BBQ Ranch Chicken Pasta

BBQ Ranch Chicken Pasta
Recipe adapted from Picky Palate
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound defrosted chicken tenders
3 tbsp barbecue sauce
½ tbsp olive oil
8 oz. spaghetti (dry)
1 cup red onion, diced
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
3 tbsp cilantro leaves

Set two pots of water to boil. In one, cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions; drain. In another, add chicken and cook 7-8 minutes until cooked. Remove from water, shred and stir in barbecue sauce. While chicken and pasta are cooking, place olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute red onions until softened and golden. Add now cooked spaghetti to onions; mix and add dry Ranch Dressing seasoning and cilantro leaves. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Place noodles onto serving plates and top with warm shredded BBQ chicken. Garnish with cilantro leaf and serve.

Nutritional Information: 402 calories, 50 carbs, 5 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: At first I was like what? BBQ ranch pasta? But alas, I had a TON of red onion that needed to be used, so this was a perfect way to not waste an onion! The BBQ sauce combined with the carmelized red onions was great, and I loved the ‘cool’ that the ranch and cilantro brought to the recipe. This reheated well, and we froze/reheated, too, and it was great! Like so many recipes, the only downside was that it used 2 pots and a pan – I heart my one-pot meals – less cleaning afterward! Still a quick, easy recipe that you can have done in under 20 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Pizza Cups

BBQ Chicken Pizza Cups
Makes 4 Servings or 12 appetizers
Recipe Inspired by For the Love of Cooking

Cooking spray
1 tube of refrigerator biscuits
2 oz. 75% reduced fat Cabot cheese, grated
2 oz. reduced fat mozzarella cheese, grated
6 oz. cooked chicken
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup parsley, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 375. Coat a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray. Cut each biscuit in half then press dough into the bottom and sides of each muffin tin. Repeat with remaining dough. Shred chicken. Add 2 tbsp BBQ sauce to chicken and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Add 2 more tbsp of BBQ sauce and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir. Spoon 2 tbsp BBQ chicken onto each biscuit. Microwave remaining 4 tbsp BBQ sauce for 20 seconds. While it cooks, mix together cheeses, and top each BBQ chicken biscuit with 10 grams cheese and 1 tsp red onion. Spoon a dollop of BB sauce on top of each. Bake for 10 minutes; remove from onion, sprinkle on parsley, then bake for remaining 5 minutes or until the crust is brown. Let sit for 5 minutes to cool down, then use spoon around edges to ensure each biscuit stays in tact.

Nutritional Information (for 3): 448 calories, 49 carbs, 16 fat grams and 25 protein grams. For 1 (appetizer): 149 calories, 16 carbs, 5 fat grams and 8 protein grams.

Review: LOVED THESE LITTLE GUYS! I had 3 for a meal and was filled up and happy - the flavor was great, the fresh parsley gave it a nice twist and I really liked that BBQ chicken flavor, especially with the blend of cheeses. Awesome little bites - think they would make a great appetizer and tested them - they reheat well. I'm loving the biscuit cup idea I got from Pam, and hope to try more mix ins to the biscuit bites! Try these if you're a fan of BBQ pizza.

Tin Foil Chicken

Tin Foil Chicken

Makes 2 Servings
Adapted from Kitchen Parade

4 tbsp Barbecue sauce
8 oz. raw skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half-inch strips
½ green pepper, sliced*
½ red pepper, sliced*
½ cup diced onion*
½ cup mushroom slices*
1.5 cup white rice
1 tbsp light butter
*Use more if you like on the veggies - we use extra mushrooms!

Preheat oven to 350. Tear off two sheets of 12”x15” foil. Smear a tablespoon of barbecue sauce in a rectangular shape in the middle of each sheet. Divide the raw chicken among the two sheets and put on top of barbecue sauce. Add peppers, onions and mushrooms. Drizzle another tablespoon of barbecue sauce on each. Fold the foil over itself lengthwise then crosswise to create tightly sealed packets. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes. Cook rice per microwave instructions. Divide into two servings, top each with  1/2 tbsp butter and 1 packet of vegetables and all sauce.

Nutritional Information: 453 calories, 68 carbs, 4 fat gram and 28 protein grams.

Review: Great for weekend food, easy to prepare and yummy to eat. Yes, the cooking time is long, but it is great reheated too! It really tastes like chicken/veggies that taste grilled and all of the seasoning is right there - yum! The BBQ sauce added a lot and gave the rice a yummy flavor.