Bacon, Chicken and Wild Rice Soup #secretrecipeclub

I had one of those days last weekend.  It was cold and windy and I wanted something warm. It was the perfect time to make a delicious soup.  I used the opportunity to find a new recipe for the special reveal of Secret Recipe Club for Fall recipes.  After a pretty quick but difficult search of soups on Heather's blog, Join Us, Pull Up A Chair, I settled on Chicken, Bacon and Wild Rice soup.  Heather has over 30 soups and several chili recipes.  I bookmarked her Slow Cooker Southwestern Corn and and Potato Chowder and the Slow Cooker Italian Chicken soup. 

Heather and I both grew up in the kitchen, enjoying cooking and love sharing that experience with our children. Of course, Olivia isn't the most helpful just yet but she loves to sample. 

This soup came together really easily.  Heather noted the longer the soup simmered the more the flavors came together.  We didn't have the time before the baby needed to eat and ate a bowl as soon as the cooking time ended.  No matter, it still tasted amazing.  The best part was the leftovers for lunch on Monday. 

Chicken, Bacon and Wild Rice Soup

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour to 2 hours

Keywords: saute soup/stew bacon chicken rice

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
• dash of fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups half and half
• 2 cups chicken breast, cubed
• 8 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy and then crumbled

Instructions

In a large saucepan, combine the chicken stock and water. Add the wild rice, carrots and scallions, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. There will be liquid remaining, do not drain.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add in the flour, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook for one minute until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Slowly add in the half and half, stirring continuously until the mixture has thickened.

Add the thickened cream mixture to the rice and mix in the cubed chicken and bacon. Cook on low for at least a half an hour. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors combine and the soup thickens.

Serve hot with fresh bread or crackers.

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Spicy Smoked Chicken Legs #CookoutWeek

We are having so much fun with the new smoker. To be honest, I kind of poo pooed it at first. Although we have a small one it is still quite a big space hog in our garage.  Plus it is time consuming to use. When we are going to use it we have to plan out the afternoon or even day to make sure we are around to monitor the smoker. It was just another thing to think about and deal with...I am trying really hard to minimize what I deal with these days.

Well we made these chicken legs and I went to heave. They were so good. The flavor of the smoking process made these chicken leg irresistible.  Never, ever will I criticize the smoker.

We seasoned the chicken with a wet slurry inside the chicken skin and then added additional seasoning on the outside of each leg before smoking.  The wet slurry really infused the flavor into the chicken and kept the meat moist.

We like a bit of spicy heat in our food and these chicken legs at a bite with the addition of paprika and True Made Foods Veracha sauce.  The Veracha sauce as you probably guess is a variation of Sirracha sauce only so much better.  True Made Foods makes their sauces using real vegetables, real food. Since having Miss O we have become even more adamant about eating healthy, particularly limiting the amount of processed foods. True Made Foods fits the bill with using real food, no additional sugar. Plus it is made in the US by Veterans.  How's that for a 4th of July recipe. 

Being just 3 of us this recipe made a ton.  However a couple of days after cooking these chicken legs I found myself eating the last leg, much to Mr. J's dismay.  I cannot wait for another lazy weekend to smoke so more of these chicken legs.

Smoked Spicy Chicken Legs

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus smoke time

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: smoke grill bbq chicken

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 2-3 Lbs of chicken legs
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons pepper,divided
• 2 Tablespoons garlic powder, divided
• 2 Tablespoons onion powder, divided
• 2 Tablespoons paprika, divided
• 1 cup True Made Foods Veracha sauce

Instructions

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and True Made Foods Veracha sauce to create a slurry mixture.

In another small bowl mix together the remaining 1/2 of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

Spread spice slurry beneath the skin of the drumsticks.

Season outside of drumsticks with the other bowl of remaining dry ingredients.

Smoke at 160 degrees for 2 hours (We used alder chips.)

Transfer chicken to preheated grill and cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Brush on True Made Food Veracha sauce in the last five minutes of grilling.

Serve immediately.

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Baked Chicken Tenders

Hello Friday! I am so glad it is almost the weekend. This week was super busy at work. Mr. J was gone. I don't know how single parents do it. Between work and managing Miss O on my own the week went by fast but the days were super long. I am exhausted.

To make it manageable with all of the moving parts I tried to simplify and plan ahead as much as possible. This little gem of a dinner was super easy to throw together and was fairly quick with cooking time. Miss O knows that once we are in the kitchen food is coming.  Her waiting time is about 5 minutes. Thus any meal that takes longer than 15 minutes to cook is pretty much a no go unless we can do it on the sly. 

We have been doing a lot of grilling and it was nice to have something baked for a change.   The chicken tenders are dredged in flour, egg bath and then a mixture of flour, breadcrumbs and cornmeal, and then baked on a cookie sheet. The potatoes and green beans were cooked together on a separate cookie sheet.  Two cookie sheets and a complete dinner. This wasn't too fancy but a great meal, comforting meal.

Baked Chicken Tenders

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Keywords: bake entree chicken

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
• 1 cup flour, divided
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a baking sheet with oil.

Season the chicken tenders with salt and black pepper.

In a shallow dish, season 1/2 cup of flour with salt and black pepper.

In another shallow dish beat the eggs.

In a third shallow dish, place the other 1/2 cup of flour, breadcrumbs and cornmeal.

Dredge the chicken tenders in the flour to coat, shaking off any excess flour. Dip the floured chicken tenders into the egg and finally, coat the chicken tenders with the breadcrumbs.

Place the breaded chicken tenders onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

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Broccoli, Cheddar and Ranch Chicken Calazones

Summer is a bit slower at work but between all of they yard work, vacation, and just general fun going on we are on the look out for quick and easy meals for dinner. Why spend time in the kitchen when you can be playing outside?

This recipe is found in the June issue of Cooking Light. I made a few tweaks that took their easy meal and made it even easier with store bought ranch dressing.  If you are thinking traditional calzones this is not the meal for you.  My husband tends to think if there is no red sauce it is not pizza.  However, this is a super easy delicious meal.  Sure to fill up your family without a lot of fuss.

Broccoli, Cheddar, and Ranch Chicken Calzones

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: bake pizza broccoli cheese chicken

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 portion pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
• 1/3 cup ranch salad dressing of your choice
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Dash of kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 cups small broccoli florets
• 6 ounces shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 4 ounces reduced-fat colby-Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°.

Cut dough into 4 equal portions for individual servings or leave whole to make one large calzone; cover and let stand 10 minutes.

Steam broccoli 1 minute. Rinse with cold water; drain. Combine broccoli, ranch dressing, chicken, and cheese in a large bowl.

Roll each dough portion into a 6 1/2-inch circle. Place about 1 cup filling slightly off-center on each. Fold dough over filling; crimp edges to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Brush with egg; bake at 450° for 10 minutes.

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Pioneer Woman's Chicken Enchiladas

We made a special treat last week and it was a feast.  Mr. J and I always struggle with tortillas. I like flour. He likes corn.  When you buy corn tortillas, at least for us, you get a ton. They end up getting stale and we have to throw them out.  Wasting food really bothers me.  Even more, I just don't care for the taste.  So occasionally I get them as a treat for Mr. J but most of the time we end up with flour.

Well the other day I was watching Pioneer Woman on the Food Network.  This NEVER happens.  Our Saturday mornings are busy. It is rare I watch any TV let alone a show I actually want to watch.  So I was all excited to see that Pioneer Woman was on and I could plop down on the couch and watch the remaining portion.  She was making these chicken enchiladas.  

My go to enchiladas involve ground turkey and  black beans, flour tortillas. Ree's were chicken and corn tortillas.  I wasn't 100% sold on the corn tortillas for all the reasons stated above but I thought the enchiladas looked so delicious.  I figured I would just go for it and we made a massive dish of chicken enchiladas.

I am glad we did because they tasted just as delicious as they looked on TV.  Love it when that happens. We still have a lot of corn tortillas. Mr. J better get on that soon because I think Miss O picked up my distaste for corn tortillas. She wasn't a fan of the enchiladas.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Enchiladas

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake entree chicken Cinco de Mayo Mexican

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 10 to 12 corn tortillas
• 6 Tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• Three 15-ounce cans enchilada sauce (prefer red)
• 3 cups grated Cheddar Jack cheese, plus more if needed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

One at a time, hold the tortillas over the stove top burner (heated to medium heat) to brown slightly, about 30 seconds per side. Set the warmed tortillas aside.

In a bowl, mix together the taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with the spice mix.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken on both sides until done in the middle and the juices run clear, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate to cool, then shred finely with a fork.

Throw the onions into the same skillet, stir them around and cook until deep golden brown and caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes; set them aside on a plate.

Pour the enchilada sauce into the skillet and reduce the heat to low, allowing it to warm through.

To assemble the enchiladas: Pour 2 cups of the sauce into a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish and leave the rest in the skillet. Dip a tortilla into the sauce in the skillet, then lay it on a baking sheet or plate. Sprinkle some cheese down the middle, followed by some chicken and finally, some of the caramelized onions. Roll it up tightly, then place it seam-side down in the casserole dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese. 

Bake until hot and bubbly, 30 minutes. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Serve the enchiladas topped with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of diced tomatoes, a sprinkling of cilantro and a wedge of lime.

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Easy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

We have gotten pretty creative the last few weeks with our limited kitchen abilities. One of the things I have grown to love is the Crock Pot. Most people associate a Crock Pot with warm hearty meals in the winter. I am here to tell you that the Crock Pot is just as good in the summer. Hello no oven heat.  I made Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches last week.  Now I have some good old buffalo chicken sandwiches. 

This recipe is so easy. You simply put some chicken breast into the slow cooker with buffalo sauce. We used Frank's.  You could the chicken for 4-8 hours depending on your settings. Then you shred the chicken and mix with a bit of butter and ranch seasonings. That's all. We had sandwiches but this would also be great for a pizza topping or nachos. The really are so many possibilities. This recipe feeds a crowd. Mr. J and I had plenty of leftovers which was just what we were going for. 

Our kitchen still needs a lot of finishing details but we are pretty much back up and running. That doesn't mean I am going to give up on our Crock Pot meals though. They are too good and easy to not have at least once a week. 

Easy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours, plus

Keywords: slow-cooker entree chicken Super Bowl

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 12 oz bottle Frank's Buffalo Sauce
• 1 package Hidden Valley Dry Ranch Mix
• ½ stick of butter

Instructions

Put the chicken and the buffalo sauce in the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred it, using two forks.

Add the shredded chicken back to the crock pot, add the ranch mix and the butter, and stir until the butter is melted and ingredients are well-mixed. Cook for another 15-30 minutes.

Serve on a roll and your choice of cheese. We prefer blue cheese.

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Skillet Bacon Chicken

Happy rainy Monday! After a weekend of gorgeous weather I woke up to rainy skies and lots of clouds. Mondays are hard enough on their own but when it is dark and grey I just want to stay in bed. 

We had a pretty good morning wake up with Miss O. Everything was on track and smooth until I realized Mr. J had left without her bag for daycare, bottles included. Good thing I noticed shortly after he left and manged to call his cell phone before he even pulled off our road. Crisis averted. 

Hopefully soon (I know it will be) we will be experts at getting out the door with baby.

Now for the chicken. This dish was pretty darn amazing. We have been getting chicken thighs once a week. A large value package that feeds us for many, many meals. With the warm weather most of the time we cook them up on the grill but this night we opted for the oven. The hands on time is a bit of effort early on but then you stick the whole thing in the oven and wait. 

Maybe it is because we have been living off the same five meals or take out for the last few months. Maybe it is because I was donning a glass of wine as we ate, or maybe it was because I was just plain tired and this was warm food, but I don't think so. 

This is restaurant quality chicken. Damn good chicken. And I cannot wait to make it again. 

Skillet Bacon Chicken

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Keywords: saute bacon chicken

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Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 3 slices bacon
• ½ cup flour
• salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoon herbs de Provence
• 8-10 chicken thighs with skin
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn down the heat and remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the hot bacon grease in the pan. (If the pan is really greasy you may want to carefully blot some of the fat up with a paper towel, leaving just enough to cook the chicken.

Mix the flour with salt and pepper and the herbs de Provence. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and transfer to the hot pan. Fry the chicken in the bacon grease for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown (but not cooked through). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on plate.

Add the shallots to the pan with the olive oil (if needed). Saute for 5-10 minutes, until softened and fragrant and golden brown.

Deglaze the pan by slowly adding the wine, stirring to get all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and let everything cook until it reduces slightly, about 5-10 minutes.

Add the chicken and bacon back to the pan and bake for 40 minutes, stopping ever 10 or 15 minutes to baste the chicken with the pan sauce.

Remove from oven when the chicken skin is crispy and the chicken is fully cooked.

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Chicken Spaghetti

Well we made it through the first two days of day care. Thank goodness I didn't have a full week to go back to work. After Thursday and Friday I was exhausted. So was Miss O. It was great to have two days off this weekend.  Boy was it gorgeous. 

We are still trying to get a bit of house and yard work done every chance we get in between naps, feedings and play time. It is hard but it always amazes me how much we can get done. 

I made muffins and bread this weekend along with this killer dinner. I am a bit behind on the whole chicken spaghetti dish. Spaghetti has always been with meatballs and red sauce. However, after seeing recipe after recipe on chicken spaghetti and the rave reviews I knew we had to try it out. 

There are several similar versions. I made this on the stove top but I have also seen some for the crock pot.  We also added green chilies and cumin for some Southwestern heat. And don't forget the cheese. I love me some cheese. 

We made a huge pot with a full box of uncooked pasta and it lasted for a few days as leftovers just great. Ready made lunch is just what we need for our busy days with baby. 

After one making I am ready to put this on the regular meal rotation. 

Chicken Spaghetti

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Keywords: saute entree chicken pasta

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 small can mild diced green chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 chicken breasts, about 1 lb.
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4-1 lb. cooked spaghetti
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

Place onion, bell peppers, green chilies, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large saute pan with 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Cook for 5-8 minutes on medium high until softened.

Add chicken, mushroom soup, chicken broth and 1 cup of grated cheese. Stir to mix ingredients. Cover and simmer on medium for about 20-25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

While the chicken is cooking boil pasta according to box directions.

Remove chicken breasts, shred and return to pan. Pour in cooked spaghetti and remaining cheese. Toss to coat pasta in sauce and melt cheese. Add additional chicken broth if necessary to get sauce consistency you want. 

Cook another 5-10 minutes covered on low.

Serve immediately.

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Bartenhagen Chicken or Creamy Chicken and Rice Bake

Not to be too cliché but boy does time fly with a newborn. Was Easter only last week?  My mom came Sunday night and has been here all week. She has been a big help. We cleaned and organized some thing that have been sitting around for weeks (before Olivia arrived) and were really starting to bother me.  Even with the extra hands though the days have flown by and I feel like haven't gotten nearly as much done as I would have expected.  Extra snuggle time is OK with me though. 

One of the things she has been in charge of this week is dinners and dishes.  One of the meals she made wasn't something I was going to post because it is pure comfort food and requires a lot of bake time.  Not a dish I would think one needs mid April however the weather has not been cooperating. At least we haven't had snow.

Bartenhagen chicken is a family name and I am not really sure what else to call it...Creamy chicken and rice bake?  It comes from way back when in Iowa.  A good old church cookbook recipe.  Those recipes are tried and true, feed a crowd, and never seem to turn out badly. 

This is not a health food but warms the belly and the soul. You can put it in the oven with under 10 minutes of prep time and after slow cook in the oven dinner can be on the table.  My mom loaded this serving up with tons of chicken but you can vary the amounts and cuts based on your own needs. 

Bartenhagen Chicken

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Keywords: bake entree chicken rice winter

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Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 1 cup rice (white or brown)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1/4 milk
• 6-8 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken (I use a combination chicken thighs and breast.)
• 1 packaged dried onion soup mix

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking oil.

In large bowl mix together milk, cans of soup and rice until combined. Pour into prepared baking dish.

Place chicken, spaced evenly into rice mixture. Tops of the chicken will still be showing.

Sprinkle the dried onion soup mix evenly across the top of all the chicken and rice mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 2.5 to 3 hours. Rice will be soft and liquids will be bubbling. Cool slightly before serving.

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Are you sick of so many soup recipes lately? I hope not. I also hope that I won't be wanting to make soup Every.Single.Day. More snow came and went yesterday. Arg!

If you make one more soup for this year this should be it.  It is amazing. Like way better than I thought it would be. Maybe I got a little too used to canned chicken noodle soup. Or soup that has some time saving short cuts. This recipe is not difficult but it does take some time. Hello weekend cooking project!

Mr. J got some new knives for Christmas and one of the things he has been really into lately is cutting up whole chickens.  We buy a big roaster and he breaks it up into pieces. I am not sure this is a huge cost savings depending on any given sales that might be going on but he sure enjoys it. Thus he jumped at the chance to cut up the chicken for this soup.  

I am not sure what makes this soup so amazing. The broth comes directly from cooking the chicken and veggies.  The flavors are on point. I could seriously go on and on about this soup but I will spare you my gibberish. 

Just make the soup! 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

by Emily Morris, From Pioneer Woman

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

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Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 1 whole Chicken, Cut up
• 2 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 stalks Celery, Diced
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 2 teaspoons Parsley Flakes
• 16 ounces, weight Frozen "homemade" Egg Noodles
• 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

Instructions

In a large soup pot cover chicken in 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot with a slotted spoon. Let cool slightly and then with two forks, remove as much meat from the bones as you can, slightly shredding meat in the process. 

Return bones to broth and simmer on low, covered, for 45 minutes.

Remove bones from broth with a slotted spoon, making sure to get any small bones that might have detached.

Add the carrots, celery and onions to the pot, followed by the herbs and spices. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes to meld flavors.

Increase heat and add frozen egg noodles and chicken. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Mix flour and a little water. Stir until smooth. Pour into soup, stir to combine, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until broth thickens a bit. Test and adjust seasonings as needed.

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