Main Dish

Bruschetta Chicken Salad with Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

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Bruschetta Chicken has taken on a whole new form with this Salad recipe that combines Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing with crunchy garlic croutons.

Tomato season is a much loved season in our home. I love picking sun warmed tomatoes from the vine and eating them right away or chopping them up and tossing them in basically everything.

Unfortunately the whole moving/wedding thing has pushed my garden down on the priority list this summer, so my tomatoes are not what they could have been, but I’m still getting a few. I’ve been enjoying my fair share of BLT’s (this one is my favorite), and fresh tomato sauce. I’ve been forced to buy a few from the farm stands that surround our house to support my cravings. I seriously think we hit the jackpot with those, they are everywhere and everything is so fresh!

Typically when I make brushetta chicken I put it over alfredo, or pesto pasta, however since we are trying desperately here to keep ourselves in shape for the last few weeks before the wedding I thought a salad might be a better idea. Not that it stopped me from making the best Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing ever and dreamy garlic croutons. I stick by the idea that there is spinach so it’s still healthy.

This salad is very reminiscent of the usual Chicken Caesar that you would order in a restaurant. You know the type; romaine lettuce and croutons drenched in a creamy thick dressing. Oh yes, it’s so good right? Now just take that image and toss some warm juicy chicken on top with some good balsamic and fresh in season tomatoes. The tangy, fresh tasting balsamic drips its way down to the creamy and cheesy dressing, it’s like a happy dance is happening in your mouth. It’s like crack and you can’t stop until every last drop is gone. It’s a good thing you saved that bread heal from the croutons to soak up the last little bit.

When did I start talking in the third person? Whatever. You get my point here. This might just be my favorite salad ever. I love it, and you should definitely try it immediately.

Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of salt

Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Let stand for 10 minutes to overnight before serving. Can remain in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Bruschetta Chicken Salad with Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2-3 Servings

Ingredients

1 to 2 cups of day old bread, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt & pepper to taste
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
2 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
¼ cup Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. On a baking sheet toss the cubed bread with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and parsley. Place in the oven and cook for 6 minutes, or until the bread begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and toss carefully. Set aside.
Season the chicken well and place it on a preheated grill. Cook for 4 minutes, flip and cook for another 4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, and balsamic. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine the lettuce, spinach, and croutons with the dressing and toss well to coat.
On each plate place a layer of coated lettuce and croutons. Add chicken and top with tomato mixture and serve.

Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Peppers

By Jessica

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This is a recipe for Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Leftover Chicken and fresh peppers. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken and please the whole family.

Sometimes when you stumble on fresh vegetable bounty you just have to throw caution to the wind and fly by the seat of your pants.

That’s been the thing lately.

Despite not having a successful garden of our own right now we are still full of fresh veggies thanks to our family and friends. I’m so thankful that so many of them love to garden as much as I do, it has been awesome.

Zucchini, cucumbers, and green beans seem to be the big stars at the moment, though as summer winds down I’m looking forward to more tomatoes, peppers, squash, and root veggies.

Recently I walked into the store for some pantry staples and my jaw dropped when I saw the abundance of red, green, and yellow peppers lining the produce section shelves. I tossed my original dinner plan and decided to make something with these beautiful little babies instead.

I decided on a variation of Chuck’s favorite Garlic Parmesan Pasta, needless to say this recipe got a double thumbs up. I just like that it’s a different way to use up cooked chicken, which we always seem to have hanging around our house. The peppers wilt just a little and add a wonderfully sweet flavor to the dish balancing out the salty and creamy nature of the parmesan.

If you were interested in leaving the chicken out it would also make a really great side dish to go with a number of summer meals.

Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Peppers

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1/3 package whole wheat pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow pepper sliced thin
½ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded, cooked chicken
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped basil for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside, reserving 1/3 cup of pasta water.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add peppers and cook for another minute.
Stir in broth, cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the peppers have softened.
Add the red pepper flakes chicken, pasta and reserved liquid tossing to combine.
Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and toss gently.
Adjust seasonings and serve with garnish.

Ground Turkey Fried Rice

By Jessica

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Making the time to do the things that fill you up sounds way easier than it is. In the midst of buying a house, renovating said house, planning a wedding, and maintaining a career it seems like it is impossible for me to simply make time. The result is a grumpy, overworked, frustrated, selfish blob of ginger mess….

Clean Hawaiian Marinated Chicken

By Jessica

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This is a simple recipe for Hawaiian Marinated Chicken that is clean and healthy!

We have fallen into a chicken breast rut. Yep, that’s seriously a thing. By that I mean I feel like I am always cooking the same chicken breast recipes over and over again.

It’s Spinach and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken, Chicken Parmesan, Sherry Mushroom Chicken, or Asian Grilled Chicken, or some kind of chicken stir-fry, time after time after time. It gets old, so since its grilling season I am on a quest to try out some new chicken breast recipes.

Someday I hope to amass a collection that hits 100 recipes, and while that might take a while there’s no time like the present to get started on that goal.

To start off this is a new recipe I recently came up with to pair with a rice recipe that I wanted to try (that one is coming soon, don’t worry). I’m really happy with the way it came out, it was incredibly flavorful, and the chicken was super moist. It is also a completely clean recipe so it’s great for those of us trying to stay healthy.

Now if you have any amazing chicken recipes that I can try please send them my way! I’ll be sure to give all of my influencers credit in upcoming posts!

Clean Hawaiian Marinated Chicken

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 oz tomato paste
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

Whisk together the pineapple juice, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and honey.
Place the chicken breasts in a bowl with a lid or a sealable bag and allow it to marinade for at least 30 minutes (may marinade for 24 hours in the fridge).
To bake: Cook the chicken in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through. Serve immediately.
To grill: Place the chicken on a preheated grill (400 or more degrees) and cook for roughly 5 minutes a side. Then remove from heat and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Basil Meatballs with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

By Jessica

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Chicken Basil Meatballs & Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce Recipe. This decadent sauce is the perfect companion to the flavorful and tender meatballs.

Oh man you guys this sauce. It’s pretty much the best thing ever, err at least this month.

I originally saw the recipe over at Closet Cooking, but it made a reappearance on damn delicious both here and here and on Julia’s Album.

I have made it quite a few times, and poured it over many different things, chicken, fish, shrimp pasta, rice. Basically you name it. I swear this is one of those sauces that I could eat for life and not get bored, though it may add some inches to my waistline. It’s seriously that good.

This time around I wanted to try it with meatballs, because meatballs are like my favorite thing right now. Combining two of my favorites in one dish is usually a good idea. In this particular case it was an amazing idea!

These tender and flavorful meatballs were only amplified by the delicious, creamy sauce and sweet little bits of sundried tomato. Of course I served this tossed together with pasta, because again we are talking favorites here.

Chicken Basil Meatballs with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

16 oz. short pasta
1 lb lean ground chicken
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Pepper
¼ teaspoon Oregano
1 tablespoon basil chopped fine
¼ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 egg white
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of chicken broth
½ cup whipping cream
1/3 cup oil packed sundried tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package instructions and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the chicken with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, bread crumbs, and egg white. Use your hands to mix well and then form balls about 2 inches in diameter.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add meatballs and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, while turning frequently. They should be browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.
Add the butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the sundried tomatoes, cream and parmesan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Return the meatballs to the pan tossing well to coat. Remove from heat and stir in the pasta. Serve immediately.

Clean Salisbury Steak Meatballs

Teriyaki Chicken Meatball Skillet

Shrimp with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

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