Chicken Taco Pasta Salad

I think it's high time for a recipe!

This is hands-down my most requested recipe.

This recipe is also from my friend, Sharla. She got it from her mother-in-law.

My kids complain that I never make this for our family. I always make it for something else & they get to enjoy the leftovers! :)



Chicken Taco Pasta Salad

by Charlene Butler

1-12 oz pkg. tri-colored Rotini pasta

3-4 chicken breasts

1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 can kidney beans-drained

1 can garbanzo beans-drained

1 pkg. frozen petite corn

2 cans sliced olives, drained

1 onion, finely diced

1 green pepper-chopped

tomatoes-chopped

grated cheese

taco chips

Dressing: (Best if made the night before)

2 cups mayonnaise, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 pkg. Hidden Valley Fiesta

Dip Mix (if you can't find this, use regular Ranch dressing mix and

1/2 a package taco seasoning mix).

Mix together and refrigerate until ready to use.

(I prefer the taco seasoning mix/ranch dressing mix combination)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool. Cut

chicken into bite size pieces. Brown in small amount of oil. When

chicken is cooked, add taco seasoning mix and 1/4 cup water. Simmer

about 5 minutes. Drain and cool. Cook corn in small amount of

water. Do not overcook, it should still be slightly crisp. Drain and cool.

In large mixing bowl, combine pasta, chicken, beans, onion, green pepper,

corn, olives and tomatoes.

Mix with dressing.

Place salad in bowl. Arrange chips around edge of

salad. Garnish with grated cheese, chopped tomatoes and olives.

Served Additional chips and grated cheese on the side.

(Tripled serves 50+ as a side)

My notes:
*I just boil the chicken…then simmer in the taco seasoning. Or, you can throw the chicken, taco seasoning and water in the crock pot and cook it that way too.

*I always serve the grated cheese on the side as it has a tendency to get soggy in the salad.

*Sometimes I leave out the tomatoes, or the peppers...you can adjust to your families tastes.

*Please, please, please use frozen petite corn. And don't overcook it!

My Family's Favorite Meal

Yes, yes...it's another recipe.
We had this for dinner tonight, and I thought it interesting that I had never shared our favorite dish...and I do mean favorite.

So, I present... Chicken Broccoli Casserole (also known as Chicken Divan). We call it CBC for short. Whatever you call it...it's delish. Everyone in the family loves this, but it is hands down Emily's favorite food in the whole entire world.

My kids are funny, because when I make this they can become quite "terrotorial" over it.
They will argue about who is eating too much...who gets the leftovers...etc.

They will hide leftovers from each other, finding creative ways to disguise it in the fridge. One time, Emily took the leftovers to a friend's house so no one else would get them. To avert bloodshed, I've started making extras so there are plenty of leftovers for everyone!

It will be enjoyed for breakfast and lunch tomorrow by everyone who is quick enough to get their hands on the remaining stash.

Emily was gone today, but when I got home from church she had left a bowl on the counter for me to fill with leftovers for her to take to work tomorrow.

So, yeah. Pretty much my family's favorite meal. Ever.


Chicken Broccoli Casserole

4 chicken breast halves
1 (16 oz) package frozen broccoli (we prefer chopped broccoli)
1 cup shredded cheese
6 cups cooked rice

Sauce: (Mix together)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. curry powder

Place chicken in pan and cover with water. Season as desired (salt, bay leaf etc.) Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Cool and shred or cut into small pieces.
Cook broccoli according to package directions, until crisp/tender.
Spray a large cooking dish (10x15) with cooking spray.
Spread cooked rice in the bottom of the pan.
Top with chicken pieces, and then broccoli.
Pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly & cheese is melted.

*I usually use 1 1/2 bags of broccoli. And I just throw enough chicken on to make a nice layer. And I was a little heavy on the cheese tonight...you can adjust the recipe to your liking.
(This makes a big pan full...and yet I still have to make another small pan!!!)

*Also, just a few more hours to enter my giveaway. Midnight tonight is the cutoff. (Closed)

Speaking of Chickens

When Emily was in Kindergarten, she learned a cute little song about a Silly Chicken.

I Had a Little Chicken
(Tune: Turkey in the Straw)

"Oh, I had a little chicken

And she wouldn't lay an egg.

So I poured hot water

Up and down her leg.

And she giggled and she giggled,

And she giggled all the day.

Then, the silly little chicken

Laid a hard-boiled egg!"

She sang this song at the ward talent show. I can still see her, standing up on the stage in front of the microphone...shimmying up and down and flapping her elbows like a chicken! The 2nd verse was just a series of "bock, bock, bock, bock-bock...bock, bock, bock, bock"...she was such a cutie! She has always loved to sing and perform, and has never suffered from stage fright.

She is, however, afraid of chickens, as evidenced in this video:

(Both girls are, in fact, named Emily. Scaredy-cat/ "chicken" Emily is the one wearing her hair down...)
(And does she really say, "Those are hens, not chickens!")?

Chicken Phobia

On the other hand...Shane is kind of shy and does not like to perform in front of others. He doesn't even like to be in the yearly Primary program. You would never catch him performing in a ward talent show!

But, he is not afraid of chickens!

He and a few of the other boys in the neighborhood, have been going to the Smith's house to help "pick" (gather) fresh chicken eggs. (These are very patient and kind neighbors!)

Last week, he brough home a dozen fresh eggs. He is fascinated with the variety of size, shape and color.

He also enjoys the whole process of "picking" the eggs. And is quite disgusted that, in his words;

"Chickens eat their own babies!" He dropped an egg that he had gathered and the chickens flocked right to it and gobbled it down. He thinks that is pretty gross!

He asked me to scramble some of his eggs for him. He told me exactly how to wash them off before cracking them. The first batch of eggs, he took 2 bites and said they "tasted weird". Later he admitted he was just thinking about where they came from & was worried that there might be baby chicks in the eggs and he didn't want to eat a baby chick! This was partly from a family conversation the night before, wherein Rick and I recounted instances of cracking fresh eggs...and finding forming chicks inside...and from his sibling's constant, "Ewww...that's gross, I'd never eat a fresh egg" comments.

He is now over the squeamishness and has eaten (and enjoyed) fresh scrambled eggs. I'm still working on my squeamishness!

When I was a kid, my grandma had chickens. I have fond memories of staying at her house and helping with the chickens. I got to help shoo the chickens in to the coop at night, and also helped gather eggs from the nests. I wasn't as brave as grandma, she would have to shoo the hens away for me to be able to snatch up the eggs. Those hens peck! (yeah, I might have a chicken phobia myself!)

Below is a picture of grandma's chicken coops. If I remember correctly, the large one was the "Hen House" and the small one was for the Roosters. They have not been used in a good, long time. (The coops, not the roosters...well, those too!)

I remember too, a few times of witnessing a Rooster meet his demise on the chopping block! It's a funny (and slightly disturbing) sight to see a Rooster running around the pasture with no head!

And, we (the grandkids) liked to chase each other with the chicken feet. After they were chopped off, you could pull the tendon and make the foot curl up. This really grosses me out now!

Chicken Coops in Grandma's Pasture

My grandma used to make the best chicken and noodles!

I tried this recipe for Lion House Chicken Noodle Soup a couple of weeks ago. I didn't use the dehydrated ingredients. And I added 2-11 oz pkgs of "Grandma's" brand frozen homemade style egg noodles. Oh, it was beyond delicious and totally reminded me of grandma's chicken and noodles. There was very little "soup" to it! But it was oh, so good!

And that is all I have to say about that.

For today.