Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry

This was so easy and tastes so good! I used Uncle Ben's Brown & Wild Rice Medley. It cooks in the microwave in about 90 seconds and worked great with this dish. You can use fresh broccoli. I used Broccoli Wokly - Steam in Bag. It's fresh broccoli already chopped and ready to cook in the microwave. The next time I probably will only steam it for about 2 minutes instead of the package directions which say 3 minutes. I like my broccoli a little crunchy. I only use REAL soy sauce. Just because a bottle says it is soy sauce does not mean it is really made from soybeans. Take a look at your ingredients. If soybeans are not listed, then it is made from chemicals. Read more about soy sauce here. I like Kikkoman's brand. It's one time that it pays to spend a little more on a brand name product. All in all this only took a few minutes to throw together, so it would be a quick evening meal.

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Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry

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6 tablespoons Kikkoman's Less Sodium Soy Sauce

6 tablespoons apple juice

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 & 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, about 3 breasts

1 large onion, sliced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 bag Broccoli Wokly (12 oz) or 1 head broccoli, cut into 1/4 inch rounds

1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt (optional)

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Place chicken in freezer for about 20 minutes so that it is easy to slice. Mix soy sauce, apple juice, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic and pepper in a large bowl. Slice chicken very thin. Place in soy sauce mixture, stir to coat evenly, and let marinate for about 15 minutes.

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Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Remove chicken from marinade (save your marinade) and place in skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is done and lightly browned. Remove chicken.

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Add 1/2 cup water to pan, stir up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour into marinade; pour mixture into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes; set aside and allow to cool. (I added this step because raw chicken was in the marinade.)

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In same nonstick skillet, add additional tablespoon of oil, toss in onions and mushrooms. Continue to cook until onions are tender. Cook broccoli in microwave according to package directions. Add to skillet with 1/2 cup water. (If you are using fresh broccoli, add 1 cup of water instead and cook in skillet an additional 6-8 minutes). Stir cornstarch into marinade and add mixture to your skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Return chicken to pan, toss to coat. Season with salt and serve.

Guest Recipe

Natalie sent me this yummy sounding casserole. She adapted it from a recipe on the Stove Top Stuffing box. Like all great cooks she added her own special touch!

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Chicken & Stuffing Casserole

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1 - Box stove top stuffing fixed according to box set aside

1 and 1/2 cup chicken breast, in bite size pieces

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/8 cup chopped onion

1/8 cup chopped bell pepper

1 can sliced mushrooms

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup sliced carrots (used fresh and parboiled in water to make them tender before adding)

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Mix vegetables, sour cream, chicken and soup together in a 13 X 9, then put prepared stuffing on top, and bake for 35 minutes. I threw a can of corn in a pot and heated it up for a side dish and found that on the plate it was good to mix corn in the casserole ??? bet you could throw in a can of corn to vegetable mix. I will next time.

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Thanks Natalie! I'll be making this one soon!

Chicken Vegetable Casserole

Well, I thought I had cleaned out my pantry, but I found another package of noodle & sauce mix that needed to be used. I also had a package of chicken breasts in the freezer to use, so I came up with this recipe. I was really pleased with the taste. I didn't have a lot of cheese on hand to use so feel free to add some more when you try this recipe. I did not add any extra salt when I made this since I was using a pre-packaged noodle & sauce mix.

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Chicken Vegetable Casserole

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1 pkg noodles & sauce - stroganoff flavored

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (boiled w/salt, pepper, garlic, poultry seasoning)

1 pkg frozen broccoli, cauliflower & carrot mix (16 oz)

1/2 cup water

salt/pepper to taste

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup French Fried Onions

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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat oval casserole dish with non-stick spray. Cook noodles according to package directions omitting milk and butter. Combine frozen veggies, chicken, soup, water, & pepper in a large bowl. Mix in noodles. Pour into casserole dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Top with onions and cook another 5-10 minutes or until onions are golden brown.

Squash Skillet Casserole

I love casseroles, but sometimes I'm in just too much of a hurry for dinner to wait for one to bake in the oven. This recipe is quick and very tasty. You can substitute your favorite vegetables or use chicken instead of polish sausage. I like it alone, but it would also be good with noodles or rice. Try it the next time you want a quick dinner.

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Squash Skillet Casserole

1 pkg frozen yellow squash (16 oz)

1 pkg frozen garden vegetables (16 oz) - broccoli, cauliflower & carrot mix

1 medium onion, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound polish sausage, diced

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

cheddar cheese for topping (optional)

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Cook squash and vegetables according to package directions. In a large skillet, cook onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add sausage, garlic and pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Drain vegetables and add to skillet. Add soup and water. Cook another 2 minutes or until heated thru. Top with shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

A Nice Surprise

I received a phone call today from The Tennessean. They published my Holiday Potato Casserole recipe in their Reader Recipes Using Canned Soup article today. I'm really happy they chose my recipe from among the submissions. There are are also some really great sounding recipes in the same article. Click here to take a look at the recipes.

Spinach Noodle Casserole

As I've said before, I hate to waste food. I had some sausage & onion mixture leftover from making the Spinach Sausage Cups, so I decided to use it in a casserole. I also had a package of chicken & broccoli flavored noodle mix that was expiring soon. Everything combined to make a really good casserole.


Spinach Noodle Casserole

1 pkg Noodles & Sauce - Chicken & Broccoli Flavor
1 cup sausage & onion mixture (seasoned with garlic, pepper, browned & drained)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
Frozen Spinach - 10 oz pkg, thawed and drained
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup bacon bits
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in bottom of an oval baking dish. Place noddle mixture in microwave-safe bowl. Add just enough water to cover noodles. Microwave for 8 minutes on high. Remove, stir, and put in baking dish. In large bowl, combine spinach, cream of mushroom soup, cheeses, bacon bits, flax seed & salt. Mix well & spoon on top of noodle mixture. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly around edges & browned on top.

Sausage Spinach Cups

This is a quick breakfast that you can make ahead of time. It re-heats nicely in the microwave.

Sausage Spinach Cups

1 can biscuits (12)

1/2 pound sage sausage

1 medium onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Frozen Spinach - 10 oz pkg, thawed & drained

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Brown sausage, onion, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper in skillet. Drain & set aside. In medium bowl combine egg, spinach, cheese, flax seed, and salt. Mix well. Spray inside muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Flatten each biscuit and mold into muffin cup. Spoon about a tablespoon of spinach mixture into each biscuit cup. Top with a tablespoon of sausage mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.