Southwest Chicken

2 cans (15-1/4 oz. each) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar (16 oz) chunky salsa divided
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 C (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the corn, black beans and ½ cup of the salsa in a slow cooker. Top with chicken; pour the remaining salsa over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours or until meat juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese; cover until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.


Julie Nebeker

Crock Pot Chicken

5-6 frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 package Good Seasonings salad dressing
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

1) Cook 4 hours on low
2) Add 1 package cream cheese
3) 1 can cream of chicken soup
4) Cook 1 hour on high
Serve over rice.


Anne Milani

Healthy Living: Puerto Rican Chicken and Beans

This was 2 recipes that I combined into one, to save time and energy.

4-5 chicken breasts
1 can (Goya) pidgeon peas - drained
1 can (Goya) pink beans - drained
1 can red kidney beans - drained
1 packet goya sazon (the orange and yellow box)
4 tbsp Goya Sofrito
4 tbsp Goya Recaito
3 tbsp Goya Adobo Seasoning
2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb (it's important that you use a garlic and herb seasoning with no salt!)
2 small cans of no salt added tomato sauce
1 box or large can of reduced salt chicken broth

Add all of the above to the crock pot. If the liquid does not cover the chicken, add water until the chicken is just barely covered. Turn crockpot on low for 8 hours or high for 4. Serve with brown rice.

***It's important that you use reduced or no salt added ingredients when possible. The Goya ingredients tend to be very salty and are easily overwhelming. The Goya ingredients can all be found in the mexican/international foods aisle at Safeway and Food Lion.

Lauren Becker

Healthy Living: Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo finely chopped (available in a small can at Safeway and Food Lion)
salt
1/2 small head Napa cabbage or romaine lettuce thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (optional)
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup grated cheese (such as Mexican queso, romano or parmesan)
12 to 16 fresh, warm corn tortillas

1. The filling:
In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and chipotles. Season generously with salt (about 1/4 teaspoon). Add the cabbage, carrot, onion, cilantro and chicken. Toss everything together and let stand for 15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.

2. Finishing the Dish:
Scoop the filling into a wide shallow serving bowl, dot with the cubed avocado and dust generously with cheese. Set on the table the warm tortillas, and you're ready for some great roll- them- yourself tacos.

Sandra Talbot

Pistachio Lime Chicken

This is the meal my 7 year old request more than anything else (including eating out or pizza night in) We eat this for her birthday, anytime she goes out of town and when she returns. It is also a fun family meal because the kids can help shell the pistachios while you get the chicken cooking. (my 2 year old even helps shell pistachios!)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves minced
2 limes juiced
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 pistachio nuts coarsly chopped
1 pound linguini cooked al dente (you can add 2 tbsp butter to the cooked noodles if you don't want them to stick)

The recipe calls for cutting the chicken into strips but I cube it so that it is already bite sized for the kiddos. In a large frying pan put 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil, heat over medium until butter melts. Add chicken and cook through. When chicken is almost cooked through add the garlic. Give it a minute to heat the garlic, but be careful not to burn. Remove chicken from the frying pan and set aside. Add pistachio nuts to the frying pan and stir until lightly toasted. Stir in lime juice and pepper then add the chicken back to the pan and stir to coat. Serve the chicken over the noodles.

I keep a bottle of lime juice in the fridge so I don't have to worry about finding fresh limes when I make this. If you do this and keep extra pistachios around then you will almost always have what you need on hand to make this.

My girls are 7 and 2 and they both love this so it kid approved

-Melissa Boyd

Hawaiian Haystacks

Mix and simmer:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (can be canned)

Pour over:
Rice

Toppings:
Chow Mein noodles
Tomatoes
Celery
Green onion
Green pepper
Red pepper
Pineapple tid-bits
Mandarin Oranges
Grated Cheese
Slivered almonds
Coconut

Cafe Rio Chicken

This chicken is great on a salad with romaine lettuce, black beans, pico de gallo, cheese and the tomatillo dressing below!

5 pounds of chicken breast
1 small bottle zesty italian dressing
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Mix all ingred. together in a large crock pot. Cook on high for 5-7 hours.
Remove chicken and shred. Reserve a small amount of juice and pour over
shredded chicken. Keep warm.

General Joe's Chicken

I found this recipe on the Food Network website and changed a few things to make it cheaper and easier. (That's also where I found the picture.)

1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup + 1 T. chicken stock
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 tablespoon minced garlic
pinch or so of ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup roughly chopped lightly toasted cashews

Marinate the chicken in 1 T. soy sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
To make the sauce, in another bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of the chicken stock until smooth. Add the remaining chicken stock, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the vinegar, and sugar and whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to finish the dish.
In a large wok or pot, heat about 1 tablespoon oil and brown chicken with the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes. Add 1/2 cup green onions and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chicken stock sauce, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Arrange the chicken on a platter and pour the sauce over it. Garnish with the cashews and additional green onions. Serve with hot rice.

Lauren Becker