Italian Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups (12 servings)

This recipe is from Everyday Italian and we LOVE it! It's a great dish for warm weather summery parties! I've served it a couple of times when I've hosted bunco, and I've also brought it to friends after they've had a baby or surgery (not the full recipe!). Our kiddies have just started to enjoy eating it all. Before they appreciated all the flavors, I just took one of the chicken breasts and sliced it up for them to eat. Ooh, I'm getting hungry for it right now!

Here's the original recipe. Thank you, Giada! Since I've made VERY minor changes (fewer capers, more honey, etc.) to the recipe, I added the modifications in the recipe below. It's the only way I'll remember how to make it again next time!

10 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (about 3 good-sized rotissiere chickens)
2 cups roasted red and yellow bell peppers, drained, patted dry, and coarsely chopped
1-1/4 cup paper-thin slices red onion
¾ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
¾ cup slivered almonds, toasted
¼-1/3 cup capers, drained
1-1/2 cup (about) Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 butter lettuce leaves (from about 3 large heads) or bib lettuce—whatever is more economical, I’ve started just serving over torn Romaine lettuce.
1 (4 oz.) pkg. shaved Parmesan cheese (you can get this next to the regular grated)

Toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, parsley, almonds, and capers in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season the chicken salad with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange 1 large lettuce cup and 1 small lettuce cup on each plate, overlapping slightly. Spoon the chicken salad into the lettuce cups. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the salads. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

Do-ahead tip: The chicken salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving, spoon the salad into the lettuce cups.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 TBSP honey
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified. (I just make this dressing using my dressing plunger instead of a processor. You can also just shake it in a large jar with a lid). Shake well again before adding to salad.

NOTES: I use three rotisserie chickens from Costco (they are 3 lbs. instead of 2 lbs. like the grocery store chickens…and they’re a lot less expensive).

Spinach Cheese or Chicken Chili Quiche

Once again, this recipe is from my mother-in-law (I think via Byerly’s grocer in the Twin Cities). It sure is a winner. I’ve used this recipe so many times to serve at baby showers or as part of a meal I bring to friends after they’ve had a new baby. I have also served up a few of these at one of my bunco parties by making 2 spinach and 1 chicken chili (see variations below). It's easy for week night entertaining since preparation is so quick. This is one of my most requested recipes…either by people requesting the recipe itself or by my children wanting it for dinner! Our kids have enjoyed this quiche since they started eating solid foods!

1 – 10 oz. package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed (I use only ~8 oz. per kids' request)
5 eggs, beaten (2 regular eggs with egg beaters for the rest works well)
1 – 8 oz. carton small curd cottage cheese (1-cup)—nonfat is fine.
2 cups grated combination cheddar & Monterey jack cheese
1/8 cup dried onion or ¼ cup fresh chopped
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 – 9 “ deep dish pie shell, unbaked (optional--see gluten free below)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Squeeze spinach in small palmfuls to remove all liquid. In large bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, spinach, 2 cups grated cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Beat to blend with electric mixed (I just use a fork) and pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 50-60 minutes. Let sit 5-10 minutes before cutting.

GLUTEN FREE: Make a crustless quiche by melting 1-1/2 TBSP butter in a pie plate (spread around to coat), pour mixture into dish, and bake as directed! We always prepare it this way now that Joe is gluten intolerant, and we sure don't miss the crust! (It's the one in the above picture.)

Variations:
Ham: leave out a few ounces of the spinach and add ~1 cup diced ham
Chicken Chili variation (another one of our favorites!): omit spinach; substitute small can drained chopped green chilis (4 oz.) and ~ 1 cup cooked, chopped chicken

TIP: A good option for busy families is…
Make two recipes at the same time, and freeze one unbaked batch in a gallon ziplock freezer bag. When you want to bake and eat it, just take the bag out of the freezer the night before to thaw. Before baking, just squeeze and squish the bag around to mix the ingredients well, then unzip and dump it into an unbaked pie shell.

Bread!!!

How can you have soups and salads without bread? Well, I give my husband g-f bread or crackers now that he's been gluten-intolerant for a few years, but our kids love bread of all kinds. I had used our bread machine frequently to make mostly foccacia and pizza dough...but after about 10 years of marriage the machine broke down. Since we're avoiding gluten when we can, I figured I could live without replacing it. We haven't kept out ALL the gluten though...and the following recipes have been rated "winners" by our kids.

Cheesy Pepperoni Stromboli

I usually make two of these at a time so we can enjoy more throughout the week..if there’s any left!

1 loaf frozen bread dough (usually come in pack of 3)
Italian seasoning; or dried basil, oregano and thyme
4-6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 oz. pepperoni slices, optional
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, separated
1 egg

Thaw dough according to directions. When ready to handle, place dough on greased foil-lined cookie sheet. Flatten and stretch dough to about the size of the cookie sheet…or as far as possible to each of its sides. Sprinkle dough with a scant covering of herbs, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, leaving a 2-inch border of bare dough. Fold bottom third of dough over the middle section, then fold the top third of dough over middle and bottom sections. Seal all edges by pinching dough together. Turn dough over on cookie sheet so pinched edges are down; roll end edges under dough slightly. Using a sharp knife, make diagonal slits in the loaf every 1-1/2 inches or so. Let rest for 10 minutes. Brush top and sides with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes…or until golden brown.

Variation: Add…
1/3 lb. ground Italian sausage, browned

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

We love this one. In fact, we make it more than just around the holidays! Whenever we'd go to Costco, our kids would hover around the Great Harvest table and scoop up a couple cubes of the spice bread. Well, I truly can't tell much difference between theirs and this recipe. Since the recipe makes two loaves, we usually eat one fresh then slice and wrap the other in plastic and foil and freeze it. Having a spare loaf in the freezer when you get a hankerin' for it is certainly a gift.

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 – 16-oz. can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup craisins (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in craisins (or walnuts), if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, slide around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

Makes 2 loaves.

I originally found this recipe on Epicurious.com, but I have been unable to find it there recently.

Light Corn Bread

This recipe is from my mother-in-law. I like it because (unlike a real Texan) I prefer my cornbread sweet and moist—and this is it! Tip: While you are making one loaf, use another bowl to mix dry ingredients for another loaf. Put this mix in a plastic zip bag and all you need to do to make your next loaf is add the buttermilk…that you usually have left over in the container from making your first loaf!

1-1/2 cups white or yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk

In medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in buttermilk quickly, until moistened. Spoon into greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2” loaf pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until golden and toothpick in center of loaf comes out clean (45-55 min.). Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove loaf to wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temp.

Check bread at about 40 minutes. If loaf is brown at this point, cover it loosely with foil for the remainder of baking time. This bread is very moist. Leftovers can be put in the toaster to heat. Good with soup and chili.

Corn (bread) Casserole

I got this recipe from a friend, Kelly, at our church. Kelly is the mother of 7 children (edit: make that eight!). She and her husband, Robert, are the King and Queen of Cooking Big. They make many of the soups served at our Lenten Soup Suppers. During one such dinner is where they brought this casserole. Our kids couldn’t stop eating it…so I had to get the recipe!

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 (~14.75 oz) can cream-style corn
1-8 oz. sour cream (light version okay)
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Put all ingredients in a lightly greased 9 x 9” baking pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for ~50 minutes. Double recipe and bake in a 9 x 13” pan—adjust time, etc. Serve with a serving spoon if hot. If serving cool, it can be cut with a knife. (It’s best warm!)