayle. That is so much work, it's unnecessary. Really, it's fine."

Me: "Yeah...no. I'll probably make it my way. It's not that much work, really. It's much easier than you think!"

Mom: *sigh*

Sorry, mom! I did try it her way, first, when I was visiting home back in June and she made these for me. It was good. But...you know...if I can avoid the processed stuff...I will. I have made these like a bzillion times since then. If you see on my Something Saturdays posts that I've made my Simple Biscuits and Cream of Chicken Soup, that means I've been making these. Did you go and look? Yeah, I've made this a lot. Even without the shortcuts (ok...admittedly...I do use the canned chicken usually) this is SUCH a quick and easy dinner. And it's like RIDICULOUSLY delicious. I'm sort of in love with it. Perfect for if you're busy and need to put dinner on the table quick! In fact, if you want to be like my mom and do it the extra quick way, I won't even judge you.

I even put some veggies up in there to make it a real meal. You may notice veggies were not mentioned in that previously transcribed conversation with my mom. Here's a little more from that convo:

Mom: "The recipe calls for some veggies, but I just leave those out."

Me: "Yeah, I'll probably put some corn in there."

Mom: "Really? Hm. Ok."

Do you see where I come from? You guys, she acts like I am way too healthy. You don't even know. All of you who always shake your heads at me and chuckle, "Oh, that silly Kayle. Always eating so unhealthy, never having veggies, just lots of cookies." You just have no idea how far I've come. I was raised in a world where it was totally OK to eat a whole carton of Oreo's in one sitting. Where chips were practically considered lunch. And where dinner came out of a box. I'm not blaming my mom. I adore her. But...yes. I have come quite a long way.

That was a bit off track. I'm serious guys. Eat this for dinner. You will love me. And thank me. If you're a mom this recipe will probs become your best friend. Just sayin'.

Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken

Um. Chicken.

Yes.

Again.

But let's logically think about why I would be drawn to this recipe, shall we?

Oven fried=I love fried chicken, but don't love the calories, etc. Oven fried is a healthier alternative.

Parmesan=Italian. I'm in.

Chicken=duh.

So, yeah. This chicken is tasty. And pretty darn simple. A great idea for a weeknight dinner when you're super busy!

Cheesy Chicken Noodles

Sometimes a recipe comes along that is so quick, so easy, dirties so few dishes, that you make it like...a lot.

This is one of those recipes.

Let me list everything that is awesome about this dish:

1. It's delicious.
2. Michael loves it.
3. It's pretty darn healthy.
4. I pretty much always have all these ingredients on hand.
5. Can be made with 1 pot/pan.
6. QUICK.

Pinch of Yum described this as a hybrid macaroni and cheese and chicken noodle soup. I don't know about that...I do know it tastes alarmingly like a casserole my mom made for me growing up-only this is like a bzillion times better for you, and tastes better too (don't you love it when that works out? Sorry mom!) This is one of my go-to meals for Michael and I when I just don't have the time/energy/supplies to make something else. It is always a winner. The only thing that can make it slightly more complicated is the fact that I roast chicken breasts for the shredded chicken, but you can really just buy a rotisserie chicken, use leftovers, or probably even use that canned stuff. I don't know. But, even with the extra step of roasting the chicken, it is still sooooo simple! LOOOVE IT!

Crunchy Cornflake Chicken Fingers

Ahh, things have calmed down about here now.

I had a lot of fun :).

But now-back to business!

I get along great with kids. Give me a 5 year old little girl and I will talk about princesses, play Barbie's, dress-up, and commiserate about how grown ups eat yucky foods and chicken fingers are where it's at.

True story.

It's sort of hilarious, because when I was young and my family would go out to eat you could 99% of the time count on my brother ordering chicken fingers and me ordering a burger. Times have changed. I still love burgers, but I'm much more picky about them now, so if being cautious I err on the side of chicken.

I love chicken fingers. But...I'm not so into frying food at home, if I'm going to eat something fried I might as well just order it from somewhere. So I've accumulated a few baked chicken tender recipes. These are, so far, my favorite. Jessica is the queen of baked chicken finger recipes! These are crunchy, moist, and the cornflakes really add something special to the flavor. I love these and I suggest-whether you have little ones or just like to eat like one-that you try these. Stat.