Chicken Recipes: Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas

I turned to one of my favorite “comfort food” recipes to use up some of that Thanksgiving turkey: the “Chicken Enchiladas” recipe that I found about a year and half ago on RecipeTips.com. Yes, even at my house, we occasionally walk on the wild side and serve something other than chicken. This casserole-like dish is a snap to make, and it really lends itself nicely to using any type of leftover poultry (although I still prefer to use chicken). Go to RecipeTips.com and check out this great recipe. I know you’re going to enjoy “Chicken Enchiladas,” even if you make them with turkey instead.

 

Chicken Recipes: Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Roasted Vegetables

Last night, I made one of my favorite chicken dishes. This recipe is one that I’ve written about before, but I just felt the need to once again let you know how sensational it is. I usually make this recipe during the late fall to early spring when the weather is too cold to enjoy outdoor grilling. See my blog post from May 2, 2008 for the complete recipe; then enjoy this fantastic one-pan meal.

 

Chicken Recipes: Spiced Chicken Breasts with Apple-Jalapeño Chutney

If you like chicken breasts with a bit of heat, try this great recipe that features a spicy homemade apple chutney that really livens up ordinary baked chicken breasts with loads of flavor. “Spiced Chicken Breasts with Apple-Jalapeño Chutney” is a fantastic chicken recipe that I found on RecipeTips.com. There are numerous ingredients in this one—many more than I’m used to working with—but the result was certainly worth a trip to the supermarket to grab the items I didn’t already have on hand.

Spiced Chicken Breasts with Apple-Jalapeno Chutney

The chicken is marinated in a mixture of orange juice, olive oil, fresh ginger, brown sugar, chopped scallions, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper. The chutney contains apples and jalapeños, of course, combined with brown sugar, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, orange zest, a bay leaf, and some olive oil. It makes a great tasting chutney to serve with this chicken, which can either be baked or grilled. I prefer grilled, but since it was raining, I was forced to bake it this time. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

 

Chicken Recipes: Spanish Style Chicken Casserole

The author of this recipe said that it was “something to shake up the taste buds,” and I agree. It certainly wasn’t the usually chicken casserole made with creamed soups and egg noodles that many of us are familiar with (and love). The friends I invited over for dinner also agreed that it was “different,” meaning that it wasn’t typical Minnesota fare, which in some cases, is probably a good thing. Anyway, they loved it, so I thought I would share it with you: “Spanish Style Chicken Casserole” submitted by “Mountainmama” on GroupRecipes.com.

Ingredients:

• 4 portions of chicken (I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
• 6 chopped tomatoes
• 3 medium potatoes cut into quarters
• 12 pitted black olives
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1 large chopped onion
• 2 crushed cloves of garlic
• 1 oz. all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• ½ cup red wine
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Rinse the chicken pieces under water and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Mix the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish or bowl; then coat the chicken portions with the flour mixture.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan; then add the chicken pieces. Cook until the chicken pieces are browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the saucepan and set aside.
• Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pan and cook for several minutes until the onion has softened; then add the chopped green pepper and the tomatoes. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Return the chicken to the pan; add the chicken stock, the red wine, and the potatoes.
• Stir all of the ingredients together and cook on low heat for several minutes; then add the olives and the bay leaf.
• Transfer the casserole mixture to an ovenproof casserole dish, cover, and bake for 1 hour.

I don’t know whether this is truly a Spanish dish or whether it’s Mountainmama’s conception of Spanish cuisine, but I guess that really isn’t important. What I do know is that it’s delicious, and I’m sure you’ll agree when you try it.

 

Chicken Recipes: Chicken Pot Pie (Number 9)

I love chicken pot pie, and this recipe, which I found on AllRecipes.com, is particular good. Maybe it’s the combination of the simple ingredients with the fresh chicken (don’t use precooked) that made it so good, or maybe it was the premade piecrusts that I chose (I used Pillsbury), but whatever it was, this chicken pot pie was hard to beat. It’s called “Chicken Pot Pie IX” and was submitted by Robbie Rice, who I would like to thank for providing me with the best chicken pot pie I’ve eaten in a long time.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• ½ cup sliced celery
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon celery seed
• 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 unbaked pie crusts (9-inch size)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425ºF.
• In a saucepan, combine the chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover. Boil for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside.
• In the saucepan over medium heat, cook the onions in butter until soft and translucent.
• Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.
• Slowly stir in the chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Place the chicken mixture onto the bottom piecrust.
• Pour the hot liquid mixture over the chicken mixture.
• Cover with the top piecrust, seal the edges, and cut away the excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Delicious!

 

Chicken Recipes: Herbed Chicken Casserole

Here’s a simple chicken casserole that I found on RecipeZaar.com that, like the author of the recipe says, is “easy to throw together on a busy day.” “Herbed Chicken Casserole” has a rich sauce flavored with white wine, and it has plenty of chicken, rice, and other ingredients to make a satisfying meal.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chicken
• 1 package (6 ounces) long grain and wild rice blend
• ¾ cup sauterne or other white wine
• 1 can (10 ¾ ounces) cream of chicken soup
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup sliced celery
• 2  cans (3 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento

Directions:

• Prepare the rice according to package directions.
• Spoon the rice into a 2-quart baking dish.
• Arrange the chicken over the top of the rice.
• Pour the white wine and the soup in a skillet. Over medium heat, stir until blended.
• Add the butter, celery, mushrooms, and pimiento.
• Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
• Pour the soup mixture over the chicken.
• Bake, covered, at 350ºF for 25 minutes.
• Uncover and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

I want to thank “Lvs2Cook” for this tasty recipe, which is one that I know I’ll be making again.

 

Chicken Recipes: Creamy Chicken Casserole

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!

 

Chicken Recipes: Chicken Cacciatore

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!

 

Chicken Recipes: Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Winter is my favorite time of the year to enjoy a good chicken casserole, one that’s easy to make and delicious, pulled from the oven hot and bubbly, ready to enjoy. I usually like to make my mother’s recipe with the freshly roasted chicken, the wide egg noodles, and the crumbled potato chips on top, but I wanted to find one that was quicker to make, so as usual, I searched the Web and found one that looked good. “Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole,” featured on RecipeTips.com, is definitely easy to make and less time consuming, and it’s also quite tasty. It’s really nothing like my mother’s chicken casserole recipe, as it contains sour cream and mushrooms, and the topping incorporates bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. The recipe also calls for canned chicken, which is an ingredient that Mom never uses in her version; if it isn’t freshly roasted and pulled off the bone, she won’t use it. I must say that I was leery about using the canned chicken, but it was much better than I thought it would be. It certainly saved time not having to roast a whole chicken, allow it to cool, and then pull the meat from the bones.

I can honestly say that I prefer Mom’s chicken casserole recipe to any other version I’ve tried; nevertheless, this RecipeTips.com recipe was still quite good and is one that I’ll most likely make again. Go to the recipe and see what you think.

 

Chicken Recipes: Lemonade Chicken

Lemon chicken has always been one of my favorites, but I don’t make it as often as I’d like—there are always so many other great chicken recipes to try. Well, the other night, I decided that it was a good time to serve it for dinner, because the weather was brutally cold and I needed something that would remind me of summer. And, lemon chicken definitely reminds me of summer—probably because most often, I make it on the grill and serve it outdoors on the patio, surrounded by friends on a warm, muggy evening in July. (Sounds like heaven right now; the temperature is minus 20! And, rather than being surrounded by friends, I’m surrounded by an electric blanket.) Anyway, I decided to search for a new oven-baked version of this tasty treat, and what I found was a recipe called, “Oven Fried Lemonade Chicken” on AllRecipes.com. Actually, according to the author of the recipe, “Debholdridge,” this dish is an adaptation of an old recipe found in TV Guide magazine several decades ago.

Ingredients List:

• 1 can (6 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 skinless and boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 ½ cups cornflakes cereal
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed thyme

Directions:

• Pour the thawed lemonade concentrate, salt, and pepper into a resealable plastic bag.
• Add the chicken breasts and coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the excess air and seal the bag. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (about 175ºC). Spray a baking sheet generously with cooking spray.
• Place the cornflakes in another resealable plastic bag and crush them into fine crumbs. Add the thyme and mix thoroughly.
• Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and shake off the excess; then discard the remaining marinade. Place the chicken pieces into the bag containing the cornflake crumb mixture and shake to coat the pieces well.
• Place the chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet, making sure that they don’t touch. Spray each one lightly with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until the  juices run clear and the coating is brown and crunchy.

This was such a simple recipe to prepare, but it provides so much flavor and texture. I think it’s the most “lemony” lemon chicken I’ve ever had. The bold, tart flavor and the crunchy corn coating make this chicken recipe a real treat.