Iron Skillet Chicken Potpie with Cheddar Chive Crust

  Hello again, friends! Over one year later I have remembered that I have a blog. Actually it may be more like I finally feel that I have some time to spend here again occasionally. I'm not going to make any commitments as to how often you'll see new posts but I am hoping to at least be here a little more often.

  So apparently January 23rd is "National Pie Day." I didn't realize that when I planned to make this for dinner, but it was a neat coincidence. =) The day was damp and dreary with some snow/rain mixed in and I wanted something warm and comforting. 

Iron Skillet Chicken Potpie with Cheddar Chive Crust

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup butter

6-8 tbsp water 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbsp dried chives

Place flour, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse until it becomes course crumbs. Add in cheese and chives pulse until combined. Add in water a few tablespoons at a time just until dough comes together and forms a ball. Divide dough keeping a small amount back for the top crust. Roll out on floured surface, transfer to a 12" cast iron skillet. Trim edges to fit.

Filling:

4 chicken thighs, cubed

1 cup carrots, diced

1 1/2 cups diced potatoes, cooked

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tbsp butter

seasoned salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

 1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chicken broth 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp rosemary

In a saucepan melt butter. Add chicken, carrots, seasoned salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is done and carrots are soft. Add peas and cook for 1 minute. Add cooked potatoes, set aside. In a saucepan melt butter, stir in flour, salt, cream and chicken broth. Cook until thick, mix in herbs then add to the chicken and vegetables. Combine and pour into the skillet. Roll out remaining dough, place on top of mixture, seal the edges and cut slits on top. Bake at 350º for approx 1 hour or until crust is golden brown.

However, as it is written: "What no

eye has seen, what no ear has heard, 

and what no human mind has conceived"-

the things God has prepared

for those who love Him.

~1 Corinthians 2:9

Roasted Cornish Game Hens

   The past couple of years on Thanksgiving we haven't had any family gatherings so we have kinda made it a tradition to go out to eat at a restaurant that serves a Thanksgiving buffet. It was nice not have to worry about fixing food for just two people plus their food is delicious. This year though, since we now have a baby and we usually had to wait in line awhile, we decided it would probably be easier and cheaper to fix our own meal.
   Making a whole turkey for just two people seemed a bit crazy, so husband suggested we do Cornish game hens instead....great idea Mr! Although we had never made them before we have eaten them and knew they could be mouth-watering. After both of us searched through different recipes on our own we discovered we had both found this one recipe that we'd like to try. Great minds think alike huh? ;)
   So while baby slept we spent most of the morning in the kitchen; hubby in charge of the birds, me in charge of sides. {A side dish recipe coming next} I think we have now started a new tradition. Not only was it fun and oh-so-good, but I could stay in my pj's if I wanted {and I did}. Please don't judge me for that. =) Anyway, back to more important matters....the hens were amazing and the perfect size. Your own personal turkey chicken. I'm definitely not going to wait until Thanksgiving next year to make these little birdies again!

Roasted Cornish Game Hens

yield: 2 servings

2 Cornish game hens, thawed if frozen

salt and pepper to taste

1 lemon, quartered

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil

24 cloves garlic

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450*. 

Pat the hens dry and rub with 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig of rosemary in the cavity of each hen. Place hens roasting pan breast side up and arrange garlic around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Whisk together wine, chicken broth and remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Pour over the hens. Continue roasting another 15 minutes.

Brush the melted butter over the hens. Reduce oven temperature to 350* and continue roasting for another 25-30 minutes or until nice and golden brown and the juices run clear. Remove from oven and let hens rest for 5-10 minutes. Place on serving platter. Garnish with rosemary, lemons etc.

Transfer pan juices and garlic to a saucepan and add another 1/4 cup of wine; boil about 5 minutes. Serve over the hens or use as a dipping sauce.

 

* Recipe adapted from Beantown Baker's Cornish Game Hens with Garlic and Rosemary *

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Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness; 

come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is He who made us, and we are His,

we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name. 

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through all generations.

~Psalm 100

♥Sheila    

  

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

   As soon as I saw this recipe I knew it was one I had to try. Hubs and I both love jalapeño poppers and although 'D' isn't a big fan of chicken I was pretty sure he would like this. So it's what was for dinner tonight...and I was right he did like it. {oh, and I liked it too} =)
   Since we had already cleaned off my garden for the year the peppers weren't just out the back door as usual, but I had to run some errands in town anyway, so I stopped to pick up some. Not as handy, but that's ok.

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

4 skinless chicken breast

1 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

4 tsp canola oil

4 tsp taco seasoning

2 eggs, beaten

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3-4 jalapeño peppers, chopped (seeds and ribs removed) 

salt

pepper

In a small skillet heat oil and bread crumbs. Fry, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in taco seasoning.

 Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese and jalapeños. Beat eggs in a shallow dish.

With a small knife split the chicken breast through the center until almost butterflied. Salt and pepper the chicken. Stuff with the cream cheese mixture. Dip one at a time into the egg and then roll in bread crumbs making sure to coat well.

Place onto a greased broiling pan. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

 

 

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May the God of hope fill you

with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow with

 hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

~Romans 15:13

 

♥ Sheila   

 

 

Summer Chicken Salad

  Monday evening we had a baseball game here at the house and I wanted to make something for dinner that would be quick to throw together after Daren got home from work and before he had to go play ball.
   Since we have an abundance of lettuce in the garden I thought salads would be a good choice.  So while the boys took a short nap............................

 .........I prepared the salads using ingredients I had on hand. The end results were quite delicious and refreshing.

Summer Chicken Salad

1 pkg chicken breast tenderloins

1 tbsp olive oil

Greek seasoning

rosemary

thyme

fresh ground pepper 

salt

fresh squeezed lime juice 

lettuce

Mandarin oranges, drained

toasted English walnuts

shredded cheddar cheese

fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a skillet until hot. Cut the chicken into small strips. Add to the hot oil and season to suit your taste with the Greek seasoning, rosemary, thyme, pepper, salt & lime juice. Fry until golden brown. {I would have liked to grill the chicken but I didn't have the time.} Cut up the lettuce and add chicken, oranges and walnuts. Drizzle with Balsamic Celery Seed Dressing and top with grated cheese.

Balsamic Celery Seed Dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 small onion

3/4 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp celery seed

Blend together until smooth.

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Blessed is the man who

trusts in the Lord,

 whose confidence is in Him.

~Jeremiah 17:7

Blessings to you!

♥ Sheila   

 

Tangy BBQ Chicken Wings

   I was at Mom's the other day and saw this recipe. She said they really liked them and I had some wings in the freezer, so I copied it off and brought it home hoping to give them a shot in the near future.
  We had an appointment last evening to get our photo taken for the new church directory and since these wings are done in the crockpot I thought it would be great to come home and have dinner waiting. Dug the wings out of the freezer to thaw, prepared everything and stuck them in the crockpot to cook.
  Put some potatoes in the oven on time bake and got broccoli out of the freezer to thaw, so when we got home all that I needed to do was cook the broccoli. {which I just fried in a skillet with olive oil and seasonings until tender crisp} We were sitting down to eat in a little bit of no time which was great because I was hungry!! ;) 

Tangy BBQ Chicken Wings with

Homemade Ranch Sauce

•  5 lbs chicken wings, thawed
• 2 1/2 cups ketchup
• 2/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2-1 tsp liquid smoke {optional}

Place the thawed wings on a greased 11x15 baking sheet. Bake uncovered @ 375* for 25 minutes. Drain. Turn wings and bake for 25 minutes until juices run clear. Combine BBQ sauce ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Place half of the wings in crock pot and cover with half of the sauce. Add remaining wings and sauce. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. {I cooked them for 4 and they were almost too done so think 3- 3 1/2 hrs would be good}

Ranch Sauce:

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tbsp cilantro

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Blend together well and serve with wings.

    I made them just like the recipe this time, but when I make them again I'm going to spice them up a bit. They were really tasty like this, but we like spicy food and I think it would make them even better.

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Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

each day has enough trouble

of its own.

~Matthew 6:34

Much love! =)

♥ Sheila  

{Tomato Feta Chicken}

   There was a large barn fire in our neighborhood on Thursday so Daren spent alot of his day there. He didn't know when he would get home so I needed a dinner idea that would be quick & easy to put together for when he did get here.
  I had some chicken in the freezer and lots of fresh garden tomatoes, so wanted to use those as main ingredients. Searched awhile for some recipes & found this one that sounded easy & delicious.

Tomato Feta Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast*
• 2 tbsp zesty Italian dressing
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 2 tomatoes seeded & chopped
• 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• pepper & salt to taste

Thaw chicken & brush with dressing; sprinkle with Italian seasoning & pepper. let stand for 10 minutes or so. Heat oven to broil setting. Broil the chicken for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until almost done.**

Meanwhile in a bowl combine, tomatoes, basil, cheese, vinegar, pepper & salt. Remove chicken from oven & arrange tomato mixture over top of each one. Broil for another 2-3 minutes, until cheese has softened. Serve immediately

* I used 8 chicken tenders instead of 4 breast

**could also grill them, I just didn't want to take the time

  Daren called me on his way home, so I got everything started & it didn't take too long to have it all ready for the table. Since hubby isn't a big fan of chicken I was a little worried that he might not like it, but he thought it was really good. [maybe it was because he was so hungry =)]

 

  Served it with fresh corn-on-the-cob......a perfect meal for dining outside on the deck. Twas a perfect evening also; the sun had just set & it had cooled off a bit. Ahhh, how I just love summer evenings!!

Enjoy your day! =)

♥ Sheila

Grilled Chicken with Rhubarb Relish

 Since we have a very plentiful supply of rhubarb & wanting to use it as often as possible I went on a search for new & interesting recipes to use it in. Found this one & was excited to try it, so Daren & I had a date night at home Friday & cooked dinner together.
  Our menu for the evening was Grilled Chicken with Rhubarb Relish, Grilled Asparagus, Sweet Potato Fries & fresh garden salad.
  Daren mastered the grill while I made the fries, salad & the relish for the chicken.

Grilled Chicken with Rhubarb Relish

Chicken:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper. Brush with lemon juice & oil. Grill until done approx. 6 minutes per side.

Relish:

3 cups rhubarb, chopped

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 cup orange juice

1-2 jalapenos, seeded & chopped

2 shallots, minced

Bring all of the relish ingredients to a boil; reduce heat & simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook about 10 minutes until it is thick. Cool. Serve over top of the grilled chicken

 The final verdict; Daren was not really that impressed, but I thought is was quite tasty...so I don't know how often I'll be making it but it was fun to try using rhubarb in something other than dessert recipes. And we had a great evening at home together! =)

 Blessings on your day!

~Sheila