Tag Archives: cheese

Barbecue Chicken Flatbread with French’s Fried Onions

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BBQ chicken

Flatbreads are the perfect solution for quick weeknight dinners, snacks, or entertaining.

It only takes about 15 minutes to  whip up a delicious flatbread, so I keep ingredients on hand all the time for these creations.  I use naan for my crust and it freezes well. You can make a basic flatbread with sauce and cheese,  but I prefer innovative bites.  Any one of my recipes this week would make great Super Bowl party fare.

I made an amazing Barbecue Chicken Flatbread. I love barbecue style pizzas and flatbreads but there are a lot of mediocre ones out there. This one is topped with thick Kansas City style sauce, chicken, corn, bacon, a hint of onion, cheese and it’s all topped  off with French’s Fried Onions- which makes the dish. The smoky bacon, sweet corn, and crispy onions make this flatbread stand out. It was wonderful and great party option. I can’t wait to eat it again.

You can also use leftover pulled pork or brisket.

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Barbecue Chicken Flatbread

Makes 1 flatbread

1 small plain naan

3 tablespoons Kansas city style BBQ sauce

2/3 cup sliced chicken breast or rotisserie chicken

2/3 cup shredded  Monterey-Jack cheese blend

2 slices of cooked bacon

1 ½ tablespoons canned corn, drained

1/2 cup French’s Fried Onions (or more)

1 tablespoon minced red onion

Cilantro to garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread barbecue sauce over the pizza.  Chop chicken breast and spread it over the sauce and then top with cheese.

Crumble the bacon and spread it over flatbread, along with corn. I drained the corn and dabbed it with a paper towel to make sure there was no more moisture. Top with both sets of onion.

Bake 7-9 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro, optional.

BBQ chicken slices

 

Chicken Enchilada Flatbread

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This flatbread is so easy to make and makes a quick dinner or appetizer. It takes 20 minutes from start to finish.

You can top it with cilantro, sour cream, tomatoes, black olives — anything you’d like.

I use red enchilada sauce, but it’s delicious with green, too.

Chicken Enchilada Flatbread

Makes 2 (serves 3-4)

1 (8.8 ounce) package of Stonefire Tandoori Baked Original Naan

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

1/2 cup refried beans

1/4 cup salsa

Garlic salt to taste

2 rotisserie chicken breasts

1 cup red enchilada sauce

1 ½ cups shredded Mexican-style mixed cheese

1 green onion

Sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 400.

In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese and taco seasoning, divide it in half and spread half on each Naan crust. Then, in the same bowl, mix refried beans, salsa and garlic salt to taste. Spread that over the cream cheese mixture.

Pull the chicken breasts off the rotisserie chicken and shred it with your hands. I put the chicken in the same bowl I’ve been using so I don’t’ dirty any more dishes. Stir together the chicken and enchilada sauce and then spread the mixture on each piece of Naan.

Top with cheese. Bake 9 minutes.

Chop green onion and use it to garnish the flatbread. If desired, garnish with sour cream, too.

Slice and serve.

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Try this Fabulous Chicken, Bacon, Gorgonzola Flatbread

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Divine. Heavenly. That’s how I’d describe my Chicken, Bacon, Gorgonzola Flatbread, which is bubbly, creamy, bacon goodness.

Every day this week, I am showcasing a new flatbread creation and this is my favorite so far. Now, I am not done creating yet, but I’m in the home stretch.

This wonderful flatbread is topped with bits of tart apple that provide a nice contrast in terms of texture and flavor.

This pairs beautifully with red wine. The funny thing is I don’t usually like blue cheese, but Gorgonzola is much lighter than many other varieties and this doesn’t even taste like blue cheese. So if you think you don’t like blue cheese, it’s still worth trying this.

I can’t wait to eat it again.

Chicken, Bacon, Gorgonzola Flatbread

Makes 2 flatbreads

1 (8.8 ounce) package (which contains 2 flatbreads) of Stonefire Tandoori Baked Original Naan

5 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup real bacon pieces or chopped bacon, plus 1 teaspoon (do not use bacon bits)

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup Gorgonzola crumbles

1 ¼ cups chopped rotisserie chicken

2/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 Granny Smith apple

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stir together cream cheese, bacon, heavy whipping cream, garlic powder and Gorgonzola. Set aside.

Remove the breasts from the rotisserie chicken and chop those. Finely mince the Granny Smith apple and set aside.

When oven is preheated, spread half the cream cheese mixture on each flatbread. Sprinkle half the chicken on each flatbread and top with Mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 9 minutes. Then sprinkle with the apple and serve.

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EASY Mediterranean Quesadillas with Feta, Red Pepper Sauce

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I LOVE this recipe. It comes together in about 10 minutes so it’s perfect for lunch, a snack, light dinner (serve it with a salad) or a quick appetizer.  If you want to cut  calories and fat, you can omit the cheese inside the quesadilla and only use the feta in the red pepper sauce. I have done that and it was still popular.

You have to try these!

EASY Mediterranean Quesadillas with Feta, Red Pepper Sauce

1 cup chopped, skinless rotisserie chicken

1/3 cup hummus

1 tablespoon chopped red onion

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chopped black olives

1 tablespoon chopped green olives

3 (8-inch) flour tortillas

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Parsley or cilantro to garnish (optional)

Sauce:

1/3 cup feta cheese

¾ cup roasted red pepper slices

These quesadillas are so, so, so easy and delicious!

Make the sauce first. Place feta and roasted red pepper slices in a food processor and process for 30 seconds. Set aside.

Next, mix chicken, hummus, onion, cumin, and olives together and set aside.

Place mixture in half a flour tortilla shell (so when you fold it over it looks like a half moon). Top the mixture with cheese.

Preheat a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat. When hot, place the folded quesadilla down and cook about 3-4 minutes per side.

If desired, garnish with parsley or cilantro (I did this more for the photo than the taste).

Remove and top with red pepper sauce and serve immediately.

Chicken, Ranch, Black Bean Quesadilla

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I made this recipe a few weeks ago when my sister was visiting from California and it was a big hit. It’s kid friendly and incredibly easy!

From start to finish, these take 15-20 minutes, so they are perfect for a busy weeknight. They make a good snack or appetizer for a party.

Chicken, Ranch, Black Bean Quesadilla

8 ounces whipped cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tablespoon dry Ranch salad dressing mix

½ cup corn, drained

2 tablespoons chopped black olives

½ cup black beans, drained

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon of chopped red onion

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)

1/3 cup chunky salsa (it must be chunky)

1 cup chopped chicken

2 cups shredded Mexican style cheese

6- 8 flour tortillas

Guacamole or extra salsa to serve (optional)

MIs together cream cheese and Ranch dressing until thoroughly combined. Then stir in corn, black olives, black beans, onion, cilantro, salsa and chicken.

You have two options when cooking. You can bake the tortillas or make them on the stovetop or skillet (my favorite method). Baking is easier but the shell gets crispy and busts up a little when you cut it. If you want to bake them, bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes.

If you have a pancake skillet, it’s perfect for these. If not, you can make them two or three at a time or just bake them all at once.

Directions:

Divide mixture between flour tortillas, only filling halfway so when you fold over the tortilla you will have a half moon. Top the mixture with cheese.

Spray a nonstick pan or skillet with cooking spray. Turn heat on to medium. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve immediately. These are great with guacamole or extra salsa.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich

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I’ve been on a sandwich kick lately. I love revamping traditional recipes and transforming them into portable sandwiches. Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my favorite dishes but it’s so fattening and time consuming to make. For this sandwich version, I simply add white wine to mayonnaise to create a sauce and dress it with paprika and white pepper, which are traditional.

It’s a good sandwich, not my best, but good.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich

Serves 1

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dry white wine

Dash of each paprika and pepper (white pepper is preferred, but black will do)

1 crusty bread roll or large dinner roll from a bakery

4 slices of good quality deli ham or proscuitto

1 thick slice of Gruyere cheese (you can substitute Swiss)

Half a rotisserie chicken breast

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
First, stir together mayonnaise, wine and paprika and pepper. Set aside.

When the oven is preheated, slice your roll in half. Smear mayonnaise mixture, which will be thin, on both insides of the bread. Layer the ham, cheese and chicken and close the sandwich. Bake for 5 minutes and then enjoy.

Awesome, Chicken and Artichoke Sandwich

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Awesome Chicken, Artichoke Sandwich

This chicken sandwich is crusty on the outside, gooey on the inside and packed with flavor. If you love artichoke dip at parties, you will LOVE this.

This recipe can easily be doubled and you will want to once you taste it. It’s one of my favorites.

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken breast

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoon your favorite olive tapenade (I like green olive for this)

1 cup chopped artichoke hearts

1 cup shredded, fresh parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Half a loaf of French or Italian bread (not baguette)

Preheat oven to 375.

Stir together chicken, cream cheese, mayonnaise, olive tapenade, artichoke hearts, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Set aside.

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Cut the bread in half and then cut it horizontally. Fill the bread with chicken mixture. If desired, add a tiny sprinkle of more Italian seasoning.

Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and pop in the oven for 18-20 minutes. When it’s done, cut into four servings.

Yes, it’s THAT EASY!!

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Serve with a salad.

Mock Muffaletta

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I have never been a huge fan of Muffaletta sandwiches because they are overly salty and taste really fatty. My version of the muffaletta is scrumptious. I omit the ham, add chicken, use the mayo to add a creamy flavor and temper the saltiness of olives.  Instead of chopping olives, I simply open a jar of olive tapenade. I prefer green olive tapenade in this recipe.

The chicken adds lean protein to this sandwich and I use less salami than a traditional Muffaletta, so it has less fat. I enjoy this toasted, which makes the bread crusty, cheese gooey and sweats some of the fat off the salami. But you can eat this cold and if you do, it becomes one my “10 minute” recipes. It’s a great, easy sandwich either way. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 hoagies or Italian bread sliced into sandwich portions

1/3 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup green olive tapenade

½ cup shredded Manchego cheese (You can substitute Swiss or a Monterey Jack for mild flavor)

1 ¼ cups chopped rotisserie chicken breast, skin removed

Generous dash of Italian seasoning

6 slices large cut salami

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stir together mayonnaise and olive tapenade. Divide the mixture in thirds and spread on the bread. Sprinkle cheese and chicken over hoagies and add a dash of Italian seasoning to each. Top each with two slices of salami.

Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts and bread is toasty. Serve immediately.

Serves 3.

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Chicken Alfredo

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Pasta is one dish I never order in a restaurant because it’s so easy and inexpensive to make at home. Like this Chicken Alfredo. The most time consuming part of this dish is cooking the pasta. I make mine with angel hair because the sauce sticks to the noodles more.

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Chicken Alfredo

Serves 4

Both breasts from rotisserie chicken

8 ounces angel hair pasta

¼ cup butter

1 garlic clove

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cusp fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh chives (optional)

I use chives because we have them in our garden. It’s not worth buying chives for this dish, so the chives are optional. Also, I love basil in alfredo but you can skip it if you’re not crazy about basil.

Do not salt your sauce until the end because there is a lot of salt in cheese.

This dish comes together quickly at the end, so have everything prepped.

First, put water on to boil for pasta.

Then remove the chicken breasts and the skin and chop chicken into chunks and set aside.

Slice basil and chop parsley.

When water is ready, add the pasta

Cook pasta according to aldente directions on the box, strain and set aside.

In a large skillet , heat butter and garlic for 1 minute. Add heavy cream and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan, chicken, pasta, parsley and basil. Cook 2 minutes until sauce sticks to pasta. Garnish with fresh  basil and chives, if desired. Serve immediately.

This photo does not do this dish justice. Just know it’s delicious!

Midwest Beer, Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Festival

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What did you do yesterday? Well, I attended the third annual Midwest Beer, Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Festival at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds and it was awesome.

The festival attracted throngs of people who lined up to sample more than 200 products- many made in Missouri.

The fair puts this on and from year one, attendance has more than doubled and it’s easy to see why.  It was an incredible opportunity to sample as much I wanted and discover new products. I’ve fallen in love with beers I would never have ordered at a bar or restaurant, and tried locally produced food that I will now seek out.

While there was wine and beer, it definitely felt more beer-centric.

My only complaint were the lines were very long everywhere I went and it could 10 minutes to get to a booth. But in true Ozarks fashion, some people would pass samples back down a line if it was stagnant, which was nice.fesgtival

To my amazement, with this many samples, there wasn’t anything I disliked but there were definitely standouts. Here were some of my favorites that are definitely worth trying, if you haven’t already:

Booze:

Springfield’s White River Brewing Company’s Copper Creek IPA was exceptional. This English-style ale is hoppy and aged in charred oak barrels which gives this beer an incredible flavor with hints of caramel, butterscotch, and a fruit finish. This was my favorite beer of the day. http://www.whiteriverbrewingco.com/beers/

The Chocolate Thunder from Mother’s Brewing Co., in Springfield, uses nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide in the brewing process, lending the beer a creamier mouthfeel. The full-bodied American porter style, has a rich chocolate taste, almost to the depth of a brownie. http://mothersbrewing.com/

I had to stop at The Traveler Beer Co., because I am a traveler and loved the name, but I found the beer was fantastic, too. The grapefruit, yes grapefruit, was exceptional and perfect for spring. The lemon shandy was also excellent and will be on my list this summer. You seriously taste the fruit in these beers but it’s fresh and natural tasting, not a fake chemical flavor. It’s so refreshing. I picked some up at Harter House on my home and my husband’s initial thought was “grapefruit?” But he loved it, too. This is not a Midwest product, it’s out of Burlington, Vermont, which is an incredible city if you’ve never been. http://travelerbeer.com/

Crown Valley Brewing and Distilling in Ste. Genevieve had a nice blackberry cider and the best Missouri-made sparkling pink Moscato I’ve ever had. It was light, bubbly, fruity (particularly with strawberry notes), sweet and retails for about $16. If you like Moscato, give this a try. http://www.crownvalleywinery.com/

Wenwood Farm Winery out of Bland, Mo., wins the award for best Missouri red. The Century Farm Red is a dry red made in the tradition of Pinot Noir and it tastes like a Pinot. It’s very fruit forward and smooth. I’d never heard of this winery or Bland, Mo., so this was a nice surprise. I went on the website and it looks so quaint. I want to visit this place http://wenwoodfarmwinery.com/

Food

Cloud’s Meats Inc., out of Carthage, Mo., has been in business since 1959 and it’s easy to see why. The family-owned business produces smoked meats and other sausages, which were delicious. Summer sausage and similar products can be too greasy, or overly garlicky, but this was just right. I particularly liked the cranberry sausage and the buffalo sausage. Although this is what they offered at the tasting, if you visit the website, you see there’s so much more for sale from bratwust to ribs. They also custom process deer and other meats. http://cloudsmeats.com/

Crazy Uncle Dave’s Beef Jerky out of Branson is homemade, all natural, and it’s one of the best beef jerky’s I’ve ever sampled. It has an intense smoky flavor and doesn’t taste processed at all. It was great. This is all I could find for a website, although the man serving the jery said the product is or will be available at Silver Dollar City. http://www.crazyuncledaves.com/~shop/crazy-uncle-daves-beef-jerky/252631/

The Branson Craft Mall served up incredible, warm, cinnamon-kissed candied pecans and almonds. The pecans were outstanding; sometimes candied nuts have a hard coating or the coating is as thick as the nut, but these were softer and just the right amount of candy coating. I will go to Branson just to visit this place. It has free samples daily of other products and lots of crafts and work from local artists. I love that type of thing. http://bransoncraftmall.com/

Cake Pop Co., served up a moist stout cake with a bourbon buttercream frosting that was heavenly. This Springfield company has national business and it’s wonderful to see its success. http://www.cakepopco.com/

Panera Bread Co.,’s chocolate croissant was buttery but light and had a delicious chunk of chocolate tucked inside. I love Panera but always eat lunch there, so this was my first time sampling something sweet for breakfast. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/home.html