Donburi (Aka... Asian Haystacks!)

chicken breasts (diced - as many as you need for the number of people you have)(also yummy with dumplings instead!)
Soy Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Sesame Oil
Garlic Powder
Veggies that are good fresh (Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Carrots, Sprouts, etc. etc.)
Rice (Brown or White)
Lettuce/Spinach (whatever greens you like in your salads)
Kewpie Toasted Creamy Sesame Dressing (Can buy on amazon or I'm sure any asian market - it's Japanese - this is the best choice - any Sesame dressing will do though)
Sriracha Sauce
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Optional: Ramen Noodles, Chow Mein Noodles, Boiled Eggs... just have fun with the toppings!

Okay, so with all of these ingredients it sounds a bit complicated, but once you have the dressings, they last forever, and it's so easy to throw together! Here are the instructions:

Cook the chicken in soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil to taste (I drizzle the soy sauce and rice vinegar until all of the chicken has some on it, but not so much that there's an inch of sauce. The sesame oil I just do a few drizzles over the whole thing.) Sprinkle with garlic powder.

While the chicken's cooking (or before if you want easy easy prep) slice all of the veggies in thin stick-like pieces (except the tomatoes I just dice). Then set everything out in bowls hawaiian-haystack style.

To put it all together, pick if you want a bed of rice or lettuce, put that on the bottom, and then just layer everything else that sounds good to you. Drizzle ALL three of the dressings for the most fantastic flavor, unless you can't stand any spice at all, and then skip the Sriracha. The Thai sauce is honestly not very spicy, especially if you just mix a little in. And it adds SO MUCH to this dish, so really really try not to skip it. Then dig in! Your taste buds will dance! And the great thing is that this is an easy crowd-feeder because everyone can build it how they like it.

Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Yield: About 3 - 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Italian salad dressing (I recommend using Kraft light Italian it's the perfect consistency for this and it's what I used)
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• 1 1/4 lbs chicken breast tenderloins
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed of tough ends, chopped into 2-inch pieces (look for thinner stalks. Green beans are another good option)
• 1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Directions

• In a mixing bowl whisk together salad dressing, balsamic vinegar, honey and red pepper flakes, set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then place chicken evenly in skillet. Cook about 6 - 7 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking, until chicken has cooked through (meanwhile, chop asparagus and tomatoes). Add half the dressing mixture to skillet and rotate chicken to evenly coat. Transfer chicken to a large plate or a serving platter while leaving sauce in skillet. Add asparagus and carrots to skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer veggies to plate or platter with chicken. 
• Add remaining dressing mixture to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes to chicken and veggies and drizzle dressing mixture in pan over top (or return chicken and veggies to pan and toss to coat).
• Recipe source: adapted from BHG

Easy Sweet & Sour Chicken

4 uncooked chicken breasts, cubed

½ c. flour

1 tsp. seasoning salt

1 onion, chopped in ½-1” pieces

2 bell peppers (red or green), chopped in 1” pieces

2 big carrots, sliced

1 can pineapple chunks (or fresh), do not drain

10 oz. Sweet and Sour Sauce

Mix flour and seasoning salt in a bowl. Roll and coat chicken in flour mixture. Either fry chicken pieces in 1” of heated oil in a fry pan, or pan fry in a little bit of oil in a fry pan. Lightly sauté onions, peppers, and carrots in a small bit of oil. Add cooked chicken to peppers and onions. Add pineapple chunks and sweet and sour sauce. Mix and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve over rice.

Comments: I just tried this tonight and it was really easy. It's probably my favorite sweet and sour chicken I've made. Taylor loved it! I added extra peppers and carrots to make the meal go a little farther, and we have tons of left overs.

Enchilada Pizza

Enchilada Pizza

Pizza crust

Sauce:

2/3 c. red enchilada sauce

1/3 c. sour cream

1 tsp. lime juice

Toppings:

Thinly sliced/diced chicken

Fajita Spices

White onions

Green peppers

Red peppers

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Comments: I used a frozen chicken fajita bag (had chicken, onion, peppers, and seasoning) It was only a few dollars and made this SUPER easy. I also just used enchilada sauce for the sauce, only because I totally forgot to add sour cream and lime juice :) But it was super good and really easy! Oh, and I used Heather's No Rise pizza crust.

Chicken Rice Casserole

Sauce:

1/4 c. butter

1/3 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. milk

1 1/2 c. cooked rice

2 c. cooked chicken - cubed

1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms, drained (opt.)

1/3 c. chopped green peppers

2 T. chopped pimento (opt.)

Combine all ingredients prior to making sauce. For sauce: heat butter until melted, blend in flour, salt, & pepper. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in broth & milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil & stir one minute. Pour over other ingredients and then pour into an ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Cook uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes (or in microwave for 5 or so minutes).

Price Guesstimate: $5-6 ish

Steph's Comments: My neighbor, Anne, made this for me after I had my 3rd baby. It tasted SO SO delicious that I immediately called her for the recipe. You can add whatever veggies you want - but having the peppers and mushrooms is a great mix (red peppers is yummy too!). This is a great comfort food - and a great meal if you need to prepare it ahead of time.

Creamy Rosemary Penne with Chicken

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and diced (I just did 2 and we had plenty)
1/2 lb penne pasta
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 of a medium onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne for about 5-7 minutes. Don't cook it completely - the pasta will continue to soften as it bakes in the oven. Drain pasta and return pasta to large pot.To the pasta add: shredded cheese, diced onion, rosemary, salt, pepper, milk & soup. Stir to thoroughly combine. Spray an 8-in square dish, and pour in pasta mixture.In a separate bowl, combine melted butter and dry bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of casserole.Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. If bread crumbs start to brown, cover with foil.

Price Guesstimate: $6-ish

Steph's Comments: This was a yummy, filling casserole that I got from this blog. I actually ended up leaving the onions out because I didn't feel like cutting them up (sometimes I am so lazy), but it still worked great. I'm glad to know about this casserole because sometimes I just need something that will fill us up, taste yummy, and make great leftovers!

Cheesy Baked BBQ Chicken

Chicken breasts (however many you want - I cut them up into smaller pieces)

BBQ sauce (as much as you like!)
Shredded Cheese (ditto!)
Green Onions (ditto!)

Preheat oven to 350. Put chicken in a baking dish, cover with bbq sauce, and top with cheese & green onions.

Price Guesstimate: $4-5 (depending on how much you do, obviously - this is assuming you did 2 pounds of chicken, and bought them for less than $2/lb.)

Steph's Comments: I got this recipe from my sister, Heidi, and it was tasty! I was surprised how much the cheese and green onions added to it. If you want to avoid using the oven because it's still summer time, then you can also cook this in a skillet. Thanks Heids!

Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken

1 lb. dried penne (I used rotini and I only used 13.25 oz 'cause that was one box)

2 chicken cutlets cut into fingers (I used 2 breasts cut into 1-inch pieces)

salt and ground pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 TBS olive oil (I used less)

3 TBS parsley (opt)

1 large or 2 small lemon(s) juiced

1/2 c. Parmesan Cheese

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain well. Cut chicken into the size you want and season with salt and pepper. Cook in a large grill pan over medium high, grill until golden and completely cooked. Remove to a plate. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to pan with 3 TBS olive oil (I used probably 1/2 of this) - saute until fragrant. Add the cooked pasta to the garlic and red pepper flakes and turn off heat. Stir together and add to a large bowl. Add chicken to the warm pasta and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in parsley. Add the lemon juice and mix. Before serving top with Parmesan cheese (I probably used more than 1/2 cup).

Price Guesstimate: $4-5-ish

Steph's Comments: I got this recipe from my sister Heidi and it is a FABULOUS summer meal. It's not heavy and creamy like some pastas, and it's so full of lemony goodness. A warning, if your kids don't like lemons they won't like this (duh!). :) My two- and one-year olds didn't care for it, but my four-year old liked it. My husband and I LOVED it.

Rotisserie Chicken

1 Costco Rotisserie Chicken

Price Guesstimate: $5

Steph's Comments: This isn't a RECIPE, but I wanted to make sure you all know about it. I'm sure other stores have it too, but a VERY simple meal is to go get a Rotisserie chicken at Costco and serve it with some baked potatoes or some baked french fries and some salad or fruit, and voila!, you've got a yummy, easy, fairly inexpensive meal. AND I almost always get two meals out of it - I usually make a soup or something out of the leftovers (the carcass makes for delicious broth!). So, I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of that!!! :)

"Fancy" Quesadillas

1 chicken breast (optional - you can just add another can of beans)
1 can of black beans
1 can of corn
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt (or 3/4)
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
grated cheese
6 burrito-size tortillas

Cook chicken, cube or shred. In a bowl, mix chicken, beans, corn, and spices. Lay a tortilla down and sprinkle some cheese, spread about 3/4 c. of the chicken mixture, then put some more cheese on top, and put another tortilla on top. Do this 2 more times, giving you a total of 3 "fancy" quesadillas. Grill on a bbq, or if you can't, then you can do it on a frying pan (although it's MUCH better grilled). Just make sure to use a huge spatula, or two smaller ones, so you don't lose your filling. (Having the cheese on top and bottom helps with that too because the tortillas stick to everything.) Serve with salsa, ranch, sour cream, diced tomatoes, lettuce, or whatever you want. It's also good plain! And, you could leave out the chicken if you want and just add another can of beans. My husband suggested that this is would be good with spanish rice in it, and I 100% agree. I'll try that next time.

Price Guesstimate: $6-7

Steph's Comments: I got this recipe from a compilation of a few recipes: I used my sister-in-law, Lori's, spice mixture (for fajitas), and I combined two recipes I saw on these two links: http://www.swbeans.com/recipes.cfm?id=65 and http://dinnersonme.blogspot.com/2007/04/week-8-recipes.html. I have to say, this was EVEN BETTER than I thought it would be (and I was pretty excited about it!) I had read to put oil on the tortillas before grilling, but I didn't, and I didn't have ANY problems. This was also VERY filling. I'm a big eater, and I couldn't finish a whole one - and neither could my husband! So, 3 big ones was plenty for our family (my kids split one). Oh this was good! Give it a whirl. 

Chicken Broccoli Pasta

2 c. chicken, cooked and cubed

2 c. broccoli, cooked

2 cans cream of chicken soup

¾ c. mayonnaise

1 TB lemon juice

1 c. milk

1 TB margarine

1 c. cheese

12 oz cooked pasta (I like seashell)

Mix all except cheese and pasta. Put in 9x13 pan, top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30

minutes.

Price Guesstimate: $6-ish

Steph's Comments: My mom made this casserole growing up. It's creamy and the lemon juice adds a great tang! My sister, Heather, reminded me about it, and I'm glad, because it's SO YUMMY! Thanks Heath! (And you can use light/fat free mayo to help keep it lower fat if you want!)

Chicken Tetrazzini

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. whipping cream (or I use 1% milk and it works just fine!)

7 oz. spaghetti
2 c. cubed, cooked chicken
1 (3 oz.) can mushrooms (optional but delicious!)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti noodles as directed by package. In a separate pan, melt the butter then stir in the flour, heat until bubbly. Add salt, pepper, chicken broth, and whipping cream (or milk). Bring to a boil to thicken. Stir sauce into cooked spaghetti, chicken, and mushrooms. Pour into pan (2 qt or 8x8 or 9x9) and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Yields: 5-6 servings

Price Guessimate: $5-6-ish

Steph's Comments: This is my go-to food when I need to take dinner to someone. It's yummy and kid-friendly (especially if you leave the mushrooms out). It also looks nice, but it's fairly cheap. I got this particular recipe from my cousin, Jana, but I also have used others that are almost identical. This is a great one to tuck into your good-meal recipe box!

No Cream of Soup Hawaiian Haystacks

2 cups of cooked and cubed chicken (or shredded chicken)
3 tablespoons butter
½ onion (about ½ cup), finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp flour, optional
2 Tbsp water, optional

Rice

Optional Toppings:
Pineapple
Cheese
Tomatoes
Chow Mein noodles
Mandarin Oranges
Diced green onion
Olives
Coconut

In a large sauce pan, saute the onion in the butter until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine. Stir until bubbly. Add the salt and paper. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. If the sauce isn't as thick as you like, in a small bowl whisk together the 2 Tbsp flour and 2 Tbsp water until smooth, you don’t want lumps. It should look like a paste. Drizzle a little of the flour mixture at a time while whisking into to sauce mixture until desired thickness is reached. Serve the sauce over steamed rice with desired toppings. (I often just put shredded cheese on top b/c that's all I have and it's still good! So go as simple or as fancy as your pantry allows!) Serves 4-6.

Price Guesstimate: $3-4-ish (without toppings)

Steph's Comments: I love Hawaiian Haystacks. I always make the sauce with Cream of Chicken soup - and it's yummy, but it was fun to find a from-scratch version. I got this version off of Real Mom Kitchen (www.realmomkitchen.com), although I changed the cooking instructions slightly. It's yummy! I asked my husband which version he likes better and he said he likes them both -they're different from each other. I agree - I like the onions and garlic in this one - it was a real yummy sauce, but I also just love Cream of Chicken Soup. I will definitely make it again! Also, you could EASILY leave the chicken out and make a meatless version. It would be very yummy and cheaper too!

Chicken Tacos

2 lb. chicken
1 can salsa
2 cans black beans
1 can corn
Tortillas

Optional Toppings:
Cheese
Sour Cream/Ranch
Lettuce

Put frozen chicken right in crock pot. Cook on high 6-8 hours. When you have about an hour left, shred the chicken (using 2 forks) and add the rest of the stuff - let warm for about another hour. Serve on tortillas with optional toppings. Yields: 10-12 big tacos?

Price Guesstimate: $10 (not including toppings)

Steph's Comments: I absolutely love these tacos - they are super easy and so delicious. They're also filling enough that you don't need to have much else with it, which is nice. A fun side note on cooking the tortillas that I learned from my brother-in-law Lynden (who is a super good cook!) is to put the tortillas on a pizza stone with shredded cheese on top and cook them for a few minutes in the oven on really high (like 450) - this makes the tortillas crispy and melts the cheese - it makes the tacos taste way more fancy, and it doesn't take very long! Yum! This is also a recipe that freezes VERY well - we usually only have one big taco each (they are way filling) and then freeze the rest for another couple meals later.

Ritzy Baked Chicken

2 lbs. chicken breasts
1 c. sour cream (I used fat free - you can also use plain yogurt)
1 c. crushed Ritz crackers

Cut raw chicken breasts into "chicken finger" size pieces. Crush Ritz crackers in a plastic bag. Roll chicken in sour cream, then place in cracker bag and shake until covered. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes-1 hour until chicken is done. Yield: 4-6 servings

Price Guesstimate: $6 (if you get your chicken for less than $2/lb - I don't pay more than that!)

Steph's Comments: My friend Margee shared this recipe with me - she got it from a fun recipe book called The 3 Ingredient Cookbook. She said it's one of her kids' favorites, and I can see why - it's YUMMY! At first I was thinking it wouldn't be a good "cheap" recipe because it's full pieces of meat, and I usually try to stay away from that (we're a casserole-eating family!), but I just served it with rice and some fruits/veggies, and it was a farily cheap meal! Thanks Margee! I'll definitely be making this again!

White Chicken Chili

Saute until chicken is fully cooked in saucepan:
1 lb. chicken breast, bite size chunks (or use shredded rotisserie chicken to save time)
1 Tbsp oil
½ medium onion, minced
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves minced

Add:
2-3 cans great northern white beans, drained
1 tsp. oregano
1 14 oz. can of chicken broth (I ended up adding more than this - probably even double)
1 tsp. salt
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies mild
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (opt.)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer 30-45 min.

Remove from heat IF DESIRED add any or all of the following toppings:
½ c. whipping cream
1 c. sour cream
Shredded Cheese (Cheddar works, but Jack or Pepper Jack is VERY GOOD!)

Yields: approx. 4-6 servings

Price Guesstimate: For soup only (not including toppings) you'll probably spend approx. $6-7 (depending on how much the chicken is)

Steph's Comments: I got this recipe from my husband's cousin, Allie, and it's almost exactly like one my Mom makes that I LOOVE - I was so glad she sent it to me. In fact, when I got her email, I made it THAT NIGHT for dinner - yum, yum. I usually double it because it's wonderful for leftovers. This has got to be one of my very favorite soups!

Chicken Rice Bake

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 2/3 c water
1-3 cloves of garlic, depending on your taste (I used 3 and it was too much for me!)
1 1/2 c uncooked rice
2 lbs of raw chicken
1 pkg of Lipton Onion Soup mix (or a non-brand name version)

Cut the chicken into the size you want (my mom does whole chicken breasts, but I like it diced). Put the chicken in a bag with the soup, garlic, and Lipton Onion Soup mix. Marinate in fridge. Put rice in the bottom of a 9x13 pan and put chicken mixture on top. Add water. Cook at 400 for 30-40 minutes, depending on how big your chicken slices are. Yields: approx 8 servings.

Price Guesstimate: $8 - assuming the chicken was less than $2/lb. (I only buy meat if it's less than $2/lb).

Steph's Comments: This recipe is a mix from something my mom used to make when I was growing up and a recipe I found in my Campbell's Casserole cookbook. I really like the garlic in there, but 3 cloves was a little overpowering for me - I like to taste the Lipton soup mix, and I felt like the garlic took over. This is a great, filling casserole - and it's pretty kid friendly too! My 21-month old ate it right up - my four-year old doesn't touch anything that's not tomato soup or pizza, so she didn't, but I didn't feel too bad. :)

Creamy Chicken Florentine

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup water
1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen cut leaf spinach (or I substitute broccoli)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds chicken cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
8 oz. uncooked penne or rotini noodles
1/2 c. mozzarella or cheddar cheese
Garlic powder, Basil, and Oregano to taste

Stir in the soup, water, spinach (broccoli), tomatoes and chicken and spices in a 13x9 pan. Cover. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Stir. While the chicken is baking, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and stir the hot cooked pasta into the dish. Sprinkly with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes more or until hot and bubbly.

Time-saver Tip: If you already have cooked, cubed chicken, skip the first step, and just mix it all together and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, or in the microwave for 5-7. (When I buy chicken, I like to cook a bunch all at once, then I cube it and separate it into 2 c. servings to keep in the freezer - it makes dinners so much faster!)

Steph's Comments: I got this recipe from my Campbell's Casseroles cookbook, although I adapted a little bit. My husband really likes it - I like it, but I think next time I'm going to add more veggies. I LOVE mushrooms, and they would go well in this. So would some onions and even some zucchini or something.

Top Raman Stir Fry

2 c. cooked, chopped or shredded chicken (opt.)
1 c. broccoli
1 c. cauliflower
1 carrot sliced thin
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 c. water
1 package of top-ramen

Break noodles. Set aside. Put veggies and chicken in skillet for 1 min on medium heat. Stir in noodles, seasoning packet, and water. Bring to a boil. Change to low heat. Simmer covered for 3-5 minutes or until waters gone. Stir twice while cooking.

Steph's Comments: My sister, Heidi, sent me this recipe, and I was so glad she reminded me about it because every time I make I think of her! This is a quick, versatile, yummy one. You can add as much or as little of everything - I love to add even more veggies, and even if you don't have the chicken, it's still tasty. Kids love this one because they love Ramen Noodles!

Oven Baked Chimichangas

1 1/2 c. chopped, cooked chicken/beef
1 can black beans
1 c. cooked rice
1 c. shredded cheese
2/3 c. salsa
1 c. green enchilada or taco sauce
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 TB melted butter
10 flour tortillas

Mix all except butter and tortillas. Place about 1/2 cup mixture in each tortilla. Roll up, seam side down and place on greased baking sheet. Brush with butter. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Steph's Comments: I got this recipe from my Aunt Adrienne. I luuuurve it because you can mix it up with just about anything you have in your kitchen. It's great with leftover roast; it's great with more rice, more beans, etc. etc. Also, just a low-fat sidenote, I made some of mine with the butter on top, and some without, and I couldn't tell a difference, so next time I make it I won't be using the butter at all.