Lunch Time! Chicken Salad with a Twist

As many household budgets have gotten a bit tight over the past few years, it’s very common and financially-savvy for people to bring lunch to work.  Spending money at take-out counters and restaurants can not only hurt your wallet, but also your waistline as well.  Taking your lunch to work can be simple, delicious and good for you.

Campbell’s Kitchen® has several great tips and ideas on how to make “Desktop Dining” easy and economical.  I am always looking for new and delicious recipes to prepare for lunch and I recently came across this delicious Chicken Salad Sandwich with a yummy twist.  The crunchy almonds, fresh jicama and tarragon all add a lovely layer of flavor to a classic chicken salad sandwich.  What is your favorite twist on a traditional chicken salad?

Miami Chicken Salad Sandwiches

From Campbell’s Kitchen

Prep: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves, crushed

1 can (4.5 ounces) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/4 cup chopped jicama or celery

4 slices Pepperidge Farm® Whole Grain Soft Honey Oat Bread, toasted

1 mango, pitted, peeled and sliced

2 green leaf lettuce leaves

Directions:

1.     Stir the mayonnaise, sour cream and tarragon in a medium bowl. Stir in the chicken, almonds and jicama.

2.     Divide the chicken mixture evenly between 2 bread slices. Top with the mango, lettuce and remaining bread slices.

Best and until next time, Kaitlin.

Turkey Leftover Overload and Holiday Entertaining

Wow! Thanksgiving left as quickly as it came. Needless to say, I am completely over my leftovers. Every night this week included at least something that was made last Thursday. As much as I love the Ultimate Mashed Potatoes and the Green Bean Casserole, I am actually happy to say that I will be making dinner tonight that doesn’t include Thanksgiving leftovers.

December is a very busy month for everyone. Holiday parties are quickly filling my calendar and of course, Swanson is very popular this time of year! Over the next few weeks, I will be focusing on superb entertaining that will not only be easy on your wallet but will ease the stress of the season. My first recipe that I want to share is dinner tonight: Chicken and Vegetable Bake. It’s easy, delicious and really affordable (it’s less than $10 for 4 people)!

Chicken and Vegetable Bake
From Campbell’s Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Serves: 4





Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup cooked broccoli flowerets OR cauliflowerets
1 cup cooked sliced carrots
1 cup cooked cut green beans
2 cans (4.5 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
dash Ground black pepper
1 can (2.8 ounces) French's® French Fried Onions (1 1/3 cups)
1/4 cup cooked red pepper strips (optional)

Directions:

Stir the soup, milk, broccoli, carrots, beans, chicken, black pepper, 1/2 can onions and red pepper, if desired, in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a tossed salad with ranch dressing with crusty Italian bread. For dessert serve pineapple chunks.

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin!

P.S. In case you are new to Entertaining Escapades, I want to remind everyone in the interest of full disclosure that I work with Swanson Chicken.

It’s Pumpkin Carving Time!

Halloween is only eight days away! I’m not sure about you but it’s a big holiday in my family and one of our favorite past times has been pumpkin carving. Every year, we all get together, travel to a pumpkin patch and pick out our best, perfectly round and oversized pumpkins! We then carve our pumpkins, have great treats and watch a scary movie. This year, I’ve been tasked to make the yummy food for our yearly gathering. I will be serving Fiesta Chicken Casserole. It’s quite easy to make and it’s great for a larger group of people. It’s just a great way to get into the Halloween mood!

Sunday is our annual trip and this year, I am preparing to make the best carved pumpkin of all my family! I began to do some research and found a lot of great resources online for carving pumpkins. One of the best I’ve found was on the History Channel’s website (http://www.history.com/content/halloween). They had a wealth of fun information about myths, legends, the history of Halloween and a whole section on carving pumpkins. You can actually download stencils and print them out! Here is the one I chose . Ok, It’s a little challenging but I love a good challenge when it comes to pumpkin carving. Wish me luck and I will be sure to share with everyone the outcome!

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Serves: 8


Ingredients:
1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
1 jar (16 ounces) Pace® Chunky Salsa
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
1 package (24 ounces) frozen whole kernel corn
2 cans (9.75 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Let the pie crusts stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or until they're easy to handle.

Stir the salsa, soup, sour cream, cheese, corn, chicken and beans in a large bowl. Spoon the chicken mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.

Unfold the pie crusts on a lightly floured surface. Lay the crusts side-by-side so that they overlap by about 3 inches in the center. Press the seam to seal. Roll the pie crust into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Place the pie crust over the chicken mixture. Trim the excess crust from the edge. Cut several slits in the crust.

Bake at 400°F. for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin.