Mexican Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This chicken really looks yummy.  I can see serving it on a bed of savory mexican rice along with a salad.

Seems like an easy prep, even for a beginner.  I would not change a thing!

This recipe comes from the kitchens of Betty Crocker, always an awesome choice for finding great recipes.

Ingredients

Chicken

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (4 oz)

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 oz each) 

2 tablespoons olive oil

Topping

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz)
1/4 cup sliced green onions (4 medium) 
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves



Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. 

Line large, rimmed sheet pan with foil. 

Place wire rack on top of foil and spray with cooking spray.

Mix pepper jack cheese, cream cheese, chiles and 1 tablespoon of the taco seasoning mix. 

Cut 3-inch-long pocket to within 1/4 inch of opposite side of breast on the thick side of each chicken breast. 

Spoon about 1/3 cup cheese mixture into pocket of each chicken breast. Try to secure chicken up and over stuffing to keep filling from spilling out during cooking. Secure with toothpicks.

Mix remaining taco seasoning mix and the olive oil. 

Place chicken on rack and brush with oil mixture.

Roast uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until stuffing reaches internal temperature of 160°F. 

Top chicken breasts with mozzarella cheese. 

Bake 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Sprinkle each breast with green onions and cilantro.

BLT Macaroni Salad Recipe

Love the twist on the traditional macaroni salad!

Sounds delicious, although I am not sure about the chili sauce.

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups cooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
3 cups shredded lettuce
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled



Directions

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl.  

Add the macaroni, tomatoes and onions; toss to coat. 

Cover and refrigerate. 

Just before serving, add lettuce and bacon; toss to coat. 


Yield: 6 servings.


Source:  Taste of Home
Originally published as BLT Macaroni Salad in Country Extra May 2000, p51

Italian Chicken Braid

Doesn't it look delicious?  Great for a meal or appetizer, brought to you by the Pillsbury kitchens.

Quick, easy and delicious is what I love about this recipe.  It is also a starting point recipe with lots of room for versatility.  I would love to include fresh mushrooms.  

A great recipe for beginners in the kitchen who want to impress their guests.

Ingredients

• 1 box (8 oz) Green Giant™ Simply Steam™ frozen garden vegetable medley
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast 
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese 
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 
• 2 cans Pillsbury™ refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet 
• 1 egg white, beaten

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. 

Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Microwave frozen vegetables using directions from the box, 2 to 3 minutes to thaw.

Mix vegetables, chicken, Parmesan and mascarpone cheeses in large bowl; stir in Italian seasoning.

• Unroll both dough sheets on the cookie sheet, overlapping long sides to make 15x13-inch rectangle and press seam to seal. 
• Spoon chicken mixture in the center center of the rectangle in 6-inch-wide strip. 
• Make cuts 1 inch apart on each long side of rectangle to within 1/2 inch of filling. 
• Fold strips of dough diagonally over filling, alternating from side to side and pressing to seal. 
• Brush with beaten egg white.

Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes.

• 
  

Photo and recipe source

Sloppy Shrimp and Shrimp Stock recipes

Jimmy Buffett's sister Lulu was a guest on this morning's "Cooking with Friends" on the Fox and Friends morning show.  What a personality!  We would love to visit her restaurant if we are ever in the Florida panhandle area. I wonder if they have a burger on the menu called "Cheeseburger in Paradise" . . . I bet they do! Check out the link below for more information on her restaurant, cookbook and more recipes. 

I want her cookbook! . . . OK, so I couldn't resist, I just went to Amazon and bought the cookbook :)  Can't wait to get it!!!

She had our mouths watering with her recipe for Sloppy Shrimp and also provided her recipe for shrimp stock.

"If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain, then you’ll love these recipes from Jimmy Buffett’s sister Lucy! Her cookbook “Lulu’s Kitchen: A Taste of the Gulf Coast Good Life” features these recipes and more, inspired by her coastal Southern roots and Grandma’s cooking! Learn more about Lucy, her cookbook, and her restaurant Lulu’s by clicking here."

Fox and Friends website

SLOPPY SHRIMP

Sloppy Seasoning Mix:

2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. paprika


Ingredients:

1 stick, plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
½ c. olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ c. dark beer, room temperature
½ c. Shrimp Stock (recipe below)
2 lbs. large headless shrimp in the shells
1 tbsp. LuLu’s Perfect Pepper Hot Sauce™
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 loaf French bread or 4 hot dog buns


Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine all seasoning mix ingredients. Set aside.

Melt 1 stick of butter with olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet large enough to fit shrimp without overcrowding. When butter and oil begin to sizzle, add garlic and rosemary. Stir once. Add seasoning mix and stir once.

Add beer and shrimp stock, shaking skillet to marry the oil and liquid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring or shaking the skillet constantly.

Add shrimp. Stir to coat and sauté or shake pan, turning shrimp, for 2 to 3 minutes or until they begin to turn pink. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley. Stir well and cook for 1 minute. Do not overcook shrimp!

Quickly remove shrimp with a slotted spoon to 4 soup bowls. Ladle liquid over shrimp and serve immediately with crusty French bread and a roll of paper towels.

SHRIMP STOCK

Makes about 4 quarts

Ingredients:

Heads, tails, and shells from 5 pounds of peeled shrimp – or – tails and shells from 4 pounds of shrimp and 1 pound shrimp in the shell
6 qts. water
3 onions, chopped into large chunks
6 ribs celery, chopped into large chunks
1 bunch green onions, chopped into large pieces
Handful of parsley with stems, thoroughly washed
2 lemons, sliced into ¼ -inch rounds
1 tsp. whole black
Peppercorns
1 whole clove garlic

Instructions:

Run cold water over shrimp heads and shells (or shrimp if using them). Place all ingredients into an 8-quart stockpot over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium or until stock is simmering. Skim foamoff the top. Continue to skim as needed.

Cook stock for 2 hours or until stock is reduced to about 4 quarts.
Place uncovered stockpot in an empty sink. Fill sink with water and ice around the stockpot. Stir stock every 15 minutes until completely cooled. Strain stock and refrigerate or freeze immediately.

LULU’S CRAZY CREOLA SEASONING

Makes ½ cup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. granulated garlic
4 tsp. granulated onion
¼ c. paprika
1½ tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
½ tsp. dried oregano leaves

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

Excerpted from the book LULU’S KITCHEN by Lucy Buffett. Copyright © 2007, 2016 by Lucy Buffett. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Life & Style. All rights reserved.

Lulu's Perfect Peel and Eat Shrimp