Creamy Italian Chicken on Rice

I love this dish! It's simple to make, has only a few ingredients, will easily feed a lot of people and is almost as good as Mac n' Cheese is the comfort food department!

You just need:

- Boneless, skinless chicken pieces (I prefer thigh or leg meat for the added flavor from the higher fat content)
- Italian "dressing" seasoning packets OR dried oregano, dried basil, granulated garlic, paprika, salt and pepper
-Canned Cream of Mushroom soup
-Sour cream
-Cooked rice

Cut the chicken into bit size pieces and spread evenly in a greased oven proof pan. Sprinkle chicken evenly with Italian "Dressing" Seasoning or your preferred combination of the alternative seasonings. Add the Cream of Mushroom soup by plopping it across the pan and then spreading it with a spatula to cover the chicken. Cover with foil to prevent browning and bake at 350 until the chicken is cooked through. When cooked, remove from the oven and stir in the sour cream to create a smooth creamy sauce. Reheat for a bit if needed to be able to serve hot. Serve over cooked rice with lots of extra sauce! The sauce and rice can help the chicken go a long way. Can be served with steamed veggies or a big green salad.
Can be frozen and reheated BEFORE sour cream is added.

Salsa and Salsa Nectarine Chicken

I made some great fresh salsa earlier – because really... what is better then fresh salsa and crispy tortilla chips for a mid afternoon snack? For my salsa I quartered cherry tomatoes, finely diced part of a white onion, very finely chopped three garlic cloves, and chopped a large handful of cilantro leaves. I threw everything together in a handy bowl and sprinkled in some sea salt and ground pepper. Voila! Salsa!

After eating about half the bowl – I was still hungry... so - the following recipe was born!

You'll need:

chicken pieces (I used a giant thigh)
salt
pepper
granulated garlic
a little oil
a few pieces of nectarine
and the a fore mentioned salsa

Preheat the oven to 400. Put a little bit of oil in a glass baking pan - so the chicken won't stick. Place the chicken in the pan, spread as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Spoon some of the salsa on top of the chicken. Dice up the nectarines and add them to the salsa on top of the chicken. Spread the nectarines and salsa out so that the chicken in completely covered. Kind of press everything together so it will stick. Anything that falls off into the pan should be scooped back on top or tucked under the chicken pieces. (I suppose that last part is easier when you're using a boneless piece of chicken...) Bake until the chicken is done (180). Enjoy – preferably with a cold beer and some more chips!

P.S. Be sure to use plenty of salt on the chicken... mine could have used a bit more.