I enjoyed a terrific grilled chicken dish the other night when I was invited to my next door neighbor’s home for dinner. Notice I said, grilled. I always put my grill away for the winter, but they use theirs year-round (smart people). Since the day was sunny and the temperature actually managed to climb above freezing, it wasn’t such a bad day to be grilling outdoors. (However, we didn’t eat outdoors—we might be used to the cold in Minnesota, but eating outdoors when it’s only 38 degrees is carrying it a bit too far.)
The recipe they prepared, “Maple-Barbecued Chicken,” is one that they found on epicurious.com.
Ingredients List:
For the Chicken:
- ½ cup white-wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 5 whole chicken breasts (with skin and bone), halved
- 10 chicken thighs
- 10 chicken drumsticks
- 10 chicken wings
For the Maple Barbecue Sauce:
- 2 large onions, chopped fine
- 2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 ¼ cups ketchup
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup cider vinegar
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Directions:
- In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar and the salt.
- While whisking, add the oil in a stream, blending the marinade until it is emulsified.
- Divide the chicken pieces between two large bowls; pour the marinade over the chicken; and let it marinate, covered and chilled, overnight.
- To make the barbecue sauce, add all of the ingredients to a heavy saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil; then simmer it for 50 minutes or until it is reduced to about 3 1/3 cups. Stir the sauce occasionally while it simmers. The sauce may be made one week in advance and kept covered and chilled in the refrigerator.
- Grill the chicken on an oiled rack, which has been set about 4 inches over the heat source, for 10 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Baste the chicken with some of the barbecue sauce, and grill it for 2 minutes more. Serve the chicken with the remaining sauce.
The maple flavoring in the barbecue sauce was so unexpected, but it was quite delicious. It might sound a little odd to some people, but if you like maple as much as I do, you’ll love this great chicken dish.
I’m still in my, “wintertime is chicken casserole time” mode, so I found another good one on RecipeTips.com called, “Creamy Chicken Casserole.” Creamy is certainly a good word to describe this tasty concoction. Give it a try and see what I mean.
Creamy Chicken Casserole
Ingredients List:
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- ¾ cup milk
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup peas, frozen or canned
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Directions:
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions; drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan, cook the celery and onion in the butter until tender.
- Stir in the sour cream, milk, cream of chicken soup, chicken, mushrooms, peas, and noodles. Mix until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the top with the parmesan cheese and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.
I have one word for this recipe: Yum!
While searching the chicken recipes on the GroupRecipes.com site, I found a quick and easy version of one of my favorite chicken dishes: “Chicken Cacciatore.” This one was submitted by “Whodunitrdr,” who adapted the recipe from one that he had received from a chef friend. What I like about this recipe is that it provides an abundance of rich flavor with very little cooking time—as though the sauce had been slow cooking for hours rather than minutes.
Ingredients List:
- ½ onion; chopped
- 2 cloves garlic; crushed
- ½ pound sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing the vegetables
- 15 ounces canned tomatoes; diced
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 whole chicken; cut up
- ½ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying the chicken
Directions:
- Sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil until translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, red wine, and beef broth; simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes.
- Add the seasonings, stir, and simmer.
- Combine the flour, salt, and pepper, and dredge the chicken pieces in this mixture.
- Brown the floured chicken pieces in 2 tablespoons olive oil until golden.
- Transfer the browned chicken to an ovenproof casserole dish, cover the chicken with the sauce, and bake at 375ºF for 30 minutes.
- Serve the chicken and sauce atop a bed of buttered pasta or rice.
I served the chicken over penne pasta, which made a fantastic meal. One ingredient that was unexpected in this recipe was the beef broth, which I haven’t seen in any other chicken cacciatore recipe before. It provided a great flavor and subtle richness that made this dish irresistible. Try it for yourself and see what I mean. Thanks, “Whodunitrdr,” for this terrific recipe!
