Creamy Tomato Chicken and Rice

I got the idea for this recipe from a food network show. I changed several ingredients and added the "Creamy" element, and voila! Another Phelps favorite was born. It's a really hearty dish that's great for a cold day.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, each sliced in half to make 4 thin cutlets

about 1/2 cup flour to dredge the chicken in

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup beef broth

1 (14 oz.) can roasted tomatoes

4-5 oz. cream cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Salt and pepper the chicken. Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess. In a large skillet add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and brown the chicken over medium heat. Remove the chicken just before it's done and place it on a plate. Cover with tin foil and it will finish cooking. To the same skillet add more oil, then add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Let the veggies soften a few minutes, then add tomato paste. Let that cook a couple minutes. Then add wine to deglaze the pan. Let that reduce a few minutes then add beef broth and tomatoes (undrained). When it starts to simmer, stir in the cream cheese and butter. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve over rice with the sliced chicken on top.

Try this: To sneak more vegetables into this dish, you can add chopped carrots (just add them when you add the other veggies). Also, you can stir in some frozen spinach (thawed and drained) at the end.

Southwest Chicken Chili

Where I live in North Carolina, the next several days are going to be cold. It's perfect weather for a big pot of chili. And I make mine a little differently. Mine has chicken, black beans, corn and roasted tomatoes. I almost won a chili cookoff with it. But my co-worker, the culinary genius we'll call "Mr. H," took home first prize with his delicious recipe. Oh well. (honestly, at a chili cookoff, everyone is a winner because everyone gets to taste awesome chili!!) I think you'll find this recipe is a winner in your home.

Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts (depending on how big they are)
a 15 oz. can of tomato soup
a 15 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes
a 15 oz. can of black beans (drain most of liquid, but not all)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon oregano
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (for cooking chicken)

Directions:
Heat a large sauce pot over medium heat. While it's heating up, season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, and a little chili powder. Brown chicken until it's mostly done, then remove from pot and set aside. (It will finish cooking when you put it back in the pot later) If needed, circle the pot again with more olive oil, turn heat down to medium-low, and add garlic, onion, red bell pepper, corn, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season veggies with salt and pepper and cook until soft. Then add tomato soup, tomatoes, black beans and the rest of the chili powder. (Use your taste buds to determine if you need more chili powder. I usually add more. You want it to taste more like chili than tomato soup.) Season with more salt and pepper if needed. While that simmers, chop chicken into bite-size pieces. Add that to the pot, once you're happy with the taste of the chili. Let simmer on low for a few more minutes then serve.
Try this: Top each bowl of chili with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Serve with a slice of crusty bread on the side.