Chicken Macaroni Southwestern Style Recipes

CHEESY SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SKILLET

Steps:

• In 12-inch skillet, heat 3 cups water to boiling; add pasta. Cook 8 to 9 minutes or until pasta is tender; drain and return to skillet.
• Add chicken, sauce and chiles; heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with bell pepper, olives and tortilla chips.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onion, bell pepper, poblano and jalapeño chiles; cook about 6 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Stir in flour and taco seasoning mix; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually beat in broth with whisk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and Cheddar cheese.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package for minimum cook time. Drain; stir pasta into sauce with chicken, frozen corn and black beans. Pour pasta mixture into baking dish, and pour enchilada sauce over top.
• Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with tortilla chips. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through and sauce is bubbling around edges. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and red onion just before serving.
• To freeze: Line 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with foil, making sure foil is as smooth as possible, as wrinkled foil may get stuck in sauce during freezing process. Leave enough overhang to lift casserole out of dish. Spray foil with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate sauce 30 to 40 minutes before assembling casserole. Mix sauce with cooked pasta, chicken, frozen corn and beans; spread in lined baking dish (do not add enchilada sauce); cover tightly with another layer of foil. Freeze unbaked casserole about 8 hours or until completely frozen. Transfer frozen casserole to labeled 2-gallon resealable freezer plastic bag. Remove air; seal and freeze up to three months. To bake: Remove foil, and transfer to 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and thaw in refrigerator until completely thawed, at least 48 hours. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove cover, and top with enchilada sauce. Bake 20 minutes; top with crushed tortilla chips. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around edges (165°F in center). Let stand 15 minutes. Top with cilantro and red onion just before serving.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Brown chicken breasts on both sides. Add tomatoes with green chile peppers, beans and corn. Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Add a dash of cumin and serve.

SOUTHWEST MAC & CHEESE WITH OPTIONAL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Boil the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and return to the pan you boiled it in. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set out six individual, oven-safe ramekins or gratin dishes for individual servings, two 5"x8" baking dishes if you're cooking up one dish with meat and one without, or an 8"x8"/two-quart baking dish if cooking it all in one big batch.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the cheddar, monterey jack, and Parmesan cheeses. Set aside.
• Over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, salt, dry mustard, chili powder, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika. Stir constantly over medium heat for about three minutes.
• Slowly whisk in the milk. Continuing over medium heat, whisk frequently for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens (as the sauce gets thicker, I recommend going from frequent stirs to constant stirs to help avoid burning).
• Remove from heat, and stir in 2 cups of the cheese. Continue stirring until cheese is melted, then add the green chilies and corn. Stir until combined. Select your version from the options below to continue.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN, MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Brown chicken and cut into 1 inch pieces.
• Add 2 cups of water bring to a boil.
• Add the 2 cups of macaroni cook on medium heat for 15 minute or until all of the water is gone (mix often so it does not stick).
• Add 1 can of Rotel and 10 oz. of Velveeta cheese.
• Melt and serve.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN PANINI

Steps:

• Whisk water, vegetable oil, and marinade mix together in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, or overnight.
• Preheat an electric grill (such as George Foreman®) for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
• Place chicken on the preheated grill, close the lid, and cook until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• While chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion and saute until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Butter one side of each slice of bread. Assemble 2 sandwiches by layering Monterey Jack cheese, vegetables, and chicken between the unbuttered sides of the bread.
• Place sandwiches on the grill, close the lid, and cook until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.

CHICKEN MACARONI

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Fold in the macaroni and chicken. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN WITH ORZO

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken, zucchini, red pepper and onion in oil for 6-8 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to package directions., Stir the beans, corn, salsa, salad dressing, chili powder and garlic into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese until slightly melted. Remove from the heat; whisk in sour cream until smooth. Drain orzo; serve with chicken mixture.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN PASTA SALAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to directions on package.
• While pasta is cooking, mix together (in a VERY large bowl) the cooked chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, corn, onion, black beans, pinto beans, and taco seasoning.
• After pasta is finished cooking, mix it into the bowl with other ingredients (do not add cheese at this point because the hot pasta has a tendency to melt it, so wait to add the cheese until the pasta has completely cooled down).
• In a separate bowl, mix together dressing ingredients and fold into pasta/vegetable mixture. Stir until all ingredients are coated with dressing.
• Fold in cheese at this time and place in the fridge. I prefer to eat this after it has been in the fridge for at least 2-4 hours, but it tastes even better after staying in the fridge overnight.

CHICKEN MACARONI SOUTHWESTERN STYLE

Steps:

• Bechamel Sauce:.
• In a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the flour to make a roux, cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
• Pour 1 cup of milk into the roux, whisking constantly as the sauce thickens. Add the rest of the milk, in 1/2 cup portions, add the hot sauce and salt whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring the bottom of the pot with a spatula to prevent burning.
• Cook macaroni, drain and set aside.
• In a 13X9" baking pan, spray with nonstick spray. pour small amount of bechamel in the bottom of the pan with a little of the cheese. Sprinkle the chicken with the onion powder, and chipotle sauce, place half of the chicken in the pan then top with half of the peppers. Now add half of the macaroni, salt and pepper to taste, pour half of the bechamel sauce over the macaroni and half of the cheese. Repeat ending with the cheese.
• Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Makes 6 large servings.