Easy Recipes to Spice Up Your Meals

Your work day is over and its time for something to eat. You could do the easy thing and put a frozen pizza in the oven but that is hardly the nutritional meal you want to serve your family, is it?

It's quite easy to get in the habit of making the same meals over and over. I have made each of the following and found they are delicious.

1. Chicken Fun = Sprinkle chicken with dill weed, squeeze lemon juice over the chicken, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and bake for 15 more minutes.

2. Chicken Taco Casserole = Shred chicken and place it in a frying pan. Place taco seasoning and 3 tablespoons water with the chicken. Let these flavors marinate together for two to three minutes. In a greased 2 quart casserole dish, place either Tostitos or broken hard shell tacos, half of the meat mixture, and a cup of cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers. Place sliced olives on top of your chicken dish. This will bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

3. Chicken Florentine Casserole = Bake four chicken breasts at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Place two cans of spinach in a 9x9 pan. Arrange mushrooms over the spinach. Mix melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, soup, seasoning, Half and Half, and parmesan. Pour half this mixture over the mushrooms. Place chicken in the pan, the remaining mixture, mozzarella and the bacon bits.

4 chicken breasts
¼ cup butter
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
½ cup Half and Half
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cans spinach, drained
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup bacon bits
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

4. Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan = Beat the egg, place the chicken in the egg, then remove it and coat it with the bread crumbs. Place chicken in a baking pan and bake the chicken, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Pour Ragu over chicken and top with cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes. Serve with pasta.

4 chicken breasts
1 egg
¾ cup bread crumbs
26-28 oz. Ragu sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)

5. Chicken Casserole = Poach chicken with some onion, salt, pepper, celery, garlic, and water to cover. Drain and cube. Crumble 2 packages Ritz crackers into bottom of 9 x 13 greased pan. Dot with butter. Top with chicken pieces. Mix soup, sour cream, water chestnuts and mushroom together. Pour over chicken. Top with crushed Ritz crackers, 2 more packages, and toss with ¼ cup melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

4 sleeves of Ritz crackers
1 (8 oz.) can sliced mushrooms
8 oz. sour cream
4-5 chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water chestnuts, sliced
½ cup toasted almonds
¼ cup melted butter

6. Chicken Tostadas = Spray tortillas with nonstick spray and place them directly on the oven rack. Bake until crisp (8 minutes). Cut chicken up, toss with cumin. Place chicken in skillet and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Cut avocado in chunks and mix with lime juice, black beans, cilantro and ½ teaspoon cumin. Stir salsa in chicken. Serve tortillas with letter, bean mixture, chicken, and more salsa.

8 corn tortillas
1 lb. chicken thighs, skinless, boneless
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon oil
1 avocado
2 Teaspoon lime juice
1 can (15.5) black beans, rinsed
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup chipotle salsa
3-4 cup chopped romaine

7. Chicken, Avocado & Mango Salad = First the dressing: Over medium heat bring water and brown sugar to a boil. Place them in a bowl mixing in the garlic chili sauce and lime juice. Set this aside.

Now for the salad: In another bowl, toss chicken, mangos and avocado together. Place the chicken mixture on the spring salad mixture. Drizzle with the dressing.

2 Tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup water
1/3 cup lime juice
½ cup chili garlic sauce
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
2 mangos, peeled, seeded and diced
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1 package spring lettuce mix

8. Herbed Chicken Breast = Mix dressing with herbs, salt, and pepper. Line a baking pan and place on the lining. Put chicken on the lining and the herb mixture over the chicken. Broil this for 10 minutes in mid-oven. Arrange the tomatoes around the chicken in the final two minutes.

4 chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing
1 Tablespoon thyme
1 Tablespoon rosemary
1 Tablespoon basil
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes

9. Parmesan Pasta with Chicken = Cook the pasta. Bake and shred the chicken. Reserve 1 ¼ cup of pasta water. Add the reserved water , chicken, rosemary, parmesan, salt and pepper to the pot with the pasta. Over medium-low heat, stir until thickened slightly. Serve with parmesan cheese.

12 oz. Orecchiette pasta
1 3 ½ - 4 lb. chicken
2 Tablespoon chopped rosemary
¾ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)