Chicken

Bruschetta Chicken

I have a love/hate relationship with chicken, especially boneless chicken breasts. If they aren’t marinaded with strong flavors or covered with sauce and cooked just right, I can barely swallow a bite. This recipe meets those standards — coated with basil pesto, topped with diced tomatoes, red onion, basil, and parmesan cheese, and baked until perfectly juicy. 

Bruschetta Chicken
Serves 4
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half
  2. 3 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
  3. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  4. 1 cup diced tomatoes
  5. 1/4 cup diced red onion
  6. 1 clove garlic, minced
  7. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  8. 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  9. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  10. Ground black pepper
  11. 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese.
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place pieces in a large ziploc bag and add pesto and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss around in bag to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag and place in a greased baking dish.
  3. In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine.
  4. Top the chicken pieces with the tomato mixture.
  5. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until juices run clear.
  6. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese, return to oven uncovered, and allow cheese to melt, about 3 minutes.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Chicken Enchilada Pie

I couldn’t wait to post tonight’s dinner. This is probably one of the best things I’ve ever made. I was really in the mood for Mexican flavors tonight but wanted something different than the basic tacos or burritos — and, as always on Sunday nights, something that would give us leftovers for Monday night. So I came up with the idea for an enchilada pie — wheat tortillas, creamy black beans, shredded chicken, veggies, cheese, and homemade enchilada sauce all layered in a pie plate and baked until hot and bubbly. I’m actually looking forward to Monday just so I can eat more of this for dinner.

Note: The beans are adapted slightly from Annie’s Eats Spicy Bean Burritos (one of my all-time favorite recipes),

Chicken Enchilada Pie
Serves 6
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
For the Sauce
  1. 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
  2. 1/4 cup chopped onion
  3. 2 cloves of garlic
  4. 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  5. 3 tablespoons chili powder
  6. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  7. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  8. 1 teaspoon salt
  9. Pinch of ground black pepper
  10. Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
For the Beans
  1. 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  2. 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  3. 1 clove of garlic minced
  4. 1 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo
  5. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  6. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  7. 1/4 cup water
  8. 3 tablespoons jarred salsa
  9. 3 tablespoons sour cream
For the Pie
  1. 3 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
  2. 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
  3. 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
  4. 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
  5. 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
  6. 11/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
For the Sauce
  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
For the Beans
  1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the garlic, chipotle, and seasonings and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Add beans and water, bring to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mash beans with a fork.
  4. Stir in salsa and sour cream.
For the Pie
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.
  3. Spread 1/3 cup of sauce in the bottom of the plate.
  4. Add one tortilla, and spread with a third of the bean mixture.
  5. Sprinkle on half of chicken and half of corn and peppers.
  6. Top with a third of the cheese, and then drizzle with 1/3 cup of sauce.
  7. Repeat all layers once.
  8. Add the third tortilla and spread on the remaining beans. Top with the last of the cheese and drizzle another 1/3 cup sauce.
  9. Bake for 25 minutes.
  10. Let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.
  11. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.
Notes
  1. *The amount of sauce is double what you'll need for this recipe. Freeze the extra to use the next time you make this pie or traditional enchiladas.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Spaghetti Squash “Pad Thai”

First, I need to set some expectations for this recipe. If you’re expecting it to taste like traditional Pad Thai, you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a super healthy, filling meal loaded with veggies and with Asian-inspired flavors, this recipe fits the bill. Not only does this taste amazing, but you’ll feel great after eating it. The recipe comes from Bob Harper’s Skinny Meals cookbook, but I made some minor adjustments, mainly to the amounts of the ingredients. I didn’t include any meat when I made it, but you can add a cup of cooked chicken (like the original recipe calls for) or even shrimp.

Spaghetti Squash "Pad Thai"
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 large spaghetti squash
  2. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  3. 2 carrots, peeled and grated (1/2 cup)
  4. 1/2 zucchini sliced (1 cup)
  5. 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (1 cup)
  6. 1 small head of broccoli, rinsed and cut into small florets (1 1/2 cups)
  7. 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  8. 1/4 cup lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
For the sauce
  1. 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  2. 1 tablespoon Sriracha
  3. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  4. 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  5. 1 tablespoon agave
  6. 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  7. 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter
  8. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Carefully cut both ends off the spaghetti squash. Then cut the squash in half horizontally. Scrape out the seeds.
  3. Place the spaghetti squash cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of water in the cavities of both halves of the squash. Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour, until tender. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool. When cool, use a fork to scrape the squash flesh from the inside of the skin into a bowl. You should have about 4 cups of squash.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce.
  5. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and red pepper, and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
  6. Add the spaghetti squash to the pan.
  7. Pour in the sauce, and stir to combine.
  8. Cover with a lid, and gently simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  9. Serve, and garnish with green onions and peanuts.
Adapted from Bob Harper's Skinny Meals
Adapted from Bob Harper's Skinny Meals
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/