Sweet and Sour Chicken

Hannah LOVED this chicken, and couldn't even wait until it cooled before she was eating it.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
from melskitchencafe.com

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating, cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip each piece over to cook on the other side until nicely golden but not all the way cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

*Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients - pour half over the chicken and follow the recipe instructions; pour the other half in a small saucepan and cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken. *Serves 4-6

Outback Chicken Alice Springs Chicken

This was a wonderful dish.  I especially loved the honey mustard sauce and would love to use that for a chicken fingers dipping sauce.

Outback Chicken Alice Springs Chicken
by Fabulously Creative

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
6 bacon slices
1 cup sliced fresh mushroom (optional)
2 cup shredded Colby/Jack cheese

1/4 cup regular mustard
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried onion flakes


First, Sprinkle and rub the chicken breasts with seasoning salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. While the chicken is in the refrigerator, cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. ***Do not discard grease.*** Saute chicken in the bacon grease for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Place chicken in a 9" × 13" casserole dish or pan.

To make the Honey Mustard: In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise and dried onion flakes. Spread some of the Honey Mustard over each piece of chicken, then layer with mushrooms, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheese. Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is done. Serve with the left over Honey Mustard Sauce that you made.

(Crockpot) Chicken & Stuffing

This was so good.  This to me is comfort food.

Chicken & Stuffing

by Taste of Home

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1-1/4 cups water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 package (6 ounces) corn bread stuffing mix (I used stovetop)

Place chicken in a greased 3-qt. slow cooker. Top with soup. In a bowl, combine the water, butter and stuffing mix; spoon over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.

(Crockpot) Salsa Chicken

I've been trying to use my crockpot every Friday night.  I found this recipe from Chef Mommy and Ernest and I both loved it!

Salsa Chicken
by Chef Mommy

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (I used the cream of chicken)
1 cup salsa
1 package or 1 TBSP of taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
cilantro, green onions, or olives for serving (optional) (Chef Mommy added shredded cheddar-jack, black beans and scallion on top)

Put chicken, soup, and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on low for 6 hours. If shredding the chicken, pull the breasts out and shred; return back to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream and heat just until everything is combined.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

I made this last night and my son said it was great... he even had it for breakfast today!  Now that's good :)

Lemon Garlic Chicken
by Mels Kitchen Cafe 

juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3 TBSP
3 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic,
about 2 medium cloves
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 lb chicken breasts (I usually cut really thick chicken breasts down to thin them out and make the pieces a little smaller so they absorb the marinade better)

Combine all marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and place in fridge overnight. Grill (or cook in frying pan). Serve with sides of your choice or cut into bite sized pieces and add to desired recipe. Note: If you cut your chicken into smaller, bite-sized pieces and then marinate it, you can get away with only letting it marinate for 5 or 6 hours instead of overnight.

Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo

I just found this draft from July, and didn't realize I hadn't posted it. This dinner was amazing!! Thanks Jessica!

Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo
by Our Best Bites

8 oz penne or bowtie pasta
1 recipe Guiltless Alfredo Sauce (recipe follows or a 16-oz. jar would work in a pinch)
2 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped (about 2 cups chopped chicken)
6 oz (1/2 package) cooked bacon, chopped
1 14 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 1 decent-sized bunch)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, prepare Guiltless Alfredo sauce. When pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, and 1/2 cpu mozzarella. Season to taste.

Transfer mixture to an 8x8" baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

Serve with a green salad and breadsticks or a loaf of garlic bread made with Garlic Bread Seasoning.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
by Our Best Bites

2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cups (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 TBSP flour
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP butter
3 garlic cloves
1 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don't want to burn it. Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I halved the amount of chicken and tortillas for this recipe, but used the full amount of sauce. That was a mistake. The honey lime sauce overpowered the dish. It was still good, but next time, I'll make sure to half the sauce too!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

by Your Homebased Mom

6 TBSP honey
5 TBSP fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8 – 10 flour tortillas (depending on size)
1 lb of a Mexican blend cheese (monterey jack, colby, cheddar), shredded
1 large can of green enchilada sauce

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together with the shredded chicken. Allow it to sit for at least 1/2 hour or you could do it hours before and just cover and refrigerate.

Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce into bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Place chicken and cheese into middle of a tortilla and spoon about 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce over it and roll up. Place seam down in the pan. Reserve about 1-2 cups of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Pour enchilada sauce over the top of rolled enchiladas (reserve a little bit to add after they are baked) and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Mexican Rice
by Ann Bowman via Your Homebased Mom

2 TBSP olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cup chicken broth
1 small can tomato juice
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the rice. Stir frequently and slightly brown the rice (more like, make it tan) over a medium high heat. Add the chicken broth. Add the tomato juice. Add some salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Reduce heat to simmer and cover tightly with a lid. (I ’stir’ the mixture several times while it’s cooking by just shaking/moving the skillet back and forth so that I don’t take the lid off.) Simmer/cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and leave mixture alone with the lid on it for another 10-15 minutes or so.

Chili's Chicken Club Tacos

Last week on a quick trip to St. George we stopped at Chili's for lunch. I had some amazing Chicken Club Tacos! I am not sure exactly how they seasoned the chicken, but I'm sure any combination of spices will work. I think the magic to this recipe is in the dressing and the bacon!

Chili's Chicken Club Tacos

seasoned grilled chicken

ancho-chili ranch dressing (I don't know how to make this, but I'm sure ranch dressing would be fine)

applewood smoked bacon (cooked and crumbled)

lettuce

cheese

tomatoes

Combine ingredients and serve on flour tortillas.

Oven-Fried Picnic Chicken

Image Source Betty Crocker

Oven-Fried Picnic Chicken
by Betty Crocker

2/3 cup buttermilk
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 1/2 lb)
1 cup Country Corn Flakes cereal
1 cup Original Bisquick mix or Gold Medal all-purpose flour
2 packages (1 oz each) ranch dressing mix (dry)
Cooking spray

Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Pour buttermilk into shallow glass or plastic bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in 2-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag, crush cereal with rolling pin. Add Bisquick mix and dressing mix (dry) to cereal in bag. Remove chicken from buttermilk; discard buttermilk. Add chicken to cereal mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

My Notes: I'm not sure what "Country" Corn Flakes are, so I just used "Regular" Corn Flakes. The chicken was great, I loved the flavor and the crunch. Next time I will bread the chicken in a pan, the bag didn't distribute the corn flake mixture evenly enough for me. I also used chicken tenders/strips and only cooked it for 20 minutes.

Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pastry Pockets (Freezer Meal)

A few friends came over today and we made some Freezer Meals together. I'll be posting the other recipes as I try them. I cooked some of these Pastry Pockets right away and the rest are in the freezer. They were so good! I will be making these again!

Very flaky!

Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pastry Pockets
by Our Best Bites

1 box puff pastry (2 sheets)
1 8 oz container Philadelphia Chive and Onion flavor Cream Cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cup cooked shredded chicken breast
1/3 cup cooked crumbled bacon
3 TBSP finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 egg
1 TBSP water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Warm cream cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften. Place in a mixing bowl with mozzarella cheese, chicken, bacon, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine and set aside.

Defrost puff pastry sheets according to package directions. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll one sheet at a time into a 12 x 12 inch square. Cut 4, 3 inch strips each direction to make 16 squares, 3 x 3" each.

Place about 2 teaspoons of cream cheese mixture onto each square. With your finger, brush a dab of water around the edges of each square and fold over diagonally to make a triangle. Press edges together and crimp with a fork to seal.

After stuffing and folding each pastry, place on a baking sheet. Whisk egg and 1 tablespoon water together and brush over the top of each pastry. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Can also be served at room temperature.

Freezer instructions: Follow directions through egg wash. Place baking sheet in the freezer. When pastries are solid to the touch, transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer. When ready to bake, place frozen pastries directly on a baking sheet in preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Since we didn't use an entire pound of chicken for this meal, I used the leftover chicken for our Chicken Salad sandwiches.

Buffalo Chicken Salad
by Favorite Family Recipes

1 lb chicken
1 bottle Frank's Buffalo Chicken sauce
lettuce
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup grilled corn kernels (optional)
cheese, shredded
sunflower seeds
ranch or blue cheese dressing (we used honey mustard)

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Cover chicken in Buffalo Chicken sauce and place on a greased pan. Place in oven and bake about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Cut chicken into slices and place in a large bowl. Stir in more Buffalo Chicken sauce until chicken is well coated. Shred lettuce and place on plate. Add chicken, egg, avocado, corn, cheese, sunflower seeds and top with dressing.

Teriyaki Chicken Burgers

I found this recipe yesterday and knew I had to try it. Of course, the day I made it, there are 20 mph winds blowing! The grill only went out once, and they still turned out great. Best part was that Ernest loved it, even if he didn't add any cheese or pineapple to his. I still love him anyway.

Teriyaki Chicken Burgers
by Favorite Family Recipes

4 chicken breasts
1 bottle Teriyaki sauce (we used Lawry's brand)
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 slices deli ham
1 can sliced pineapple (we used fresh)
4 slices Pepper Jack cheese (we used Provolone)
4 large hamburger buns

Pound chicken breasts until they are about 1/4" thick all around. Place in a large Ziploc bag. Combine Teriyaki sauce and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Add 1/2 of the mixture to the bag with the chicken and seal tightly. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours. Separate remaining Teriyaki mixture into 2 separate bowls (to prevent cross contamination use 2 separate brushes too)-- one for the pineapple, one for the chicken. Open pineapple can and save a little of the juice in a bowl. Place chicken and pineapple on the grill (medium heat). Brush with Teriyaki sauce every few minutes until chicken and pineapple are done-- try to only flip the chicken and pineapple once. Either on the grill or in a frying pan, cook ham with a little of the pineapple juice until it becomes nice and hot. Slice open hamburger buns and place a piece of cooked chicken on each bottom bun. Top with cheese, ham, grilled pineapple, and bun top. Serve immediately with remaining grilled pineapple.

Chicken Pesto

Menu:

Pesto Chicken
Rice-a-Roni
Peas (or other vegetable)

Pesto Chicken
by Your Homebased Mom

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C pesto
2 oz. shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (1/2 C)
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread remaining pesto on top of chicken. Cover baking dish with foil and bake chicken until cooked through – 20-25 minutes. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

Chicken Katsu

Since Jeff was out of town and can't eat fried foods, I made this for the boys last night. They loved it! The chicken doesn't have much taste by itself, but the sauce is what makes the dish. I didn't use the sauce below, but bought Kikoman brand Katsu sauce from the Ethnic isle in the grocery store. Served with rice it's great!

Chicken Katsu
by All Recipes

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour, egg and panko crumbs into separate shallow dishes. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them into the egg, and then press into the panko crumbs until well coated on both sides. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Slice chicken into thin strips and top with a drizzle of sauce. Serve remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

For Deep Frying:
Heat oil in deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry breaded chicken breasts in preheated oil until golden brown and no longer pink in center, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.

For Oven Baking:
Traditionally this dish is fried, but if you must, the chicken can be oven baked. Follow the breading directions, place them on a cookie cooling rack on a cookie sheet and baked for about 20 minutes at 350. They won't turn out dark golden but should be crispy.

Katsu Sauce
by All Recipes

1 cup ketchup
4 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, mustard powder, garlic powder, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend the flavors before serving.

Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts

I made this a few nights ago and Takeshi said "That looks GOOD!". Which, you have to know, is something he never says about my cooking. Needless to say, I was very pleased. We made rice with this and put some of the extra sauce on our rice. It wasn't gourmet, but it was very good and very easy.

Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts

8 chicken breast halves
8 slices Swiss cheese (I used provolone)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup herb seasoned croutons, crushed
1/4 cup melted butter

Arrange chicken in a lightly greased baking dish. Top with cheese slices. Spread soup evenly over all and top with crushed croutons. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered 45-50 minutes in a 350 oven.

Cheesy BBQ Chicken

I made these for dinner tonight and I was very pleased with the results. The Hungry Housewife says these are a take off the the Montery Chicken at Chili's ("Topped with BBQ sauce, cheese and applewood smoked bacon. Served with mashed potatoes with black pepper gravy and seasonal veggies."). We even had mashed potatoes and green beans to go with our dinner too :)

Cheesy BBQ Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (salted & peppered)
4 slices of bacon, cut in half
1 onion (sauted or caramelized)
1 poblano pepper (cooked same as onions)
1 bottle of BBQ sauce
Cheese (any blend is fine)

Place chicken breasts in large zip lock bag and pour enough BBQ sauce in bag to cover the chicken. Marinate them in the fridge from about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to broil HI, with rack 4 inches from heat. In a large oven proof skillet (I used my cast iron skillet), over medium heat, sautee chicken until mostly done, about 4 minutes per side. Pour some BBQ sauce over chicken. Place desired amount of onions on the chicken. Cover with cheese (how ever much you want) & place bacon on top. Place pan in the oven and broil until the bacon has crisped up, about 5 minutes. Or until the chicken reads 165 on a instant read thermometer.

source: The Hungry Housewife

French's Crunchy Onion Chicken

French's Crunchy Onion Chicken

2 cups (4 oz.) FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten

Place French Fried Onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to pie plate or waxed paper. Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until no longer pink in center.

My Notes: I really liked the texture and crunchiness of this recipe, but it didn't really have a lot of flavor. We just used BBQ sauce on ours and loved it.

Maple-Pecan Chicken

I found this recipe online and amazingly had all the ingredients on hand! I made this recipe the same night I found it. That has never happened before :)

Maple-Pecan Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
1/4 cup pure maple or maple-flavored syrup
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup Progresso plain panko crispy bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (I used my Nut Chopper for this)

Heat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2-inch thick. In shallow dish, mix together maple syrup and mayonnaise. In another shallow dish, mix together panko and pecans. Dip chicken into syrup mixture, then into panko. Place on baking sheet. Spray top of chicken with cooking spray. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (165°F) and coating is golden brown.

My Notes:
This recipe was very sweet. A little too sweet for me, so we added barbecue sauce to the top of the chicken and that worked out great!

Food Storage Chicken Pot Pie

This was 1st made for me when I gave birth to Hannah. I loved it and asked for the recipe. I was even happier when I saw how easy it was to make! Of course you can always substitute fresh ingredients for canned items. I always buy prepared pie crusts as well, it just makes it even easier!

Menu:

Chicken Pot Pie
Cornbread
Salad

Chicken Pot Pie

Pie crust:

4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups shortening
12-14 TBSP ice water

Filling:

4 small cans of chicken with juice (drain some of the juice)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can of peas and diced carrots
pepper to taste

Combine chicken, soups, peas and carrots and pepper. Pour into pie crust. Place top layer of crust on and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes

Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup flour
1 egg (or use gelatin substitute)
¼ cup sugar
1 can corn, drained
3 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk (fresh or from powdered milk)
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Put half of the olive oil in a 9x9x2 cast iron skillet and preheat in oven without burning oil. Mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour batter into preheated cast iron skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. (If you don't use cast iron, mix the other half of the oil in the batter and cook as usual.)

Chinese Chicken Salad

At Women's Conference on January 31st we had a great Chinese Chicken Salad lunch. Lunch was great and the Conference was wonderful!

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 lb. package baby spinach
1 head of romaine lettuce, wash and broken into pieces
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (I'd use 2 cans, since I love these oranges)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 chicken breasts, grilled, sliced. Before grilling, sprinkle with "Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning" by McCormick
2 cups fried bean threads (bean threads can be found at Whole Foods or Albertsons). Fry in 2" oil - they poof up quickly

Toss with "Oriental Sesame Seed Dressing" and enjoy!