Hawaiian Haystacks

INGREDIENTS
Coconut Rice
2 cans reduced fat coconut milk
2 cans* jasmine rice
*use the coconut milk cans to measure rice

Chicken Gravy
1 can coconut milk, divided
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded chicken**
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup whole milk

Toppings

Pineapple tidbits
Sliced black olives
Crunchy chow mein noodles
Shredded coconut
Slivered almonds
Shredded cheese
Shredded carrots

Mandarin orange segments
Frozen green pees, thawed
Diced bell peppers, green, red
Diced tomatoes
Diced green onions
Diced celery

**Make this as easy or involved as you like. Rotisserie chicken is delicious, and so is frozen chicken made in the instant pot and shredded. I guess you could even go the canned chicken route.

DIRECTIONS

In your rice maker, combine jasmine rice and coconut milk, and cook according to package directions. The rice will be moist, and has the potential to burn on the bottom.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 can coconut milk and sour cream. Whisk until combined and then set aside.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter.

Add the garlic, continually moving garlic around until lightly browned. Add flour, and whisk in the pan for 1-2 minutes. The longer you cook this portion, the more flavor you will impart on your gravy.

Add salt, black pepper, and onion powder, milk, and half of the coconut milk.

Whisk until combined, and bring to a simmer.

Cook until gravy starts to thicken up, about 2-3 minutes.

Whisk in remaining coconut milk, and the sour cream.

Add chicken, and stir until the gravy has warmed through.

Place all of your toppings in individual bowls, or in rows on a sheet pan for people to pick their own toppings.

To Serve:

Bed of coconut rice, top with chicken gravy and pile toppings as high as your tummy will let you.

Chicken in a Pan

recipe from The Morris Family
INGREDIENTS
5-6 chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup apple juice
1 box stove top stuffing
3/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, mix cream of chicken soup with apple juice until well blended. Set aside.

Layout chicken breasts evenly in a 9x13" baking dish. Top with cheese, and then with soup-juice mixture. Spread the dry stuffing mix evenly over the top, then top with melted butter.

Baked covered with foil at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5-10 minutes longer.

I grew up a home where we never ate casseroles… like, ever. So just the idea of all that cheese, and butter and the cream of whatever soups would gross me out like there is no tomorrow. And it still does, so when my friend, Karli was talking about this recipe, which her family affectionately calls, "Chicken in a Pan" I was thoroughly disgusted by it. Thankfully, Karli is as determined as they come, and let me know that the next time her family has it, I WILL be over for dinner, and if she has to, she WILL forcefully feed me this dish. So when the time came for me to come over, I was hesitant, but from the first bite, the to last bite of my second serving, I was in Mormon-Relief-Society-Arms Heaven. Seriously, this dish is SO good, it has me converted to the gospel of casserole dishes.

Fried Chicken Bites

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
Oil

DIRECTIONS
Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces, and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine egg, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well; and add chicken.
In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch, and flour.

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet, over medium heat (to about 375* F).
Carefully dredge the egg covered chicken in the cornstarch/flour mixture, and shake off excess.
Add chicken in small batches, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Then enjoy!

In high school, my favorite thing to get for lunch was 2 chicken tenders, and a 2 "potato logs" with lots of ranch from the LCL gas station. I'm 99% sure that they must have laced their ranch with heroin because I would just CRAVE those chicken tenders, and this is coming from a girl that hates breading on meat. I hate breading so much that I literally threw up the chicken parmesan a boyfriend spent hours making for a romantic dinner because I couldn't handle it.
Anyway, I was making Orange Chicken to celebrate the fact that we got custody of my niece, and as I was frying up the chicken for the Orange Chicken, I decided to taste test what I had so far, and I found the answer to my LCL chicken prayers, and these super simple Fried Chicken Bites were born.
Now all I need is some of that ranch in the tiny little cups, and my life will be complete!

Orange Chicken

adapted from Easy Restaurant Recipes

INGREDIENTS
(for the chicken)
2 pounds boneless chicken pieces, skinned
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
White pepper
Oil
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided use
1/4 cup flour
(for the sauce)
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water
Zest from 1 orange
1 tablespoon minced ginger root
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 dash crushed hot red chilies
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon rice wine
Juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon sesame oil

DIRECTIONS
Cut chicken pieces into 2-inch squares and place in large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well; set aside.
Stir 1/2 cup cornstarch and the flour together. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.
Heat about 1/2 inch of oil over medium heat, (to about 375* F)

Add chicken pieces, small batch at time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, water, and zest of orange.
Then set aside.
In a frying pan, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.

Add and stir-fry crushed chilies and green onions.
Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds.

Add pre-prepared mixture of sugar, orange zest, vinegar, water and soy sauce, and bring to boil.

Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed.

Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch into orange juice until smooth.
Add to chicken and heat until sauce is thickened.

Stir in 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
Serve over rice, and enjoy!

Tequila Lime Chicken

adapted from The Pioneer Woman on FoodNetwork

INGREDIENTS
4 limes
Zest of two limes
1 cup tequila
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
5 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño, sliced
1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
12 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups grated Monterey Jack

DIRECTIONS
Slice open the limes and squeeze the juice into a food processor or blender. Add the tequila, olive oil, salt, garlic, jalapenos, lime zest, and cilantro. Blend the mixture until totally combined. Add the chicken to a large plastic bag and pour in the lime-tequila mixture. Seal the bag and marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the bag and grill it over medium-high heat. Rotate the chicken 45-degrees on both sides to create nice grill marks, and continue grilling until the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Melt the Monterey Jack over the top of the chicken breasts.

I watched this episode of The Pioneer Woman, and knew that I had to make this chicken. How can you go wrong with tequila, limes, jalapeños, and cheese? Well friendos, you can't because this chicken is amazeballs. I'm like 99% sure that the tequila made all the difference. Because I have a crazy love affair with limes, I decided to add lime zest to the recipe, to give it just a little bit more intense lime flavor. I served it with black beans, spanish rice, and corn tortillas. My entire family loved it, which is a rare, so you should definitely add this to your recipe list!