Friday, January 18, 2008

Having cooked chicken on hand...

One of the things that makes meal planning so easy is having cooked chicken already available. My sister inspired me with the rotisserie chicken route. The $5 ones at costco are the cheapest and the best flavored and most moist. I LOVE THEM. I bought 2 of them the other day, came home, and just took all the meat off of them and put it in a gallon size ziploc to keep in the fridge. It is so tasty that throughout the day I reach into the bag and pull out chunks to just eat. But it's great to make chicken sandwiches, salads, quesadillas, soups, enchiladas, casseroles, tacos, fajitas-you name it, it can be made! You could also just bake some chicken at the beginning of the week and do the same thing. I just haven't found a cooking method that I can do in my own home that tastes as good as the ones from costco! However, I DID just get myself a grill pan, so we'll see...
If you're looking for a healthy recipe, here's a chicken chili that you can make in a crockpot (will require some stovetop cooking at first), and the leftovers taste GREAT!
White Chili
Cooked Chicken-about 2 large chicken breasts worth (eyeball it-you can put as much or as little as you want. you could also use turkey breasts or ground chicken or ground turkey)
1 TBSP veg oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 cloves of minced garlic
1-3 tsp. cumin
1 TBSP dried oregano leaves
1-2 jalapenos (optional)
1 tsp each salt and pepper (to taste, fresh pepper tastes better!)
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes, including liquid
2 cups chicken broth
3 cans beans-pinto, kidney, black, white, whatever you want, drained and rinsed
1-2 green bell peppers, chopped or sliced lengthwise (however you prefer to eat them)
1 4.5 oz. can diced mild green chilies, drained
cheese-your choice (we've discovered Cotija cheese-tastes AWESOME, or monterey jack is good)

In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, jalapenos, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. *Note: if you don't have everything pre-measured while you're adding, then add garlic last. Garlic cooks REALLY fast and will burn quickly.
Add tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until liquid is reduced by one third, about 5 minutes.
Put chicken and beans into the crockpot and pour tomato mixture over them. Stir it up, cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Stir in green pepper and green chilies and cook until pepper is tender. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, avocado, or whatever else your heart desires!

10 comments:

AnnCP said...

Love your paper layout - yummy colors. This will be fun for you!
mom

Alisha said...

such a great idea!! Totally agree about the Costco chicken too. Like you'd expect me to say anything different. =)

TheTandyFamily said...

I am glad that you have put this together for all of your fun/creative ideas. I actually referred my sis to your family blog so that she could see a craft you had posted. We will for sure be checking in for some good ideas!

Anonymous said...

So I may be dumb in the kitchen BUT what is white chilli???

Dave and Loralee said...

hehehe. it's only called white chili b/c you usually make it with white beans. but I mix it up b/c I like other kinds.

Anonymous said...

Ummm...can I come over for dinner? PLease? I'm only eating cous cous and rocky road ice cream. I love this idea of a side blog. Can't wait to read more!

H.Cook said...

You make me want to go get a Costco membership, just for the chicken! It was good to see you tonight, and thanks for the warning about the dental school thing, so I won't be too disappointed! :)

Ashlee and Shane said...

So, i have a question that i have never known!!!...How long does chicken stay good in the refrigerator after it has been cooked up?!I usually only keep it for 2-3 days. ???

AnnCP said...

I was thinking about your chicken delimia (is that how you spell that word?). In a cooking class I attended not to long ago, one woman commented that it was very easy to roast your own chickens. Yes, I know that the Costco chickens are a bargain and great -BUT. If whole chickens are on sale, for 59 cents a lb. - that is a good thing. If you are trying to keep costs down....Keep a couple in the freezer, because some days you just can't make it to Costco. Defrost them, take the junk out of them. BRINE them, then roast them with all the seasonings and such. They will be good.

Debbie said...

Way good idea Lo! How fun! I'll be checking this out frequently. :) Um... Aunt Ann... what does it mean to "brine" a chicken??!
Debs