Chicken and Rice Bake

 

When my parents came to visit last week we needed a quick and simple recipe that would feed a lot of us.  We found this one and it's now a family favorite that we've added to our monthly meal plan.

2 chicken breasts cut into cubes
2 cups water
2 cups instant white rice
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 stick of butter, sliced into tablespoon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, cream of chicken soup, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Use a whisk to make sure you get all of the lumps broken down.

Add the rice and cubed chicken breast and stir to coat.

Pour the mixture ino the prepared baking dish.  Evening distribute the sliced butter on top.  Bake in your preheated oven for 60-75 minutes.

Serve with a salad and garnish with fresh cut green onions.

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Bites

 

My family LOVES when this gem comes up on the menu for the week.  I have one kiddo who thinks ketchup is spicy so we don't get too crazy with the spice here but feel free to make it as spicy as you'd like.  I serve it with rice and steamed broccoli.

6 chicken breasts cut into bite size chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1-2 tsp. ground black pepper (depending on how spicy you like things)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the chicken chunks, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook 2-3 minutes.  

In a large measuring cup, combine the honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.  Use a fork and stir to combine.  

Once the chicken has cooked for a couple of minutes pour the sauce mixture into the skillet.  Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened by about half.

Serve over your favorite rice with a veggie.

Tuna Pot Pie

 

This is one of those go-to meals for us.  It's so simple and full of flavor.  I love that it's tuna instead of chicken, but if I'm in the mood for chicken, I'll totally swap out the canned tuna for canned chicken.  And if you have a large cast iron skillet, you can make this in the skillet from start to finish.  If not, you'll need to transfer your mixture into a 9x13 baking dish prior to baking.

1 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

1 medium onion, diced

4 cups frozen peas and carrots

1 tsp. garlic powder

3 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

2 cans white albacore tuna, drained (or 2 cans of canned chicken, drained)

1 can of refrigerated biscuits

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter.  Add the onion and cook until softened.

Add the flour, stir, and cook for 1 minute.

Add the chicken broth and stir until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly.

Add the veggies, tuna, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Stir to combine.

Cut each raw biscuit into 6 pieces.  Carefully arrange the biscuit pieces all over the top of the mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Crockpot Chicken and Rice

 

This one is for the moms!  It's SUPER simple, quick to throw together, you probably have everything you need already in your pantry and freezer and it's kid friendly.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 small onion, diced

3 cups chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Throw everything except for the cheese into the crockpot.  Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Before you're ready to eat, stir in the shredded cheddar.  Cover and allow the cheese to melt for 5 minutes or so.  Serve and enjoy!

Queso Chicken and Rice

 

We have been on a Mexican food kick lately and this one is super easy and all in one pot.  I usually double this recipe because my family has no self control.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 (15oz) can nacho cheese sauce

1 can Rotel

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

Cut the chicken into small bite size cubes or strips.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid.  Add the chicken and season with the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Cook the chicken, stirring frequently, until done; 165 degrees F.

Once the chicken is done, add the chicken broth, nacho cheese sauce and Rotel to the pan.  Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add the rice, stir to incorporate and cover the pan with a lid.  Reduce heat the Low and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender and all of the liquid is absorbed.

Serve immediately with your favorite Mexican sides and toppings.

Leftover Turkey Salad Spread

 

Honestly, the reason we buy a whole huge turkey for Thanksgiving is for the leftovers.  Cold turkey for a midnight snack, yes please.  Turkey and noodles, absolutely.  But this turkey salad spread is what my husband absolutely goes crazy over.  His grandma always made it the week after Thanksgiving and it is something we all crave and look forward to.  The consistency isn't what you expect when think of turkey or chicken salad.  It's a spread.  It's delicious on your favorite bread or crackers.  It would also be amazing with a thin slice of tomato and some thin sliced red onion.  For us, we prefer it alone on a leftover roll.

Leftover Thanksgiving turkey, dark and/or white meat, we usually use white

Mayonnaise

Dill Pickles

Salt and Pepper

Fill a food processor with as much turkey as you desire.

Add a couple dollops of mayonnaise.

Cut 3-4 dill pickles into 1 inch chunks and throw them in along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Pulse your food processor to get everything started and then turn it on high.  Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally until it's a smooth, paste consistency.  I usually have to add a bit more mayonnaise and salt and pepper and just taste as I go until it's how we like it.

Serve on your favorite bread, cracker, or rolls.  Keep refrigerated.  

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

 

This was SO easy and everyone loved it!  It's perfect for a chilly Fall or Winter evening.

1 onion, diced

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

black pepper to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups chicken broth

1 10oz bag of frozen peas and carrots

1 10oz bag of frozen mixed veggies

1 can of refrigerated biscuits (8 count)

Place the diced into the crockpot and lay the chicken breasts on top.

In a small bowl, combine the canned soups, parsley, poultry seasoning, and pepper.  Spread the mixture over the chicken.  Add the chicken broth.

Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 5 hours.

Approximately 90 minutes before serving, roll each biscuit flat and cut into 4 strips.  

Use two forks, or a ground beef chopper, to shred the chicken in the sauce.

Add the frozen veggies to the crockpot and stir.

Place the biscuit strips on top of the chicken mixture in as even of a layer as you can.  Work kind of fast so you can get the lid back on as quickly as possible.

Continue cooking for the remaining 90 minutes.

Once finished, give it another stir.  This will break up some of the dumplings.  Cook another 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Crockpot Chicken Carbonara

 

I don't know exactly how "carbonara" this is, but it is tasty!  It's a super easy weeknight, throw it in the crockpot meal, that our family loves!

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed

2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups chicken broth

1 onion, diced

2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms or peas

2 scoops minced garlic, or 1 head of garlic minced

1/2 block cream cheese

2 Tbsp. butter

1 cup Italian style shredded cheese

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 lb. cooked pasta (we like penne or spaghetti)

salt and pepper

parmesan cheese 

Totally optional, we like to add a little Creole seasoning or blackening seasoning for a little kick

Add your cubed chicken to the crockpot and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.  

Next add the chopped onion, mushrooms (or peas), garlic, heavy whipping cream, and chicken broth.  Stir to combine.

Add the cream cheese, butter, Italian cheese, and bacon.  Stir again.

Cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours.

Once it's done cooking add in your cooked pasta, stir to incorporate, and let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.  Top each serving with a little creole or blackening seasoning, if desired, and a good shake of Parmesan cheese.

Peanut Butter Ramen

 

My best friend recently moved to Japan and she's been sending me all the food pics.  I am HERE FOR IT!  She sent me a recipe for Peanut Butter Ramen and I'm obsessed!  I've tweaked her recipe a bit because sometimes you just can't find all of the ingredients she uses in Japan here in Alaska, but it's SO GOOD none-the-less.  Also, I eyeball all of the ingredients so feel free to add more or less of something as you see fit.

2 tsp. Sesame oil

1 tsp. granulated garlic (or a couple cloves of fresh garlic, minced)

1 tsp. ginger (powdered or fresh minced)

1 tablespoon dehydrated onion

1 tablespoon peanut butter

2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 ramen cakes

pinch of hot pepper flakes, optional

Optional: Any protein you enjoy.  Sometimes I like to add some spicy shrimp. (I simply season my shrimp with some salt and a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes and air fry until done.)  Thinly sliced spicy chicken breast would also be tasty.  A soft boiled egg.  Scallions.  Sesame seeds.  Chopped peanuts.  Sprouts.

In a small saucepan or small skillet, add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and onion.  Sauté 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.  

Add the peanut butter and allow it to mostly melt.  

Add the coconut aminos (or soy sauce) and chicken broth.  

Bring it to a boil and add the ramen cakes (toss the seasoning packet).  Once the ramen noodles are cooked to your liking, transfer to a bowl.  Enjoy as-is or top with your favorite protein and garnishes.  Serves one. Double or triple as necessary but go easy on the peanut butter.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

 

If you're looking for a tasty, one skillet dinner, this one is delicious!  It's full of flavor, packed with veggies, and even the kiddos love it!  It can be pretty versatile too as far as what kind of chicken you use.  I prefer boneless, skinless thighs.  They have TONS of flavor, they crisp up nice, and they cook a bit faster than boneless skinless breasts.  But use was you have, just adjust your cooking time accordingly.

1.5-2lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons coconut oil

sea salt and pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 onion, chopped

1 head of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1 cup chicken broth

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard 

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tsp. Italian seasoning 

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 large handfuls of baby spinach

cauliflower rice, cooked and seasoned with salt

Season the chicken with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Heat a large skillet over med-low heat, add the coconut oil, and cook the chicken thighs for 5-7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate.

Add additional coconut oil if needed and add the onions to the skillet.  Cook the onions until they're soft, then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Whisk in the arrowroot powder and then add the broth and coconut milk.  Stir to combine.  

Add the mustard, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until it starts to thicken.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Add the tomatoes and spinach.  Cook until the spinach is wilted and the tomatoes have softened.  Add the chicken back to the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  

Serve over seasoned cauliflower rice.

40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken

 

Does 40 cloves of garlic sound excessive?  I don't know...maybe to normal people?  I don't think there's such a thing as too much garlic.  This recipe calls for 40 cloves, but I usually throw in a few more just for good measure.  The cloves get nice and browned and have an amazing texture and are slightly sweet...it's seriously amazing!  Busy mom hack, grab a bag of peeled whole garlic at the grocery store.  I get mine at Costco but I've seen them at Aldi too.  I'm sure wherever you shop has them.  It's a HUGE time saver.  Also, the Rosemary is SO GOOD but if you have everything else except for fresh Rosemary sprigs, just leave them out.  But get them for the next time you make it.  

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs

Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt and ground black pepper

40 cloves (*cough cough or more*) of garlic, peeled but left whole

1 cup chicken broth

6 fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet (I use my largest cast iron) over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.

Working in batches (don't crowd them) add the chicken to the skillet, skin side down.  Allow to cook until the skin is golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Flip the chicken over and cook an additional 6 minutes.  

Once you've cooked the chicken 6 minutes per side, place the thighs in a 9x13 baking dish.  Do not wipe the skillet!  Keep all of the oil and chicken drippings in the skillet over medium-high heat.  

Toss the garlic into the skillet and cook, stirring or shaking the pan often until the cloves have started to turn a golden brown, 3-4 minutes.  Do not scorch!  Burnt garlic is awful.  You're looking for a nice, golden color.  Once the garlic is done, use a slotted spoon and scatter them as evenly as possible over the chicken thighs.  Keep the pan on medium-high heat.

Carefully add the broth to the hot pan, making sure you stir and scrape up all of those delicious browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.  Cook until the liquid reduces by half, 2-3 minutes.  My reduced liquid is always very salty so I don't add any additional salt or pepper.  However, if you need more salt or pepper, add it now.

Carefully pour the sauce all over the chicken and garlic.  Place the Rosemary sprigs all over the top of the thighs.

Put the chicken in the oven and roast for 35-55 minutes, depending on the size of your thighs and if you cooked them the full 6 minutes per side in the skillet.  35 minutes is usually plenty but check the internal temp.  Once you've reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer, you're done!

Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes before serving.  Make sure everyone gets a healthy helping of those delicious garlic cloves and a generous drizzle of the sauce.  I love to serve this with some sautéed yellow squash and zucchini and a big salad.

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

 

This. Soup. Is. Bomb!  It's so rich and creamy and hearty.  Absolutely perfect for a chilly Fall or Winter night.  The recipe calls for raw chicken which is what I usually have.  BUT sometimes I have leftover shredded chicken from a rotisserie or other leftover meal that's already cooked.  I totally use that if I have it.  I really like the texture that shredded chicken gives it and it doesn't affect the cooking time at all.  So if you have pre-cooked shredded chicken, feel free to use it.  Don't worry that it's not raw.

4 Tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, diced

5 carrots, peeled and cut into circles

5 stalks of celery, chopped

6 cups chicken broth

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced (or 4 cups of leftover shredded chicken)

1 cup Wild Rice (I love the Lundberg Wild Rice blend!)

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

2 Tablespoons cornstarch (can sub flour)

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 block of cream cheese, softened and cubed

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. salt, more to taste

1/2 tsp. pepper, more to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes, more to taste

Set your Instant Pot to the Sauté feature.  Add the butter and let it melt.  Once the butter is melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery.  Sauté the veggies until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chicken, rice, and parsley to the pot.  Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to "Sealing" and Manual, high pressure for 5 minutes.  After the 5 minutes is up, let the pot naturally release some pressure for 5 minutes, and then do a full quick release.  

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch (or flour) and cold water until no lumps remain.  After the pin drops on the Instant Pot, carefully remove the lid, turn on the Sauté setting, and add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly.

Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until all of the cream cheese has melted.  Add the milk and cream and heat through being careful to stir constantly so it doesn't scorch.  If it starts to get too hot, turn the pot off.  There's plenty of heat in there to get it warmed through.

Add salt and pepper (and a little Creole is fantastic!) to taste.  Serve with your favorite crusty bread.

Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Breast

This is a fun little twist on Buffalo Chicken.  You can eat it just like this with some steamed veggies, and crunchy celery OR slice it on top of a fresh salad.  Also, save this wing sauce!  It is my FAVORITE sauce to toss air fried chicken wings in.

Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

5oz. container crumbled bleu cheese

2 cups shredded mozarella cheese

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Sauce

1 stick butter

1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Slice each chicken breast in half length ways without cutting all the way through.  You want to make a pocket.

Stuff the pocket with a generous, 2 or 3 finger pinch of bleu cheese crumbles.  

Secure the openings of the cheese stuffed pockets with toothpicks.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a skillet.  Sear the chicken on both sides until browned, 3-4 minutes.  Place seared chicken into a 9x13 baking dish and bake until cooked through 10-12 minutes.  

While the chicken is baking, melt the butter in a small sauce pan.  Add the remaining sauce ingredients, combine, and heat until bubbling.  Once the chicken is baked, remove it from the oven and remove toothpicks.  Pour half of the sauce over the chicken breasts and top each breast with a small pile of shredded mozzarella cheese and another pinch of bleu cheese.  Return the chicken to the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.  Serve with remaining sauce.  

Garlic-Herb Butter (Compound Butter)

Garlic-Herb Butter, sometimes called Compound Butter, is something you should *always* have in your fridge or freezer.  It's the best way to add quick flavor to almost anything.  

Some things we use it for are:

Topping our medium-rare steak

Cooking our steak in a cast iron skillet

Melting it into some sautéed veggies (zucchini!)

Add it to any and all seafood

Spread it on freshly baked bread

Use it as a spread for garlic bread

2 sticks grass fed butter (I use a brick of Kerrygold)

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp. fresh minced Rosemary

1 tsp. fresh minced Thyme

2 tablespoons fresh minced Parsley

In a medium sized bowl cream the butter with a fork until smooth.

Add the crushed garlic and herbs and mix well.

Tear off two 12" sheets of wax paper.

Divide the butter mixture in two equal halves.

Place one half on each sheet of wax paper and begin shaping it into a log, as best you can.

Roll the ends of the wax paper like a tootsie roll until tight, continuing to shape it into a log as you go.

Refrigerate for 2 hours prior to use.

Use it on anything you think it sounds good on!  It will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 6 months.

Chicken Tacos

These guys are our Tuesday night go-to.  Chicken Tacos!  Super super easy and SO good!

2-3lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 (16-24oz) jar of your favorite salsa

juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup water

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

avocado

sour cream

shredded cheese

hot sauce (we LOVE Cholula Chili & Lime)

cilantro

tortillas (if you're eating a low carb diet, skip these and just serve over a bed of lettuce)

Add the 1/2 cup of water to your instant pot.

Add the chicken (frozen or thawed...either is fine).

Sprinkle the chicken with the packet of taco seasoning.

Dump the entire jar of salsa on top of the chicken.

Secure your Instant Pot lid, set the valve to sealing, and process on high pressure for 15 minutes...20 minutes if your chicken is frozen.

Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes then quick release the remainder.  Shred the chicken and add it back to the pot.

Serve on warm tortillas or over a bed of lettuce with your favorite taco toppings!

Parmesan Chicken with Bacon Cream Sauce

We LOVE this chicken recipe and my kids devour it.  I mean...it's bacon and cream sauce so everybody wins.

For the chicken:

1lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 Tablespoons mayo

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

For the Sauce:

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (reserve the fat)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon cream cheese

1/4 cup shredded parmesan

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Rinse and dry the chicken and place them in a 9x13 baking dish.

Mix together the mayo and parmesan cheese and spread the mixture on top of each chicken breast.  Bake uncovered 40-50 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

When the chicken has about 10 minutes left to cook, start the sauce.  Warm the reserved bacon grease in a medium skillet.  Whisk in the heavy cream and heat until it starts to simmer around the edges.  Add the cream cheese and whisk until completely melted.  Add in the parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.  Whisk constantly until sauce begins to boil and thicken.  Remove from heat.

To serve, place a piece of chicken breast on the plate, spoon a generous amount of sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with bacon pieces.  

**We LOVE to grill so sometimes I'll grill the chicken breast with our favorite grill rub instead of baking it with the mayo/cheese mixture and it's fantastic!

Lemon Butter Chicken Thighs

I was MAJOR surprised at how this dish turned out.  I make chicken thighs often because they're so affordable and you can do pretty much anything with them.  But holy cannoli this one tops them all.  It's SO flavorful and my kids even ate the spinach.  Next time I make it I'm going to throw even more in there...it's SO good!  And Keto friendly!

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Seasoned salt

1/2 stick butter, divided

1 head of garlic, peeled and the cloves sliced

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Juice of 1 lemon (or 3 drops of Young Living Lemon Vitality)

1 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 drop of Young Living Thyme Vitality)

2-4 cups baby spinach

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season both sides of the chicken thighs with Seasoned salt (I like Lawry's.)

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add chicken, skin side down, and sear both sides until browned 2-3 minutes per side.

Once chicken has been seared, place it in a 9x13 baking dish, skin side up.

Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the hot skillet.  

Add the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1-2 minutes.

Stir in heavy cream, chicken broth, parmesan cheese, lemon, and thyme.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, stir in spinach, and simmer until the spinach has wilted and sauce has thickened slightly, about 3-5 minutes.  

Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs and place the wilted spinach in between the chicken thighs so that the skin can get crispy. 

Place the chicken in the oven and roast until completely cooked though, reaching an internal temperature of 160 degrees, about 25-30 minutes.

Serve immediately.  We like it with riced cauliflower and a salad.

Cream Cheese White Chicken Chili

White Chili y'all.  That's where it's at!  If you've followed this blog for any length of time at all, you know I'm a HUGE fan of it AND that I already have a white chili recipe on here.  You can never have too many.  In my opinion.  Anyway, this one has a much different flavor than my other one yet they are equally amazing.  Variety is the spice of life.  

6 cups chicken broth

1 can Rotel

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. salt

1 can black beans or great northern beans

1 can corn

1 8oz. block of cream cheese

Optional Toppings: Tortilla Chips, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Sliced Avocado, Sour Cream, Cilantro

In your Instant Pot, add all ingredients except for the beans, corn, and cream cheese.

Set your pots valve to the sealing position and process on manual, high, for 20 minutes.

Let it Natural Release for 15 minutes and then Quick Release until the pressure is gone.

Open the pot, remove the chicken and shred.  Add it back to the pot.

Set the pot to the Sauté feature.

Add the can of beans and corn.

Add the cream cheese and allow it to melt.  Use a whisk to break it up and incorporate it completely.

Once the cream cheese has melted and the beans and corn are heated through, add to bowls and serve with your toppings of choice.

For the crock pot:

Add all ingredients except for cream cheese to your crock pot.  Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 4 hours.  

When it's done, add the cream cheese and cook on high an additional 30 minutes.

Chicken Pot "Pie"

I absolutely love my Instant Pot.  Like, a lot.  I feel like I'm cheating the dinner game every night.  Y'all, this cooks for 4 minutes.  It's SUPER easy.  Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I modified this recipe from This Old Gal.  I love her blog and Facebook page.  She's got tons of great recipes.  This recipe, however, I found to be a little "much".  There's about 3 different sets of instructions depending on what method of her recipe you decide to piece together...so this is the simplified version.  In her original recipe she lists sub recipes for her version of homemade biscuits, homemade seasoning salt and homemade cream of chicken soup.  If you're interested in making homemade versions of those ingredients, knock yourself out!  I admire you.  But for the sake of my sanity and those of you who like things easy peasy, I'm posting my modified, simplified version.  And oh my WORD is it delicious!!!!

2lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 cup flour

seasoning salt to taste (I use Lawry's)

Italian seasoning to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

3 medium potatoes, washed, peeled (I don't peel them), and cut into 1 inch chunks

16oz bag frozen mixed veggies

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can refrigerated biscuit dough, cut each biscuit into 4 pieces

Turn your IP onto the Saute feature and allow it to come to full temp.  

While it's heating up, add seasoning salt to taste to the flour.  Dredge the chicken chunks in the flour and shake off excess.  

Once the IP has come to full temp (it will say HOT),  add the olive oil and add the flour dredged chicken.  Allow the chicken to cook just until the outsides have some slight color...2-3 minutes.

Turn off your IP and add the chicken broth to deglaze the pot.

Next, add the potatoes in a single layer on top of the chicken.

Top the potatoes with the bag of frozen mixed veggies.

Season the veggies with seasoning salt and a little bit of black pepper.

Spread the can of cream of chicken soup over the top of the veggies.

Add the biscuit pieces on top of the soup.  If you have a 6qt. IP, you'll have to smoosh them in to make them fit.  If you have an 8qt IP, they'll fit perfectly in a single layer.

Sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with a little more seasoning salt and some Italian seasoning.

Lock the IP lid into place and make sure it's set to Sealing.

Process on Manual, High for 4 minutes.  

Allow it to natural pressure release for 10 minutes.

Quick release after the 10 minutes are up, remove the lid and ladle generous portions into bowls.  

Enjoy!

Lemon-Garlic Chicken

I have to admit that I was nervous to try this recipe.  I'm not sure why I was so hesitant, because everything sounds good, but there was just something about it.  The comments on it were nothing but 5 stars so I gave it a whirl.  WOW!  It's SO good.  Don't be scared.

1-2 lbs. chicken, any cut is fine.  I always have boneless skinless chicken breasts so that's what I used.  But you could use thighs, legs, bone in, bone out...anything is fine.

1 tsp. kosher salt.

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

5 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup chicken broth (or 3/4 cup water and 1 chicken bouillon cube)

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. paprika

1 large lemon, juiced (ooooor 4 drops of Young Living Lemon Vitality essential oil...ahhhh-mazing!)

1-2 tsp. cornstarch

Turn your Instant Pot on the Sauté feature.

Add the olive oil or butter.  When the oil is hot (mine was smoking a bit) add the onion and cook until the onions are soft.

Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the cornstarch (and essential oil if you're using that).

Lock the Instant Pot lid into place and make sure the steam valve is set to closed.  

Select the "Poultry" setting and allow the cook time to complete.  

When the cook time is over, Quick Release to relieve the pressure and carefully remove the lid.  

Turn your Instant Pot onto the Sauté feature again.

Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate.  

Add the Lemon essential oil if using.

Combine the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and add to the pot to thicken the sauce.  

Allow the sauce the reduce a bit until it's thickened to your liking.

Return the chicken to the pot.

I served this with Jalepeno Poppers and green beans.  (Is that a weird combo?  Maybe?  I'm pregnant so it made sense to me...but in writing maybe not so much.)  Annnnyyyyway.  I have gestational diabetes so I opted to not serve it with any starchy carbs.  If you're not worried about it being low carb, this would be awesome served with some buttered linguini with a nice drizzle of that amazing sauce over it.  It would also be yummy with rice.