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Favorite Green Chicken Chili

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I adore this, is what you should know first. Everyone else adores this, is a very close second. 

A million years ago when I started to like cooking but didn’t have a huge skillset yet, I watched A LOT of Food Network, which morphed into me watching Rachael Ray nearly daily, which was probably a strange thing to do at age 23 or something. I learned a ton, though, and often mimicked recipes I saw on her and other’s shows. This chicken chili was inspired by a talk show, is what you should know. 

In the last ten years or so (why. how.), I’ve made versions of this chili over and over again, to great results and very few leftovers each time. The concept is simple: some kind of peppers that you roast yourself, chicken/garlic/onion, white beans, canned green chiles, stock, done. Sometimes I add lots of different types of peppers, sometimes an extra jalapeno or two. Sometimes I use leftover shredded chicken, sometimes I use ground, sometimes I poach and shred my own and use the poaching liquid instead of stock. 

The end result is hugely flavorful each time, and the balance of flavors + nutrition is so satisfying here. Toppings are a must, as with any Mexican-inspired dish, and this should probably definitely be included in your weekend – this weekend if it’s cold, or in two weeks for Cinco de Mayo! OR OR OR you make a double batch now and freeze half for Cinco. Meal prep. 

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Braised Chicken Thighs with Leeks

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Here’s your new favorite quick dinner method! 

If you aren’t already making something like this all the time, obviously. I see recipes for chicken thighs all the time, and for good reason: they’re somewhat more affordable than chicken breasts, they have tons of flavor, and the possibilities for cooking them are just endless. I have on occasion found boneless, skin-ON chicken thighs, and that to me is the mother lode of all chicken cuts, hands down. This is mainly because we still eat dinner every single night on the couch (because Beck goes down before we eat, we’re only rotting OUR brains, don’t worry) and chicken bones are tough to navigate with one hand. 

This method for cooking chicken thighs is so foolproof I can’t even waste too much time talking about it. The key is to be patient with searing the chicken skin so most of the fat renders out and the skin gets super crispy. Then we cook leeks and whole garlic cloves in the chicken drippings, add the chicken BACK in with some chicken stock and lemon, roast the whole thing, and done. Couldn’t be easier, and the leek/garlic/lemon combo is just unreal. 

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Quick Skillet Chicken Parm

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Over/under on another version of chicken parm that doesn’t involve tons of frying and ingredients and steps? I’m WAY over on this one, and think we should have a variation of any kind of parm every single week, but what do I know? 

I know that everyone likes parm, that’s what I know. This version was a quick dinner solution last week, and we gobbled it up. It’s healthier than most chicken parm recipes but doesn’t sacrifice anything in terms of flavor, and it’s super quick because we build a tomato sauce right around seared chicken cubes, then bake the whole thing with cheese and a few breadcrumbs just for a few minutes to melt the cheese and cook the chicken all the way through. 

I will say this is definitely not the prettiest thing I’ve ever made, but the flavors more than make up for it. Tangy tomatoes, tender chicken, creamy cheese, crispy topping: like I said, I’m way over. 

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Ramen Noodle Salad {vegan}

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I know it’s supposed to rain and snow this weekend but it’s practically Mid-April so we’re just going with it, ok? It’s time for springy food, cooler food, lighter food. 

This is that! Also featuring noodles. I wanted to make a lunch-type salad with a super savory soy-based dressing, tons of crunchy veggies, and noodles, full stop. I went vegetarian on this version but you could definitely add some leftover cooked chicken, and the veggies you use can be mixed up every time you make this based on what you have in the fridge and based on what your preferences are. 

I MAINLY wanted to make this because I ordered a whole heap of these ramen noodles on Amazon that came highly recommended AND THEY WERE SO GOOD with exactly one exception: they do not store well at all with no exception. I made this mid-day and it was so good, the noodles were the perfect texture, and by evening when we had this for dinner they were mushy and kind of dissolved in our mouths as we ate, not cute at all. So, while I DO recommend these noodles because that’s just how certain noodles behave and the flavor was excellent, I’d say to make this right when you’d like to serve or use a noodle like spaghetti as a substitute which would be equally delicious. 

The dressing is the real star here, use any noodle you want, seriously. 

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Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Capers

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Yumyumyum, in other words. 

Here’s your new favorite brunch item! Baked eggs. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not actually like eggs in their purest form. Runny yolks are questionable, don’t get me started on hard boiled eggs, and scrambled eggs are good for approximately 3 seconds before they turn cold and sad. Omelettes are on my happy list because veggies and cheese can be involved, and quiche is a no-brainer because of the crust, clearly. However, I’m always on the hunt for ways to use eggs that I do like, because they’re cheap and a great source of vegetarian protein. 

Obviously I added pork to this so we are NOT left with a vegetarian dish, but what we end up with instead is something similar to shakshuka, a Middle Eastern baked eggs dish that I’m super into finding pictures of on the internet because the combination of flavors and textures and colors is just so pretty and appealing to me. Tangy sweet tomatoes, creamy eggs, garlic + onion, and I started with chorizo to bring extra savory flavor to the party. 

Bread for dunking is a must, mimosas would be perfect for a brunch. If you serve this for a morning situation, I love that it can alllllmost be made in advance; make the tomato sauce, leave it (covered in the fridge) in the skillet overnight, then crack the eggs into the skillet in the morning, bake the eggs, and brunch! I have a few fun weekend-morning events coming up, and I’m thinking this would be perfect for a shower or early-in-the-day birthday party, right?

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