(Marinade for 12 pieces of chicken, halve this recipe for four to six pieces)

1 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons Miracle Whip or Miracle Whip light (I use the Fit & Active version with light blue lid)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoons thyme
1 tablespoon garlic salt

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Use to marinate chicken pieces at least 30 minutes and then to baste the meat as it cooks in the oven or over hot coals.

Salad Mix (1 head romaine lettuce, 2 bunches of fresh spinach)
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, spinach, and strawberries. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, milk, and poppy seeds. Shake well and pour the dressing over the salad. Toss until evenly coated.

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Wraps

3 cups coarsely shredded deli rotisserie chicken (from 2-2 1/2 lb chicken)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)
8 slices cooked bacon, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (4 medium)
1 cup ranch dressing
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce

In large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except tortillas and lettuce. Cover; refrigerate up to 3 days. To make one wrap, spread a generous 1/3 cup chicken mixture on tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup shredded lettuce; roll up. Note: Warm the tortillas slightly in the microwave so they are more pliable. The filling can also be heated in the microwave (heat individual portions on High for 30-45 seconds) to make a hot sandwich.

Serve with Shoestring Oven Fries

Michelle’s Pasta Salad  

1 16oz. package garden rotini  (Aldi has usually)
1 bottle Aldi Fit and Active Italian
½ cup chopped red onion
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup sliced baby carrots
½ pkg frozen vegetable blend (broccoli, cauliflower etc)
1  can black olives, sliced  (use 1/2 can)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain pasta and allow hot water to collect in another bowl.  Rinse pasta with cold water to chill quickly and drain well.

Meanwhile put onions and frozen veggies in the hot water from the pasta and let sit for a few minutes to soften onions and vegetables.  Drain well.

Combine all ingredients – you will not use the entire bottle of Italian dressing at first.  After chilling for a few hours, add the remainder of the bottle. 

Chicken Oregano

6-8 bone-in chicken portions (whatever is cheapest & sounds best)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 T dried oregano, rubbed
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Arrange chicken portions in a large, shallow dish. In a small bowl, combine the oil, wine, oregano, salt and pepper, and the garlic. Mix well. Spread the marinade over the chicken portions, cover, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, turning and rearranging occasionally. Place chicken portions on an oiled broiler rack and cook under a preheated broiler for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is crisp and golden on the outside and cooked through, turning and rearranging several times during cooking. Serve warm or cold.

Rice & Noodle Pilaf

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 onion chopped (I omit because I don’t like onions)
1 cup of egg noodles
1 cup of rice
1/2 cup dry wine
2 cups chicken broth (use the Fit & Active brand to cut down on sodium)

Heat oil and add butter. Once the butter is melted, sauté onion and garlic on high. Add noodles and rice and toss until toasted. Reduce heat to low and add wine and chicken broth. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until rice is done and liquid absorbed.

6 chicken breasts
½ cup ranch dressing
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (freshly or packaged shredded)
1 t. sage
salt and pepper to taste

Marinade chicken in ranch overnight. Preheat oven to 450. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, sage, salt, and pepper. Coat breasts in breading and place in 9×13 pan. Cook the chicken at 400 for 20 minutes and check for doneness.

Yield: Six Servings 

Serve with mashed potatoes & a garden salad.

8 hot dogs (about one pound)

Put the hot dogs in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH until hot & slightly browned around edges, 1.5-2 hours. Remove with metal tongs and serve hot, in buns, with the fixings.

Serve with chips or pretzels.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 bag of chicken drumsticks (in frozen section)

Combine above ingredients in a plastic bag. Shake until dissolved. Add chicken and throw in fridge for two hours to twenty-four hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken on a foil lined pan. Bake thirty to thirty five minutes. Cook marinade in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for fifteen minutes. Reserve. Brush marinade on the chicken and serve.

I served these with Microwave Taters.

Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad

1 pound chicken (about three small breasts)

½ pound penne pasta (This ingredient is available this week at Aldi. If it isn’t at your store, you can substitute with elbow macaroni)

1 romaine heart, chopped

½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes

1/3 cup Caesar dressing

A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top

Bake chicken breasts as directed on package on a cookie sheet. While the chicken is baking, chop the romaine heart and halve the tomatoes. Cook pasta until al dente, as directed on package. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Dice the cooked chicken and put this in a bowl. Toss in pasta, tomatoes, lettuce, and the dressing. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. This can be served with a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Amy’s Notes- Because I wanted plenty of food for leftovers, I actually cooked the entire box of pasta and kept all the other ingredients the same. This stretched the dish further and we have enough for four more lunches. Additional dressing can be added to leftovers to keep pasta from tasting dried out. Basically, for forty more cents you can feed another four people! That makes this a great dish to entertain with!