Honey Baked Chicken

This recipe came in an allrecipes.com email.

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (I used a combination of boneless/skinless breasts and thighs)
1/2 cup butter, melted (I used a little less, about 6 tablespoons)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. curry powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place chicken pieces in a shallow baking pan, skin side up. Combine the melted butter or margarine, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder and pour the mixture over the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours (75 minutes), basting every 15 minutes with pan drippings, until the chicken is nicely browned and tender and the juices run clear. (Because I used boneless chicken, I only baked for one hour)

Braised Herb Chicken Thighs with Potatoes

This recipe came from myrecipes.com.  This makes the house smell so good, and it's a simple, hearty meal for the chilly fall weather.

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skinned 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups (2-inch-thick) slices carrot
• 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges 
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I just added extra broth instead of the wine)
• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered (I used cubed russet potatoes)

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag, shaking to coat.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and remaining flour mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly brown. Add carrot and onion; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth, wine, and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

Chicken Cacciatore

I had some fresh mushrooms to used, so I decided to try chicken cacciatore. I based my recipe off this one from allrecipes.com.

2 cups all-purpose flour for coating (I did not coat the chicken in flour, just browned the chicken in oil)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces (I used chicken drumsticks)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped (I used different colored peppers)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup white wine (I used apple juice)
2 cups fresh mushrooms, quartered
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Shake the chicken pieces in flour until coated. Heat the oil in a large skillet (one that has a cover/lid). Fry the chicken pieces until they are browned on both sides. Remove from skillet.

Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper to the skillet and saute until the onion is slightly browned.

Return the chicken to the skillet and add the tomatoes, oregano and wine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes over medium low heat.
Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 more minutes.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

I got this recipe from All You magazine, the February 18, 2011 issue. I made 1 1/2 batches of the recipe to make enough for my family of 6.

12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I used a 20 oz. package)
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I used red and green from the freezer)
1 1/2 cups prepared salsa
2 oz. cream cheese
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (I left these out this time as I didn't have any on hand)
1 tomato, chopped (I also left this out)
2 6-inch whole-wheat tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese (I used cheddar)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; mist with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa; cook for 2 minutes. Add cream cheese; cook, stirring constantly, until melted and blended, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and tomato.

2. Spoon 1/3 of chicken mixture into an 8-inch square (I used 11 x 7 pan) baking dish. Cover with 1 tortilla, then spoon in 1/2 of the remaining chicken mixture and 1/2 of cheese. Top with remaining tortilla and chicken mixture. (I layered chicken/tortilla/cheese two times.)

3. Cover and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes longer. Serve hot. (I put cheese on right away and just took the foil off for the last 5 minutes.)

Chicken Curry

From Family Fun magazine, September 2006. This was a completely new recipe with flavors we haven't tried before (coconut milk, curry). I left the chicken and rice plain for the kids as I knew they wouldn't eat it with the sauce. Overall, I liked it, but it isn't a family favorite.

1 1/2 T. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly slice (I left the onion out)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. curry powder
1 can (12-14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup canned diced tomatoes (I used a whole can)
2 T. tomato paste
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used a 20 oz. package)3 cups packed fresh baby spinach

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the salt. Cook until softened, about 7 minutes, stirring often. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Stir in the coconut milk, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.Add the chicken, stir well, and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the spinach and cook for 3 minutes or until wilted, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt. Serve over rice.

I cooked the chicken first. I removed it from the pan, added the coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato paste and curry powder, cooking until thickened. I added the chicken back along with the spinach for about 3 minutes, then served over rice.

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

From Family Fun magazine, May 2006. This was a big hit with the entire family. The chicken was juicy and very flavorful.

Marinade:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes) (I used the ReaLime in the plastic bottle shaped like a lime)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 vegetable oil (plus more for brushing the tortillas)
1 T. honey2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
Tostadas:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 4 oz. each (I used thighs and breasts)
8 small corn tortillas, 5-6 in. in diameter
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack (I used cheddar)
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
Optional toppings:
salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions (we used salsa and sour cream)

1. Place the chicken in a gallon ziplock bag and add all the marinade ingredients. Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Turn the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken, place it in a bowl, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight), turning the bag occasionally. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you want to start grilling.
2. Prepare a charcoal fire of set a gas grill to medium-high, close the lid, and heat until hot--about 10 to 15 minutes.3. Remove the thighs from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until it's no longer pink inside, about 4 to 5 minutes per side on a gas grill. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting it into 1/2-inch strips.
4. Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with vegetable oil. Grill them on each side until they turn slightly brown, about 1 minute on a gas grill. Before removing the tortillas from the grill, sprinkle each one with 1 tablespoon of cheese. (I used my electric skillet for this step.)

5. To serve, layer the tortillas with shredded lettuce, the chicken strips, the remaining cheese, and any additional toppings.

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is fun for the kids to pick their own toppings (I think someone is ready and waiting!).

Cooked rice (I used brown rice)
Leftover chicken, mixed with . . .
Gravy (jarred/canned or homemade--I made more of a chicken pot pie type sauce with butter, flour and chicken broth)
Toppings: I used
Grated carrots
Tomatoes
Crushed pineapple
Cheese
Chow mein noodles
Coconut

Layer on your plate rice, chicken mixture, and toppings of your choice.

Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

This recipe is from Campbell's.

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce (I just used whatever salsa I had on hand)

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 ounces)

6 flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed

1 small tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 green onion, sliced (about 2 tablespoons) (I omitted the green onions)

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.
• Stir 1 cup soup mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.
• Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side up in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish. (I also sprinkled some cheese on top.)
  
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with the tomato and onion.

Chicken, Broccoli and Cashews

This recipe was in a calendar I got from Eat Better America (part of General Mills).

2	teaspoons canola oil
1	lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1	teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot (I used ground ginger)
2	cups fresh broccoli florets
1	cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/8	teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I used a bit of cayenne pepper)
2	cups frozen sugar snap peas (I didn't have peas; I used mushrooms instead)
3	tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used regular)
2	teaspoons rice vinegar (I used regular vinegar)
1	tablespoon cornstarch
1	teaspoon sugar
2	medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons) (I did not use green onions)
3	cups hot cooked brown rice
1/4	cup salted roasted cashew halves and pieces

	In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and gingerroot; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
	Add broccoli, 1/2 cup of the broth and the pepper flakes. Cover; cook over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring once. Add peas; cook 2 to 4 minutes longer, stirring once, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
	In small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup broth, the soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and sugar; stir into chicken mixture. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Serve over rice; sprinkle with cashews.

Bourbon Chicken

This recipe had been getting rave reviews on a message board I frequent.

1 1/2-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1-2 T. olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed (I just used garlic powder as I didn't have any fresh garlic)
1/4 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I used cayenne pepper--just a little bit)
1/4 c. apple juice (some people substituted pineapple juice or orange juice)
1/3 c. light brown sugar
2 T. ketchup
1 T. cider vinegar (some people substituted balsamic vinegar or did half and half)
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice. (I made brown rice.)

Some people doubled the sauce, and/or added cornstarch to thicken it.

Chicken Dinner

This recipe came from my mom.

Original recipe:
Filling--Cook 4 1/2 pound chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
Thicken 4 T. butter, 4 T. flour and 2 1/2 cups broth. Add 1/4 tsp. each of salt, pepper, onion salt and celery seed.
Cook together 1 1/2 cups peas and 1 1/2 cups carrots.
Stir chicken and peas and carrots into broth mixture. Pour into 9 x 13 pan.

Crust--
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/4 tsp. paprika
2 1/2 tsp. minced parsley
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Mix dry ingredients. Add egg and milk. Mix together and roll out. Cut into biscuits and put on top of chicken mixture. Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

My adjustments:
I usually use leftover chicken; I don't cook chicken just to make this. I don't usually add celery seed to the broth mixture, and I don't put paprika or parsley in the biscuits. I have used frozen peas and carrots as well as frozen mixed vegetables.
For the biscuit mixture, any recipe should work. You could even use canned biscuits. To save time, I usually cut my biscuits into squares rather than circles.

This is comfort food at its finest!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I adapted this recipe from allrecipes.com

1 onion, chopped (I used about 1/2 an onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I didn't have any fresh garlic on hand, so I used some garlic powder)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
1 cup white hominy (I didn't have any hominy, I just added an extra 1/2 cup or so of corn)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omitted)
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (I used leftover chicken from the previous day)
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado (omitted)
shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used cheddar)
chopped green onions (omitted)

1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.

Foil-Baked Asian Chicken

This recipe came from All You magazine (April 17, 2009).

8 tsp. olive oil
4 cups baby spinach
4-4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
4 tsp. teriyaki sauce
Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Tear off 4 10-inch squares of aluminum foil. Brush each square with 2 tsp. olive oil. Place 1 cup spinach on each square, slightly off center. Top with a chicken breast half and some mushrooms. Drizzle 1 tsp. teriyaki sauce over each portion; sprinkle with salt.

Fold each piece of foil over to cover chicken and vegetables. Crimp edges together tightly to seal. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot. We had brown rice with this.

Brown Sugar Chicken

This recipe is from the Year of Slow Cooking blog via orgjunkie. No picture because my camera was full and I didn't want to take time to empty it before we ate.

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 6 boneless, skinless breast halves (I used thighs)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (I used root beer)
2/3 cup vinegar
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic (I used garlic powder as I didn't have any fresh in the house)
2 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. ground black pepper

The Directions.

Place the chicken into crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the root beer.

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.

Serve over a bowl of white rice with a ladle full of the broth. (I used brown rice, and also served broccoli.)

Chicken Taquitos

I got this recipe from the Blessings in Abundance blog.

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 pkg. chicken taco seasoning, 1 small can of enchilada sauce, or 1/2 cup salsa (I used salsa, plus a small can of green chiles)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped onions (optional) I did not use
Green peppers (optional) I did not use
10 Small flour tortillas
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water

*Cook chicken breasts in a skillet with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and when they are almost done cut them up in the skillet with a spatula or remove them to shred them - your choice. (I used chicken that was already cooked.)

*When your chicken is almost done you can also add onions or peppers and cook them until they are as done as you like.

*Add either the seasoning with 3 tablespoons water, the enchilada sauce, or salsa and then bring to a boil.

*Place a small strip of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and then add the shredded cheese on top (add as much as you'd like:).

*Roll them as tight as you can and lay them on a cookie sheet side by side. (I probably could have rolled them tighter.)

*Once they are all lined up lightly brush some vegetable oil on the tops of the rolled up tortillas. This will make them crispy!

*Bake them for about 10-15 minutes on 350 degrees. You can also broil them for about 2-3 minutes if they are not crisp enough after baking. You can dip them in sour cream or salsa and enjoy!

Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts

I got this recipe from my mom. We like it with baked potatoes and a vegetable. Easy and yummy!

4 whole chicken breasts
1-10 3/4 oz. cream of chicken soup
1 cup stuffing mix, crushed
8 slices Swiss or American cheese
1/4 cup apple juice or milk
1/4 cup butter, melted

Arrange chicken in lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with cheese slices. Combine soup and apple juice/milk. Spoon evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with stuffing mix. Drizzle with butter. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Cheesy Chicken Crescents

I found this recipe at cdkitchen.

3 1/2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans (8 oz size) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Combine chicken and 1/2 the cheddar cheese. Separate crescent dough into triangles. Place about 3 Tbsp chicken mixture on wide end of each triangle and roll to opposite point.

In medium saucepan, combine soups, milk and 1/2 the remaining cheddar cheese. Heat until cheese melts. Pour half of soup mixture into greased 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Reserve remaining soup mixture for sauce. Arrange filled crescents over hot soup mixture.

Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. During last 10 minutes, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve with remaining sauce poured over the top. I poured the rest of the sauce over top before I baked it.

Lemon Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans

This recipe came from Kelly's Korner.

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic (I used garlic salt since I didn't have any fresh garlic on hand)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 lb green beans (I used 2 cans)
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. In large bowl combine remaining olive oil, lemon juice of 2nd lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Add green beans and toss to coat. Using tongs, remove green beans and arrange them on top of lemon slices. Add potatoes to same olive oil mixture and coat. Arrange on inside edge of dish on top of the beans. Place chicken in olive oil mixture and coat. Place chicken in dish. I also sprinkled some garlic pepper seasoning on top of everything for some extra flavor. Roast for 40-50 minutes. Remove chicken and continue roasting potatoes/beans if necessary.

Due to the lemon juice, the beans were rather tangy, according to the kids. It reminded me of when my grandma added vinegar to green beans when we would eat Sunday dinner at her house.

Stir Fry

The original recipe for Stir Fry Chicken and Broccoli came from my Calvinette (now Gems) cookbook. I've made some adjustments over time.

1 lb. chicken breast strips (I've also used pork and shrimp)
2 T. oil
4 cups veggies (broccoli, pepper strips, water chestnuts) (I've also used carrots in this, or occassionally a frozen stir fry veggie mix)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 to 2 cups Minute Rice (I never use Minute Rice, just cook some brown rice to go with it.)

Stir fry chicken in hot oil in large skillet until browned. Add vegetables. Stir fry until crisp tender.

I love the colorful veggies!

Mix broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, garlic powder and ginger. Add to skillet. Bring to boil. Boil for 1 minute or until thickened.

Liquid added, needs to thicken.

Meanwhile, prepare rice as directed on package. Serve chicken and vegetables over rice.

Parmesan Drumsticks

(Reposted from Jenny's Jottings blog)

Now, I don't really like chicken dark meat, but sometimes legs and thighs go on sale, and it's hard to pass up a good deal. I found a really good recipe for Parmesan Drumsticks in my Saving Dinner cookbook (by Leanne Ely of Flylady fame) that the whole family likes.
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter
1 T. olive oil
12 chicken drumsticks, no skin (I usually leave the skin on as it's too time consuming and tedious to remove)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, oregano, paprika and salt and pepper.
Line shallow baking pan with foil.
In a small frying pan, melt butter and oil together (I do this in the microwave). Dip each drumstick in the butter mixture, then in the cheese mixture, and place on the foil-lined pan.
Bake drumsticks for one hour or until chicken is completely cooked.
The outside comes out nice and crispy while it's moist on the inside.
We usually have mashed potatoes and a veggie with this.