Orange Chicken Salad

 What to fix for dinner was the question of the day...something quick and easy...get a rotisserie chicken and doctor it up...perfect!

 Perhaps adding penne and fruit would be tasty, so here we go making another salad!

 Orange Chicken Salad:

1 Rotisserie chicken, torn into bite size pieces

3/4 cup halved green grapes

3/4 cup halved red grapes

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 box Penne (16 oz. box, using half)

1/2 cup diced yellow pepper

11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained

1/3 cup sliced green onions

1/3 cup Hellmann's Light

1/3 cup orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad greens

Candied almonds, if desired

Combine chicken, grapes, cranberries, yellow pepper, green onions, and cooked pasta in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the Hellmann's and orange juice thoroughly.  Add to the chicken mixture, stirring thoroughly to combine.
Gently add the mandarin oranges and season with salt and pepper.
If desired, garnish with candied nuts (or add them directly to the salad).  We prefer just garnishing with the almonds, so they stay crisp.
Place leaf lettuce on plates and top with the chicken salad and there you have it...a nice salad for dinner and the grocery store heated up their facilities preparing the chicken...no hot kitchen at our house!!!

Please enjoy~

Mock Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is another quick and easy recipe that I will modify a bit when preparing the next time. It is very good and smells divine while cooking away in the crock pot!!!

As you can see, there is a topping of seasoned stuffing and that is what I would change the next time...

The chicken cordon bleu was accompanied by a mango/grape side and also a tossed salad with dried cranberries and toasted almonds!

Chicken Cordon Bleu:

6 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
1 small can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup milk
4 oz. sliced ham
4 oz. sliced Swiss Cheese
1 box Seasoned Stuffing mix (dry)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk (whole) in a small bowl. Place a small amount of the mixture into crock pot, covering the just bottom.
Place the chicken breasts over the sauce and then layer the ham slices and finally the Swiss cheese slices.
Pour remaining soup over all and stir just a bit to make sure all is covered with the soup mixture.
Sprinkle the dry stuffing on top and drizzle the melted butter over the top.
Cover and cook on Low for about 5 hours.

Note:
Personally, the next time I make this I will have a new Crock Pot...mine is tall and deep but I believe this recipe would cook more evenly in an oval Crock Pot that would allow you to distribute the chicken in one layer rather that stacking like I had to do.

Another note:
I would wait until the final hour of cooking to place the stuffing mix on top and remove the lid so the stuffing didn't get soggy.

I hope you enjoy this modified version of the recipe!

Lemon Basil Pasta With Chicken

This particular dish is a modified version of a Pioneer Woman recipe. If you are not familiar with Ree Drummond (the pioneer woman), you would no doubt delight in her site! She is a busy mother and wife, loves to cook and has a cookbook published, home schools her children, lives on a working ranch....busy & talented to say the least!

I opted for chicken tenders that I dipped in Italian bread crumbs and fried quickly in olive oil.

Lemon Basil Pasta:

1 pound Penne Pasta, cooked according to package directions, don't over-cook
1/2 stick butter (I used unsalted)
3 whole lemons, juiced
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Half and Half
1 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
A handful of basil leaves, chopped (saving a nice "top" for garnish)

Cook the pasta , drain and reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside
Melt butter over medium heat, add the lemon juice & stir until combined
Pour in the cream and half and half, stirring until hot
Now add the cheese and whisk until melted
Season with salt & pepper and add chopped basil
If necessary, for consistency, add a little of the reserved pasta water

Combine the pasta and sauce and serve in a pasta bowl or individual plates...garnish with the chicken tenders and reserved basil or parsley

This is a quick and easy dinner that I will prepare again, using a bit less lemon juice