Cooking with Sam: Change it up with these chicken dishes

Mexican Chicken Casserole

10-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 tbsp. green chilies, diced

1 tsp. instant minced onion

1/2 cup water

2 large firm, ripe tomatoes

1 6-ounce bag of corn chips

2 cups of cooked chicken or 10 oz. cans of boned chicken, diced

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a small mixing bowl, place soup, chilies, onion, and water. Stir until well blended. Slice tomatoes in ½-inch slices.

In a 2-quart casserole dish, layer half the chips and top with one cup of chicken, then half of the tomato slices. Sprinkle with ¾ of the cheese, reserving the rest for topping after cooking. Repeat layers. Insert temperature probe so tip is in center of casserole. Attach cable end in receptacle. Microwave on high. Set temperature to 155 degrees. When oven signals, sprinkle with reserved cheese and let stand for five minutes before serving.

If you want to cook in oven, bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. In the last 10 minutes, top with rest of cheese.

Hawaiian Chicken

2 pounds of chicken of your choice – it’s best to debone chicken

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp. of honey

1 can of sliced pineapple, around 7 slices

1/3 cup Heinz 57 sauce

Place chicken in a 9×12-inch baking dish. Reserve two tablespoons of liquid. Combine reserved liquid, 57 sauce and honey and pour over chicken. Bake for an additional 25 minutes, basting occasionally. Arrange pineapple over chicken. Bake for 10 minutes. Drain excess fat from sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken. Makes four servings.

Chicken Tetrazzini

6 slices bacon

6 tbsp. bacon drippings

3/ cup mushrooms

1/3 cup chopped onion

6 tbsp. all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. salt

1/ tsp. white pepper (or you can use black – but white is sweeter with no bite)

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 ½ cup half and half

3 tbsp. dry sherry

80 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained

1 cup cooked chicken or turkey

6 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Snipped parsley to garnish

Cook bacon, crumble and set aside. Measure six tablespoons of bacon drippings into a 12×9-inch baking dish. Add mushrooms and onion to bacon drippings. Microwave on high about 30 seconds, then add broth and half and half and mix well. Return to microwave on high for nine to 10 minutes, stirring about five times.

Stir in sherry, then stir in spaghetti, chicken, crumbled bacon and parmesan cheese.

Mix well and cook, covered with vented plastic, stirring well for 13-15 minutes or until heated through.

You can place everything in one dish, mixed well, in the oven, 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. At the last 10 minutes in oven, top with cheese.