Category Archives: Dinner

Chicken, Chicken, Crockpot, Dinner

Sweet Baby Ray’s Chicken

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Sweet Baby Ray’s Chicken slow cooks in a crock pot on low heat for 4 to 6 hours. It is the best way to eat pulled chicken and really takes the guess work out of how to make the best bbq pulled chicken.

I love making this delicious dinner on busy weeknights. Just add the chicken to the crock pot, mix up the sauce ingredients, pour over the chicken, and then let the crock pot work its magic. Prepping this dinner takes about 5 minutes. Super easy even on those chaotic weekday mornings, when you are running late. And, wow, is it worth that “effort” when you get home from a crazy day and dinner is waiting for you!

Pulled Chicken

Have you heard the terms pulled chicken or pulled pork? You probably know what they taste like, but do you know why they are called that? Pulled chicken and pork is a staple way of cooking meat when it comes to BBQ cuisine. Basically, it’s slow cooking the meat so that it stays tender as it cooks for hours. It gets so tender that it is able to be pulled apart or shredded into pieces with just a fork.

Cooking this sweet baby Ray’s chicken is super easy to do in a crock pot. The chicken cooks on a low heat for 5 to 6 hours. The phrase, Low and Slow, certainly applies here. And it is the only way to eat pulled chicken! Well, that is if you want to do the easy bbq way. If you are a true bbq champion, you would certainly opt for a smoker. However, if you are looking for a super easy way to make a yummy dinner, stick with me and try this delicious crock pot recipe!

Sweet Baby Ray’s

Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce originated in early 1980s by brothers, Dave and Larry Raymond. The brothers entered their newly created bbq sauce into competitions and did very well each time. Their accomplishments encouraged them to take things to a new level and they began their company, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce so that they could sell their product to consumers.

By the time the Raymond brothers sold their business in 2005, they were earning millions in revenue. Just a few years later, Sweet Baby Ray’s was the 2nd best selling barbecue sauce in the United States. One of the brothers retained the rights to the name “Sweet Baby Ray’s” to this day. A great success story about a family owned business.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless
  • 18 oz BBQ Sauce Sweet Baby Ray’s (entire bottle)
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

How To Make

Yes, this is the entire recipe for this yummy dinner! None of the steps have been mistakenly clipped! Can you even believe how simple this is? It’s an amazingly easy recipe that tastes amazing!

Here’s all you need to do:

  • In a medium bowl, mix bbq sauce with vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper together.
  • Place chicken in the crock pot.
  • Pour sauce mixture over the chicken.
  • Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Make sure to stir the sauce and chicken here and there. The chicken should be submerged in the liquid so that it doesn’t dry out.

When the chicken is done, you could just serve it on a fresh roll and have a pulled chicken sandwich. Or you could go all out and serve it with some macaroni and cheese and a salad like I did in the above picture. And, yes, that is Kraft Macaroni and Cheese! I love that mac and cheese and not embarrassed to admit it. Sometimes you need to just take some good shortcuts with dinner and Kraft Mac and Cheese certainly qualifies as that!

More Crock Pot Recipes

Whether you don’t have time to cook in the evenings or it’s just too hot to turn on the oven, crock pot recipes are a great way of making dinners EASY!

Just prep the meat and sauce in the morning and let the crock pot do the rest. Throughout the day, the aroma will remind you that you don’t have to cook dinner that night. And then at dinner time, your meal will be waiting for you. Just set the table and eat!

Here are a few different types of crock pot recipes that I highly recommend:

Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken
Honey Crusted Parmesan Pork
Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
sweet baby ray's chicken cooked in the crock pot served with kraft macaroni and cheese and salad
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Sweet BabyRay’s Crockpot Chicken

The best way to eat pulled chicken is sweet baby Ray's crock pot recipe! This is really easy to cook and has a tangy and delicious taste that goes well with mac and cheese and salad!
Course Dinner
Keyword crockpot meal
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless
  • 18 oz BBQ Sauce Sweet Baby Ray's (entire bottle)
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix bbq sauce with vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper together.
  • Place chicken in the crock pot.
  • Pour sauce mixture over the chicken.
  • Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Make sure to stir the sauce and chicken here and there. The chicken should be submerged in the liquid so that it doesn't dry out.
  • ENJOY!
Chicken, Dinner, Oven, Pasta

Baked Chicken Parmesan

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Baked Chicken Parmesan consists of the same yummy taste of a traditional chicken parmesan, however, with this recipe, the chicken is not deep fried. As expected, eliminating the frying process eliminates the added fat, grease, and calories! Therefore, this is a healthier version of the Italian classic dinner with the same amazing taste. Yes, it’s true. This tastes so delicious that your taste buds won’t know the difference, but your hips will!

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is an Italian dish that consists of breaded, boneless chicken breast that is covered in tomato sauce and cheese. Typically, the chicken is flattened so that it is a thin piece of meat which is breaded and then deep fried for a moist center with a crispy outside, which is then considered to be a chicken cutlet. Next, the chicken cutlet is topped with tomato sauce and cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, or provolone cheese) and then baked in the oven to melt the cheese directly on the chicken.

If you haven’t had it before, you really haven’t lived. It is, by far, one of the best Italian dishes you can eat. Chicken parmesan can be served as alone cutlet, over pasta, or in a fresh roll for a delicious sub. Mmm, mmm!

Parmesan

A parmesan dish is considered to be a flattened piece of meat that can consist of chicken, veal, eggplant (although not a meat, it is typical for this veggie to be served in parmesan form), or beef which is then breaded by first dipping the meat in egg (both sides) and then coating it with a breadcrumb mixture and then deep fried so that the meat cooks quickly leaving it moist, but has a crispy coating on the outside that is flavorful. It is then baked with tomato sauce and cheese, often parmesan or mozzarella cheese.

Parmesan cheese is hard cheese that derives from Italy that is now produced all over the world. Parmesan has a salty flavor that is a very pungent tasting cheese. This is not a cheese that most people would eat by itself, rather, it is best used as a topping for pastas or pizzas or as an ingredient in recipes.

Chicken Parmesan Ingredients

You won’t need anything out of the ordinary to make this yummy baked chicken parmesan. In fact, most of the ingredients are probably stocked in your pantry and refrigerator right now. If you don’t make your own tomato sauce, don’t worry, you can use jarred tomato sauce for this recipe. Of course, it won’t be an authentic chicken parm dinner, however, it will still taste great. You might want to try Barilla Tomato & Basil.

Here is the list of ingredients that stand between you and making this baked chicken parmesan:

  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 lbs Chicken Breasts butterflied
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 1.5 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 2 cups Marinara Sauce
  • 1.5 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Baking The Chicken Parm

Making this Italian delicacy consists of a 2-step process; breading the cutlets and then baking them. This doesn’t take long from start to finish so don’t worry. Clean everything up and get that table set while the cutlets are baking. Oh, and don’t forget to make that yummy side of pasta while the baked chicken parm is in the oven!

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Line a baking sheet with foil and brush foil with olive oil.
  • Cut the chicken breasts in half (butterfly the chicken) and slice into 2 pieces.
  • After cutting all chicken, place chicken in ziplock bag and pound the chicken breasts (with a meat pounder) to an even thickness.
  • Pat the chicken breasts with a dry paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.
  • In a shallow dish, mix together panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper.
  • In another shallow dish, whisk the eggs.
  • Dip one chicken breast into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture. Make sure chicken breast is fully coated in the crumb mixture and gently press your hand to help the crumbs stick to the chicken.
  • Place chicken breast on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.
  • Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes (or until cooked through).
  • Flip the chicken and pour an even amount of marinara sauce over each piece of chicken.
  • Top each chicken with shredded mozzarella cheese.
  • Place back in the oven and turn on broiler on high for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and edges of chicken are get browned.
  • Serve Immediately.

Other Italian Dishes To Try

I’m a huge fan of Italian food, it is one of my favorite types of food. If you enjoy a yummy bowl of pasta and can’t get enough of different sauces, you might like the following recipes, they consist of a scampi sauce, lemon butter sauce, and marsala sauce. The only thing missing is an alfredo sauce, which will be coming soon!

Shrimp & Asparagus Scampi
Lemon Butter Chicken Pasta
Marsala Pork Chops

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Baked Chicken Parmesan

Baked Chicken Parmesan has the same great taste of chicken parm, but without all the fat from the grease! Easy to make and tastes delicious!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Keyword casserole, chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 lbs Chicken Breasts butterflied
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1.5 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 2 cups Marinara Sauce
  • 1.5 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Line a baking sheet with foil and brush foil with olive oil.
  • Cut the chicken breasts in half (butterfly the chicken) and slice into 2 pieces.
  • After cutting all chicken, place chicken in ziplock bag and pound the chicken breasts (with a meat pounder) to an even thickness.
  • Pat the chicken breasts with a dry paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.
  • In a shallow dish, mix together panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper.
  • In another shallow dish, whisk the eggs.
  • Dip one chicken breast into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture. Make sure chicken breast is fully coated in the crumb mixture and gently press your hand to help the crumbs stick to the chicken.
  • Place chicken breast on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.
  • Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes (or until cooked through).
  • Flip the chicken and pour an even amount of marinara sauce over each piece of chicken.
  • Top each chicken with shredded mozzarella cheese.
  • Place back in the oven and turn on broiler on high for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and edges of chicken are browning.
  • Serve with pasta.
  • ENJOY!
Dinner, Mexican

Turkey Enchiladas

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Turkey Enchiladas are a great way to enjoy your favorite Mexican dish, but in a healthier way. This recipe calls for ground turkey rather than ground beef. That alone can save you calories and fat grams that you can put towards something else such as a tasty Black Jack Margarita. Who eats Mexican food without margaritas? I guess a lot of people, but I highly recommend trying that raspberry flavored margarita, if you get a chance!

Ground Turkey

Ground turkey is ground up turkey that is a mixture of dark and light turkey meat. It also can consist of skin and fat that has not been completely separated from the meat itself. It should not be surprising that the ground meat also includes additives to bind it together and to give it a more “appealing” color.

Ground turkey has been deemed a healthier alternative to ground beef because it is lower in fat and calories. Both ground meats have similar texture making them great alternatives for each other in recipes.

Some people think that there is barely a difference in taste between ground turkey and ground beef. However, others feel strongly that there is a huge difference in taste and prefer one over the other.

Personally, I think in most recipes, the 2 ground meats are interchangeable. If you are a reasonably good cook, you can make healthy ground turkey taste as satiable as some delicious ground beef and without going too heavy on the unhealthy ingredients. Flavorful ingredients will be key.

Ingredients Needed

Here is what you will need:

  • 2 lbs Ground Turkey
  • 1 can Black Beans Rinsed well
  • 1 can Fire Roasted Corn Drained
  • 12 oz Salsa
  • 1 can Enchilada Sauce
  • 2 cups Cheddar Cheese
  • 10 Tortillas

Taco Seasonings

  • 2 tbsp Cumin
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1.5 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Chili Pepper

How To Make

As previously mentioned, these healthy turkey enchiladas are easy to make. Just follow these quick steps and you will be all set!

  • Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F.

Enchilada Filling

  • In a large skillet, brown ground turkey over medium heat so that it is cooked thoroughly.
  • While turkey is cooking, mix taco seasonings together in a small bowl.
  • Drain ground turkey and return to pan. Add in the taco seasoning, black beans, corn, and salsa. Mix well.

Making Enchiladas

  • Cover bottom of 9×13 pan with enchilada sauce.
  • Lay tortilla flat. Add 1 to 2 tbsp of enchilada filling to the middle of the tortilla and then top with some cheese. Roll tortilla up tightly. Lay it seam down in the pan. Repeat until all tortillas are used. If you have leftover enchilada filling, you can use additional tortillas, serve it with nachos,or freeze it.
  • Top enchiladas with cheese.
  • Cook uncovered for approx 20-25 minutes (bottom of the pan will start bubbling at the sides, when done.

Enchiladas For All

Turkey enchiladas are a great choice for all different kinds of dinners. You can serve them on a weeknight or serve them at dinner parties. Most people don’t have to cook large quantities of food at dinner time. In my house, however, there are 8 hungry mouths to feed each day! Cooking dinner can be time consuming, but not if you are organized and efficient.

If you do find yourself making these yummy turkey enchiladas for a large group and you don’t have a lot of time, you can prep them the day before. Just cook up the turkey mixture, roll them in the tortillas, add the sauce and cheese, then store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them. So if you have more time to prep the day before, you can have a quick meal on the day of! How is that for being organized and efficient?

Another time saving trick is you can make a large batch of the turkey mixture and freeze it. Yes, you can freeze this! Then when you are ready to make this delicious Mexican dinner, you thaw it, roll it up, add the sauce and cheese, then bake.

However you decide to prepare these, you can be sure that you will want to eat these turkey enchiladas again and again!

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Turkey Enchiladas

Turkey Enchiladas are a healthier version of your favorite Mexican dish! Ground turkey with beans, fire roasted corn, salsa, cheese, and fresh tortillas make up this easy and delicious dinner!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword dinner, ground turkey, healthy dinner, mexican bowls
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 10 enchiladas
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Ground Turkey
  • 1 can Black Beans Rinsed well
  • 1 can Fire Roasted Corn Drained
  • 12 oz Salsa
  • 1 can Enchilada Sauce
  • 2 cups Cheddar Cheese
  • 10 Tortillas

Taco Seasonings

  • 2 tbsp Cumin
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1.5 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Chili Pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F.

Enchilada Filling

  • In a large skillet, brown ground turkey over medium heat so that it is cooked thoroughly.
  • While turkey is cooking, mix taco seasonings together in a small bowl.
  • Drain ground turkey and return to pan. Add in the taco seasoning, black beans, corn, and salsa. Mix well.

Making Enchiladas

  • Cover bottom of 9×13 pan with enchilada sauce.
  • Lay tortilla flat. Add 1 to 2 tbsp of enchilada filling to the middle of the tortilla and then top with some cheese. Roll tortilla up tightly. Lay it seam down in the pan. Repeat until all tortillas are used. If you have leftover enchilada filling, you can use additional tortillas, serve it with nachos,or freeze it.
  • Top enchiladas with cheese.
  • Cook uncovered for approx 20-25 minutes (bottom of the pan will start bubbling at the sides, when done.
  • ENJOY!
Dinner, Fish, White Fish

Tomato Cod Butter & Herbs

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Tomato Cod Butter & Herbs is a delicious dish that everyone will enjoy. Since cod is a mild tasting fish, even your picky eaters will gobble this dinner down. The cooked tomatoes add a sweet taste to the butter and herb sauce. Serve it over rice and you have a delectable dinner that is easy to make and tasty to eat.

Cod

Cod is a white fish that has a mild taste. In fact, it is considered to taste lightly sweet and is considered a good choice of fish for people who don’t enjoy the taste of a “fishy” fish! It has a somewhat flaky texture and tastes great when paired with a delicious sauce such as a lemon butter, garlic butter, or this tomato cod butter & herbs.

Cod is a lean fish that has a tremendous health benefits. For one, it is a great source of protein. Further, it has a rich source of vitamins of B12 which is good for increased energy, lowers the risk of heart disease, increases brain function, and is thought to improve your mood. Additionally, it also has a rich source of B6. Vitamin B6 is important for many things such as building a strong immune system, healthy nervous system, and brain function.

Ingredients Needed

Don’t let the list of ingredients discourage you. This tomato cod butter & herbs is very easy to make and the ingredients come together beautifully for a tasty dinner!

Here is what you will need for this easy to make dinner:

Tomato And Herb Butter

  • 1  Shallot finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 pint Grape Tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Sugar
  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 2 tbsp Basil
  • 1 tbsp Parsley
  • 1/2 cup White Wine

Cod

  • 2 lbs Cod Haddock, Pollack, or Schrod are fine too
  • 1 Lemon
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Making The Tomato Cod Butter & Herbs

Again, making this tomato cod butter & herbs is very easy and cooks quickly. From start to finish, it will take approximately 20 minutes. Dinner can be ready in 20 minutes! I love dinners like that.

Here is everything you need to make this yummy and easy cod dinner:

Butter & Herbs Sauce

  • In a small pan heat olive oil over medium heat.
  • Sauté shallot and garlic for 4-5 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally.
  • Add tomatoes, chicken stock, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-17 minutes or until tomatoes break down and release their juices and liquid has almost evaporated.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and fresh herbs. The herb butter should be velvety and thick. Cover and keep warm while the cod is baking.
  • Right before the cod is done, add the white wine and let simmer for a couple of minutes so that it reduces.

Cod

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Drizzle olive oil lightly on the bottom of a casserole dish large enough to fit the cod in a single layer.
  • Pat dry the cod really well and place in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle lightly with olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 12-18 minutes or until easily flaked. Baking time will depend on the thickness of the cod.
  • Remove from the oven and evenly spread the tomato butter over the cod. Cover back with aluminum foil and let stand at room temperature for 1-2 minutes before serving so that the flavors come together.

White Fish Alternatives

There are a variety of white fish alternatives for cod. When mentioning the alternatives, it’s good to know that we are looking for similar fish that resemble the same mild taste, flaky texture, and health benefits that cod provides.

Pollock

Pollock is considered a white fish, however, it has more of a grey color than other white fish like haddock and cod. It is also a little fattier than cod as such it should cook a little longer. Pollock, like cod, has many vitamins and minerals such as protein, B6, omega 3 acids, and phosphorus. As a result, it is great for cognitive health, hair and skin care, and other inflammatory conditions. Additionally, since pollock is a low-calorie food, is high in protein and has fatty acids which aid in burning calories. Finally, as most fish, pollock is low in cholesterol. Thus, it helps in preventing heart disease.

Haddock

Haddock is another white fish that is similar to cod. It is a mild tasting white fish that has a low mercury content. Haddock is a lean protein, making it better for you than red meat. Additionally, there are many other benefits that come along with haddock such as vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and magnesium. These vitamins and minerals improve digestion, level hormones, strengthen bones, promote brain function, and help to prevent cancer, along with many other health benefits.

Eat Up

Whatever white fish you decide to make this delicious dinner with, you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy this is to cook. Further, it will taste even better since you understand the health benefits that come along with this tasty dinner.

Ideally, you will want to serve this over rice whether it’s white rice, brown rice, or some other kind of rice blend. However, you can also serve this tomato cod butter & herbs over pasta or with potatoes. If you wanted to make this a low carb dinner, you could skip the starch altogether and eat it by itself. Whatever your preference this tomato cod butter & herb sauce will be extremely enjoyable!

More Fish Recipes To Try

Grilled Haddock

Cilantro Shrimp Salad

Seafood Chowder

Honey Garlic Salmon

Shrimp & Asparagus Scampi

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Tomato Cod Butter & Herbs

Tomato Cod Butter & Herbs is a delicious dish that everyone will enjoy. The cooked tomatoes add a sweet taste to the butter and herb sauce. Serve it over rice and you have a delectable dinner that is easy to make and tasty to eat.
Course Dinner
Keyword fish
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings 6 people
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

Tomato Butter & Herb Sauce

  • 1  Shallot finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 pint Grape Tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Sugar
  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 2 tbsp Basil
  • 1 tbsp Parsley
  • 1/2 cup White Wine

Cod

  • 2 lbs Cod Haddock, Pollack, or Schrod are fine too
  • 1 Lemon
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

Tomato Herb & Butter

  • In a small pan heat olive oil over medium heat.
  • Sauté shallot and garlic for 4-5 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally.
  • Add tomatoes, chicken stock, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-17 minutes or until tomatoes break down and release their juices and liquid has almost evaporated.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and fresh herbs. The herb butter should be velvety and thick. Cover and keep warm while the cod is baking.
  • Right before the cod is done, add the white wine and let simmer for a couple of minutes so that it reduces.

Cod

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Drizzle olive oil lightly on the bottom of a casserole dish large enough to fit the cod in a single layer.
  • Pat dry the cod really well and place in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle lightly with olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 12-18 minutes or until easily flaked. Baking time will depend on the thickness of the cod.
  • Remove from the oven and evenly spread the tomato butter over the cod. Cover back with aluminum foil and let stand at room temperature for 1-2 minutes before serving so that the flavors come together.
  • ENJOY!
Chicken, Chicken, Dinner, Skillet, Stovetop

Creamy Chicken And Bacon -The BEST Upgrade For Dinner

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Creamy Chicken And Bacon just sounds like the ultimate dinner that you would love to eat, but you think it looks too complicated to cook. Well, I’m here to tell you that you CAN make this awesome chicken dinner upgrade! It might not be the healthiest chicken dinner, but it certainly isn’t the worst either. Further, if you eat relatively healthy most days, you can always afford to splurge from time to time. And this is the perfect dinner to use those splurge points on!

This one skillet dinner consists of boneless chicken, bacon, and spinach in a cream sauce that is super-duper tasty! This recipe provides the right amount of excess sauce, allowing it to go well over pasta or rice. Feel free to add some mushrooms, red peppers, and/or sundried tomatoes to the sauce as well for added flavor to this delicious meal.

Bacon

If I didn’t before, do I have your attention now? Ha! Yes, this has a cream sauce AND bacon! It can be considered super unhealthy or as a double dose of awesome! I guess it depends on whether you look at the glass as half full or empty. With respect to the creamy chicken and bacon recipe, I consider the glass half full, for sure!

Let’s face it, bacon makes everything more enjoyable. People are creating the most amazingly tasty recipes combining bacon in the most unlikely foods such as desserts. I don’t have an actual dessert recipe using bacon (not yet anyway), however, I do have a breakfast recipe that is like dessert; Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls. Cinnamon rolls are certainly dessert-like. And they are somewhat of an unlikely thing to add bacon to, but you know what? Bacon is the PERFECT addition to these sweet treats. Sometimes you need your sweet and salty at the same time. And these definitely deliver that.

You know what else tastes great with bacon? Vegetables! Whether you do or do not care for vegetables, you will have to agree that adding bacon to them will definitely be a good idea. Check out my Bacon Wrapped Asparagus recipe. It’s so good. I love making these on Thanksgiving as appetizers. And I like making them from time to time as a side dish to our weeknight dinners. Elegant enough for holidays, but simple enough for every day meals.

Creamy Chicken Ingredients

Everything on the ingredient list for cream chicken and bacon is straightforward. Yes, there is a good amount of flour. And yes, you will need it all! Trust me. Once you get going, if you feel that the sauce ends up being too thick, add a little more half and half to thin it out. Just add a tiny bit extra at a time though. Otherwise, you might make it too thin and would then want to add more flour!

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless
  • 6 slices Bacon diced
  • 10 oz Spinach
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 3.5 cups Chicken Broth low sodium is great
  • 1 cup Half and Half

Making This Dinner

Making the creamy chicken and bacon dinner is pretty easy. Yes, there are a few steps to follow. However, they are all equally easy. Additionally, none of the steps require much time. Therefore, this scrumptious dinner will be ready before you know it!

Here is how you cook this amazing chicken dinner:

  • Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until cooked through. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  • While bacon is cooking, mix together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning in a small bowl.
  • Dredge chicken on each side into the seasoned flour until coated. Shake off excess flour and set aside for later.
  • Once the bacon is removed from the pan, add half of the butter to the pan and allow to melt.
  • When the butter is melted, add the flour coated chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes each side, until golden brown. Once cooked, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
  • Add remaining butter to the pan and allow it to melt.
  • Sprinkle 1 cup of the remaining seasoned flour to the pan and whisk for 1 minute until the butter and flour are well combined.
  • Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and half and half until the sauce is smooth.
  • Return the cooked chicken and bacon to the pan.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for a few minutes so that the bacon and chicken are soaked with the creamy sauce.

More Cream Please

Dying for more creamy recipes? I won’t tell anyone! I’m obsessed with cream sauces myself. I only make them once in a while. And when I do, I savor the flavor. And also, pray for leftovers!!

Here are some other creamy recipes that you might enjoy:

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo

Cowboy Casserole

Crock Pot Chicken And Dumplings

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Creamy Chicken & Bacon

Creamy Chicken & Bacon with Spinach is an awesome dinner recipe that goes well over rice for a full dinner that is easy to make.
Course Dinner
Keyword bacon, chicken, cream sauce
Servings 8 people
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless
  • 6 slices Bacon diced
  • 10 oz Spinach
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 3.5 cups Chicken Broth low sodium is great
  • 1 cup Half and Half

Instructions

  • Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until cooked through. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  • While bacon is cooking, mix together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning in a small bowl.
  • Dredge chicken on each side into the seasoned flour until coated. Shake off excess flour and set aside for later.
  • Once the bacon is removed from the pan, add half of the butter to the pan and allow to melt.
  • When the butter is melted, add the flour coated chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes each side, until golden brown. Once cooked, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
  • Add remaining butter to the pan and allow it to melt.
  • Sprinkle 1 cup of the remaining seasoned flour to the pan and whisk for 1 minute until the butter and flour are well combined.
  • Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and half and half until the sauce is smooth.
  • Return the cooked chicken and bacon to the pan.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for a few minutes so that the bacon and chicken are soaked with the creamy sauce.
  • Add the spinach to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes so the spinach wilts a little. Then mix spinach into the sauce.
  • ENJOY!

Chicken, Chicken, Dinner, Skillet, Skillet, Stovetop

Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo

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Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo is a delicious dinner with parmesan orzo is easy to make and delicious to eat. orzo. It is a one skillet meal that is easy to make and takes approximately 30 minutes to cook from start to finish. The creamy sauce is rich and tasty and is the perfect addition to chicken, asparagus, and orzo. This is a must try recipe for everyone!

What Is Orzo?

Orzo is a type of pasta that resembles the shape of a grain of rice. Albeit, bigger than a grain of rice! As a result, it has a somewhat chewy texture that grabs onto sauces and holds them better than longer pastas such as spaghetti. Ironically, though orzo is thought to be an Italian pasta, this pasta is better known in the US than it is in Italy!

There are many different ways to serve orzo. It can be served alone as a side dish for dinner or as it’s own meal. Orzo can be found in many soups that would do well with either rice or small pastas. Additionally, it can be incorporated into sauces that are served over meats and vegetables to make the dish a complete meal. As such, orzo is an excellent choice for the creamy chicken & asparagus dish!

Dinner Ingredients

Ingredient-wise, this recipe looks typical. Some key ingredients are chicken, asparagus, & orzo which makes sense since that’s basically the name of the recipe! Beyond that, you will also need cream and parmesan cheese along with some other recipe staples.

Here is the full list:

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless chicken breast
  • 2 tbsp Paprika
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 bundle Asparagus each stalk cut into 2-3 pieces
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 2 cups Orzo uncooked
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth low sodium is fine
  • 2 cups Half & Half
  • 2 cups Parmesan Cheese grated
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Cooking This Dish

This creamy chicken, asparagus, & orzo dish doesn’t require a lot of prep work which is wonderful as far as I am concerned. The little prep work that you need to do can be done as the chicken is cooking. Therefore, the prep work isn’t in addition to the cooking time. Rather, it is during the cooking time! I love multi-tasking like that.

Follow these simple instructions and enjoy your amazing, creamy, 1 skillet dinner:

  • Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika on both sides.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
  • Sear chicken in skillet for approx 5 minutes per side until chicken is cooked through. (depending on the thickness of your chicken, you might need more or less cooking time). When done, transfer to plate and keep warm.
  • In the same skillet, add the asparagus and saute for about 3 minutes. Let the asparagus soften a bit, but you want them to stay a little crispy so don’t over cook. Once done, transfer to a plate and keep warm.
  • In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes so that the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add the orzo to the skillet and saute for 1 minute to get it a little toasty.
  • Now, add half and half and chicken broth to skillet and stir.
  • Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium low. Cover with lid and let it cook for 10 more minutes.
  • Stir in parmesan cheese. Taste a little bit and season with additional salt and/or pepper, if needed.
  • Add asparagus back and stir it into orzo mixture.
  • Slice chicken into thin slices.
  • Add chicken back into skillet and mix with sauce, orzo, and asparagus.
  • Once mixed together, serve immediately.

Creamy Goodness

This creamy chicken, asparagus, and orzo dinner is delicious. I’m positive that it will become a family favorite. The downside of this recipe is that it is so good, there might not be leftovers. However, it’s easy enough to cook so making it another time shouldn’t be a problem.

If you are dying to try this recipe and don’t have chicken, you could still make this a variety of ways:

Substitute the chicken with pan seared steak. Creamy steak, asparagus, and orzo sounds like an enticing dinner.

Substitute the chicken with pork. Creamy pork, asparagus, and orzo has a appetizing ring to it, if you ask me. You could use pork chops, boneless pork ribs, or pork loin sliced into smaller slices. Just make sure to adjust cooking time accordingly.

If you aren’t gung-ho on meat, in general, you could make this creamy orzo with just asparagus and keep it as a vegetarian dinner. It’s filling enough to skip the meat and has plenty of protein from the dairy (parmesan cheese and half and half).

However, if you want to keep the chicken in the dish, but don’t have orzo, you can still make this dish! You could make it with rice; either white or brown rice would do fine. Or, perhaps, you want to keep with the pasta-ish starch, you could cook this creamy chicken dish with bow ties, tortellini, etc. Whatever you want to switch things up with will be delicious, I’m sure!

More Creamy Dinners To Try

Marsala Pork Chops

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Chicken And Dumplings

Crock Pot Chicken with Peas

Creamy Martinis – You MUST Try!

Pistachio Martini

Chocolate Amaretto Martini

Tiramisu Martini

Snicker Licker Martini

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Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo

Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo made with parmesan cheese and other yummy ingredients is easy to make and delicious to eat. This is sure to be a family favorite dinner that you won't mind cooking!
Course Dinner
Keyword chicken, cream sauce, rice
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless chicken breast
  • 2 tbsp Paprika
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 bundle Asparagus each stalk cut into 2-3 pieces
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 2 cups Orzo uncooked
  • 2 cups Half & Half
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth low sodium is fine
  • 2 cups Parmesan Cheese grated
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika on both sides.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
  • Sear chicken in skillet for approx 5 minutes per side until chicken is cooked through. (depending on the thickness of your chicken, you might need more or less cooking time). When done, transfer to plate and keep warm.
  • In the same skillet, add the asparagus and saute for about 3 minutes. Let the asparagus soften a bit, but you want them to stay a little crispy so don't over cook. Once done, transfer to a plate and keep warm.
  • In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes so that the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add the orzo to the skillet and saute for 1 minute to get it a little toasty.
  • Now, add half and half and chicken broth to skillet and stir.
  • Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium low. Cover with lid and let it cook for 10 more minutes.
  • Stir in parmesan cheese. Taste a little bit and season with additional salt and/or pepper, if needed.
  • Add asparagus back and stir it into orzo mixture.
  • Slice chicken into thin slices.
  • Add chicken back into skillet and mix with sauce, orzo, and asparagus.
  • Once mixed together, serve immediately.
  • ENJOY!