Request: Best Chicken Recipes

[Marg]

Hope this thread goes well - what IS your favorite all-time chicken recipe not necessarily CL? Would love to share - marg

[Kerri]

My favorite is not all that glamorous, but it is easy and really good comfort food.
Mix 2 Cups minute rice with 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can water, 1 package of onion soup mix and put in a cassarole dish. Add Chicken, either boned or boneless. Sprinkly chicken with paprika, lemon pepper, and bread crumbs. Drizzle with butter (I have started skipping this step). Bake at 350 for 1 hour. The rice ends up being the best part!

[lanie]

Aside from the Raspberry-Balsamic Chicken recipe which I think I quite like - I have made this EASY recipe for years and still like it:

bacon (1 slice per boneless chicken breast)
boneless chicken breasts
1 tin cream of mushroom soup
1 small container sour cream

Lay piece of bacon on wax paper/whatever - put chicken breast on top and roll-up - put in baking dish. Mix soup with sour cream - dollop on each bundle - bake uncovered 250 x 3 hours - the bacon flavor goes right through the chicken - great served with rice - baste 1 - 2 times

[This message has been edited by lanie (edited 10-25-2000).]

[Danielle]

I really love the Chicken Fricasse with Orzo recipe. I've made it several times, and my husband loves it (or maybe he just likes to say the word Fricasse... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif).

My other favorite chicken recipe is a stirfry recipe my mom found in a Bisquick booklet years ago. You dips chunks of chicken in egg, then shake in a bag of Bisquick and black pepper. Cook in heated oil until golden brown and cooked through. Stirfry carrots, green peppers, and slice onion until tender crisp. Stir in chicken and one can pineapple chunks, and serve over rice with a shake of soy sauce (if desired). They chicken is so crispy and good!

[Gail]

That's a hard one. I have several chicken dishes I really like-- CL's cacciatore and Yucatan chicken; the tandoori chicken and red pepper chicken I've posted previously; chicken with rosemary; a Cuban chicken with onions, olives, capers and tomatoes; and my "Psycho" chicken-- to name a few. But, I guess if I were giving out awards, it'd have to go to this one, from "The Frug." Caution, though-- there is nothing even remotely light about it in any way, shape or form. On the other hand, it is a terrific- tasting recipe.

CHICKEN IN RED WINE
Coq au Vin

1/4 cup olive oil
2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1/4 pound bacon, diced
2 fryer chickens, 3 to 4 pounds each, or used 5 pounds breasts, thighs and legs
2 cups basic brown soup stock (canned beef broth works fine)
2 cups dry red wine, such as burgundy
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole thyme
Salt and pepper, freshly ground, to taste
1/2 cup minced parsley
4 tablespoons brandy
Roux: 6 tablespoons flour cooked in 6 tablespoons butter

Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil, onions, and garlic and sauté until they are tender. Add the mushroooms and sauté, on high heat, until the mushrooms are barely tender. Remove from the pan and deglaze the pan with a little of the red wine. Pour the pan drippings over the onions and mushrooms. Set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the bacon until clear. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the fat. Set the bacon aside. Cut the chicken into serving pieces, reserving the backs and necks for a later soup stock. In small batches, brown the chicken in the bacon fat. Place the chicken and bacon in a large kettle and add the stock, red wine, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, parsley and brandy. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Add the onions and mushrooms and continue to simmer while you prepare the roux. Lightly brown the flour in the melted butter and stir this mixture into the cooked chicken and serve. Stir over the heat until the sauce thickens.

Serve the chicken and sauce over noodles or rice pilaf (I vote for rice.)

Serves 6

(From: The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine)

[Susann]

This week I am making a new recipe-a stuffed chicken breast w/apples and gouda cheese. If anyone is interested, let me know and I will post it (although I am not making it until Friday so I cannot make any guarantees!)

[emilycat]

Gail,
I'm not a huge chicken fan; for the most part, the only meat I eat is seafood. But I know I should probably get more protein in my diet, and I love rosemary. You mentioned a rosemary chicken recipe; how do you prepare that? Thanks!
Em

[SClementson]

Susann, I would love it if you would post your stuffed chicken breast recipe. I LOVE chicken with fruit, esp. apples.

One of my favorite chicken recipe follows. I don't know if it's particularly light, but it's fast and delicious. I serve it with couscous, and a green vegetable or carrots, but you could also serve it with rice or some other starch.

PAN-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH DRIED FRUITS AND OLIVES
Bon Appetit, December 1998

2 SERVINGS: CAN BE DOUBLED

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup mixed dried fruits (about 3 ounces), large pieces halved
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
8 brined-cured cracked green olives (about 2 ounces)

Sprinkle chicken on all sides with cumin, salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Push chicken to side of skillet. Add garlic to skillet and stir 30 seconds. Add dried fruits, wine, broth and olives and bring to boil. Simmer chicken uncovered until just cooked through, turning chicken occasionally with tongs, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plates. Increase heat and boil until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken.

[emilycat]

SClementson,
Your recipe looks wonderful! All of my favorite things...fruit, olives, wine...I can't wait to try it!

[Gail]

Oh, Emily... This seems to be my unhealthy-add-bacon recipe day. I'll give you my recipe, but it's a bit evil (definitely tasty.) You may want to check out CL's recipe search for some healthier alternatives.

Here goes:

CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY

1 3 to 4 pound chicken cut up
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup white wine (dry, please)
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary or 1
tablespoon fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth

Fry the bacon until barely crisp, pour off the fat, and remove the bacon. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan (I feel so guilty, typing this into CL's web site...) and add the chicken pieces. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to the pan when the chicken is almost browned. When it is browned, add the white wine and rosemary to the pan. Add the bacon, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Mix the tomato paste with the chicken broth, and add it to the pan. Cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

Serves 3 or 4

(From: The Frugal Gourmet)

NOTES: I have always used this recipe with 6 thighs with excellent results. The meat is tender when done and literally falls off the bone. A friend-- with whom I shared this recipe-- made it with boneless breasts and was quite pleased with the results.

I don't know what Jeff Smith's obsession with partially cooked bacon is, but ignore his instructions and cook it fully. (In fact, I precook it in the microwave, break it up, then add it.) If at all possible, please use fresh rosemary. It's soooo good.
And watch this stuff carefully. On my stove, anyway, it tends to lose liquid, so I have to stir in water during cooking.

It is a good recipe, though. That I assure you.

[emilycat]

Gail,
Thanks so much! I don't eat pork either, so I'll probably substitute turkey bacon, and then it probably won't be so evil http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif. It sounds great...I think my SO will love it too!

[lsdesign]

My all time fave is the Deviled Chicken Breast rec. from the Jan./Feb. 1994 CL. I make it at least once a week, it is easy and my children love it.

[phantomcg]

I love chicken -- cooked anyway you want to do it!! But my husband's favorite chicken recipe is a cheesy crock pot chicken and it is so easy to prepare, but definately not fancy. You season chicken breasts w/ salt, pepper and garlic powder and put them in the crockpot and then mix together cream of chicken and cheddar cheese soup and pour that over the chicken. Cook on low all day and about 30 minutes before serving add some sherry. It really is good, but one day I'm going to try it with a cheese sauce made from different cheeses.

Cheryl

[Susan]

Originally posted by lsdesign:
My all time fave is the Deviled Chicken Breast rec. from the Jan./Feb. 1994 CL. I make it at least once a week, it is easy and my children love it.

Oh this sounds intriguing! I don't have issues back that far though. Would you mind posting it? Thx!

~~Susan~~

[SusanD]

Awhile back CL had a recipe for chicken breasts stuffed with artichokes and goat cheese...it was absolute heaven. I don't remember the month, but I believe it was sometime in spring of 1999. The recipe also allowed to subsitute Feta for the goat cheese - I've tried it both ways and both were delicious.

[Gail]

Seems to me I posted this once ages ago, but I'll be darned if I recall where. Anyway, this is one of those approximated recipes, because I simply threw this together one night. It is very simple and very tasty.

PSYCHO CHICKEN

Whole chicken (a small one-- what are they, like 3 1/2 pounds?)
Approx 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Approx 1 tablespoon garlic, pressed
Approx 1 tablespoon cider or malt vinegar
Dry white wine (sauvignon blanc works well)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Clean chicken and remove giblets. Hack chicken all over with the tip of a sharp chef's knife to make gashes. (Invariably I find the music to the shower scene in Psycho running through my mind, thus the name, Psycho Chicken-- and lest you think I am thoroughly deranged, this manner of slash and season is actually very common in Cuban cooking.)

In a small bowl, mix together thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar, and slather liberally on chicken, taking care that mixture gets into slits in the meat. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan (if you don't have a rack, no biggie-- throw the thing directly into the pan) and roast about 2 hours until golden and fragrant, basting every twenty or thirty minutes with a splash of wine and any juices in the pan. Your house will smell wonderful.

Now this is the crucial part, which will make or break the entire dish: If this is cooked properly, your chicken should be running with wonderful juices as you carve. Dredge each slice of carved meat in those juices before placing on platter-- the juices are loaded with garlic and herb flavor.

[phantomcg]

S.

I don't see why you couldn't prepare the cheesy chicken recipe I was talking about without the crockpot. You could just cook the chicken breast and prepare the sauce in a pan and serve it over the chicken. I love the sauce from this over rice.

Cheryl

[Mandy]

I love CL's Shreaded Chicken in Hot Sauce (sometime in '98). It's a stir-fry, with great flavor, and it's really quick and easy, plus I usually always have the ingredients in the fridge.

[56grapeape]

Hi! I have a few!(these are on my recipe homepage.) some are family's, som eare from recipe cards. ENJOY!

Rachelle, new here, mommy to 3 yr old Kelsey.


~ Montreal Salsa Chicken ~
(c/o Mc Cormick recipes)
1 Lb Chicken (i used boneless thighs) Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning 1/2 C mild salsa 1/2 C Apricot or peach preserves 1 Tbl Lemon juice 1 tsp Chili powder
Sprinkle chicken w/ seasoning. Mix together salsa, preserves, lemon juice, and chili powder. You can either grill chicken and baste w/ sauce. I baked mine, and poured the sauce over it. Excellent!!!

~ Chicken Enchiladas ~
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup 1 C sour cream 1 Tbl butter 1 red onion chopped 1 tsp chili powder 2 Cups cooked diced chicken 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies 10-12 taco size tortillas 1 C shredded cheddar or jack cheese
Combine soup and sour cream. In med. saucepan, heat butter, add ionion and chili powder. Cook until tender. Add chicken, chilies and 2 Tbl. soup mixture. Spread some soup mixture in 9x13 pan. Put some filling in tortilla, wrap up, place seam side down in pan. Spread remaining soup mixture over enchiladas. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake at 350' for 25 mins. This is a favorite here!!!

~ Mom's Chicken Broccoli Casserole ~
4 chicken breats cooked and diced into bite size pieces 2 cans Cream of mushroom soup (undiluted) 1 C mayo 1 tsp lemon juice Broccoli spears, cooked Bread crumbs
In 9x3 pan, place broccoli and chicken. Mix soup, mayo and lemon juice and pour over chicken mix. Sprinkle with bread crumbs on top. Bake @ 375' for 1/2 hr until bubbily. Very good!!!!

~ Sun Glazed Chicken ~
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts 1/4 C honey ( i use more) 2 tsp. lime juice 1 tsp dried tarragon 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp ground mustard 1/2 tsp pepper
Mix all together, and either pour over chicken and bake, or grill and use as a marinade. Very good!!!!

Originally posted by Marg:
Hope this thread goes well - what IS your favorite all-time chicken recipe not necessarily CL? Would love to share - marg

[Wendy w]

Hi,

I'm home today and you all have made me think of my Mother's favorite chicken recipe and now I feel guilty for I have not made this for her in a long time. I should soon as she is 81.

Vinegar Chicken

2 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine
(I use butter, (in moderation) you only go around once)

1 3 lb. chicken cut up

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup tarragon wine vinegar

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

In a large non aluminum frying pan, melt margarine over medium heat. Add chicken and garlic. Cook, turning, until chicken is lightly browned, about 5 minutes a side.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add vinegar and bring to a boil. Add tomatoes and parsley. Vover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Remove garlic cloves; peel under cold water, mash, and return to sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and serve hot.

This is really good with roasted new potatoes and steamed broccoli topped w/lemon juice and romano cheese.

Enjoy! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

Wendy

[cjm]

Gail, I'd be interested in your "Phyco" chicken recipe.

My husband & I eat a lot of chicken so...I'm loving this thread!

[S]

phantomcg or any of you very helpful people out there,

I do not own a crock pot, therefore have never cooked with one, and your chicken recipe sounds really delicious. Can it be cooked any other way, say in the oven?
Thanks.

[This message has been edited by S (edited 10-26-2000).]

[MaryH]

My mother called this Mason chicken because it comes from a family she knew years ago.

Boil one whole chicken at a rolling boil for about 45-60 min. until chicken comes off bone. Let cool then take off skin and take meat off of bone (ALTERNATE METHOD: boil bonelss, skinless breasts, then separate into small pieces.) Add 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 8 oz. package sour cream. Toss to coat chicken. Put in casseole dish.

Take a sleeve of crackers (mom used Ritz crackers but any type of cracker will do) and crush with rolling pin. Brown crackers in some butter. Place crumb mixture on top of chicken and heat at 325 for about 20-25 min (or until heated).

Is best if made the night before, refrigerated, and flavors are allowed to mix. (If refreigerated, heat until everything is warm.) Better to use combination of white and dark meat but that a personal recommendation. Also, can put poppy seeds in with the crackers.

[suziking]

Here is an oldie that I thought I would bump up that has the recipe for Psycho chicken - thanks Gail! I just spent 10 minutes looking for it and I thought I might not be the only new person who hasn't tried Gail's Psycho Chicken and wants too.

Thanks Gail - I can't wait to try it!

Suzi

[crazycook]

Hi Marg :)

Thanks for posing your question. We love chicken, it's so versatile. Thanks to all the posters here for the great recipes. I've printed off the entire thread :) I posted some of my tried and true and some MUST TRY recipes on another thread. Hope you'll give some of the @@'d recipes a try.

Here's the link:

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11502

Anna :)

[lorilei]

Oh, my. This is a difficult question! There are so many great chicken recipes out there... So, I figured I'd post one of my staple "company recipes". It's perfect served with a side of garlicky spinach and a nice wild-rice mixture.

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES AND GOAT CHEESE

4 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned

4 oz goat cheese
2 green onions, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 leaves of fresh basil, shredded or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
3 oz sundried tomatoes, reconstituted and chopped finely
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
salt
pepper

2 T melted butter

Mushroom-Wine Sauce
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 4 pieces
Salt and pepper

For chicken: Preheat oven to 350°F. Pound chicken between sheets of waxed paper to thickness of 1/4 inch using meat mallet. Pat chicken dry. Slice a wide pocket vertically in each breast, being careful not to slice completely through breast.

Combine cheese, green onions, garlic and sundried tomatoes in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread cheese mixture generously into each chicken pocket. Close the open pocket end by folding open end over and securing with toothpicks. Dip chicken in egg, allowing excess to drip into bowl. Roll in breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead). Refrigerate.

Place chicken in 8-inch square baking dish. Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter over. Bake until crumbs begin to brown and chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes (depending somewhat upon the thickness of your chicken breasts).

Serves 4.

LORI NOTES: I often use a complimentary flavored goat cheese for this recipe (which adds another dimension to the recipe). I usually omit the melted butter (poured over the chicken), and instead add a bit of granulated garlic and asiago cheese to the breadcrumb mixture. This recipe is quite simple – good enough for company, but delicious anytime! :)

[Wendy w]

Lori,

Thanks for the recipe, it looks great! Btw: I had your pesto salmon again for dinner last night. This is about the 4th time that I have had it since it was published and I really love it! Although CL has lots of keepers, this is my most utilized recipe-I get cravings for it! I will try another salmon recipe someday.

[MelissaAS]

I cannot resist posting my recommendation (again) for my all-time fav CL chicken: Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas from 1999 (or it may be Chicken and Cheese...) we have no good Mexican around these parts so I have to make my own- I get the craving (it's coming on now, in fact) and make these every 3 or 4 weeks! Yum!

[lorilei]

Wendy - Well thanks... :)
I'd venture to say that you're not lying when you say you're an "addicted member" :)

[Kristi]

I love CL's Mexican Chicken Casserole!

[munchies]

I'm so impressed by all of these chicken recipes, I'm going to print the entire thread.

I simply can't choose one favorite dish, so here are a few that we like:

CL's Roasted-Vegetable Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken (great for the summer)
CL's Quick Mozzarella Chicken
CL's Chicken Fricassee with Orzo
CL's Chicken Bruschetta

Jewel's Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwiches sound wonderful -- I'm making them in the next week or so.

Our old chicken stand-by is similar to some of the casseroles people have mentioned already (although many of yours sound tastier :) ):

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
1 6oz box of wild rice
2 c hot water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c milk
1/2 c slivered almonds
1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350. Combine contents of rice box and water in a glass baking dish (I use an oblong one, 7 x 11 maybe?) Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of rice mixture. Bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Combine soup and milk. Pour over chicken. Return to oven and bake until soup is bubbly. Saute almonds in butter and sprinkle over casserole.

[JulieM]

My favorite chicken recipe is really simple, and is actually an adaptation from an old recipe I have for chicken hors deurves. You mix equal parts cornflake crumbs and grated parmesan cheese, then blend in some dried thyme. Dip boneless, skinless breasts in egg, then in the breading. Place on a lightly greased shallow pan, then spray the chicken with a light coating of cooking spray. Bake 20-30 min. depending on thickness at about 375 degrees. The chicken is really moist and tender with a great flavor.

I usually serve this with a side of pasta covered with steamed brocolli that I make using garlic, olive oil and crushed red pepper. It's a nice combination.

You can change the spices you use in the breading depending on what you're serving with it, such as italian seasonings if you want to do a side of spaghetti with marinara.

[Wendy w]

Good point Lori!:D

Btw: We went on a picnic last weekend and made your pasta salad. It was great but next time I will use less pasta.

[Little Bit]

I thought I'd share an old favorite:

My favorite what-do-I-cook-tonight chicken recipe is really just a baked chicken that's been seasoned with Creole Seasoning. I put some celery ribs in the bottom of baking pot that's got a tight lid (so the chicken won't be resting right on the bottom of the pan), add the chicken, add a bit of water so there's a nice broth when the dish is done, dust the whole thing with creole seasoning, not too extravagantly, and bake, tightly covered, at a fairly low temp (325, 350 maybe?) until the bird is done. Sometimes I need to take the lid off to brown the skin, sometimes I don't.

I'll include my family's creole seasoning recipes, since they seem a bit plainer than some of the other blends I've seen, and I've adapted the old one for lower sodium in the final result. (Ours never has oregano, though I've seen it mentioned in some recipes.) The recipe on top, obviously isn't low sodium, the one on the bottom is the one I worked up when I needed to leave out all that sodium. :)

The thing I love most about this chicken recipe is that it creates a tasty broth in the bottom of the pot, that'll congeal when it gets cold. The broth is good on its own with lemon, eaten cold with the chicken, or hot over some rice. Really feeling lazy but want something that looks kinda fancy? Pull the meat off the bones, chop it up, and chill it in the de-fatted broth.

Creole Seasoning
(the unhealthy original)
26 ounces Salt
1 1/2 ounces black pepper
2 ounces red pepper
1 ounce garlic powder
1 ounce chile powder
1 ounce MSG
Mix to combine, put in a shaker-top spice bottle.


Creole Seasoning

(Anna's Revised version)

1 ounce Salt
1 ounce Black Pepper
1 ounce White Pepper
1 ounce Red (cayenne) pepper
1 ounce garlic powder
1 ounce chile powder (any type will do, given your preferences, a mild store bought blend is fine.)
1 ounce paprika

Mix to combine, put in a shaker-top spice bottle.

[Jewel]

Originally posted by JulieM
My favorite chicken recipe is really simple, and is actually an adaptation from an old recipe I have for chicken hors deurves. You mix equal parts cornflake crumbs and grated parmesan cheese, then blend in some dried thyme. Dip boneless, skinless breasts in egg, then in the breading. Place on a lightly greased shallow pan, then spray the chicken with a light coating of cooking spray. Bake 20-30 min. depending on thickness at about 375 degrees. The chicken is really moist and tender with a great flavor.


Julie, I do almost the same thing with my breaded chicken, except I put a bit more seasoning in the bread crumb/parmesan mixture, like cayenne and garlic powder. I don't put them on a greased pan, however, I put them on one of my cooling racks on top of a pan. I have several cookie/cake pan cooling racks made of chrome or stainless or whatever it is. I put those inside my jellyroll pan and place the chicken breasts on the racks before I spray the chicken with garlic cooking spray. This lets air and heat get underneath the chicken as well, and keeps the breading from getting soggy! DH says it's more like fried chicken that way, without the skin or the oil! In fact, at a thrift store last week I found two cooling racks that were the perfect size to just slip into my pan. Just an idea... :D

[JulieM]

Hey Jewel, thanks for the tips! I only use a little cooking spray in the baking pan, and I haven't had a problem with soggy, but your suggestions would certainly make the underside crispier so I'll give it a try. BTW, I like your new avatar!:) Is the custom avatar option working now?
Julie