Tag: CHICKEN

SHEET PAN CHICKEN MEDLEY

Sweet apricots, zesty marinated artichokes add tons of flavor to this marinated sheet pan chicken dinner.

SHEET PAN CHICKEN MEDLEY
2 1/2 pounds (4) skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into LARGE chunks
4 tablespoons Avocado oil, divided
ZEST and Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
FRESH ground Himalayan Sea Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-3 large carrots, diagonally sliced
2 LARGE red onions, cut into wedges
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 -2 cups dried apricot halves
1 – 6 ounce can pineapple orange juice

  • In a large bowl combine 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic.
  • Generously season chicken pieces with FRESH ground Himalayan sea salt and black pepper.
  • Toss chicken breasts in marinade and let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.
  • In a separate bowl add apricot halves, juice and artichokes, tossing to mix.  Let stand at least 30 minutes or more to plump apricot pieces. I usually let it stand all day.

  • Heat oven to 400°.
  • Coat a sheet pan covered in foil with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl combine the basil, fennel, tomato paste and remaining avocado oil.
  • Season with FRESH ground Himalayan Sea Salt and black pepper, to taste.
  • Pour half into a second bowl. Add the onion wedges, apricots and artichoke hearts, tossing to coat, set aside.
  • Add carrots to the marinade in the first bowl, tossing to coat.
  • Arrange carrots on the sheet pan.
  • Roast carrots for 15 minutes.
  • Add in chicken pieces in a single layer.
  • Top with the apricot mixture.
  • Roast 30-35 minutes until chicken is cooked through to 160°.

SLOW COOKER BUTTER CHICKEN MEATBALLS

SLOW COOKER BUTTER CHICKEN MEATBALLS
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound ground pork
1 LARGE egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Mix everything together until well blended.
  • Form into 1 inch meatballs. It will make about 36.
  • Coat the slow cooker insert with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Place meatballs in the slow cooker.
  • Prepare sauce.

SAUCE
1 small shallot, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Wondra
1/2 cup chicken stock
8 ounces tomato sauce

  • Heat butter in small skillet over medium heat.
  • Whisk in flour until golden.
  • Whisk in chicken stock until well blended.
  • Whisk in tomato sauce until well blended.
  • Season to taste.
  • Pour sauce over meatballs.
  • Cook covered on low for 3 hours  or until cooked through.
  • Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

BALSAMIC MUSHROOM CHICKEN

I realized recently that I AM posting almost daily, but I’m kind of in a rut in as much as I’m just posting the recently successful recipes without much conversation to go with them. I promise to get better. 😀

Eating in general is still a HUGE issue for me (and ALWAYS will be for the rest of my life), BUT I LOVE to cook and my family still needs to eat, so why should they suffer my limitations?  I may only get a few bites of each meal, but I promise they do NOT go to waste.

Hubby swears he HATES cooked mushrooms (little does he actually realize how much I use them in recipes like Bolognese where they are cooked down into the sauce that he’s been eating for years!!!!!!!) so the VISIBLE mushrooms in any recipe end up on any plate, BUT his! 😀 LOL I even sometimes have to cook the mushrooms in a separate pan to keep him happy if he’s hanging around the kitchen while I’m cooking, which if I’m honest I prefer to be alone while cooking.  I seem to be more creative and get better inspiration during “alone” time. 😀

Because of my limitations in eating I rarely eat starches anymore, BUT this recipe is especially good with mashed potatoes to absorb all that glorious gravy!

BALSAMIC MUSHROOM CHICKEN
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup WONDRA flour
FRESH ground Himalayan sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons avocado oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons QUALITY honey
1/4 cup STRONG balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken stock.
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped thyme

  • Generously season chicken breasts with FRESH ground Himalayan sea salt and black pepper, to taste.
  • Dredge through the Wondra flour.
  • Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add chicken breasts and sear for 2 minutes.
  • Flip chicken.
  • Add onions and garlic to pan sauteing for a minute.
  • Add mushrooms, sauteing a couple minutes.
  • Add vinegar, broth, honey and thyme.
  • Cover and cook 5 minutes.
  • Turn chicken and cook a few minutes more until chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove chicken to platter and keep warm.
  • Cook 5 minutes more to reduce sauce.
  • Add butter.
  • Serve over chicken with mashed potatoes and/or your favorite veggies.

BACON WRAPPED JALAPENO CHICKEN BITES

Chicken and cream cheese spread stuffed into jalapenos, rolled and wrapped with bacon and then grilled. YUMMY!

BACON WRAPPED JALAPENO CHICKEN BITES adapted from Trisha Yearwood

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon butter
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
3-ounce package cream cheese (I use herbed cream cheese spread), softened
8 LARGE jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
8 slices bacon

  • Generously season chicken thighs with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Saute chicken pieces until browned and cooked through.
  • Move chicken to cutting board and dice small or shred.
  • Stir chicken pieces into softened cream cheese.
  • Wrap each roll with one piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. (These look a bit odd today because I only had half slices of bacon).
  • Grill until bacon is brown and crispy on both sides.

NOTE: Be sure to wear plastic gloves when handling fresh jalapenos. The oil will attach itself to your hands and is not easily washed away. Even an inadvertent swipe of the hand close to your eyes could be a VERY unforgettable and unwelcome experience.

CREAM OF TOMATO CHICKEN with RICE

CREAM OF TOMATO CHICKEN with RICE
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups tomato puree
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Large shallot, finally chopped
2 tablespoons FRESH chopped basil
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
1/2 cup long grain rice
Bacon Crumbles (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

  • Bring broth and shallot to a SLOW boil.
  • Add tomato puree, brown sugar, rice, celery salt, garlic powder and basil.
  • Simmer 25 minutes until rice is tender.
  • Stir in buttermilk and chicken pieces until well blended.
  • Season to taste and simmer 10 minutes more.
  • Serve in a toasted bread bowl or with toasted croutons.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and crumbled bacon if desired.

CHICKEN & CHEESE ENCHILADAS with HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE

CHICKEN & CHEESE ENCHILADAS
4 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
1/3 cup sour cream
2 + 1 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 small shallot, finely chopped
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
8-10 small flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese mix
Enchilada Sauce (see recipe below)

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Spray 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Ladle 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly. Se aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the chicken and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, tossing to coat well.
  • Add the sour cream, 2 tablespoons cilantro, shallot, salt and pepper, mixing well. Set aside.
  • Warm and soften the tortillas slightly.
  • Add a spoonful of the chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons of the cheese to each tortilla rolling and placing seam side down in the baking dish.
  • Spoon the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.
  • Bake covered for 20-25 minutes.
  • Uncover and top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake 5-10 minutes more until cheese is melted.
  • Sprinkle with cilantro and Serve.

NOTE: this recipe is just as good with corn tortillas if you prefer.

ENCHILADA SAUCE yields 3 cups
3 tablespoons avocado oil
3 tablespoons WONDRA flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups chicken or beef stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon FRESH ground sea salt

  • Heat oil in sauce pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add flour, whisking to combine until golden.
  • Add chili powder, cumin and cocoa, blending well.
  • Add stock, stir well and bring to a SLOW boil.
  • Reduce to a simmer and add tomato paste, brown sugar and salt, blending well.
  • Simmer 10 -15 minutes, stirring often, until sauce thickens slightly.

CHEDDAR CHICKEN POT PIE

Making this recipe as individual pies you can taste the homemade pastry and rich cheddar flavored sauce in EVERY bite. You can make this as rustic or as elegant as you’d like by cutting the crust into cute little decorative shapes or leave it as a single layer. We like to invert the individual pies so the crust is on the bottom absorbing all the yummy gravy.

CHEDDAR CHICKEN POT PIE – serves 6
CRUST
1 cup soft flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground sea salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold vodka

  • 5 minutes before you begin the crust place the vodka and butter cubes in the freezer.
  • Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
  • Cut in butter until crumbly.
  • Gradually add vodka, mixing until forms a ball.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate AT LEAST 30 minutes.

FILLING
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 can petite peas, drained WELL
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Wondra flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 cups diced rotisserie chicken
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Bring the broth to a SLOW boil over medium high heat in a large saucepan.
  • Add vegetable and simmer 10-15 minutes until tender.
  • Whisk together the milk and Wondra flour.
  • Stir milk mixture into broth mixture and simmer 10 minutes more or until desired thickness.
  • Stir in cheese and chicken.
  • Fold in peas.
  • Season to taste.

ASSEMBLY

  • Spoon filling into baking dish(es). Set aside.
  • On a floured pastry mat roll crust 1 inch larger than baking dish.
  • Ease crust over dish, sealing the edges to the side of the dish.
  • Make several slits in the dough for steam to escape through.
  • Bake uncovered, for 40 minutes or until golden.

NOTE: DO NOT forget to cut slits in the crust to allow the steam to escape.

GRILLED HULI HULI CHICKEN a.k.a. TERIYAKI CHICKEN

Huli Huli is a cooking method of roasting chicken on a spit and serving it with a teriyaki-like sauce. Huli is the Hawaiian word for turn and as it cooks people would shout HULI as the chickens turned on the spit.

This tasty recipe has succulent chicken, delicious teriyaki, and sweet pineapple to recreate the VERY best of the HULI HULI experience. I bet you might even hear the waves lapping up on the shore, the Hawaiians shouting TURN or the sizzle of the drippings hitting the open fire.

GRILLED HULI HULI CHICKEN
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
1/4 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate
2 cloves garlic, minced

  • Whisk together all ingredients except the chicken.
  • Place chicken in a large ziplock bag.
  • Pour juice mixture over chicken, turning chicken pieces to coat well and seal bag.
  • Marinade in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
  • Heat grill to low-medium
  • Drain the chicken and discard the marinade.
  • Grill chicken until juices run clear and chicken is cooked through, but DO NOT OVER COOK!
  • Serve over rice with grilled pineapple slices.

 

HONEY ORANGE PINEAPPLE CHICKEN ala SLOW COOKER

HONEY ORANGE PINEAPPLE CHICKEN ala SLOW COOKER serves 6-8

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup orange pineapple juice
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup QUALITY honey
1/4 cup apricot pineapple preserves
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
1/4 cup Heinz Chili sauce
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 small can Mandarin orange segments, drained WELL
1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup sliced carrots
Prepared rice
chopped green onions for garnish

  • In a mixing bowl whisk together orange pineapple juice, lemon juice, chicken broth, honey, preserves, brown sugar, cornstarch, teriyaki sauce, Chili sauce, Country Bob’s sauce and crushed pineapple.
  • Spray slow cooker insert with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Place chicken breasts in slow cooker in as shallow a layer as possible.
  • Top with onion and carrot pieces.
  • Pour juice mixture over top.
  • Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
  • Cover and cook 1 hour more.
  • Top with Mandarin orange segments, turn off heat, cover and let sit 5 minutes.
  • Serve over hot cooked rice. Top with fresh chopped green onions.

CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE

I’ve been making this recipe for many years. It’s a really easy and delicious meal that can be pulled together quickly! It’s really great comfort food for a cool evening – warm, tasty, creamy AND crunchy!  My copy was handed down by grams and was probably a Campbell’s Soup label recipe originally that was shared by her grandmother’s club.  I’ve been seeing versions of it pop up around social media and pinterest A LOT lately.  My version has been changed up A LOT, but hubby ALL but licks his plate when I make it.

WEEKNIGHT CHICKEN CASSEROLE
3 cups of diced rotisserie chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup or soup substitute
2½ cups cooked rice
½ cup sliced almonds or cashews
½ cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce (optional)
¾ cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3/4 cup crushed potato chips (see notes) OR corn flakes, crushed into small pieces
2-3 tablespoons butter, melted

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Toss chicken pieces with hot sauce.
  • Place carrots in a microwave safe bowl and add 2 tablespoons of water.  Cook 1 minute so carrots begin to soften.
  • Combine all ingredients together a spread into a greased 9×13 baking dish.
  • Combine the crushed chips with the melted butter and sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until casserole is heated through.

NOTES:

  • You can really change up the flavor by using different flavored rotisserie chicken or different flavored potato chips. I also like to use sweet potato chips 😀 or sometimes, crushed saltines or rice krispies or ANY combo of the above!
  • We like to serve it with either shoepeg corn or green beans to round out the veggies 😀

CREAMSICLE CHICKEN – PAN SEARED CHICKEN with CREAMY ORANGE SAUCE

This recipe is tender, juicy, looks elegant and pairs wonderfully with any green vegetable.  It is truly my intention to try AT LEAST 1 recipe a week from my RECIPE SCRAPS.  I now have one more scrap of paper gone!

CREAMSICLE CHICKEN – PAN SEARED CHICKEN with CREAMY ORANGE SAUCE serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see notes)
3 tablespoons brandy
1 1/4 cups orange juice (see notes)
4 green onions, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounce orange yogurt (see notes)
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon water
scant tablespoon avocado oil
Orange slices for garnish
Jasmine rice, prepared per package

  • Heat avocado oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.
  • Generously season chicken pieces with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
  • Saute’ chicken breasts 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
    Remove chicken to plate, tent with foil and keep warm.
  • De-glaze pan with brandy.
  • Add orange juice, garlic and green onions.
  • Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to simmer 2-3 minutes.
  • Whisk together cornstarch with water.
  • Whisk cornstarch mixture into yogurt.
  • Whisk yogurt mixture into pan sauce and adjust seasoning.
  • Simmer until thickened and cooked through.

NOTES:

  • If you prefer 8 thighs can be substituted easily.
  • I sometimes use a pineapple orange juice to alter the flavor a bit.
  • YOPLAIT orange cream works beautifully.

ITALIAN DEVIL CHICKEN & TOMATO POTATO CASSEROLE

These two recipes go hand in hand for us.  The marinade on the chicken makes it sooooooooo tender and flavorful too. The tomato potato casserole is good, but add the sauce and it ALL comes together as GREAT & YUMMY! 😀

ITALIAN DEVIL CHICKEN & TOMATO POTATO CASSEROLE

ITALIAN DEVIL CHICKEN
1 pound Chicken tenders
2 ounces avocado oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
2 tablespoons Frank’s Original Hot Sauce
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
Wondra flour for dredging
1 tablespoon butter

  • Whisk together the avocado oil, lemon juice, garlic and hot sauce.
  • Season chicken tenders generously with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
  • Add chicken pieces to a shallow dish and pour marinade over top.
  • Cover and chill 4-8 hours or overnight.

 

  • Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
  • Drain marinade off chicken pieces.
  • Dredge chicken pieces in flour and add to skillet.
  • Sear chicken pieces 2-3 minutes each side until golden and cooked through.
  • Remove chicken pieces and keep warm while preparing sauce.

SAUCE
4 ounces tomato pesto
1 cup Marsala wine

  • In the same skillet add wine being sure to scrape up all the browned bits.
  • Whisk in tomato pesto and simmer on medium high 5-6 minutes until heated through and slightly reduced.
  • Serve sauce over chicken pieces.

TOMATO POTATO CASSEROLE
potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
Italian Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
Vidalia onion, sliced thin
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
Parmesan Cheese, grated
FRESH basil leaves, torn, to taste
5-6 tablespoons Avocado oil
1/4 cup water

  • Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Arrange potatoes in a layer, followed by a layer of onions and then a layer of tomatoes.
  • Sprinkle with basil leaves, to taste.
  • Season each layer to taste.
  • Repeat layers ending with the Parmesan cheese.
  • Sprinkle oil over cheese layer evenly.
  • Pour water over top.
  • Bake covered for 30 minutes.
  • Bake for another 30 minutes or until tender and cheese is golden.