Category Archives: Chicken

Whole Roasted Chicken in a CrockPot

I have been making this for years. It not only tastes great, but it will make your house smell deelish and it looks like you put a lot of work into it (which you didn’t because it is super easy and it cooked by itself in the CrockPot all day while you were eating bonbons and watching Oprah reruns hard at work).

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large roasting chicken (with pop-up timer if possible)
1 cup chopped onion (optional)

Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the spices.

Remove any giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken with water and pat dry.

Rub spice mixture onto the chicken.

Add chicken to CrockPot. No liquid is needed, the chicken will make its own juices.

Cook on low 4-8 hours.

Did I change anything? I never have all of these spices on hand all at the same time. It doesn’t matter. Just use the ones you have. Also, the original recipe calls for adding some sliced onions on the bottom of the CrockPot before adding the chicken. I have never done that, so I left it out.

What did the family think? Everyone always eats it, even our youngest, as long as there is ketchup involved.

Where did the recipe come from? Food.com

photo from Google

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Super Easy to Make

Baked Vermicelli

Since we love pasta around here, I thought I would give this version from Parents magazine’s June issue a try.

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 lb. vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken into thirds
16 oz jar mild chunky salsa
2 cups cooked cubed chicken breasts
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1 T chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly coat a 2-qt. baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and rinse under cold water.

Mix pasta, salsa, chicken, 3/4 cup cheese and cilantro in baking dish.

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.

Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

We had this with some fresh strawberries and blueberries.

Did I change anything? The only thing we ended up doing differently with this is that my oldest thought it might be a good idea to crumble up some tortilla chips and sprinkle them on top. He thought it made the dish ten times better. 🙂

What did the family think? Everyone who normally likes dinner at our house loved it and had seconds. The leftovers were even requested by our oldest to be sent to school in his lunchbox.

Where did this recipe come from? Parents Magazine, June 2011, p. 58

photo from goodapples.com

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Filed under Chicken, Easy, Mexican, Six Ingredients or Less

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

I have been wanting to try Philadelphia Cream Cheese’s new cooking cremes, so I bought the “original” version and tried out the recipe on the back of the container.

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tub (10 oz) Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups hot cooked farfalle
12 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:
Cook chicken in large nonstick skillet on medium heat until done. Add broth and garlic powder, stir and let simmer for about three minutes.

Add cooking creme, basil and tomatoes; stir and simmer for three minutes.

In a large serving bowl, combine pasta and tomato mixture. Stir to combine and serve.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it!

Where did this recipe come from? It came from the back of the cooking creme container, but they have lots of other recipes using their various cooking creme flavors
here.

photo from Philadelphia Cream Cheese

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian

Coronado Casserole

This was a pretty easy casserole to throw together that had enough spice to keep it interesting, but not so much spice that the children would go running for the hills.

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. chopped onions
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. EACH ground cumin & oregano
2 c. boned cooked chicken
3 c. cooked rice (I used brown Minute rice.)
1 c. sour cream
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. crushed corn chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine tomato sauce, broth, onions, green chilies and seasonings. Cook over low heat about 10 minutes. Add chicken. Set aside.

Mix rice and sour cream. Spoon into a shallow 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese; pour sauce over all. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with corn chips. Bake for 25 minutes.

Did I change anything? I didn’t have any oregano, so I used Italian seasoning instead. Also, next time I think I will add two cans of diced green chilis instead of just one. I didn’t have any corn chips either, so I used tortilla chips. I also only used probably about 1/2 cup onions.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked it and even had seconds. Our oldest liked it, it wasn’t his favorite, but he ate it. Our youngest was not impressed at first, but he did manage to eat enough to make Mom and Dad happy.

from cooks.com

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy

West Caribbean Crock Pot Chicken

Liz, pianist and parent volunteer extraordinaire, was getting her kitchen remodeled and had to come up with some Crock Pot recipes because about the only thing functioning in her kitchen at any given time were the electrical outlets. This is one of her yummy creations…

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup frozen chopped onions
1 cup frozen chopped green peppers (or frozen tri-color chopped bell peppers)
1/3 cup raisins
1 jar (8 oz) peanut satay sauce
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons diced garlic
1 can (15 oz) cut sweet potatoes, drained and sliced small (the plain kind, not the candied kind)

Ingredients:
Place cubed chicken breasts into 4-quart slow cooker. Add chickpeas, onions, peppers, and raisins.

In a large bowl, stir together satay sauce, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Pour into slow cooker and stir.

Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 3- 4 hours.

We had this served over couscous. Rice would work, too.

Stir in sweet potatoes. Cover and cook on LOW setting for an additional 1 hour.

Did I change anything? I didn’t have any garlic so I threw in some garlic powder instead.

What did the family think? This was really, really good. Hubby and I loved it. Our oldest was a little leery at first, but it turned out that he liked it. Our youngest protested the moment he saw it (which I knew he would) but quickly changed his tune when he realized that his brother was going to get to play video games after dinner with Dad and he wasn’t going to get to because he was still stuck at the dinner table.

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make

Creamy (Chicken) Spaghetti Casserole

This was a super duper huge hit at our house! No complaining whatsoever and even a few folks who went back for seconds. You could easily leave out the chicken in this and add more mushrooms or some zucchini and make it a vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:
1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken (or leftover chicken)
1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced (I used zucchini instead)
¼ cups Dry White Wine
Kosher Salt And Pepper
¼ cups Flour
3 cups Chicken Broth (reserved From Chicken Or Canned)
1-½ cup Whole Milk
¼ cups (additional) Dry White Wine
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Whole Black Olives, Chopped-make sure you buy the ones that are already chopped/diced
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Extra Cheese, For Sprinkling
1 pound Thin Spaghetti

Instructions:
Place chicken in a pot of water and boil on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly. Keep broth in pot.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms, add 1/4 cup white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente. Remove meat from bones and shred until you have 2-plus cups of shredded chicken.

Return large skillet to medium-low heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick. Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir.

Add mushrooms, chicken, and chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.

Turn into a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Bake at 350 degrees or until golden brown and bubbly.

Did I change anything? My family does not do mushrooms and this recipes calls for A LOT of them, so I used chopped up zucchini instead. I also used about 1/2 the olives it calls for. Also, next time I will probably use macaroni noodles instead just so it will be easier to eat.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it!!! Our oldest even asked it I would pack the leftovers in his lunch for the next day.

from The Pioneer Woman

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

Simple Crockpot Roasted Chicken

This is so simple and will be ready for you at dinnertime without you having to do much of anything…

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (fryer or roasting)
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
Rinse and dry chicken both inside and out and make sure the gizzards, neck, etc. aren’t in the cavity of the chicken.

Place whole chicken in pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with lid.

Cook on High 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, put on Low.

Cook on Low for 6 – 8 more hours.

We had this with pierogies and some pineapple.

Did I change anything? The recipe didn’t give exact amounts for the salt and pepper so I didn’t use a lot of salt (1 tsp maybe) but I was pretty liberal with the pepper (3 tsp maybe). You be the judge and season accordingly. It also depends on if you are using sea salt/table salt and how coarse your pepper is.

What did the family think? Everyone loved the chicken. I have made several variations of this over the years and it is a great one to make because I know everyone will eat it and it is so easy.

from cooks.com

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

The crust/crumble on the top of this dish makes it, as my hubby said, the best pot pie he’s ever tasted. Really. SO good.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Lbs chicken
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream

Instructions:
FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don’t have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth into a bowl and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9×13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking at 400-degrees sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes).

We had this with a fruit salad.

Did I change anything? I left out the peas. 3/4 of my family don’t do peas.

What did the family think? This is really SO good and your house will smell amazing. Everyone really, really liked it except for our youngest, but he has chosen the kitchen table as his newest battle ground so his opinion is invalid at this point because just about everything is poison to him.

from Family Favorite Recipes

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Not so Easy

Chips and Salsa Chicken

This was great with the guacamole I made and some Mexican rice and refried black beans on the side.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. honey
4 chicken breasts, halved
1 c. finely crushed tortilla chips
1 bottle of your favorite chunky salsa
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese
Guacamole or avocados
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro

Instructions:
Combine lime juice, honey, and oil. Dip chicken in lime juice mixture then coat with crushed chips.

Place in ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of salsa over each chicken piece and sprinkle with Cheese, bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve with guacamole and sour cream and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Did I change anything? No, but next time I will use the Pepper Jack cheese.

What did the family think? The boys liked the parts of the chicken without the salsa on it. Hubby and I liked the chicken…the hubs even had seconds.

from Favorite Family Recipes

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Filed under Chicken, Everybody Ate It

Enchiladas with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce

This was a great dish to assemble ahead of time and then pop in the oven when we got home.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
6 scallions, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeno chile, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
1 teaspoon chili powder
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full).

Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce into chicken mixture and stir to combine.

Lay tortillas on work surface; mound chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dish.

Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Did I change anything? I added a little of the enchilada sauce to the chicken so the chicken wouldn’t be so plain (I changed the recipe above to reflect that.) and I would also add a little more of the jalepeno to the sauce…it wasn’t spicy enough for me.

What did the family think? Hubby wasn’t too thrilled. He wanted more traditional enchiladas. I liked it, but wanted it to be spicier, but the lack of spice is exactly why our boys ate it. Our youngest picked out the chicken and dipped it in salsa.

from Martha Stewart

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Filed under Chicken, Make Ahead of Time, Mexican