Crispy Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

SO very hard to believe that two years have passed since my last post! That being said, the past two years have been quite the whirlwind! We found out in early February 2012 that we were expecting our third child. I was plagued with AWFUL morning sickness, so cooking and my blog were put on the back burner. Our daughter, Alexa Rae, was born at 32 weeks and spent nearly a month in the NICU. During that time, I was feeling very overwhelmed and in quite the "funk"--didn't have the motivation to do much of anything, aside from my more routine daily activities. I was also working quite a bit more, as my husband completed nursing school. Quite to our surprise, we found out that we were expecting our fourth child the day before my husband graduated...last May 2013. We ALWAYS said we wanted four, but were stunned that it happened so quickly...our baby was only 8 months old when we found out! We have since welcomed Isabella Rose...she was born on December 28, 2013 and we are ecstatic to have completed our family. Having two "babies", sixteen months apart, has proven to be a bit challenging, but I'm finally feeling like I've established my own little routine and have really gotten the knack of being the mommy of four! I've noticed that over the past couple of years, between the everyday craziness and living on such a strict budget, I haven't been quite as adventurous with my cooking, only occasionally trying a new recipe that catches my eye. Although my husband has now graduated and is working full-time, we are still very much living on a budget, between playing catch-up with bills and the fact that I've been on maternity leave for going on 3 months. Having the four little ones makes grocery shopping next to impossible. Even if I was to go during the day, while my older two are in school, I'd still have to juggle both babies by myself--not to mention the fact that my entire cart would be occupied with an 18 month old up front and an infant carrier in the main portion. We recently signed up with Peapod grocery delivery service, per my sister's recommendation, and very much love it! It can be a bit more expensive for certain items, but I've found that if I shop almost exclusively in their sale section, it's pretty comparable to what I'd spend in the store. My husband is really good about stopping for any other random items we may need throughout the week or any sale items that catch my eye when the new ads come out. Chicken leg quarters still seem to be one of those items that are routinely on sale--I just got an almost 5 lb package through Peapod for $.99/lb. I scoured the internet for new recipe ideas and came across this recipe that we actually tried last Spring and really enjoyed. I always love finding recipes that call for ingredients that you typically have on hand and are relatively easy to throw together. The chicken was so moist and flavorful! Dark meat generally isn't my preference (I especially despise legs for some reason), but I would not hesitate to make this recipe again--it turned a fairly inexpensive meal into something that my entire family devoured! I made the recipe pretty much as is, although I didn't technically measure each of the seasonings--just sprinkled each chicken leg quarter fairly generously with each seasoning, both under and above the skin.

P.S.--I'm forewarning that my posts may be a bit sporadic while I try to get back in the swing of blogging/experimenting with new recipes! :)

Crispy Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

4 skin-on chicken leg quarters, with bone
1/2 cup soy sauce, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
1 teaspoon seasoning salt, divided
1 teaspoon dill weed, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Line a large glass baking dish with foil.

Remove excess fat from chicken quarters.

Separate the skin from the chicken, taking care that the skin stays attached at most points on the chicken. (You just want a flap. Do not remove the skin).

Brush the chicken (under the skin) with soy sauce.

Sprinkle some garlic powder, seasoned salt and dill weed on the chicken under the skin (I estimated the 1 tsp measures. Use as much or as little as you're comfortable with) and rub inches.

Arrange the leg quarters in the pan, skin side up, taking care not to crowd. They need space to cook properly.

Brush both sides of the leg quarters with soy sauce.

Sprinkle the skin with garlic powder, seasoned salt and dill weed (to taste).

Place on middle rack in over and bake uncovered for an hour.

After an hour, increase oven temp to 400 and bake 15 minutes.

Chicken is done when internal temp reaches 165 (insert meat thermometer at thickest part of breast, taking care not to touch the bone).

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.


Source: Food.com

Super Simple Chicken

Yet again, I have gone quite a long stretch without blogging, but things have been SUPER busy around here. My husband has officially been accepted into nursing school (and will start next month)--it's been quite a long journey, but there's FINALLY a light at the end of the tunnel! He'll graduate in May 2013 and I couldn't possibly be anymore excited--just two more years and then hopefully we can return to some degree of normalcy! He's taking two summer courses (both of which have required an ungodly amount of time), while we both work as much as possible and spend time with our two crazy little kids! Due to the fact that we're always running in different directions and we both work long shifts at the hospital (and get home generally after the kids are in bed), we haven't really had anything too fancy...hotdogs, pizza and tacos have been making regular appearances on my weekly menus, as have those quick, frozen skillet meals! Starting this Fall, I will be home Monday through Friday (and working weekends exclusively), so I will have MUCH more time to cook and experiment with new recipes--especially since my son will be going to school all day, starting this year, and it will just be my daughter and I home during the day. Bless her heart, she's got quite a little sweet tooth, so I'm sure you'll see an increase in my dessert posts, as well!

As for my recipe, I must admit...if I had my way, I normally would prefer to have my husband grill split chicken breasts! He always manages to cook them perfectly and I just prefer that "grilled" taste. Unfortunately, the night we made these, I knew he wouldn't be home until close to 8pm and since I had to be up for work at 4:30am, I didn't want to eat dinner too late. I generally don't have the best luck preparing baked chicken, especially bone-in chicken breasts...they tend to be on the drier side and not overly flavorful. This recipe, however, was the PERFECT alternative to grilling and will come in most handy in the winter. It took all of 5 minutes to prepare the chicken and while the original recipe stated that you should bake them for 1 hr to 1 hour and 15 minutes, I found ours to be fully-cooked after approximately 45 min. (Definitely watch them carefully!) I seasoned each breast very generously, with each of the seasonings and they were bursting with flavor and were so moist, that the juices immediately flowed out upon cutting into them. While I think the leftovers would be great reheated on a low oven, I'm actually looking forward to cutting them up and making a nice, hearty salad...sounds like a refreshing, light meal idea with this intense heat! I hope everyone is staying cool and enjoying their summer!

Super Simple Chicken

4 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin
4 tablespoons butter
dried basil
thyme
garlic powder
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Add lemon juice to bottom of dish. Dot each breast with 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, then season each breast generously, with each of the above seasonings.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 1 hour. (Make sure to check around 45min to avoid over-cooking!)

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Chicken Scampi

First of all, I seriously have every intention of posting some beef recipes just as soon as our local stores have reasonable prices! I can't quite psych myself up to spend $3/lb for regular ground beef...not even ground chuck! Even chuck roast has been $4-ish a pound...RIDICULOUS! Chicken happens to be the only thing on sale these days and I have to stick to my budget! I am so very proud to announce that my husband got straight A's this semester, so this was our celebratory meal in his honor :) Now, we just have to wait another few weeks to find out if he gets accepted into nursing school to start this Fall. If he receives an acceptance letter, I'm most definitely splurging on some good steaks!!! I also will remain on the hunt for quick weeknight meal ideas, because I'm hoping to work a ton to sock away money for next semester--if anyone has any ideas, please do share!

As for this recipe, I found it to be very simple to prepare and was a huge hit with my family. My husband polished off his plate and I think he took the leftovers for work today and my son requested seconds the night I prepared it. I followed the basic recipe on allrecipes.com, but tweaked it a bit. Would definitely make it the very same way next time! If you enjoy garlic and Italian-style food, this recipe will be right up your alley! (Oh, and did I mention that from start to finish, it took all of 25 minutes?!?)

Chicken Scampi

1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins (I happened to use these, because they were on sale for the same price as the boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you could actually just use the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them into 1 inch wide strips)

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the butter or margarine and oil over medium high heat, until the butter/margarine melts. Add the parsley, oregano, garlic and salt and mix together in the skillet. Stir in lemon juice and white wine.

Add the chicken and saute for about 3-4 minutes or until chicken turns white on the outside. Lower the heat and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. (Watch the chicken carefully...mine was done in closer to 10 minutes). ***Also, you may have to add additional butter/margarine, while the chicken is cooking--I added an extra 1/2 stick***

Serve over pasta or rice. I used one pound of thin spaghetti, because I didn't have any angel hair on hand--this was more than enough for my family of 4.

Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com

Chicken with Rosemary-Onion Sauce

Anytime I see someone post a recipe that is a "quick weeknight meal" idea, I immediately jump on it--especially when it's endorsed by someone like Krista, of Krista's Kitchen! I have yet to try a recipe of Krista's that I have disliked! I actually intended to make this about a week ago, but had yet another "incident" with chicken I purchased at Meijer. It was marked "sell by April 30th" and seeing as how I was preparing it April 27th, I hardly anticipated my chicken smelling like rotten eggs when I opened the package. NOT a happy camper--especially because this was not the first time I've had a problem with their meat/poultry!

I have to laugh now (although I wasn't finding it overly amusing the night I made it), but looking back at Krista's post regarding the meal, she mentioned that her kids were not big fans of the "gravy". Ironically, my kids and I all really enjoyed the chicken, "gravy" and all (although I did put it sparingly on my kids' chicken)--it was my husband who didn't seem to care for it. (Not overly surprising--he's the pickiest eater in our home!) He thought the onion flavor was "too overpowering". Here's the thing...I fully admit that I've had onions that were VERY strong and while I happen to enjoy the flavor of onion, there have been times in which I've scraped off some excess, because it was in fact "too overpowering". By no means did I think the onion flavor was too much--it was actually a very mild onion. He kills me, too, because he asked me "are the onions cooked?". Ummmm...yeah...by TWO different methods! Not only did I saute them, but they were then baked within the sauce for about 25 minutes while my chicken was in the oven. (He even watched me take the chicken out, with the sauce covering it!) I love him dearly, but he drives me crazy sometimes!!! I've mentioned this in prior posts, but before we started dating (about 10 years ago), he literally ate the same 3-4 meal rotation. He NEVER would have considered eating onions before I started cooking for him, but he will eat them in certain dishes now. As far as this dish is concerned, I'm honestly not sure if it was more in his head, just because he previously had himself convinced that he didn't like onions and this chicken was obviously smothered in them. If he'd be willing to try it again, perhaps I'll try a Vidalia onion...doesn't get much more mild than that! In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy devouring the leftovers, all by myself :)

Just one more thing before I post the recipe! This potentially could be a fairly healthy recipe if you follow it according to how Krista posted it. I used what I had on hand, as opposed to making a point to pick up reduced-sodium chicken broth and fat free milk. (I'm awful, I know!)Chicken with Rosemary-Onion Sauce

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I used about 2 lbs)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 teaspoons butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used regular chicken broth)
1/2 cup fat-free milk (I used 2%...that's all I had!)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet,
brown chicken in 1 teaspoon butter. Transfer to an 11-in. x 7-in.
baking dish coated with cooking spray.

In the same skillet, saute onion and garlic in remaining butter until
tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth and
milk. Add rosemary. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or
until thickened.

Pour sauce over chicken. Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes
or until chicken juices run clear. Yield: 4 servings.

Source: Krista's Kitchen (originally from Light and Tasty Magazine)

Simple Split Chicken Breasts

If nothing else, I can always count on at least one local grocery store to have split chicken breasts on sale every week--generally for $.99/lb. While we really do love red meat, we've been attempting to eat more healthy. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts may be a bit more versatile, but split chicken breasts are usually about half the cost and the skin and bone really do tend to keep the chicken more moist and flavorful! My husband has a knack for making GREAT grilled split chicken breasts, but the thought of grilling in this cold and gloomy weather didn't really appeal to either of us. I searched on allrecipes.com first and nothing really caught my eye, so I turned to google for a more broad search! I've never seen this particular blog before, but quite a few people commented on the chicken after trying it and it got rave reviews! My husband, kids and I all felt that it was exceptionally moist and tender, which can be hard to achieve when baking split chicken breasts. I'm not sure that I was as in love with this recipe as some of the other reviewers...I kind of wished the flavor had permeated down further into the chicken, but all in all, it was an easy dish that I would make again. Perhaps had it not been SO hyped up, I would have thought more highly of it! Just like with anything, when you expect something truly outstanding, right off the bat, it's a little disappointing when it doesn't quite meet your expectations.

***Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to let you all know that I recently was informed of a site by a friend of mine, that offers the opportunity to write reviews about different products. My first sponsored post is due to be published on my blog within the next day or two. I started this blog as a hobby and while I am excited to have the opportunity to review different products, I fully intend to keep my blog pertaining to food and money saving ideas for people living on a budget. Now on to my recipe...***

Simple Split Chicken Breasts

3-4 lbs split chicken breasts (4 breasts)
olive oil for brushing
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika (or 1/2-3/4 tsp cayenne pepper if you prefer a little heat!)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel. Lightly coat the chicken skin with olive oil. Combine Kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika (or cayenne pepper) in a small bowl; season chicken generously on both sides, carefully lifting the skin and placing the spice mixture under the skin, as well. Place chicken breasts on a rack in roasting pan and bake for 1 hour. Let sit 10 minutes before serving!

Source: Adapted from Cooking with Baby

Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Quesadillas

I've expressed in previous posts that I'm not a huge fan of more authentic Mexican food, but I do love fajitas and quesadillas--they were two of my biggest pregnancy cravings! Prior to having kids, my husband and I used to go out to dinner at least a few times a month, but since the two little rugrats have arrived, it's been a bit more challenging to eat out. Not only do they get antsy, which makes it difficult to relax and enjoy dinner, but it's rather costly to take a family of four out to dinner these days! Short of going to the Chinese buffet on "kids eat free" night, we very seldom go anywhere else. I saw that Cassie (of Cassie Craves) had posted a recipe for quesadillas that quickly caught my eye! Not only do I love quesadillas, but how can you possibly go wrong with combining chicken, bacon and avocado?!? I took her general concept to use those three key ingredients and altered the recipe a little in terms of ingredients and the cooking method, but oh, my...these were delicious and certainly as good (if not better) than any I had eaten out! I tried to estimate about how much each quesadilla cost to prepare and I think I figured it was around $4-$4.50/each, which is probably less than half of what you'd pay to eat them out! Plus, they were SUPER hearty the way that I made them and I honestly couldn't eat more than half of one...they were really rich! I did serve Spanish rice as a side dish, so honestly-speaking, I would think that if you prepared them as heartily as I did, they could easily feed 3 people...especially if you serve them with a side dish! Also, I baked my bacon, which is now my preferred way to make it! Not only is it a bit healthier than frying, but it tastes just as good to me and you don't have to deal with the mess! I used a grill pan for my chicken and a griddle to cook the quesadillas, but if you don't have either of those, you can always grill your chicken on an actual grill or you may want to refer to Cassie's recipe, as I believe she actually fried her bacon and then cooked her chicken in the same pan. As for the griddle, you could always just use a frying pan/skillet! One last thing: I did leave the avocado off of my husband's, because he had his mind made up that he didn't care much for avocado, but I left a little separate and when he tried it with his quesadilla, he said "it honestly isn't too bad"--which means "I actually like this, but am not going to give you the satisfaction of admitting that you may have been right all of these years". :) Enjoy!

Chicken, Bacon, and Avocado Quesadillas

4 burrito-sized flour tortillas
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
8 strips of bacon, chopped
1/4 - 1/3 cup diced red onion (I only had yellow onions on hand, so that's what I used, but I tend to prefer red!)
1 avocado, diced
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese (2 cups)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bacon on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until crispy. (Place on paper towel to drain, after removing from oven).

While bacon is cooking, pound chicken breasts to 1/3 inch thickness and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in greased grill pan and cook for approximately 5-6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink on the inside and juices run clear.

Remove chicken from pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Add diced onion to grill pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly tender, stirring frequently; remove from heat. Cut chicken and bacon into small pieces/chunks.

Preheat griddle to 250 degrees. Butter four tortillas on one side and place two on heated griddle, butter side down. Top each tortilla with cheese, chicken, bacon, onion and avocado, dividing the chicken, bacon, onion and avocado equally between the two. Sprinkle with more cheese and top each with another flour tortilla (butter side up). Cook each quesadilla until browned and crispy and cheese is completely melted, approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. ***To flip, my husband put a plate over the quesadilla and carefully used a spatula to flip each one onto the plate and then back on the griddle to cook the other side.***

Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Source: Inspired by Cassie Craves

Island Chicken

I have NEVER seen my kids inhale their dinner as quickly as they did the night I made this chicken! Being 2 and 5, I always get their plates ready and cooled, before fixing our plates. My children were asking for seconds before my husband and I even sat down...they had polished off their entire plates! (Not only the chicken, but their mashed potatoes and broccoli!) This recipe comes from "Annie's Eats". Her dishes always look absolutely delicious, but having a picky husband has somewhat limited the recipes on her blog that I am able to try! I bought a family pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and had four left to use, so this seemed like the perfect recipe to suit my whole family! While I never doubted for a second that this recipe would be "good", I couldn't get over just how good it was...it was unbelievably easy and the ingredient list was quite short and consists of ingredients that the majority of you have at home already! As soon as I dropped my son off at school, I mixed the marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag, added the chicken, stuck the bag in the refrigerator and didn't have to do anything else with the chicken, aside from sticking it in a baking dish and baking for 45 minutes! As mentioned above, we served with mashed potatoes and broccoli, per Annie's suggestion!

Island Chicken

½ cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1½ tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (I added about 3-4 cloves...I LOVE garlic!)
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a mixing bowl or large airtight plastic bag. Whisk or shake well until the marinade is well mixed. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl or plastic bag so that they are covered by the marinade. If using a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. If using a plastic bag, press out all the excess air and seal the bag tightly. Refrigerate and marinate up to 10 hours.

When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour the excess marinade over them. Bake in the oven until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 45 minutes (exact baking time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Annie's Eats

Chicken Milano

This might seriously be my new favorite "at home pasta dish"...YUM! I selected this recipe that many people stated they felt was "restaurant quality", for our family dinner that we've been having every Friday night. (It's the only night of the week that we're able to sit down for dinner together, as a family, because of our crazy schedules and it's something that our kids look forward to each week!) I really loved it, but am so very grateful that I made some adjustments, including doubling the sauce ingredients and adding extra garlic. I also felt the need to thicken the sauce a bit, because it was way too runny--thus the addition of cornstarch. My recipe below reflects the increase in sauce ingredients, however, I would suggest going ahead and doubling the recipe altogether--I have a feeling that I'll be fighting my husband for the leftovers! All kidding aside, the recipe (as written below) would be enough for a family of 4, but if you're especially big eaters or have a larger family, I'd suggest doubling it. My kids are 2 and 5, so it was more than enough for us, but if you've got older kids, you may at least want to one and a half it! Again, don't forget...I wrote the recipe to reflect the amount of ingredients I would suggest for a single recipe!

Chicken Milano

2 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chicken broth, divided
2 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons dried basil
12 ounces dry fettuccini pasta

Directions:

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream (or half and half) and cornstarch and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute chicken. Press on chicken occasionally with a slotted spatula. Cook for about 4-6 minutes per side (depending on the size of your chicken breasts and until the chicken is no longer pink inside). Transfer to a dish, cover and keep warm. (I stuck mine in the microwave!)

Discard the fat from the skillet and in the same skillet, over medium heat, bring 1/2cup chicken broth to a boil; stirring the pan juices. Reduce slightly and add the cream sauce to the skillet. Stir in basil and adjust seasonings to taste; continue to simmer on low.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook according to package instructions, approximately 10 minutes; drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with 6 tablespoons of the sauce.

Transfer pasta to serving plates and top with chicken. Cut chicken into diagnoal slices and coat with the cream sauce. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top, if desired!

Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com

Garlic Chicken Fried Chicken

This is EXACTLY the type of recipe I've been hoping to find! Not only was it super easy, but the chicken was very flavorful and moist. I did follow the recipe almost exactly as written, except I did change part of the cooking method, per several reviewer's suggestions. I couldn't find the cord to my electric skillet to save my life, so I just used my largest skillet and fried the chicken for approximately 4-5 minutes per side and then baked the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on a 350 degree oven. The recipe states that you should combine the dry ingredients in a shallow bowl (as your first step), but I would suggest going ahead and heating up your skillet first (and preheat your oven if you want to bake them in addition to frying), and while they're heating, combine the ingredients...it didn't take very long at all--I'd venture to say it took longer for the oil to reach the correct temperature! I will definitely make this again--it's perfect for a quick weeknight meal (it shouldn't take more than 25 minutes) and was something that my entire family enjoyed!

Garlic Chicken Fried Chicken

2 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
1 cup oil for frying

Directions:

In a shallow dish, mix together the garlic powder, pepper, salt, paprika, bread crumbs and flour. In a separate dish, whisk together the milk and egg.

Heat the oil in an electric skillet set to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Dip the chicken into the egg and milk, then dredge in the dry ingredients until evenly coated.

Fry chicken in the hot oil for about 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from the oil with a slotted spatula, and serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta and Parmesan Cheese

Oh, how we love pasta at our house! I've been spending a little bit of time each day, going through some of my favorite blogs in search of recipes to try and this particular recipe comes from Donna's blog (My Tasty Treasures). If you haven't checked out her blog, I HIGHLY recommend it--not only will you find some wonderful looking recipes, but she's one of the most down-to-earth and entertaining people I have ever "met". I love meals that can be prepared using one skillet and this dish is relatively healthy...bonus! I only made a few minor changes: I substituted penne pasta for ziti, used lemon juice from the bottle (since I didn't have fresh lemons) and I did use half and half instead of heavy cream. I've substituted half and half in countless recipes and have never noticed that much of a difference...except in the price! (Heavy cream is generally about double the cost of half and half). This is a great weeknight meal, but there was a bit of prep involved, so make sure you take that into account! My husband helped me prepare it, so that cut the prep time down significantly, but between cutting up the chicken, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and onions, I would allow about 15-20 minutes for prep...depending on how fast you are in the kitchen!

Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta and Parmesan Cheese

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces ziti
4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4-5 cups broccoli florets (depending on how much broccoli you want!)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or asiago
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring for one minute. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges--1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened--2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant--about 30 seconds.

Add the pasta, 3 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed--about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover and reduce heat to medium and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and almost tender, 2-3 minutes.

Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

Source: My Tasty Treasures

Easy Garlic Broiled Chicken

This was by far one of the most frustrating recipes--I felt like the name of the recipe was somewhat misleading...that, or I'm just a bit "cooking-challenged"! I was so excited, because I saw the word "easy" and thought how perfect it would be for a quick weeknight meal! My husband and I decided that we would make it a point to sit down every Friday for dinner, as a family, since it's the ONLY night a week that we're all home around dinnertime. I had every intention of sitting down at 7pm, but we didn't end up eating until a little after 8pm! Granted, I did bathe the kids before dinner which stalled my starting dinner a bit, but it still felt like it took forever and a day for the chicken to finish cooking--it was *supposed* to be done in 20 minutes! I followed the recipe exactly as written, which may have been my first mistake--I generally tend to take the suggestions of other "reviewers", but it seemed as if enough people stated that they made it exactly as written and enjoyed it. I almost didn't even bother posting this recipe, because I was that frustrated, but I definitely think it has potential--that, and we had the leftovers last night and it tasted delicious reheated! I can count on one hand the amount of times I've used the broiler on my oven, so that might have been part of my problem. Perhaps I should have moved the rack up a bit, but I did take one person's suggestion and left it in the middle of my oven, since they said the chicken seemed to burn on the outside real quickly, while it was raw on the inside. I initially set my timer for 10 minutes, turned and basted the chicken and then set it for another 10 minutes and when I checked on it, it didn't appear to be anywhere near done and the skin wasn't at all browned. I moved the rack up and set it back in for 5 minutes, took it out and quickly realized it wasn't done as I was cutting it up for my kids. I put it back in and ended up going through this SEVERAL times until it was finally finished! Bless my kid's hearts...they sat so patiently, eating their broccoli and salad, even though it was already pushing 8pm, which is when they're normally heading to bed! Anyway, I'm going to post the recipe below and will be very anxious to know if anyone tries it and what changes you make! Since I did enjoy the leftovers so much (and my husband and son really liked the chicken the night I made it), I will give it one more try, but next time, I think I will let the chicken sit in the sauce (turning at least once) for an hour or two, prior to cooking and will then attempt to bake the chicken at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes and perhaps broiling the last couple of minutes. The recipe called for a fairly substantial amount of garlic (which we love) and the kitchen smelled wonderful while it was cooking, but I didn't feel as if the sauce/flavors had enough time to infuse into the chicken and I ended up broiling my chicken thighs for closer to 40 minutes. I used 10 bone-in chicken thighs (with skin) and one and a halfed the sauce ingredients, which gave PLENTY of sauce that would have been great spooned over noodles or rice. I really think this recipe has a lot of potential and the fact that it didn't cook as quickly very much could have been "user error". Feedback would be much appreciated from those of you who experiment with this recipe!!!

Easy Garlic Broiled Chicken

1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
6 boneless chicken thighs, with skin
dried parsley, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven broiler. Lightly grease a baking pan.

In a microwave safe bowl, mix the butter, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, and parsley.

Cook 2 minutes on High in the microwave, or until butter is melted.

Arrange chicken on the baking pan, and coat with the butter mixture, reserving some of the mixture for basting.

Broil chicken 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until juices run clear, turning occasionally and basting with remaining butter mixture. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Turkey Tetrazzini and an Update

Well, well, well...it has been WAY too long since my last post! There have been many changes the past five months and it's been a bit of a struggle to get into somewhat of a groove and attempt to bring some degree of normalcy back to the very chaotic schedule we are now juggling! I've always been a creature of habit--I swear by my planner and can't stand deviating...if I can get something done a week ahead of time, that would be my preference. Unfortunately, all of these changes have forced me to deviate a bit and "planning" is becoming more and more impossible--hence the lack of posts/new recipes! Just to back up a bit...my husband and I had a lengthy conversation back in July and he decided that he really wanted to go back to school to pursue a degree in Nursing. He's taken classes here and there, but it's been difficult to really buckle down and focus, while working full-time, finding time for our two small children and attempting to juggle our work schedules so that one of us can always be home with the kids. We decided that I would go back to working full-time hours (and more, when I'm able to get additional shifts) and he would go down to a part-time position and start taking classes on a full-time basis. That certainly has been easier said than done! This next semester is going to be especially crucial for my husband, as he is getting ready to apply to the nursing program by April 1st and should *hopefully* find out by early June if he is accepted. Keep in mind...I'm someone who doesn't do well with the "unknown" and the suspense of waiting to find out whether or not he's accepted and/or what our alternate plan will be since the program he's applying to is very competitive, is absolutely driving me crazy! This blog had always served as somewhat of a diversion for me, which is why I am excited about jumping back in and shifting my focus a bit! I certainly can't promise "fancy meals", by any stretch of the imagination, but my goal is to seek out recipes for everyone else trying to juggle crazy schedules and live on a budget! My husband is going to have late classes, several days a week, so my intent is to find recipes that reheat well or those that can be frozen and ready to serve after defrosting and rewarming!

My first recipe for the New Year is Turkey Tetrazzini. My children requested turkey for Christmas dinner--actually, my son's actual request was for "whole body turkey"...as opposed to just a turkey breast :) The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint my kids, so I began watching the sale ads to see if anyone had turkey on sale. Naturally, no one did...I mean, really...why would they when they know many people serve turkey for Christmas and will pretty much be suckered into paying whatever they charge?!? I'm one of those people who firmly believes that everything happens for a reason and on my way home from work one night, I stopped at Target to pick up some last minute stocking stuffers. I was making my way toward the "Health and Beauty" area, but for some reason, I took the long way around and passed by a frozen display of whole turkeys. I went over to check the price, figuring that Super Target, of all places, would be exorbitantly expensive (as their meats tend to be) and they had turkeys for $.39/lb! I have never seen turkey so cheap and was beyond excited to bring it home and show the kids! The thing is...seeing as how this turkey was just for the four of us, a 10-12 lb turkey would have been more than enough, but I picked the largest one I could find...about 18 lbs. Shockingly, there was a TON left and seeing as how we were going out of town the middle of the following week, I had no idea what to do with all of the remaining turkey?!? I froze the turkey carcass (in anticipation of making soup), along with the obscene amount of leftover turkey. When we returned from my parents' house, after having a wonderful and relaxing visit with them for New Year's, I thawed out the turkey carcass and my bag of turkey. I made a HUGE pot of soup--and when I say "huge", that is a major understatement! (I have 3 LARGE containers in the fridge and had to freeze another 3LARGE containers--and that's after my husband and I ate a ton!) While we were visiting my parents, my Mom suggested that I make turkey tetrazzini with some of the leftover turkey. I naturally went directly to Allrecipes.com and found a recipe that received great reviews, although I only somewhat loosely followed it and took many of the reviewers suggestions, in addition to adding some of my own. My husband seemed to really enjoy it and seeing as how he's a pretty picky eater, it's always a major compliment when he makes a point to comment on something that I make! My kids liked it, as well, and as for myself...I definitely liked it, but think I might try it with chicken next time. I wouldn't hesitate to use it again if I had leftover turkey, but I'm not sure that I would go out of my way to buy turkey for the recipe. It's funny, too, because some of the people who reviewed the recipe mentioned that they felt it was a bit bland, so I made sure I added extra seasoning, however, I would even consider adding a bit more salt next time. The original recipe didn't call for any salt whatsoever. One other major change that I made that is unlike more traditional tetrazzini recipes, was that I substituted penne pasta for spaghetti, per my husband's request, and I would definitely do that again! I hope you enjoy and be on the lookout for more recipes in the very near future!

Turkey Tetrazzini

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta (or spaghetti)
10 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups chopped cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 cup frozen peas
Italian breadcrumbs

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add diced onions and minced garlic, stirring frequently. Stir in flour, until blended. Add chicken broth, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of Parmesan cheese.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and return to pot. Add chopped turkey, peas and chicken broth mixture to the pasta and stir to blend all ingredients together.

Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and top with Italian breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for approximately 45-50 minutes.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Yes, it has seriously been 4 1/2 months since my last post! I'm not ordinarily known as a "slacker" and I seriously have no idea how the time flew by so quickly?!? I put my blogging on hold back in late February/early March, because we were focused on getting our house ready to put on the market and between getting everything organized and having to keep the house spotless 24/7, it's been hard to get psyched about doing much in the kitchen. We've pretty much been eating off of paper plates the past 2 months, but I've finally decided to get back in the swing of things!

Grocery shopping has been a bit challenging lately, because NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING has been on sale--at least in terms of meat, chicken, pork, etc! I found some chicken legs and thighs on sale for $.99/lb the other day, so I picked up a package of each and knew I'd have to find a good way to "dress them up", because they're not necessarily my husband's favorite. I went to allrecipes.com (which tends to be my "go to" site) and typed in "chicken thighs" under the search for recipes by ingredients and this recipe was rated very highly! I am so very glad that I tried this recipe and like many of the reviewers said, I honestly think it was one of the best teriyaki sauces I have EVER had...homemade, bottled, or otherwise! I did change around the recipe a bit, but I loved the way the sauce turned out! I do happen to like chicken thighs, but my husband and I both agreed that it would be absolutely delicious with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I served it with white rice and Asian-style veggies that I sauteed with a little peanut oil. I truly think the options are endless, if you focus more on the sauce-aspect of the recipe. I will definitely make it again, but the next time, I think I'll either cut up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and stir-fry them in the sauce or bake the strips in the sauce and serve them over rice. Whatever you choose to do, I definitely think the sauce is the focal point, so you could try the recipe as written, substitute bone-in chicken breasts or try the boneless, skinless. I'll be anxious to hear feedback in general and especially if anyone tries a different method of cooking! FYI: I doubled all of the sauce ingredients, because I wanted to ensure there was plenty of sauce to spoon over the rice. I already doubled the ingredients in the recipe listed below, because I wouldn't suggest making any less...

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 skinless chicken thighs (I used 4 thighs and 8 drumsticks, skin removed)

Directions:

In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles. (It took about 20 minutes to get as thick as I wanted it).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). (I actually did 400 degrees, but would even consider going down to 375).
Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. (I also lined my dish with foil, for easier clean-up!) Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking. (I would also suggest maybe covering the first 30 minutes and uncovering for the second half of cooking. Of course if you use a different type of chicken, you'll have to alter the cooking time--the hour of cooking was for the thighs and legs).

Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com

Chicken Pomodoro

Noticing this recipe yesterday morning was a HUGE lifesaver! Lynda at "Lynda's Recipe Box" posts so many wonderful recipes that I have bookmarked to try, but when I saw this particular one, I knew it was going to be what we had for dinner! I nonchalantly mentioned to my husband the night before that I was wanting to try a new chicken recipe that I found that contained Dijon mustard and he seemed a bit disenchanted. My husband snubs ALL condiments--ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc! I wasn't about to lie to him, as I knew he'd be upset if he realized I neglected to mention that there was mustard in the dish (especially since it called for 3 tablespoons and likely would have had a very distinguishable mustard flavor), but the mere fact that he knew it contained mustard would have likely caused him to decide upfront that he didn't like it. When I saw this recipe on Lynda's blog, I knew immediately that my husband would be much more excited about dinner! This recipe was delicious and relatively quick to put together! Lynda did mention that her husband would have preferred more sauce and that was my husband's only complaint. I will definitely make this dish again, but next time, I will double the sauce. The recipe below is written almost exactly as Lynda had it posted on her blog, but I would suggest adding (2) cans of diced tomatoes and maybe 2/3-1 cup of heavy cream--I actually used half and half. Enjoy :)

Chicken Pomodoro

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
4 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14.5-ounce) can small diced tomatoes
1/3 cup heavy cream
Pasta of your choice (I used angel hair, per Lynda's suggestion!)

Directions:

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown; remove chicken to a plate.

Heat remaining oil in skillet and cook diced onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and dried basil, if using. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, cream and bring to a boil. Return chicken and accumulated juices to the skillet. Lower heat to a simmer and cover skillet. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes(depending on size of chicken breasts).

Transfer chicken to platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Continue to simmer sauce, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. If using fresh basil, add it to skillet at this time, and season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and pasta.

***Make sure you boil your pasta, according to the package instructions--if using angel hair, I added my pasta to the boiling water when I removed the chicken and allowed the sauce to thicken up--the angel hair only took about 4 minutes to boil.***

Source: Lynda's Recipe Box

The Best Chicken Fajitas

Stumbling across this recipe could not have come at a more perfect time! I purchased a family-size package of chicken breasts the other day and used the majority for my chicken scaloppine. I had three large chicken breasts left and what do you know...that's EXACTLY what this recipe calls for! :) My husband and I used to enjoy going out for the "all-you-can-eat" fajitas at the local Don Pablos...that is, of course, before we had kids! Dining out is quite the ordeal and not overly enjoyable with the two kids fidgeting around the entire time, so I was excited to find a recipe that claimed to create "the best chicken fajitas", so we could enjoy them at home!

Marinade:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes)
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons apple cider or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

Fajitas:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
1 yellow onion, cut into thin strips
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red (or orange) pepper, cut into thin strips
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice (a quick squeeze of a cut lime)
dash of salt and pepper

Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade ingredients over the top. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 2-3 hours.

After marinading, take chicken out of the bag and discard the marinade. Grill or broil the chicken 4-5 minutes per side--I used my indoor grill pan. Remove from pan and tent with foil to keep warm.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and add the onion, mushrooms and peppers. Stir fry until softened but still crisp tender. Add soy sauce, water, lime juice and salt and pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Slice chicken thinly on the diagonal and toss with the vegetables in the skillet. Serve immediately with flour tortillas and any toppings of your choice--I used Mexican cheese and sour cream, but you could also use tomatoes, lettuce and guacamole!

Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Chicken Scaloppine with Lemon Glaze

This recipe was quite similar to a few others that I've recently tried, but it seemed to have that "something extra" that made it stand out. (I'm wondering if it's the addition of the Dijon mustard to the egg mixture?!?) This was an easy meal to throw together...I think I had dinner on the table within about 30 minutes and it's one of those meals that looks like you spent a lot longer preparing it...always a "bonus"!

Chicken Scaloppine with Lemon Glaze

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts; approximately 2 1/2 lbs (pounded to about 1/3-inch thickness)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or to taste) ***I didn't have "poultry seasoning", so I just added some marjoram, sage, thyme and rosemary***
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup chicken broth (I used a chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in boiling water)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
6-12 thin lemon slices
fresh parsley, chopped (to taste)

Directions:

In a small bowl or shallow dish whisk together mustard and eggs; set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the dry bread crumbs with poultry seasoning, garlic powder and seasoning salt. First dip the chicken breasts in the egg/mustard mixture (shake off any excess egg) and then coat evenly/generously with the crumb mixture.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until it is no longer pink inside; remove and transfer to a plate to keep warm. (I had to use 2 pans and added the browned bits from the second pan to the first pan, after I removed the chicken).

For the glaze: in the same skillet add in the broth, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil scraping any brown bits from the pan. Add in lemon slices and parsley; mix to combine for about 1 minute.

Spoon the glaze/sauce over chicken.

Source: Adapted from recipe posted on Recipezaar.com

Roasted Chicken with Gravy

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I LOVE meals you can get ready the night before and then just throw in the oven the next afternoon/evening! I came across this particular blog "Cooking with Carrie" from Donna's blog, I believe, and was drooling over her recipes! I've made my feelings about whole chickens very clear in previous posts, but lately, they're one of the least expensive types of poultry/meat to buy, so I love finding new recipes. Just to forewarn you...this chicken does cook on a slow oven for about 4 hours, so it's something you'd need to make on a day in which you don't really have much going on--especially if you're wanting it done around a more "normal" dinnertime. Both the white and dark meat were equally moist and flavorful! I did not end up making the gravy, as neither my husband or I are big "gravy fans", but Carrie's recipe sounded good, so I included it. If it's even remotely close to being as good as the chicken, I'm sure you'll love the gravy, as well!

1 (4 pound) whole chicken
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 onion, cut into 4 pieces
5 cloves garlic

Gravy Ingredients:
Chicken drippings
2 tablespoons flour
1 can chicken broth (or 1 cup water and a chicken bouillon cube)


Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Remove and discard giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub chicken inside and out with spice mixture--make sure you use all of it! Stuff the pieces of onion and garlic cloves into the cavity of the chicken. Place the chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place chicken in a roasting pan (or 9 x 13 dish). Bake uncovered for 4 hours, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees...approximately 4 hours. Let the chicken stand for 10 minutes before carving; discard onion and garlic.

To Make the Gravy...

Carefully remove chicken out of the pan when it's done cooking. Pour all the drippings into a glass measuring cup, leaving any browned bits on the bottom of the roasting pan. Let the drippings stand for a minute or two until the fat rises to the top of the measuring cup. Set the roasting pan over medium-low heat (you may need to use two burners at once.) Spoon out 4 tablespoons fat from the top of the measuring cup and put it back in the roasting pan. Sprinkle the flour over the fat and whisk. Whisk flour and fat for 1 to 2 minutes until the flour turns a nice golden-brown color. Pour the measuring cup drippings and can of chicken broth into the roasting pan, whisking and scraping off the encrusted bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer mixture for 2 to 3 minutes while whisking the entire time. Adjust the thickness of the gravy, as desired--if it is too thin, simmer, whisking often until the gravy is as thick as you want it and if it is too thick, whisk in a little more chicken broth. Taste the gravy and season it with salt and pepper if needed.

Source: Cooking with Carrie

Bourbon Chicken

I remember someone mentioning within their blog a while back that they were big fans of Recipezaar.com and I have since found quite a few great recipes off of that site! I'm almost thinking that I like it better than allrecipes.com! You can either search by recipe name, by ingredients you want to use, etc (much like allrecipes.com), but it seems as if there is a wider variety of recipes. I like that it also allows you to sort recipes by their "rating", much like allrecipes.com. I did a search for recipes that contained boneless skinless chicken breasts and this particular one popped up under the "most popular" section. It was rated by close to 2,000 people and received 4 1/2 out of 5 stars...it doesn't get much better than that! All of the reviews seemed pretty consistent in terms of the comments and I followed the recipe pretty much to a tee. Depending on how heartily you eat, you may want to double the ingredients--I used about 2 1/2 pounds of chicken, but do not think it would have fed more than 3 adults, unless you served something else with it. I served mine over white rice (per their suggestion), but didn't have egg rolls or anything like that to balance the meal. My husband even thought it would have been good to have added some broccoli or pea pods in with the chicken and I do think that definitely would have been good, as the sauce itself had a really good flavor and would have complimented most any veggie you added. I would probably suggest trying it "as is" to start and then you can create your own variation--if I do add veggies next time, I would probably make a little extra sauce, because it was nice having some sauce to spoon over the rice.

Bourbon Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved.
Add chicken and bring to a hard boil; Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes

Serve over hot rice.

Source: Recipezaar.com

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

People who know me, know that I am a fairly organized individual and thrive on "planning"--I'm not, nor have I ever been much for spontaneity...at least regarding most things in my life. (I'm not saying I'd be devastated if my husband took me on a "surprise date" or something...HINT, HINT!!!), but for the most part, I live by my "planner" and love knowing exactly what I'm doing and when I'll be doing it! Anyway, the purpose of my little "rant" is that I knew I had everything all planned out for Christmas Eve and Christmas and knew I'd have leftover lasagna for last night (when I got home from work), but I needed something for Saturday's dinner. While I was out doing my last minute Christmas shopping this past Wednesday, I grabbed a package of boneless skinless chicken breasts, remembering that I saw a recipe in my borrowed library cookbook that I wanted to try! I was just a tad bit nervous, because my husband is a super picky eater and I didn't know if the mere fact that the recipe called for certain ingredients would turn him off, before he even tried it, but he liked it so much that he went back for seconds! I often wonder if he's being honest when he tells me he likes some of these new recipes I've been trying or if he's just saying it to avoid hurting my feelings, but going back for seconds certainly confirmed that this recipe was a "winner" in his book! I was thrilled, because it was SUPER easy to throw together and is a great recipe to add to my "quick weeknight meals" list!

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or parsley (I used dehydrated chives)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups corn flake cereal, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (again, I used dehydrated parsley)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 3/4 - 2 lbs)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray. In shallow dish, mix 2 tablespoons butter, the milk, chives, salt and garlic powder.

In another shallow dish, mix crushed cereal, parsley and paprika. Dip chicken into milk mixture, then coat lightly and evenly with cereal mixture. Place in pan. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons butter.

Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

NOTE: The package of chicken I used was about 1 3/4 lbs and contained three, good-sized chicken breasts. I ended up baking them for closer to 30 minutes, as they were fairly thick. I had bought popcorn chicken for the kids, because I wasn't sure if they would like this chicken, but next time, I will most certainly make it for them, as well! I definitely think this is a recipe that kids would enjoy! I've found that most smaller packages of chicken from the grocery store tend to contain three chicken breasts and average around 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 lbs, but you could certainly double it if you have more people in your family, or, you could make extra so you could try out the suggestion the cookbook offers--they say that the leftovers are great reheated and eaten as a sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise!

Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker Money Saving Meals

Slow-Cooked Lemon Chicken

I always love using my crockpot year-round, but am especially fond of using it this time of year! There's something so comforting about coming in from the cool weather and knowing that you have a nice home-cooked meal waiting for you. I doubled the "sauce" ingredients (as reflected by the amounts I listed in the recipe) and was glad I did--it was nice having plenty of sauce to spoon over the cooked chicken. The only change I would make would be to cut back a bit on the cooking time--I think 3 hrs would be plenty of time, since you are already browning the chicken prior to placing it in the crockpot. (I made a notation of this below, as well!) I served the chicken with buttered rice and sprinkled it with a bit of parsley for garnish, but only served the sauce on the chicken. Enjoy :)

Slow-Cooked Lemon Chicken

6 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds), skin removed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Hot cooked rice

Directions:

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Combine the oregano, seasoned salt and pepper; rub over the chicken. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the chicken in butter; transfer to a 5 quart slow cooker.

Add the water, lemon juice, garlic and bouillon to the skillet; bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. (I cooked mine closer to 4 hours, but think it may be better to aim for 3 to avoid overcooking the chicken...the flavor was good, but it was a tad bit dry for my liking!)

Baste the chicken. Add parsley. Cover and cook 15-30 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear. If desired, thicken cooking juices and serve over chicken and rice.

Source: Taste of Home, The New Slow Cooker