Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! (Part Two - Chicken Casseroles)

This is Part Two of my Chicken recipe posts (Part One Chicken Pieces is here). 

These are my recipes that use chopped-up chicken - either already cooked, or cooked in the dish.

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Cooking chicken pieces to use in a casserole

In a casserole you can use leftover chicken or turkey, or buy a rotisserie chicken, or you can cook breasts or boneless skinless thighs then cool and shred. 

Poaching breasts: For 2 cups of shredded chicken, place two large chicken breasts in 4 cups cold water. Add 4 tsp salt. Bring to boil. Turn breasts, cover and take off the heat. Wait 5 to 10 minutes, until chicken is at 150. 

Poaching breasts from frozen: Start as above but then keep the breasts on simmer for 5-10 minutes until chicken is at 150. 

Cooking boneless chicken thighs: In a large pot over high heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute 1-2 minutes each side. Rest 5 minutes then chop into pieces or shred. 

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Jambalaya 

Slice into rounds 10 oz Andouille sausage (or substitute Chorizo or Italian smoked sausage), season with Cajun seasoning* and brown. 

Cut into pieces 2 chicken breasts, season and brown. Set aside. 

 In large pan, sauté 1 diced onion, 2 small diced peppers (red and green) and 2 ribs chopped celery. Add 4 cloves garlic. Stir in 2 cups (1 can) crushed tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes (or cayenne powder), 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and additional Cajun seasoning. 

Stir in 1 c sliced okra or green beans, plus the sausage and chicken, and cook 5 minutes. 

Add 1 ½ c uncooked rice and 3 c chicken broth. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until rice is cooked. 

Place 1 lb (8-12) raw, peeled, deveined shrimps on top of mixture, stir through gently and cover.

Simmer until shrimp are cooked, about 5 minutes. 

Correct seasoning and serve. 

*Cajun seasoning substitute: combine 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp dried thyme and ½ tsp cayenne pepper. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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Porcupine Meat Balls

By special request from my daughter, here's my mother-in-law's recipe for Porcupine Meat Balls (and no porcupines were harmed in the making of this recipe!) 

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it doesn't require any browning of the meatballs - they just brown all by themselves while they are in the oven. And you can use just about any type of rice or seasonings or sauce ingredients you have on hand. 

Serve them with more rice or with mashed potatoes, if you want.

 

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Porcupine Meatballs      

(Makes about 10 meatballs. Can easily be doubled.)

Mix ¾ lb lean ground beef,  1/3 cup rinsed white rice (short grain if you can get it), ½ cup milk, 2 tsp baking powder, plus Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. (optional: 1 Tbsp minced onion)

(By the way, I usually don't have any Minute Rice on hand, but there's no reason why you shouldn't use it in this recipe if you have some.)

Shape into approximately 10 balls and place in a baking dish

Prepare a sauce and pour over meatballs. 

Bake at 350 to 375 covered for 35 minutes then uncovered for 35 minutes. 

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Porcupine Meatballs using already-cooked rice

(Makes about 15 meatballs. Can easily be doubled)

Combine 1 lb lean ground beef, ½ cup cooked white rice, ½ tsp garlic powder,  1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 egg, plus Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. (optional: 2 Tbsp parsley, 1 Tbsp minced onion)

Shape into approximately 15 balls and place in a baking dish.

Prepare a sauce and pour over meatballs.  

Bake at 325 for an hour uncovered..

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Sauces for porcupine meatballs

The meatballs should be about half-covered with sauce when you put them into the oven.  If they get too dry while they are cooking, just add a little water.

Tomato Sauce: Use 1-2 cans tomato soup, or equivalent amount of tomato juice or canned tomatoes. Or combine 1 can tomato soup with 1 cup vegetable juice or tomato sauce. For seasoning, add ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.

Mushroom Soup Sauce: Combine 1 can mushroom soup, 1 cup beef broth, ½ cup milk, ½ cup sour cream and ½ tsp garlic powder. Mix together until smooth.

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My Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding

Here is my basic Prime Rib recipe (which I learned to cook thanks to Mark Bittman)  

The Yorkshire recipe is based on my old 5th edition Joy of Cooking that my mother gave me when I married. I now make Yorkshire without beef fat so my vegetarian son can also enjoy it. I learned how to make gravy from watching my mother make it, but as I recall it was Ina Garten who recommends adding soy sauce and mustard to gravy for more flavour.

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Prime Rib

Mix 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp horseradish, garlic salt and pepper.  Rub on the top of a prime rib roast.  Sprinkle sides with lemon pepper and salt. Place roast fat-up on rack in roasting pan (for a smaller roast, keep the roast upright by proping it between two baking potatoes, or by inserting large skewers to hold the meat in the pan.)  Roast at 450 for 20 minutes then at 325-350 until done (20 minutes per pound, approx. 1 ½ -2 hours in all for a 4-lb roast ) When done, place on platter and wrap in foil for 20 -30 minutes to rest, while you make the gravy and the Yorkshire pudding. (PS, You can also use this rub on a pork roast.)

Meat temperature reference:  Rare: 120       Medium 130      Well-done 140

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Yorkshire

(6 large) Whisk vigorously 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 2-3 eggs, ½ tsp salt and pepper.  Rest batter in fridge for 10 minutes. Using a large muffin pan, place a tsp of butter in each muffin cup.  When oven is preheated, heat the muffin pan in oven for a few minutes until butter is melted and is smoking hot. Working quickly, fill each muffin cup 2/3 full of batter (use a soup ladle).  Return pan to oven and bake at 425 for 20 minutes.  Finish at 350 for up to 10 minutes. (Alternately, you can use beef fat instead of butter, or you can use a 9 X 12 pan).

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Gravy

Gravy needs proportionately about 2 Tbsp fat, 2 Tbsp flour and 2 cups liquid.  

While the roast is resting, heat the remaining fat in the roasting pan, adding extra butter if necessary to make at least 2 Tbsp of fat. When hot, sprinkle in at least 2 Tbsp flour and stir. Let the roux cook for a minute until the flour is incorporated and browning. Slowly add approx 2 cups beef broth and stir constantly to incorporate the roux and the gravy is bubbly and thick. If too thin, sprinkle a little more flour into the pan; if too thick, add a little more stock or water. Flavour the gravy with a tsp each of soy sauce, Dijon mustard, Worchestshire sauce and/or Kitchen Bouquet. Strain the gravy into a 2-cup measure and keep warm.  When roast has rested, before the meat is sliced, you can also tilt the platter over the gravy to add the meat juices into the gravy.

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