Plain Chicken

What's For Dinner?

2013-05-26T03:01:00.000-05:00

MONDAY

Crack Burgers

TUESDAY

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

WEDNESDAY

Maple Sausage and Waffle Casserole

THURSDAY

Pizzadilla

FRIDAY

Chicken and Pesto Stuffed Shells

SATURDAY

Beergarita Chicken over Chipotle Gouda Grits

SUNDAY

Foil Chicken

Individual Potato Gratin

Cream Corn Butter Dips

2013-05-24T03:01:00.001-05:00

This bread is a cornbread-ish version of one of my favorite quick bread recipes - Butter Dips. Like the Butter Dips, this bread is super simple to make. It only has 4 ingredients, and you probably have all of them in your pantry right now. This is not a sweet cornbread. We don't do sweet cornbread in The South. If you like sweet cornbread, feel free to add a little sugar to the batter. This bread was a big hit at our house. I love that this only takes a minute to whip up and tastes great. It is the perfect accompaniment to a good BBQ dinner. I especially like it slathered with some honey butter!

Click here for the recipe »

Zesty BBQ Chicken

2013-05-23T03:01:00.000-05:00

This is my new favorite BBQ chicken recipe. I loved everything about this dish. It was perfect in my book. The sauce is very different from my usual BBQ sauces. This BBQ sauce has Italian dressing in it. I wasn't sure how I would like it, but I absolutely loved it! The chicken is marinated in Italian dressing and basted in the zesty BBQ sauce as it grills. I think the BBQ sauce would also be great on a grilled pork tenderloin. Give this a try the next time you grill out. You won't be disappointed!

Click here for the recipe »

Chipotle Ranch Burgers

2013-05-22T03:01:00.001-05:00

OMG! Best burger ever! I can't get over how delicious these burgers were. They are packed full of flavor from the Ranch mix and chipotle peppers. Now, these burgers do pack a little kick. You can control the heat by increasing or decreasing the amount of pureed chipotles you put in the burgers and sauce. I used a tablespoon in the burger and about a teaspoon in the sauce. I thought it was perfect. I seriously can't stop thinking about how great these burgers were. I am already planning on making these again very soon!

Click here for the recipe »

Memorial Day Favorites

2013-05-21T03:01:00.001-05:00

In case you still need some inspiration for your Memorial Day meal next week, here are a few of our favorites:

Million Dollar Burgers

Grilled Hot Dogs

Fall Off the Bone Ribs

Ground Beef and Baked Bean Casserole

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Fried Apple Corn Muffins

7up Biscuits

Patriotic Brownie Bites

Berry Patriotic Strawberries

Meow Monday

2013-05-20T03:01:00.000-05:00

Jack

Fluffy

Sherbert

What's For Dinner?

2013-05-19T03:01:00.000-05:00

MONDAY

Smoky Chicken Pasta

TUESDAY

BBQ Chicken Pizzadilla

WEDNESDAY

Rosemary Ranch Chicken

THURSDAY

Pizza Puffs

FRIDAY

Grilled Chicken Piccata Pasta

SATURDAY

Lemon Pepper Pork Chops

SUNDAY

Smokehouse Chicken

Corn Pudding

Strawberries and Cream Cake

2013-05-17T03:01:00.000-05:00

This cake is a great way to finish off your Memorial Day feast next weekend. This is a variation of other poke cakes on the blog. Like the others, this cake is easy to make and tastes great. It is best to make this cake at least a day before you want to serve it. It gets better the longer it sits in the refrigerator. It takes a lot of will power not to just dive into the cake, but trust me. It is worth the wait!

Click here for the recipe »

Cowboy Beans

2013-05-16T03:01:00.000-05:00

No BBQ is complete without some baked beans. These baked beans are one of the best we've ever made. I made these beans to go with our BBQ Ranch Pulled Pork. They were dynamite! They were sweet, smoky and tangy all at once. This is a great dish for a crowd. You can make them ahead of time and reheat them or even make them in the crockpot. I used bacon in the beans, but, feel free to throw in some of the BBQ Ranch Pulled Pork. It would be a great way to use up any leftover pork. You could make a meal out of these beans loaded with pork.

Click here for the recipe »

BBQ Ranch Pulled Pork {Slow Cooker}

2013-05-15T03:01:00.000-05:00

This is the best pulled pork that I have ever made. I was super delicious! I loved the flavors. I ate leftovers for days and never got tired of it.

We don't have a fancy grill that we can control the temperature on, so I made this pork in the slow cooker. I thought it turned out great. I prepped the pork the night before and refrigerated it overnight. I threw the pork in the slow cooker first thing in the morning and it was ready by dinner. It was fall apart tender! The BBQ sauce is a must with this pork - it is my new favorite. This will definitely be on our Memorial Day menu - it should be on yours too!

Click here for the recipe »

BBQ Seasoning

2013-05-14T03:01:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day is right around the corner. I am already testing out my menu. I decided to make my own BBQ Seasoning this year. I love to make my own seasonings because you can control the amount of salt and other ingredients. This is great sprinkled on chicken, pork or even burgers. It will keep for several months in an air-tight container. This BBQ seasoning is easy to make, and it makes a great hostess gift or takeaway gift for your guests at your Memorial Day BBQ.

Click here for the recipe »

Meow Monday

2013-05-13T08:22:00.000-05:00

Jack

Fluffy

Sherbert

What's For Dinner?

2013-05-12T03:01:00.000-05:00

MONDAY

Taco Pasta

TUESDAY

Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken

WEDNESDAY

Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta

THURSDAY

Southwestern Sausage Quiche

FRIDAY

Chili

SATURDAY

Best Fettuccine Alfredo

Grilled Italian Chicken Tenders

SUNDAY

Pesto Meat Sauce {Slow Cooker}

DiGiorno Pizzeria Pizza Giveaway!

2013-05-11T03:01:00.000-05:00

The folks at DiGiorno contacted me to see if I would be interested in trying their new Pizzeria! Pizza. Since pizza is my favorite food, I said "YES!" DiGirono sent me coupons for two free pizzas.

The Pizzeria! pizza comes in 4 varieties: Quattro Formaggi, Italian Style Meat Trio, Supreme Speciale, and Primo Pepperoni. I chose Quattro Formaggi and Italian Style Meat Trio.

First up was the Quattro Formaggi. It was actually really good. It only took 18 minutes in the oven and we had pizza for lunch. We loved all the different cheeses and the sauce was really good. This got 2 thumbs up! I will definitely buy this again. It was my favorite of the two we tried.

Next we tried the Italian Style Meat Trio pizza. We both really enjoyed this variety as well. I really like the genoa salami - you don't usually find that on a frozen pizza.

I love how quickly the pizza cooks up. It only took 20 minutes in the oven.

We both liked the crust. It was crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. It wasn't too thick and tasted really good. I would definitely recommend keeping one of these pizzas on hand for a quick lunch or dinner. It is as good, if not better, than most delivery pizza.

The Giveaway!

DiGiorno is giving 5 lucky Plain Chicken readers 2 certificates for free pizza!

Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The contest ends on Friday, May 17th @ 11:59PM. The winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond. If winners do not respond within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

Mother's Day Menu Ideas

2013-05-10T03:01:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day is this Sunday. Give Mom the day off from the kitchen!

Here are a few ideas to treat Mom to a special meal on her special day!

BREAKFAST

Cracked Out Quiche

Orange Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

Easy Biscuit Waffles

MAIN DISH

King Ranch Mac and Cheese

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken

BREADS

Butter Dips

Cheddar Cream Biscuits

Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits

DESSERT

Butterfinger Cookies

Banana Pudding Cake

Almond Toffee Bars

Mini Applesauce Muffins

2013-05-09T03:01:00.000-05:00

These mini applesauce muffins are so delicious. My favorite part of the muffin is the crunchy cinnamon sugar coating on top. These muffins don't have an overwhelming applesauce flavor; so no worries if you don't like applesauce. The applesauce really helps keep these muffins super moist.

The muffins are quick and easy to make. I can whip them up in the time it takes to preheat the oven. They are great for a quick breakfast or an after school/work snack. I think they would be a great treat to make for Mother's Day this weekend.

Click here for the recipe »

Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Casserole

2013-05-08T03:01:00.000-05:00

I've had this recipe pinned for a while. I wanted to make it because the main ingredient is bacon. I have lots of breakfast casseroles on the blog, but not very many (if any) with bacon. I tend to use sausage in my breakfast casseroles. I finally decided to give it a try when the nice folks at McCormick sent me some spices to test out.

WOW! This is fantastic. I love that the bread gets slightly crispy on top when baked. The secret ingredient in this casserole is a layer of cottage cheese. I happen to love cottage cheese baked into casseroles. (I won't touch it cold right out of the container though.) The cottage cheese gave this casserole a nice creaminess. We liked this so much that I have already made it again. Give this a try the next time you make breakfast for a crowd. This would be a great treat for Mom this weekend.

Click here for the recipe »

Macaroni and Cheese Pizza

2013-05-07T03:01:00.000-05:00

This recipe was inspired by a show on the Travel Channel. They went through the 10 best pizza places in the US. I am a pizza fanatic, so you know I couldn't miss that show. They showed some pizza that looked good and some that was just OK. The pizza I was most intrigued with was the Mac & Cheese Pizza. People were going nuts over it. I had to give it a try at home.

The original pizza on tv was just crust, pasta and cheese. I thought it needed a little something more, so I added some alfredo sauce and topped it with some bacon. It turned out great. It was tasty and fun to eat. I think kids would go nuts over this!

Click here for the recipe »

Meow Monday

2013-05-06T03:01:00.000-05:00

Jack

Sherbert

Fluffy

What's For Dinner?

2013-05-05T03:01:00.000-05:00

MONDAY

Serrano and Manchego Quiche

TUESDAY

Spaghetti and Meatball Pot Pie

WEDNESDAY

Chicken Fajita Wrap

THURSDAY

McMuffin Casserole

FRIDAY

Creamy Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta

SATURDAY

Chipotle Marinated Pork Tenderloin

SUNDAY

Cajun Grilled Chicken

Cherry Cannoli Cones {The Pampered Chef Giveaway!}

2013-05-04T03:01:00.000-05:00

Recently, The Pampered Chef sent me a box full of goodies. They asked me to make a pink recipe in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I decided to make these Cherry Cannoli Cones. Aren't they cute? They also taste great.

This is a really simple recipe and doesn't require many ingredients. I drained the ricotta cheese overnight so it wasn't too wet. I sifted some powdered sugar, added some chopped cherries and a little cherry juice from the jar. Voila! Cannoli filling!

Instead of making cannoli shells, I used sugar cones. I decorated the tops of the cones with some candy melts and sprinkles. You could also use mini chocolate chips or chopped almonds. These were so much fun to make and even more fun to eat!

You can make the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat the cannolis. Make sure to fill the cones right before you eat them so they don't get soggy.

I made double duty out of the Stainless Mesh Colanders. I stained the ricotta in them and then used it as a sifter for the powdered sugar.

I love these silicone prep bowls! My new favorite Pampered Chef product!

The Giveaway!

The Pampered Chef is going to send one lucky Plain Chicken reader a set of the Help Whip Cancer products!

Dots Microfiber Towel

Pink & White Twixit Clip Combo Pack

Pink Mini Scoop and Measure

Pink Color Coated Paring Knife

You can check out all the Help Whip Cancer products on The Pampered Chef website here: http://bit.ly/12ZW5F2

To enter, use the Rafflecopter Widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The contest ends @ 11:59PM on Friday, May 10, 2013. The winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be selected. Good Luck!

It could be your mother, your sister, your friend – unfortunately we all know someone affected by breast cancer. As the leading direct seller of kitchen tools, The Pampered Chef has raised nearly $11 million for breast cancer education and early detection programs since 2000 through its Help Whip Cancer program. Throughout May, Pampered Chef Consultants raise money from the sale of special pink products, hold Fundraiser Cooking Shows and tell others about the importance of regular breast cancer screening and checkups. You can read more about The Pampered Chef Help Whip Cancer Program here: http://bit.ly/105WbHa

Click here for the recipe »

{Party Time, Mexicellent} Cinco De Mayo Favorites

2013-05-03T03:01:00.000-05:00

If you follow Plain Chicken, you know that I love Mexican style food. I am really looking forward to Cinco de Mayo this weekend!

Here are a few of my favorite Mexican dishes for the big celebration:

Spicy Margarita Chicken

Rotel Fajitas

Taco Pancakes

Queso Smothered Chicken

Faux Fried Ice Cream and Cinnamon Waffle Sundaes

Tres Leches Cake

Kentucky Derby Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream

2013-05-02T03:01:00.000-05:00

This is a big weekend. We have Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby. I view both as a great excuse to celebrate. Am I right?!

I am not a horse racing fan, but we always watch the Kentucky Derby. I feel the best way to watch the race is with a Mint Julep in one hand and a slice of this pie in the other. This pie is a cross between a chocolate chip cookie and pecan pie. It is great slightly warm with a big dollop of bourbon whipped cream.

Here are a few of my other favorite Derby Party recipes:

Derby Day Mint Julep

Kentucky Hot Brown Bites

Click here for the recipe »

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

2013-05-01T03:01:00.000-05:00

Cinco de Mayo is this weekend. It is one of my favorite "holidays". I never miss a chance to drink a margarita and eat Mexican food! Last year I made a Tres Leches Cake. It was the first time I had ever tried Tres Leches Cake and it was so delicious. This year I decided to experiment with a Chocolate Tres Leches Cake.

I took a shortcut and used a chocolate cake mix with some cinnamon mixed in the batter. It smelled SO good while it was baking. Keeping with the chocolate theme, I added some cocoa to the milk mixture. I topped the cake with my favorite fresh whipped cream. You can always substitute Cool Whip if you don't want to make the whipped cream. Whatever you decided to top the cake with, I promise this will be a great addition to your Cinco de Mayo celebration!

Click here for the recipe »

Santa Fe Chicken & Rice

2013-04-30T03:01:00.002-05:00

This is another one-pot meal. I am really loving the convenience of less dirty dishes! I cooked the chicken and the rice mixture in my Calphalon non-stick skillet and it took no time at all.

I marinated the chicken first thing in the morning in my favorite Lawry's marinade - Baja Chipotle. I know a lot of people have a hard time finding the Baja Chipotle Marinade (I buy it all the time at Publix). If you can't find the Baja Chipotle Marinade, use the Lawry's Mesquite Marinade. It will give you a similar Tex-Mex flavor.

We both loved this dish. It was full of flavor and tasted great! The best part is this dish is that it is low in fat and calories! Don't tell anybody - they will never know!

Click here for the recipe »