Mini Chicken Pot Pies

These cute little pies are easier than they look - which is always a bonus when you are entertaining! They are also quite healthy - white chicken meat, whole grains, yummy veggies and a smooth, homemade cream soup come together to make this dish a hit!

For the biscuit crusts:
1-1/2c Thrive 6 Grain Pancake Mix
3T Thrive Butter Powder
1/2c Cold Water
1/2t Italian Seasonings

Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Combine ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms (if your dough is too dry, add additional water one tablespoon at a time until it is moist). Drop the dough by heaping tablespoon fulls into each cup your muffin tin. Grease your fingers, then gently press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of each cup to form the crust. Set aside.

For the filling:
1/3c Homemade "Cream of" Soup Mix
1c Thrive FD Chicken
3T Thrive Potato Chunks
2T Thrive Green Peas
2T Thrive Celery
2T Thrive Green Beans
2T Thrive Corn
1T Thrive Onions
1T Thrive Carrots
2c Cold Water
1t Italian Seasonings
1/3c Thrive FD Mozzarella Cheese (not rehydrated)*

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, in a medium pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened. Spoon filling into pie crusts, top each with about half a tablespoon of mozzarella cheese, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until crusts are golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

*Using the cheese as-is makes a great, crispy topping similar to a breadcrumb topping but with the great flavor of Thrive Mozzarella. If you would prefer, rehydrate the cheese before sprinkling it on top of the pies and it will melt in the oven.

Thrive Chicken Nuggets!

The idea for this recipe has been floating around in my head for quite a while now and I am quite pleased with the results. These chicken nuggets are quick to prepare using your Thrive ingredients and have a great, mild flavor that kids will love. Best of all - they are actually healthy! If you would prefer a more "chickeny" chicken nugget, you could reduce or omit the potato beads and add a little more whole egg powder. Making the recipe as it is listed here will make nuggets that are similar to crab cakes - smooth and tender.

1c Thrive Freeze Dried Chicken
2T Thrive Celery
1T Thrive Onions
3/4c Hot Water (divided)
3T Thrive Potato Beads
1T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
1/4t Salt
3T Thrive Pancake Mix OR Bread Crumbs*
Oil for Pan Frying

Combine chicken, celery, onions and 1/2c hot water in the bowl of a small food chopper. Pulse a few times to chop chicken into small pieces, then let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. Empty chicken mixture into a small bowl and add the rest of the hot water, potato beads, egg powder and salt. Mix thoroughly, then shape into 6 nuggets. Put the pancake mix or bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Dip each nugget into the crumbs, pressing gently to help the crumbs stick to the nugget.

Heat a small amount of oil (several tablespoons) in a skillet. Pan fry the nuggets until golden brown on each side. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

* The coarseness of the bread crumbs will determine how crispy the outer coating of your nugget is. If you prefer a thick, crispy coating, try using Panko breadcrumbs. If you would rather have a softer texture, use the pancake mix.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Broccoli

1 5oz Package Yellow/Saffron Rice
1 1/2c Thrive Chopped Chicken
2T Thrive Red & Green Bell Peppers
3c Hot Water
1c Thrive Broccoli Pieces
1-2t Curry Powder (optional)
1c Thrive Shredded Cheddar, rehydrated

Combine rice, chicken, peppers and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in broccoli and curry powder and simmer for 5 more minutes or until rice is tender. Season as desired (I added salt and pepper), spoon into bowls and top with cheese.

Feel free to add more Thrive vegetables to this dish if you would like! Peas, mushrooms, green beans and corn would all be delicious additions. Just be sure to adjust more water as needed.

Mexican Rice Bowls

1c Thrive Instant Pinto Beans
1c Thrive Freeze Dried Chopped Chicken or Chicken TVP
1/2c Thrive Freeze Dried Corn
3T Thrive Tomato Powder
3T Thrive Red and Green Bell Peppers
2T Thrive Chopped Onions
2T Taco Seasonings (Recipe Below)
3c Water
2c Thrive White or Brown Rice, Prepared

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over cooked rice. Top with shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc.

Homemade Taco Seasonings

4T chili powder
2T ground cumin
1T paprika
1T crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper
1T dried oregano
1T onion powder
1T garlic powder
1T salt (optional)
½T black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Store in an air tight container.