Panko Honey Mustard Chicken

This is another recipe from the archives. I actually shared it the very first week that I started this blog! We made this last week, and it was a big hit with everyone. I actually cut the chicken breasts into strips so that they more resembled the frozen chicken fingers that my children still love. These are a lot more tasty with not much more effort!





Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c Dijon honey mustard dressing (I love Ken's dressings)
1/2 c mayonnaise (can substitute Greek yogurt)
1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic salt
cooking spray

Method:
Mix together Dijon honey mustard dressing and mayonnaise in medium bowl.  In separate bowl, mix together panko, Parmesan, rosemary, and garlic salt.  Coat each chicken breast in mustard mixture and place in baking dish.  Cover with panko mixture and spray with cooking spray.  Cook covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncover and cook for 10 minutes longer.

Make some extra dressing for dipping.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

An oldie but a goodie from my mama! I have a few tips for recipes that call for pre-cooked chicken. Add chicken and a splash of chicken stock to crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours, then shred...add chicken and 1 cup chicken stock to instant pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, use natural release, then shred...and my favorite is buying the shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco. It is a TON of chicken, and it's delicious. It's hard to find these days, but hopefully easier days are ahead. Also, whenever cooking with shredded cheese, it's always better to hand grate it rather than buying the pre-shredded cheese. Don't get me wrong, I use shredded cheese all the time, but it doesn't taste as good and doesn't melt as well. This recipe makes enough for my family to eat as two meals, so I usually make the entire recipe but freeze half. Hope you'll enjoy one of our family favorites!

Ingredients
SAUCE:
1 cup mayo
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 T lemon juice
2 cans cream of chicken soup (see this link for alternative:  http://www.milehimama.com/how-to-make-cream-of-chicken-soup/)

OTHER:
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 medium broccoli bunches, chopped into 1 inch pieces and cooked (I only use florets)

Mix together sauce ingredients in large bowl. Add sauce and remaining ingredients to 9x13 baking dish. Stir well. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Happy Cooking!

"Crack" Chicken

My friend, Elena, introduced our family to this recipe. "Crack" chicken is truly addictive!...AND, it's so so easy. You can serve this in a variety of ways...over pasta or rice or zoodles, as a dip, or just by itself with some veggies on the side. These days I'm looking for through my pantry and trying to come up with recipes to use things I already have on hand. I would venture to guess that if you're not a vegetarian, you probably have MOST of these things in your pantry/fridge. The exception may be the ranch packet. The next time you're getting groceries, grab a couple of these and some Italian dressing packets...you never know when they may come in handy. Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Ingredients:
3 lbs chicken breasts (or thighs, whatever you have is fine)
8 oz cream cheese
1 Ranch seasoning packet
1/2 cup water
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (again, whatever you have on hand will work)
8 slices cooked bacon (Kirkland precooked bacon is a great shortcut...just heat it to crisp it)

Method:
You can make this either in the Instant Pot or the Crockpot. Just add the chicken, cream cheese, Ranch packet and water to your device. Set Instant Pot to high pressure for 15 minutes then let it release on its own. Set Crockpot for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Once the chicken is cooked, shred it, return it to your cooking device, add the cheese and bacon, and stir. THAT'S IT! Voila! Dinner is served.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Piccata with Artichokes

I got a HUGE container of artichokes at Costco a few weeks ago. While I love artichokes, I really didn't know what to do with quite so many of them. I remembered a recipe that my roommate from college used to make when we lived together in Charleston. It was basically chicken with artichokes and white wine. I started searching for something similar and came across this recipe from Williams Sonoma. My entire family LOVED it. I was scraping the pan after we were done to get every last delicious morsel. I hope you'll enjoy it too!

Original recipe from Williams Sonoma found HERE. I've altered it a little below.

Chicken Piccata with Artichokes:

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (even better if you can find thin sliced, about 1 1/2 lbs)
1/2 cup flour (you can use any substitute here to make it gluten free)
1 t Salt
1/2 t Pepper
3 T olive oil
2 T butter (or ghee)
1 T minced garlic
8 oz quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup dry white wine (have a glass while you're at it)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 T lemon juice
4 T capers
1 T Italian parsley

Method:
Butterfly the chicken breasts and pound with a meat mallet or a heavy pot until about 1/4 inch thick (again, if you can find the thinly sliced chicken breasts, this will make your life easier). Place flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow baking dish. Heat 2 T of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour and add to skillet in batches to prevent overcrowding. Cook each breast for about 4 minutes and then flip and cook 4 minutes more. Drain on plate lined with paper towels.

In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 T olive oil and 1 T butter (ghee). Add the garlic and artichoke hearts and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the wine, and scrape all of the bits off of the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/2...should take less than 5 minutes. Add the broth, lemon juice, and capers. Add remaining 1 T butter and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Return the chicken to the pan coating it with sauce. Sprinkle parsley over top and serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!

Poppyseed Chicken

This recipe reminds me of childhood. I remember wanting to lick my bowl clean every time we had this. It is SO easy to make, too! It literally takes 10 minutes to throw it together. TIP: I crush the crackers in the cracker sleeve to avoid a big mess. This is true comfort food...pair it with a nice salad, and you're good to go!






Poppy Seed Chicken: 

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup **recipe to make your own below
8oz container sour cream
2 T dry sherry
8 oz Ritz crackers, crushed
1 1/2 T poppy seeds
1/2 cup butter, melted
Salt
Pepper

**Cream of chicken soup recipe:
Melt 2 T butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in 3 T flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add 1/2 cup chicken broth and whisk quickly to combine. Slowly add 1/2 cup milk and whisk to quickly to combine. Add a large pinch of salt and pepper.
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper over diced chicken breasts. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and place chicken in dish. In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream and sherry. Pour soup mixture over the chicken. Mix the poppy seeds, melted butter, and crushed crackers in a small bowl. Place cracker mixture on top of chicken. Cover and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover for the last five minutes of cooking. Let the casserole sit and cool a few minutes before serving.

Happy Cooking!

Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma

I have found that the NY Times recipes are some of my absolute favorites. This recipe is full of fresh ingredients, and the flavors are awesome. The entire family loved it! If you want a short cut, purchase a rotisserie chicken and sub it in for the oven-roasted chicken. Either way, you'll love

it. Oh, and I've added a recipe for white sauce to just add to the deliciousness of it all...the recipe makes a TON of sauce...you could probably cut it in half if you would like to. Enjoy and Happy Cooking!!!

Ingredients:

2 lemons, juiced

1/2 cup plus 1T olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp kosher 

salt

2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric

A pinch ground cinnamon

Red pepper flakes, to taste

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 red onion, peeled and quartered

2 T chopped fresh parsley

toppings: kalamata olives, hot sauce, pitas, grape tomatoes, WHITE SAUCE*

Recipe for Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma from NYTIMES.com. Complete recipe found HERE.

*WHITE SAUCE:

1 cup plain yogurt

1T plus 1tsp tahini

1/4 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp lemon zest

2 T lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

minced dill/mint optional.

Mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl...fold in dill/mint if you would like. 

Happy Cooking!

"Chickfila" Grilled Chicken Marinade

This is my go-to chicken marinade. My pastor's wife in Scottsdale was a fantastic cook, and this was one of the recipes she was kind enough to share with me. This has quickly become a family (and friends) favorite. When my kids were little, they called this Chickfila chicken because they said it reminded them of Chickfila. That is about the greatest compliment you can get from 2 and 3 year olds if you ask me! If you are intimidated by the grill, you can always cook these on a flat top or in a frying pan, but nothing is quite the same as grilling them. I usually set my grill for high heat to begin to sear the chicken for a couple of minutes on each side and then turn the heat down to medium until they're cooked through. Give it a try!!

Chickfila Chicken Marinade

6 T mayonnaise
3 T apple cider vinegar
3 T lemon juice
2 T sugar
1 T salt
1/2 T pepper

Throw chicken breasts on the grill and enjoy! 

Happy Cooking!

Engagement Roast Chicken

This chicken recipe is similar to Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken...the difference being that this one includes a gravy to use on the chicken. As usual, Ina's recipe does not disappoint. Easy enough for a weeknight meal, but yummy enough to serve for guests. Happy Cooking!




Engagement Roast Chicken: Recipe from Ina Garten.

Ingredients:
1 4-5 lb whole chicken
2 lemons
1 whole head of garlic cut in half
2 onions, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 T all purpose flour

Method:
Full recipe found on FoodNetwork.com HERE.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

This is such a quick yummy dinner. It literally takes 15 minutes from start to finish (besides cook time f
or the rice if you're using that as a base). Rotisserie chicken combined with spices, tomatoes, yogurt and cream make this week night meal super yummy as well. It's not too spicy, so my kids like it, but if you want a little more heat add more curry or your favorite hot sauce. Serve it with basmati rice or naan and a some edamame on the side, and you've got a complete meal for a busy night.

Chicken Curry in a Hurry: Recipe from Real Simple

Ingredients:
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt (not Greek)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1 rotisserie chicken with meat taken off the bone and shredded
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
optional: cooked basmati rice, naan

Method:
Complete recipe from Real Simple found HERE.

Happy Cooking!

Indian Butter Chicken

Wow! Delicious! Warm, comfort food at its best. The spiciness along with the creaminess of the sauce turns regular chicken breasts into a meal fit for a special occasion but easy enough for a weeknight dinner. This meal can be ready to put on the table in about 40 minutes, but the actual hands on time is more like 10 minutes. My kids helped me make this before lacrosse practice last week, but I hadn't cooked the rice ahead of time. By the time we got home around 7:00, I figured I'd better throw in some nuggets and whip up some mac n cheese for them so they wouldn't get too hangry. They were NOT happy with my choice and kept asking me where the other chicken was. Well, I heated up the chicken while the rice was cooking (my husband and I ate after they went to bed), and they gobbled it up despite it being pretty spicy. If you're looking for something a little out of your comfort zone, try this. It's easy, and I think you'll be pleased!

This recipe is adapted from one I found on allrecipes.com found HERE. I doubled the chicken and I broke it up into three steps. You can do them all at once, but read through the entire recipe to make your plan of action.

Ingredients & Method: 

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

2 T canola oil

2 T tandoori masala (I ordered this on amazon, but I saw it at Whole Foods)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat chicken in canola oil and then in tandoori masala seasoning. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet (I lined mine with aluminum foil and sprayed it), and bake for 12 minutes.

3 T butter (save the remainder of the stick for the next step)

Medium onion, minced

1 T minced garlic

In a small frying pan, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, until the onion is golden brown.

1 stick butter plus the remaining 5 T of butter from the stick used above

15 oz tomato sauce

3 cups heavy cream

2 t salt

1 t garam masala (I found this at my regular grocery store)

1 t cayenne pepper (can omit or half if you don't want the additional heat)

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add tomato sauce, cream, and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, and chicken. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Brown basmati rice - cook according to package directions. Cook more than you think you'll need!

Serve chicken over rice with sauce and enjoy!!

Happy Cooking!

Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

This takes about 20 minutes total to prepare. I actually made it twice in one week when I first found it, and everyone in my family enjoyed it. Serve with crusty bread to complete your meal. This is great to have on hand if anyone in your family is sick or to take to a friend who is under the weather. You can always leave the dill out if you need something a little milder for that.

Adapted from original recipe from Bon Appetit.




Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 Leek (use only white and light green parts) chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 celery stalks chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
6 cups of chicken stock (recipe for overnight chicken stock HERE)
1/2 cup orzo
1 rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or 1 T dried tarragon
Juice of 2 large lemons
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Method:
Heat olive oil in medium stockpot. Add leeks and celery and sautee until softened...about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 9 minutes or however long the packaging says to cook until al dente. Meanwhile, take the chicken off the bone and dice into bite sized pieces. Once the orzo is cooked, take the soup off of the heat and add the chicken, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Taddy's Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes from my grandmother. My husband and children like it too. It is great for making on the weekends and eating during the week...as are most casseroles. We roasted some broccoli and served it on the side, and the meal was complete. I highly recommend making your own crema of mushroom soup if you have the ingredients. It takes about 5 minutes. Also, you can leave out the mushrooms and you have cream of chicken soup. These days, I am having to plan ahead even more than usual due to evening activities. Casseroles and soups are always great to have on hand so that everyone can eat when they're ready in the evenings.

Revised recipe from my grandmother, Taddy.

Ingredients:
Rotisserie Chicken
1 T butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 box wild rice
1 can beef consomme
1 cup chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup **recipe below to make your own
1 cup sour cream

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chicken off of the bones and cut into bite size pieces. Set aside. Cook wild rice according to package directions substituting the beef consomme and chicken broth for the water. Meanwhile, heat butter in a small skillet and cook the celery and onion until they are soft. Add the chicken, rice, celery, onion, cream of mushroom soup**, and soup cream in a large bowl and stir to combine. Pour mixture into 2 quart baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

**Cream of mushroom soup recipe:
Melt 2 T butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in 3 T flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add 1/2 cup chicken broth and whisk quickly to combine. Slowly add 1/2 cup milk and whisk to quickly to combine. Add a large pinch of salt and pepper. Add a small can of sliced mushrooms and stir to combine. Use in place of canned cream of mushroom soup.

Happy Cooking!

Tricks of the trade

Okay, guys, so several people have sent me some links to tips lately, so I thought I'd share them with you.  You know, anything to make our lives a little easier ;)  Happy Cooking!

picture from wikipedia

Perfect Cup o' Joe
My mom has been using this method to make coffee for years, and it's always perfect:

1/3 cup grounds per every 6 cups of water makes about 2 large cups of coffee.

NOTES: YUM!  Just keep a plastic 1/3 cup measuring cup with your coffee at all times.  It's so fast and leaves very little room for spilling grounds like you may when you use a spoon (okay, maybe that's only me).





Perfectly Moist Chicken (shared with me by my sister)
Method from The Kitchn found HERE.

NOTES:  You could really use any kind of seasoning on this that you liked.  What a great idea for quick and easy salad toppers, chicken for chicken salad, any chicken that you don't want shredded for a casserole, etc.





Just some fun tips for the kitchen:
From The Meta Picture found HERE. 

NOTES: My favorites are the bacon cinnamon rolls, flower lemon slices, and the corn on the cob holder.