These mozzarella cheese bites make a great appetizer for parties and they are something that everyone is sure to enjoy. This recipe consists of mozzarella string cheese sticks cut into pieces and then coated with an Italian breadcrumb mixture. It does require a little bit of work coating all of the mozzarella pieces individually but you could just coat the sticks whole and fry them that way to make cheese sticks. These mozzarella cheese bites are deep fried in hot oil and they only take about 30 seconds to cook. Make sure to keep an eye on them so they do not overcook. It is okay if there is a little bit of cheese leaking out in some spots but you want them to maintain their shape. These cheese bites go great served with marinara sauce. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 eggs (beaten)
¼ cup water
1 ½ cups Italian breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 quarter oil (for deep frying)
1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella string cheese sticks

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Slice the string cheese sticks into chunks. In a small bowl mix together the eggs and water. In a medium bowl or pie dish mix together the breadcrumbs and garlic powder. In a large heavy saucepan heat the oil to 365 degrees (you can also use a deep fryer).
Step 2: One at a time, coat each mozzarella piece first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and then roll in the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all of the cheese stick pieces are coated.
Step 3: Place into the hot oil and deep fry in batches at 365 degrees until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Serve with marinara sauce on the side.
(Makes 8 Servings)

This chicken and biscuit casserole does require a little bit of work to prepare but it is well worth it. Using a rotisserie chicken and refrigerated biscuits does save a lot of time, and most of the work involved is just the prep work from chopping the chicken and vegetables. What is great about this recipe compared to others is that it does not use any condensed soup. Instead it uses chicken broth thickened with flour.  A few different vegetables are used in this dish including onion, celery, carrots, and peas. You could add additional ingredients as well such as sliced mushrooms. This chicken and biscuit casserole makes a great dinner for any night of the week. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
2 garlic cloves (minced)
½ cup onion (chopped)
½ cup celery (chopped)
½ cup baby carrots (chopped)
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) can peas (drained)
4 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
1 (16.3 ounce) can refrigerated biscuits

Cooking instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish. In a large deep skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrots and stir-fry in the butter until tender. Mix in flour, sugar, salt, 1 teaspoon of dried basil, and pepper. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Reduce heat and stir in peas and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the chopped cooked chicken. Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Step 2: Arrange refrigerated biscuits in a single layer over the chicken mixture in the casserole dish.
Step 3: Place into the oven and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until the mixture is bubbling and the biscuits are browned on top and fully cooked.
(Makes 6 Servings)

You can prepare countless types of meals in the slow cooker, including Chinese chicken with cashews. This recipe does require a little work because you need to brown the chicken in the pan first. If you wanted you could just add the chicken raw into the slow cooker, but the sauce may not be as thick when it has finished cooking. The sauce uses delicious Chinese flavors such as soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic and ginger. The process to preparing this recipe is very easy—the chicken is first coated with flour, browned in the wok or frying pan and then placed into the slow cooker with the sauce and cooked on low for 3-4 hours. This dish goes great when served over white or brown rice. Enjoy. Adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking.

Ingredients:
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cut into 1” chunks)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove (minced)
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup cashews
½ cup green onions (sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1:  Add flour and pepper to a large sealable food storage bag or  sealable container. Shake to coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Heat canola oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown for 2 minutes of each side. Remove from the pan and place the chicken into the slow cooker.
Step 2: In a small bowl combine soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Step 3: Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Once the chicken has finished cooking add cashews and stir. Serve over rice and top with sliced green onions.
(Makes 4 Servings)

I have never been to Outback Steakhouse but this is apparently a copycat recipe for their Alice Springs Chicken. This dish consists of marinated baked chicken breasts that are topped with bacon, mushrooms, and cheese. If you would prefer, you can also grill the chicken instead of using stove top and the oven. You could also just bake the chicken instead of using both the frying man and the oven. When using only the oven though, the cooking time will be longer. Make sure to cook the chicken until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. This chicken is topped with two different types of cheeses—cheddar and Monterey jack. This recipe uses homemade honey mustard sauce which consists of Dijon mustard, honey, vegetable oil and lemon juice. This Alice Springs Chicken makes a delicious dinner for any night of the week. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
½ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup honey
1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups fresh mushrooms (sliced)
2 tablespoons butter
salt
pepper
paprika
8 slices bacon (cooked until crispy)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons fresh parsley (finely chopped)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In  small bowl whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, 1 ½ teaspoons of oil and lemon juice. Add the chicken breasts into a large container. Pour about 2/3 of the honey mustard sauce over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Cover the remaining honey mustard sauce, refrigerate and reserve until later.
Step 2: In a small frying pan melt the butter. Add mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have reached your desired tenderness. Remove from heat. Lightly grease a 9×13” baking dish. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken breasts from the marinade (discard the marinade) and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and sear on both sides for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Place the chicken breasts into the baking dish.

Step 3: Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). During the last few minutes of cooking top each chicken breast with mushrooms, 2 slices of bacon, ¼ cup Monterey jack, ¼ cup of cheddar. Bake until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle each chicken breast with ½ teaspoon of parsley before serving. Serve with the refrigerated honey-mustard sauce.
(Makes 4 Servings)

This is what I would consider a meat lovers pizza breakfast style. This pizza uses three different types of meat—sausage, bacon, and ham. To make things even better the sauce is a country-style gravy. You can use the powdered mix in the packet, buy it premade in a can, or even make your own sausage gravy! This delicious breakfast pizza is also topped with scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese. This pizza is great served for breakfast but also makes for a great dinner as well. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 pre-baked refrigerated pizza crust (at room temperature)
1 (2 ½ ounce) package country gravy mix
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 cup chopped sausage links (fully cooked)
1 cup chopped ham (cooked)
1 cup cooked crispy bacon (crumbled)
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons margarine
8 eggs
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sauce pan add the water and milk. Whisk in the gravy mix and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat and allow the gravy to cool slightly.
Step 2: In a large bowl beat together the eggs with milk. In a large skillet melt margarine over medium heat. Add the beaten eggs to the skillet and scramble until set and in small chunks.
Step 3: Place the pizza crust onto a lightly greased pizza pan or baking sheet. Spread the gravy evenly over the top. Sprinkle the cooked sausage, cooked ham, and cooked bacon over the top of the gravy. Sprinkle the scrambled eggs over the meats. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the eggs.
Step 4: Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted and browning. Allow to cool slightly and cut into wedges.
(Makes 6 Servings)

These buffalo chicken bites make a great appetizer for game day and for parties. This recipe does take a little bit of work because you need to bread all of the bites individually. The process to making these chicken bites includes rolling the chicken and a few other ingredients into a ball and then coating them with a breading mixture. The great thing about this recipe is that the chicken bites are baked in the oven and not fried. You can adjust the amount of heat to your taste by how spicy the hot sauce is that you use. If you do not like much heat you will probably want to use a mild hot sauce. These buffalo chicken bites go great served with blue cheese dressing. Enjoy. Adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen.

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
¼ to ½ cup hot sauce (to taste)
3 ½ ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 ¾ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs (lightly beaten)
3-4 cups crushed cornflakes

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl mix together chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, cheddar cheese, and green onions. Roll a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into a 1 ½ inch ball and place onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture.
Step 2: Add flour to a shallow dish or pie plate. In another shallow dish add the eggs and in another shallow dish add the cornflakes. Roll each chicken ball first into the flour, then dip in the egg mixture and then roll in the cornflakes until evenly coated. Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the chicken balls are coated.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with blue cheese or ranch dressing.
(Makes 48 Bites)

Pulled chicken in the slow cooker goes great on sandwiches or sliders. If you are looking for an easy slow cooker meal for football season, this recipe for pulled chicken is perfect for you. This recipe combines homemade BBQ sauce and boneless skinless chicken breasts in the slow cooker. What I did was serve the pulled chicken on toasted slider buns with bread and butter dill pickle chips. This recipe is so easy to prepare and it only takes about 4-5 hours to cook in the slow cooker. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium bowl combine ketchup, water, dark brown sugar, cider vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, smoked paprika, cumin, and allspice. Stir until well combined and smooth.
Step 2: Add chicken breasts to the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the prepared BBQ sauce over the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 4 ½-5 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees).
Step 3: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred each chicken breast using two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and mix with the sauce.
(Makes 4 Servings)