Thursday, February 23, 2023

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! (Part One - Chicken Pieces)

We seem to eat lots of chicken these days - easy to cook, lots of flavours you can add, and simple to eat any leftovers, or shred the meat and make chicken salad sandwiches. 
We often buy chicken breasts in bulk and then freeze them individually in snack or sandwich bags, for easier handling later. Drumsticks and thighs can also be frozen of course, though we find they taste better when cooked fresh.
So here are the poultry recipes I like -- this is Part One (chicken pieces).  Part Two (chicken casseroles) is linked here
 ________________________________________ 
Annie’s Chicken 
This is how our friend Annie bakes her chicken: 
Wash and dry chicken pieces then coat with cornflake crumbs and any seasonings you want. 
Lay on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake at 450 for 15 minutes. (Use foil because 450 is too hot for parchment paper.) 
Then turn the oven down to 350 and spread about a teaspoon of mayonnaise on each piece. (Can also use Miracle Whip or Ranch dressing if you want.) 
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour longer, until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
________________________________________ 
Gravy-Baked Chicken Pieces 
Season chicken pieces (skin-on thighs or drumsticks) with paprika, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Rub in the seasoning and arrange skin-side up in a baking pan. 
Whisk 4 Tbsp flour into ½ cup beef stock or chicken stock until smooth, then whisk in another cup of stock plus pepper. Pour into pan around chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 for 50 minutes until chicken is golden and reaches 165 degrees. 
Remove chicken and whisk gravy to make it smooth. Adjust thickness if necessary. 
Add salt and pepper; serve the gravy on the side. 
This also works with chicken breasts, though pieces are tastier.
________________________________________ 
Easy Chicken and Rice 
Mix 1 cup rice, 1 can mushroom soup (or cream of chicken or celery), 1 package onion soup mix and 1 ½ cups milk or water [optional: also add sautéed mushrooms or green onions] 
Place in a casserole. Top with 4 chicken breast halves or with several pieces of chicken (start these skin down). Sprinkle with pepper. 
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 3 hours at 250 (turning pieces once),. 
________________________________________ 
Ranch-Baked Chicken Thighs 
Put 6 bone-in chicken thighs into a baking pan. Season with black pepper, to taste. 
In a small bowl, combine 1 envelope dry ranch salad dressing mix, 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic. Brush or spoon the mixture all over the chicken. 
Bake at 400 for about 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is crispy and reaches 165 degrees. ________________________________________
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings 
Line a large baking sheet with foil, and spray a cooking rack with olive oil. 
Rinse and dry 3 lbs chicken wing pieces (approx 20 pieces). Lay the pieces on the oiled rack and spray them with olive oil. Sprinkle wings with salt and pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning. 
Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes. 
The pieces will be even crispier if you then turn oven off and let the pieces coast for 20 more minutes.
 ________________________________________ 
Chicken Breasts Cordon Bleu 
Split 3 skinless chicken breasts in half and lay in greased baking dish 
Layer on top of each half-breast 1 slice ham and 1 slice Swiss Cheese. 
Combine 1 cup breadcrumbs with 2 Tbsp melted butter and sprinkle over the chicken. 
Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes until chicken reaches 165 degrees. 
Serve with Dijon Parmesan Cream Sauce 
________________________________________ 
Dijon Parmesan Cream Sauce 
Make a roux with 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp milk. Add 1 c milk and 1 tsp chicken boullion base and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and add 1 Tbsp Dijon, ½ tsp Worcestershire and ½ c parmesan cheese 
If too thick, thin with milk. 
________________________________________ 
Baked Chicken Breasts 
Optional Brine the breasts first: fill a large bowl with lukewarm water and add a handful of salt. Brine the breasts for 15 minutes or more. Rinse and pat dry. 
Dry 3 or 4 chicken breasts and brush both sides with butter or olive oil. 
Combine 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, with teaspoons of garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub over chicken and place in baking pan. 
(optional: cut a lemon into thin slices, scatter in the baking dish, and place chicken on top.) 
Roast at 400 for 15-20 minutes until chicken reaches 165 degrees. 
Rest under foil for 5-10 minutes. 
________________________________________ 
Ranch Baked Chicken Breasts 
Combine 1 oz Ranch dressing mix with ½ cup breadcrumbs and ½ cup parmesan cheese. 
Dredge 4 chicken breasts on both sides in mayonnaise, then in breadcrumb mixture. 
Place on greased baking dish and bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until 165 degrees. 
 ________________________________________ 
Chicken and Ham Bake 
Lay 3 or 4 chicken breasts in a baking dish and top with a coarsely-chopped package of smoked ham (5-6 slices). 
Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup with ½ cup sour cream and pour over the chicken and ham. 
Bake uncovered 1 hour at 325 until chicken reaches 165 degrees. 
________________________________________ 
Orange Chicken and Rice Bake 
Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup orange juice concentrate, ¾ cup rice, ½ tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper. 
Place in a casserole and spread with 2 cups red and green pepper strips 
Top with 4 chicken breasts. 
Cover and bake at 400 for about 40-50 minutes 
Remove cover, brush chicken with OJ concentrate, and broil for a few minutes. 
________________________________________
Chicken Breasts on the Stove 
Most of my chicken recipes call for baking in the oven but one night I was using the oven for something else so I found this recipe to bake chicken breasts on the stove: 
Season three breasts and brown in a little butter for 5 minutes. 
Cover the pan, reduce heat and cook until done (approx 10 minutes, until chicken reaches 165 degrees).
Push the breasts to the side and in the middle of the pan, melt 1 Tbsp butter and add 3 Tbsp minced garlic. Stir in 3 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 ½ Tbsp vinegar (apple cider or wine). Cook this until sauce thickens, then spoon this sauce over breasts to serve. 
Good with coleslaw. 
________________________________________ 
Marinaded Chicken Breasts or Pieces 
Marinade poultry for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours. Each marinade makes 1 cup or more.
To freeze marinaded chicken breasts – place fresh chicken breasts in plastic bag, add marinade, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before cooking. 
When ready to cook, drain off the marinade and pat the chicken breasts dry, add seasonings to taste, then brown chicken pieces in a little butter or oil n a frying pan. Finish by baking covered in the oven at 350 until until chicken reaches 165 degrees.

Marinade for Chicken or Shrimp: ½ cup Olive Oil or Salad Oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp Marjoram, 1 tsp Thyme, 1 clove minced garlic, ½ cup chopped onion, ¼ cup parsley 
Lemon Marinade for chicken: ¼ c Olive Oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp ground mustard, 1 Tbsp fresh dill, ½ Tbsp white rice vinegar, 2 tsp honey or maple syrup, ¼ tsp salt
Teriyaki Marinade for chicken: ¼ c soy sauce, 2 tsp ginger, ½ tsp sriracha, 2 cloves minced garlic, 3 Tbsp maple syrup, 2 Tbsp chopped green onion, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar 
Italian Marinade for chicken: ¼ c Olive Oil, 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp water, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley, 1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil. 
Balsamic Marinade for chicken: ¼ Olive Oil, 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil. 
_______________________________________
Barbeque Sauces for Chicken
If you want to cook your chicken on the barbeque, or bake in the oven, and you're looking for a barbeque sauce recipe, these are all good: 
 ________________________________________ 
Saute 1 ½ cups chopped onion and 1 Tbsp minced garlic in ½ cup vegetable oil for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup tomato paste, 1 cup honey, 1 cup Dijon mustard, 1 cup Hoisin Sauce, ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tbsp chilli powder, 1 Tbsp cumin, and ½ Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. 
 ________________________________________ 
Quick Barbeque Sauce Variations
Either of these are good, depending what ingredients you have around
Combine and simmer for 15 minutes: 3 Tbsp butter, ½ cup minced onion, ¼ cup green pepper, ¾ cup ketchup, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp prepared mustard and 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce.
OR
Combine 1 cup ketchup, 1 cup vinegar, ½ cup sugar, ¼ tsp dry mustard, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, dash of Tabasco, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp chili powder. Bring to boil, cool and refrigerate.
 ________________________________________ 
Easy Barbeque Sauce (Cooking for Engineers
CfE uses this to slow-cook ribs but it also works for chicken pieces. Other sauces may call themselves "easy" but this one really deserves that title!
Mix 1 bottle barbeque sauce and ½ cup orange juice.
 ________________________________________

No comments:

Post a Comment