Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I know I know I know, its been FOREVER since my last post. I got a little discouraged and my... aversion to cooking, well it won out. Several months after I quit blogging SURPRISE, I got pregnant with baby number 2! A bouncing baby boy due December 22nd 2012. The first 17 weeks of my pregnancy I was so sick. And during my first trimester, if I cook it... I cant eat it. So needless to say, blogging wasn't going to happen any time soon. BUT I'm BACK and feeling much better. I figured I'll try this again, but this time I'm going to take it slow, and not post every day. (I think that's what wore me out the most, that and the lack of feedback I was getting). But I realized, I am doing this for me, not for readers, the blog is just a fun place to post recipes where I can come back to them time and time again. 
SO here goes! Since my last post I made a wonderful discovery (that I'm pretty sure I was the last to discover) Pinterest! Oh how I love Pinterest! You can follow me here, if interested (though I may not be the most interesting person to follow). This recipe was a combination of a Pinterest/ Campbells 123 cookbook discovery. 

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 cup  cut up cooked chicken
1 2/3 cup mixed frozen vegetables 
1 can cream of chicken condensed soup 
1 cup bisquick 
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
(for cornbread crust add 3 table spoons of corn meal) 

Heat oven to 400*F 
Mix chicken, vegetables and soup in un-greased pie plate  
Stir together remaining ingredients (in separate bowl).
Pour into pie plate, bake for 30 min or until golden brown. 


Yep that is really it, that is the recipe! It seriously takes two minutes to throw together and is so good! I made it for the first time a few weeks ago as a last minute Sunday dinner, the hubs was pleasantly surprised! I've made it twice since, once for my parents and once with a cornbread crust. What I love about this recipe is you virtually can do anything with it. 

Now here are my variations. 
       I used pre-cooked/cubed chicken that we normally use on salads (I keep a few bags in my freezer for lazy days). But when I made it at my parents house my mom had canned chicken, and honestly that was awesome too! Super easy, great for food storage and really good. Who would have thought of using canned chicken! I sure didn't! You can also honestly use any form of creamed condensed soup. I've used cream of chicken, but I've also used cream of mushroom. It honestly doesn't make a bit of a difference. And the hubs (who hates mushrooms) had not idea what he was eating, I just didnt tell him it was cream of mushroom soup. I also double the amount of chicken and veggies the recipe calls for. I like to stock the pie full! But dont double the bisquick part unless you double the time, I made that mistake and the result was a soggy uncooked middle and over done sides.
     When I made the pie a few nights ago I did a cornbread crust, it was SOOO good! For the veggies I used frozen broccoli and canned corn. Honestly it doesn't matter if the veggies are frozen or canned, it all tastes the same. So whatever you have will work. My mom also suggested using canned tuna in place of chicken, I haven't tried that because the hubs really isn't a tuna fan but if someone does try it let me know how it works! I also figured you could use left overs from a roast, that would probably be pretty good!

Let me know what you guys think and any variations you make! The pictures below are of the cornbread crust pie I made a few nights ago.

Step 1 mix ingredients

pre oven

post oven

yum!

 Hope you guys enjoy it as much as my family does!

 

Easy Chili Rellenos Caserole and Skillet Fiesta Chicken & Rice

Ok so I know I have been slacking for the past few days but I'm back and more encouraged :) 

I will only be doing two recipes tonight (dinner from tonight and Sunday) full menus will begin appearing on Sunday again.

Sunday's meal was the Skillet Fiesta Chicken & Rice from my Campbells 1-2-3 Dinners, yes this was the night I sliced my finger. =/ 

I love this recipe I've made it multiple times and it is easy and good!!! 

The Recipe:  Skillet Fiesta Chicken & Rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about one pound)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 3/4 Cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (1 ounce)

1. In medium skillet over medium high heat, heat oil. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes or until browned. Set Chicken aside. Pour off fat.

2. Add soup, water and chili powder. Heat to a boil

3. Stir in rice. Place chicken on rice mixture. Sprinkle chicken with additional chili powder and cheese. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until chicken and rice are done. Stir rice mixture.

So I do make some changes to this recipe. I dont have chili powder so I use a very small amount of cayenne pepper. (or i did before the baby started eating food). Now we just sprinkle red pepper flakes on top of our plates but there is no spice for the baby. I either cook the chicken in butter or olive oil. I also use the birdseye steam in bag rice. I just throw the frozen rice into the mixture and it comes out perfect every time!! 

Tonight's dinner was the chili rellenos casserole I got this recipe from my step mom way back when Bren and I first got married. Bren and I posted it on my sister in law's recipe blog shortly after we had it for the first time :) its a good one! 

The Recipe: Easy Chili Rellenos Casserole

2 (7 ounce) cans whole green chili peppers, drained.
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded.
8 ounces Longhorn or Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 eggs beaten
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce.

Preheat oven to 350º F (175ºC). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Lay half the chilies evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and cover with remaining chilies. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, and flour, and pour over the top of the chilies.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, pour tomato sauce evenly over the top, and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Jack and Cheddar cheese, and serve.

This one is SUPER easy, the only changes I made were- I used diced green chilies because walmart had run out of the whole kind. I bout three cans of those (though I wish I would have bought 4). I honestly think I liked it better with the diced green chilies. I dunno why :). I also changed the all purpose flour for whole wheat. But thats about it :) 

Pictures of dinner tonight below :)  

Thanks again for checking back and sticking with me!! I have a few new recipes I am excited to try out this week! 

Until tomorrow!