Rice and Sauce

One of our old standby things that we do when we are pressed for time is what we call "Rice and Sauce." This is when we make rice in the rice cooker then make up some kind of sauce to put over the top. This is usually ready in about 20 minutes - if you have the cooked meat in your freezer. Most of the time we make the sauce in a stroganoff style:

• Cooked cubed chicken or cooked ground beef (that I have already in the freezer)
• Cream of something soup
• Sour cream
• Onion soup mix
• Milk

Heat through and serve over rice.

Other sauces we have enjoyed:

Southwestern Style:

• Cooked cubed/shredded chicken
• 1 c. salsa
• 1 brick cream cheese
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• Milk

Creamy Italian:

• Cooked cubed chicken
• Cream of something soup
• 1 brick cream cheese
• 1 packet italian dressing mix
• Milk

Chicken Cordon Bleu:

• Cooked cubed chicken
• Diced ham
• Grated swiss cheese
• Cream of chicken soup
• Milk

Another one we like:

• Cooked cubed chicken
• Sour cream
• Cream of chicken soup
• Milk
• Put Chinese noodles and cheddar cheese over the rice then pour sauce over the top.

Still another:

• Sauteed onions
• Cooked cubed chicken
• Cream of chicken soup
• Frozen peas
• Milk
• I think we used a can of chicken gravy in this one as well.

I think the possibilities are endless! With our busy schedules, we LOVE throwing together a quick, hot meal. If you have other ideas, I'd love to see them in the comments!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Oh. My. Heck. (I'm from Utah - cut me some slack!:) That's all there is to say about these! I got them from the blog Six Hot Mamas Cookin'....which has so much more to offer! Thanks Six Hot Mamas!

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)
2-3 tsp chili powder
2 T cumin
2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), cooked and shredded
12 flour tortillas
2 C Mexican cheese blend, shredded (1 small bag usually is 2 cups)
1 14-oz can of green enchilada sauce (mild or medium, to your taste)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream
nonstick cooking spray
1 T chopped cilantro, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, place the honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic or garlic powder. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Pour this mixture over the shredded chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to marinate 30 min or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

Spray sides & bottom of 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine enchilada sauce and heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in bottom of the oiled baking dish.  Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon (or big pinch) of cheese, then roll the tortilla up. Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese and tortillas. You will use about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese for the filling and set the remainder aside for topping the enchiladas in the pan. Add the remaining marinade mixture to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture, if desired. Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve with sour cream, black beans, and rice or a green salad for a great meal.

Hawaiian Chicken

Note: I found this recipe on the Freezer Co-op Blog. It is very, very yummy!! A huge hit!

6 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2-16 oz. cans pineapple slices, drained
2-15 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground red pepper

Place chicken in freezer bag. mix together fruit, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt, ginger and ground red pepper. Pour over the chicken in bag. Freeze.

Serving Day Instructions

Thaw chicken mixture. Place in Crock-Pot, cover, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Add green pepper to Crock-Pot one hour before serving , if desired. To serve, spoon over steamed rice and top with toasted Almonds.

Notes: I did not add green pepper or the almonds. Didn't have them, and it was just fine without them.

I did nine pounds of chicken. I increased everything else by 50% too, but if I do that again, I will still only use two cans of pineapple and two cans of mandarin oranges. (Three cans of each was too much.)

I did not freeze it. Assembled it the same day I baked it.

I served it with rice and green beans.