Make Ahead Cream Cheese Chicken Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onion, bell pepper, poblano and jalapeño chiles; cook about 6 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Stir in flour and taco seasoning mix; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually beat in broth with whisk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and Cheddar cheese.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package for minimum cook time. Drain; stir pasta into sauce with chicken, frozen corn and black beans. Pour pasta mixture into baking dish, and pour enchilada sauce over top.
• Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with tortilla chips. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through and sauce is bubbling around edges. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and red onion just before serving.
• To freeze: Line 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with foil, making sure foil is as smooth as possible, as wrinkled foil may get stuck in sauce during freezing process. Leave enough overhang to lift casserole out of dish. Spray foil with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate sauce 30 to 40 minutes before assembling casserole. Mix sauce with cooked pasta, chicken, frozen corn and beans; spread in lined baking dish (do not add enchilada sauce); cover tightly with another layer of foil. Freeze unbaked casserole about 8 hours or until completely frozen. Transfer frozen casserole to labeled 2-gallon resealable freezer plastic bag. Remove air; seal and freeze up to three months. To bake: Remove foil, and transfer to 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and thaw in refrigerator until completely thawed, at least 48 hours. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove cover, and top with enchilada sauce. Bake 20 minutes; top with crushed tortilla chips. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around edges (165°F in center). Let stand 15 minutes. Top with cilantro and red onion just before serving.

MAKE AHEAD CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Turn slow cooker on High.
• Place butter in bottom of slow cooker.
• Cut chicken breasts into 1" strips while butter is melting.
• When the butter has melted, add one envelope Italian dressing dry mix.
• Stir into butter until well mixed.
• Place chicken in slow cooker and stir to coat with butter and dressing mix.
• Cover and cook on High for 2 hours.
• Remove chicken to plate to cool.
• Add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese.
• Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy.
• Remove sauce from slow cooker and allow to cool.
• Place chicken and sauce into a gallon resealable freezer bag. Label. Freeze.
• To serve: Thaw in fridge.
• Heat until piping hot and bubbly.
• Goes well over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles.

CHICKEN AND CREAM CHEESE RECIPE COLLECTION

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep a delicious chicken and cream cheese recipe in 30 minutes or less!

MAKE-AHEAD SNOWMAN CHEESE BALL

Steps:

• Mix 3 packages cream cheese and the Cheddar cheese; divide into 3 equal parts. Combine 2 parts to equal two-thirds of mixture; mix in pesto. Mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into remaining one-third mixture.
• Cover each cheese mixture and refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape. Shape each cheese mixture into ball. Wrap each ball, label and freeze.
• About 12 hours before serving, remove balls from freezer. Thaw in wrappers in refrigerator.
• Arrange balls on serving plate with smaller ball on top for head of snowman. Frost snowman with whipped cream cheese before serving. Decorate as desired. Serve with crackers. Store covered in refrigerator.

MAKE AHEAD SWISS CHICKEN

Steps:

• Grease a 9X13 disposable foil pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Place chicken pieces in dish.
• Sprinkle with swiss cheese.
• Mix together remaining ingredients and spread over cheese.
• Cover dish with foil.
• Place croutons in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.
• Tape bag of crushed croutons to dish.
• Freeze.
• When ready to bake, thaw in refrigerator overnight.
• Uncover dish and sprinkle with croutons.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until bubbly. Cover with foil mid-way through cooking if croutons start getting too brown.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chicken, pimentos, and cream cheese. Season with salt and set aside.
• Heat 1/8 inch oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Use tongs to dip 1 tortilla into the hot oil just until it blisters and turns limp, about 3 seconds; do not fry until firm or crisp. Continue with remaining tortillas, stacking them on a plate between paper towels when heated.
• Spoon about 1/3 cup filling down the center of each tortilla, then roll to enclose. Place enchiladas, seam-side down, in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Remove enchiladas from the refrigerator. Spoon cream over top and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.
• Bake, covered, in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes longer.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Mix chicken, 1 1/2 cup Mexican cheese, roasted peppers, chile peppers, and sour cream in a bowl until well combined.
• Heat enchilada sauce in a 12-inch frying pan. Dip a tortilla in the sauce until well coated and slightly softened. Top with 1/2 cup chicken mixture.
• Roll up tortilla and place seam side-down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray, and place it greased side down on the dish; seal to cover.
• Refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 2 days.
• When ready to bake, remove enchiladas from the refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes. Keep foil cover on.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 1 hour.