Chicken Salad Sandwiches

My kids aren't big fans of anything with celery or onions (and Liz can't have it because of the mayo), but Scott and I like this recipe. It also might be nice for a Relief Society luncheon or a shower or something like that:

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups diced chicken
• 8 to 12 red or green seedless grapes, halved
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 green onion, with about 2 inches of green, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• dash curry powder, or to taste, optional

Preparation:

Combine ingredients until blended. Spread on bread for sandwiches or arrange on lettuce leaves. (It tastes best on croissants!)

Serves 4.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Dutch baby potatoes (white or red), washed and cut in half
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, removed from the stems and finely chopped (I just used dried)
• 1 pound of chicken breast, about 2 whole breasts, sliced in half lengthwise for a total of 4 pieces
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves removed from the stems and finely chopped (again, I used dried)
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

For roasted carrots and potatoes
 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and lay out potatoes and carrots – set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, salt & pepper, and 1 T. rosemary.
4. Toss potatoes and carrots with olive oil mixture and spread out into an even layer on baking sheet. Leave a space on the edge of the pan for the chicken (see directions below).
5. Place into the preheated oven and roast until golden and tender, 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for lemon rosemary chicken
1. Line a baking sheet with foil and lay out all the chicken pieces.
2. In a small bowl, combine salt & pepper, paprika, lemon zest, and 2 T. rosemary.
3. Season chicken on both sides.
4. Heat a large, nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add in oil. Once oil is hot, sear the chicken until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Place chicken on the baking sheet with the potatoes and carrots for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Chicken is done when juices run clear and center is no longer pink.

**We had this for dinner two nights ago. Scott and I loved it, but the kids couldn't get past the rosemary. (They kinda look like little green sticks, so the kids wouldn't try it. Maybe next time I'll leave the rosemary off half of of everything for the kids?)

Oh, and even though some of my recipes call for olive oil, I just use regular oil (usually canola oil) and it turns out just fine. Olive oil is probably healthier, but it's also a lot more expensive.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

We tried this for the first time this week, and it was delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 corn tortillas
• 1 +1 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
• 3 medium tomatoes, cored and
• loosely chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 1 lime, juiced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 cups shredded chicken
• 1 avocado, pit removed and sliced
• 4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (optional, if you want to go dairy-free)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place fresh tortillas on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for15 minutes to dry them out. Cut into 1” x 1/2” strips.
2. In a medium stockpot, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic until soft, about 4 minutes.
3. Stir in salt, chili powder, oregano, and tomatoes. Break up tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add broth, lime juice, fresh parsley, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Drop half of the tortillas into the soup to thicken. Stir well.  

For tortilla crisps:
6. In medium pan, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
7. Fry remaining tortilla strips in oil until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels.  

To serve:Ladle soup into 4 individual serving bowls. Top with remaining tortilla strips, avocado slices, and cheese.

*This recipe is for a family of 4. I used 6 tortillas, 5 cups of broth, and 2 avocados to make it stretch a little further. We didn't have any leftovers! Super yummy!

Oh--and I was a hurry when I made this the other day so I used canned chicken instead of shredded chicken. So that's an option if you're in a rush.

Funeral Potatoes

Funeral Potatoes

• 6 c. frozen diced potatoes, thawed
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 c. sour cream
• 2 c. cheddar cheese, grated, divided
• 1/4 c. grated onion (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Topping (optional):

• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 3/4 cup crushed corn flakes  

Directions:

• Combine soup, butter, sour cream, 1 c. cheese, onion, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the diced potatoes and stir gently until combined.
• Place potato mixture in a 2-3 quart casserole dish or 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Top with the remaining 1 c. cheese.
• Mix 3 tablespoons butter with 3/4 cup crushed corn flakes and sprinkle over the potato mixture. (This step is optional.)
• Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Note: To make reduced fat funeral potatoes, replace the melted butter with 1/2 soup can milk. Use reduced fat sour cream, or replace the sour cream with nonfat, plain Greek yogurt. Reduced fat cheddar cheese also works well.