Mashed-potao Stuffed Chicken

1/2 cup of cold left over mashed potatoes per chicken breast
bone in chicken breast halves
1/8 of cheese for each chicken breast
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together potatoes and cheese.

Carefully use your fingers to separate the skin from the meat of each chicken breast. Using your fingers push the mashed potatoes up under the skin of the chicken breast. Place stuffed chicken in roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and season the chicken with seasoning of your choice.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 till 40 minutes, till juices run clear. When done uncover chicken and return to oven. Let bake a little longer till tops are brown.

Chicken in Creamy Pan Sauce

I go the original recipe from Kraft and of course I had to tweak it.

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 of corn flakes
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp basil leaves
1 tsp season salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp shortening
1 package of fat free cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cup of quartered cherry tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth or white whine.

Put corn flakes and dry spices into the blender and crush until the corn flakes are powder. Here is a tip do not take the lid off of the blender until the dust has settled. Tenderize each breast with a mallet. I like to put the chicken into a zip locked bag when I tenderize it that way little bits of raw chicken are not slung around the kitchen.

Melt shortening in a heavy frying pan/skillet, medium heat. Coat chicken with corn flake mixture then cook chicken in pan. About 7 to 8 minutes on each side, get a nice brown on each side. Place cooked chicken on a broiler rack or cooling rack in a warm oven until time to serve. The rack is important, it keeps the chicken from getting soggy.

Use broth to de-glaze skillet. Add cream cheese, and Dijon continually stirring until cheese is melted and sauce starts to thicken. I get best results with a wire whisk. If you think your sauce is too think that add a little more broth.

Now for the presentation part. You can plate each serving but I find it prettier when I use a large platter. Lay chicken on plater and arrange in a nice row, overlap a little. Spoon sauce down the center of the plate. Sprinkle fresh basil and tomatoes on top. See ain't that pretty. You can put the left over sauce in a bowl with a spoon so people can dish up if they what extra.

Look on Kraft's website for other variations.

Nic's Chili

I use a lot of spices and different kinds of meat combinations plus I also do something different each time I make it. It took a while but I think I have it figured out. I've cooked it in a crock pot, on the stove, and in the oven. Next I want to try it in a smoker to give it that smoky flavor.

4 dried ancho peppers
1 dried chipotle pepper
1 dried large habanero pepper
cut two slits into each pepper and boil for 30 minutes in four cups of water. When done peel peppers, discard peal and mince the flesh and save the water for your chili.

2 lbs of lean meat. It can be hamburger, stew beef, cut up roast or a deer ham. One thing about cooking with deer you need to know how it died. If it was a good clean kill the meat should be okay. If the deer was ran by dogs or the first shot was not the killing shot the meat will have a stronger gamer taste, tougher meat and sometimes that make a chili bitter. I don't know why it just does. When I use deer meat I also add one pound of spicey ground pork sausage.

2 medium sized onions chopped
1 large bell pepper chopped
1-2 cloves of minced garlic
1 can of chili seasoned (chili ready) diced tomatoes
4 tbsp of mexican chili powder
3 tbsp cummin
2 tbsp dried cilantro
2 tbsp paprika
2 bay leaves
2 tbs oregano
1 tbsp sugar
A few shakes of Morton's Nature's seasons. I put that stuff on everything.

Throw all of these into a crockpot, give it a really good stir and let sit on high for 4 hrs or low for 6-8 hrs. Make sure you stir it every hour so it does not stick and burn on the sides of the crock pot. Now there is problem I run into often when I make chili. The spices give it a bitter taste; come to find out I was not using good high quality fresh spices. If you think it is too bitter for you dial down some of the paprika and chili powder. About an hour before you serve dish a little chili out for you to taste and to see if there is anything else you would like to add or if you want it to cook longer. My dad said once that chili needs to be ripe not green so let it cook longer if it needs.

My add ins. These are the things I like to add in if I feel like it and if they are on hand. Canned green chillies, salsa instead of canned tomatoes, some hot sauce and I also throw in a few good shakes of garlic powder and onion powder. Its one of my things. Also I have noticed my chili taste better the next day when I rewarm it. I don't know why it just does. You could also sauté the onions and bell pepper until the onions start to carmalize it gives it a little more flavor. Also instead of using water when boiling your peppers you could use chicken broth.

Nic's Pasta

Small Egg Noodles enough to serve 6
Two cans of diced tomatoes. The Italian seasoned kind.
Can of black beans, drained and rinsed
Can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
Four chicken breast, boneless (because I am lazy)
One large onion, chopped
One large bell pepper, chopped
Chop up about a handful of fresh baby spinach, more if you like spinach
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp Nature's seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder

First in a small bowl combine spices. Cook the chicken breast in a skillet with olive oil. Half way through the cooking liberally sprinkle the seasonings on each side. Turn often and add more spices when necessary. This takes time but in the end the chicken breast will be a little crispy on the outside with the spices as the crust and juicy on the inside.

As soon as you start cooking the chicken start the bell pepper with a drizzle of olive oil in a second pan. Add the onion just a few minutes later. The bell pepper cooks longer than the onion. Start the pan on a medium high setting. After everything seems to warm up a bit lower to a medium low setting. Let the onion and bell pepper cooking slowly, stirring often, until the onions start to caramelize. MMMM Tasty!

When the chicken and onions seem to be nearing completion put water on to boil for the noodles. The small egg noodles cook up in a little over five minutes. When done drain and return to the pot and continue on a low medium heat. Now you are just warming through.

Over low heat drop in a tbsp of butter and stir until melted. Add beans, spinach, tomatoes, and the peppers and onions. If you only like your spinach slightly welted then stir it in just before you serve.

Slice up chicken and place on top of a bed of the noodle mixture. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese if you like. We like to eat this with garlic bread and a salad.

Salisbury Steak

This is one of Chris's favorite meals and a great company meal. You can make it ahead and just let the Crockpot cook.

5lb hamburger
1 packet brown gravy mix
1 packet onion soup mix
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
all seasons are 1tsp (you can adjust any way you want)
nature's season
garlic powder
oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
1/8 tsp liquid smoke

Mix all together , form patties, and brown in a skillet. While browning cut up a large onion.

Gravy
4 packets of brown gravy mix
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
5 cups of water. I prefer chicken broth.
Just mix it all together it will cook when you bake the patties.

Put the patties in a baking dish with onions and gravy, cover with foil, and cook at 350 for two hours. I cook mine sometimes in the crock pot on high for at least four hours. I make the gravy with a little more broth to make the gravy thinner because the water evaporates from a Crockpot. I highly recommend you try this once for your family before you serve this for company. You might want to tweak the spices or some other thing to suit it towards your taste.