Tag Archives: chicken

Chicken, bacon & broccoli croissants

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A fun, quick recipe for parties or week nights.

Use the larger sized canned croissants. Use triangles for a stuffed croissant flair, or use squares with the perforation sealed up to make more of a turnover style.

If using the “flaky” variety, omit the egg wash.

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon (up to ½ lb)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 small broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into florets
  • 4 medium Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned, halved and sliced
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese (see Cook’s Note)
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons honey mustard
  • 2 tbsp ranch dressing
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Two 12-ounce tubes refrigerated rolled crescent dough
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup ranch dressing or marinara sauce, for dipping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large skillet, cook bacon to crispy leaving fond, and reserving 1 tablespoon of fat. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain and cool.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Sear chicken breasts turning three times until an instant read thermometer registers 165°F at the thickest part. Set aside to rest.

Add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and broccoli and saute until fragrant and vibrant. Reduce heat.

Chop down bacon and chicken into ¼” pieces.

In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, ranch, shredded cheese and seasonings. Add chicken, bacon and sautéed vegetables. Toss to combine well, until everything is evenly coated.

Unroll and divide canned croissant dough into triangles or squares, as preferred. For triangles, add tablespoon dollops of filling and roll, with the tip on top of the roll. For squares, seal the perforation by breeding/pinching, then add ½ cup dollops at the center of the square. Fold and pinch opposite corners into a turnover, tube or petit four.

Brush down pastries with egg wash. (Omit this step if using Flaky dough.)

Arrange pastries on a parchment lined sheet. Bake 14-20 minutes in 350°F oven, turning once.

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

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Ingredients

  • 1 (3 -6 lb) frying chickens (any whole chicken will do)
  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper (I use coarse ground and double it)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon baking sod
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons shortening (I use Crisco sticks)
  • 3⁄4 cup buttermilk (I add 1 tbsp. vinegar to 1 cup milk let sit 5 minutes, then measure 3/4 cup)

Instructions

Place chicken in a Dutch oven. Add water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour or until tender (should almost fall off bone).

Remove the chicken from the broth and cool. Bone the chicken and cut meat into bite-sized pieces.

Bring the broth to a boil and add pepper.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the shortening. Add the buttermilk, stirring with a fork until moistened.

Knead the dough 4 to 5 times (never done), and pat to 1/2-inch pieces and drop into boiling broth (I do not pat it out, just pinch off pieces). Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the chicken and serve. If using a pressure cooker, high pressure for only 20 minutes with a 10 minute natural release.

It can also be done in the crock pot with 3-4 cups water but someone has that book so at this time I cannot give cooking times.

Chicken tortilla soup #2

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A savory, hearty chicken soup with mild heat. Serves 10.

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed
  • 6 cups chicken broth or stock
  • 2 oz dry vermouth
  • 2 oz apple cider vinegar
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced.
  • 1 green bell pepper, cleaned, seeded and diced
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 can diced tomato, 28 oz.
  • 1 can black beans, drained, 15 oz
  • 1 can whole kernel corn, drained, 15 oz
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Olive oil

Directions

In a 5 qt pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Meanwhile trim and dress chicken breasts, seasoning liberally with salt and ground black pepper. Sear breasts on both sides until golden brown, and a blonde fond has formed. Set aside.

Reduce heat and saute onion, celery and pepper until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saluted until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and combine, sauteing until deeply ruby colored and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Deglaze with vermouth, scraping up the fond and reduce liquid.

Add chicken broth, spices, vinegar, tomatoes with canning liquid, drained beans and drained corn. Stir to combine and raise heat to high until boiling, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 30 minutes.

While the soup comes to a boil, dice the chicken into bite sized cubes. Add the cubes to the soup in the last 10 to 15 minutes to warm through.

Serve over braised rice with a wedge of avocado, pinch of cheese, sprinkle of tortilla strips or dollop of sour cream.

Broccoli & Cheddar Chicken Soup #2

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This is a lighter variety using more commonly available ingredients.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are used to develop a fond and enrich the soup base. The chicken may be diced and added to the soup, or served as part of a side dish.

Ingredients

  • 1lb (approx) Boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 medium head broccoli, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 2 or 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • ½ cup dry vermouth
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • ½ cup half and half
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon fine ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions

Oil and season chicken breasts. The breasts will be pan seared to create a fond for the soup, and may be diced for the soup or used in a side dish.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a 5 quart pot over medium-high heat. Sear breasts 5 minutes per side until a fond forms. Remove breasts and set aside.

Lower heat to medium and add 2 tbsp unsalted butter, stirring to prevent scorching or browning. Add diced onion, diced carrot and diced celery. Saute over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Clear a space in the middle of the pan and add minced garlic, sauté 1 or 2 minutes until fragrant and soft, but not browned.

Deglaze with ½ cup dry vermouth.

Add 6 cups chicken broth, 3 tbsp soy sauce and broccoli. Raise to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are softened.

With an immersion blender, puree broth and vegetables until larger vegetables are reduced. Alternatively, allow the soup to cool and puree in a blender. Return puréed soup to pot and raise heat.

Add Cheddar cheese in handfuls, stirring to combine thoroughly. Slowly add ½ cup half & half stirring continuously.

Serve topped with sour cream, chives, cheddar and/or bacon bits.

OTB Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Ingredients

  • Chicken Breast, 3 breast,
  • Canned Diced tomatoes 1 can
  • Enchilada Sauce, 1 can
  • Onions, raw, 1 medium
  • Green Chili Peppers, 1 can, 7 oz, minced
  • Garlic, 3 cloves or 1 TBSP
  • Water, tap, 4 cups
  • Cumin, 1 TBSP
  • Chili powder, 1TBSP
  • Wild Blend Brown Rice-1 cup
  • Zucchini, 4 medium
  • Silver tequila 2 oz
  • Olive oil, 2 oz
  • 1 avocado
  • Mexican blend shredded cheese, 1 cup approximately
  • 2 green onion, sliced

Instructions

Season chicken with salt & pepper. Sear in 3 qt pot, and remove to cool. Chop zucchini into bites sized chunks. Shred or chop chicken when cool.

Add onion and garlic to saute. Deglaze pan with tequila. Add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat covered for 2 hours, topping up water as needed.

Serve garnished with a slice of avocado, a pinch of cheese, pinch of green onion/chive and tortilla strips.

Adapted from On The Border Recipes

Beer-free Beer Battered Chicken bites

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This fry batter is a cross between beer batter for fish and chicken, and corn dog batter for hot dogs. The end product is a moist, fluffy breading reminiscent of a beer batter, without the beer.

For a more savory product, add granulated garlic and onion in the batter to taste.

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1¼ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup yellow corn meal
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp chipotle powder
  • ½ tsp ground oregano
  • ½ tsp marjoram leaves
  • ¼ tsp cayenne powder
  • 1 cup buttermilk, approximately
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup corn starch, reserved
  • 1 quart peanut, vegetable or canola oil for frying

Instructions

Preheat oil to 350°F in a fryer, 3qt saucepan or 10″ cast iron skillet. Do not overfill.

Trim chicken breasts of fat and tendon, and cut into bite sized pieces, approximately 1 inch cubes. Final product will be nearly double in size. Lay pieces on a paper towel and pat dry on all sides until tacky.

Measure 1 cup of corn starch onto a plate or shallow bowl to dredge chicken pieces. Set aside.

Prepare batter, combining flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Combine eggs and ¾ cup of buttermilk in a separate bowl and combine. Pour wet ingredients over dry and stir until well combined, adding more buttermilk until the batter forms wet peaks. Should be thicker than pancake batter, more sticky than runny.

Working individually, dredge chicken pieces in corn starch, shaking off excess. Transfer dredged pieces to batter and coat thoroughly on all sides. Using a fork, shake excess batter and transfer battered pieces pieces to fryer. Fry pieces in batches of 4 to 6, turning occasionally as they float. Batter will puff and turn golden. Turn pieces until evenly golden brown on all sides, and transfer to a cooling rack over a lined pan to catch drips. Pieces should cook about 5 to 6 minutes each.

Allow to drain and cool. Serve with Honey Mustard Sauce or Barbecue sauce.

Chicken kebabs

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Makes 10 skewers.

Ingredients

CHICKEN KEBABS

  • 3 chicken fillets, cut in 1-inch cubes
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1 red onion, quartered
  • 1 flat Baby Bella mushroom

CHICKEN KEBAB MARINADE

  • 1⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil,
  • Juice of 2 lemon,
  • 6 clove of garlic, chopped
  • 4 tsp paprika
  • 4 tsp thyme
  • 6 tsp oregano
  • 6 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Combine marinade ingredients and divide between two ziplock bags. Add chicken to one bag, and vegetables to the other. Marinate at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.Arrange vegetables and chicken on skewers, and grill over medium flame, about 425°F, for about 20 minutes, turning twice.

Paleo chicken tenders

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Always wanted to play with almond flour. This deep fry recipe needs an oil with a high smoke point to toast the almonds, e.g., peanut oil, lard or avacado oil.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb prepackaged chicken tenders (2 packages)
  • 1½ cup almond flour
  • ½ cup yellow corn meal
  • 1 tbsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tbsp granulated onion
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp chili pepper powder
  • 1 tsp ground oregano
  • ½ tsp cayenne powder
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ⅛ tsp ground mace
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 pinch salt, reserved
  • 1½ quart peanut oil, avocado oil or canola oil

Instructions

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Beat 4 eggs in a small bowl with a pinch of salt until smooth.

Heat oil in a 2 quart cast iron pot or deep 10″ cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to 350°F.

Working one by one, coat tenders in egg wash, then toss in dry ingredients until well coated. Using tongs, place coated tender in hot oil and fry until browned, turning once. Add tenders to oil one by one, maintaining oil heat over medium-high flame, about 45 seconds apart. Maintain 350°F, rotating in fresh tenders as cooked tenders are removed.

Remove cooked tenders after about 3 minutes, turned once, to cooling rack over a drip tray.

Drain and cool on a rack over drip tray. Serve with honey mustard or Barbecue sauce, as preferred.

Broccoli & Cheddar Chicken Soup #1

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This is a rich broccoli & cheddar soup based on a copycat recipe of a famous artisan bread restaurant chain.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large onions, diced, about ¾ cup
  • 1 large or two medium shallot, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
  • ½ cup sherry or dry vermouth
  • 4 cups milk, room temperature
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 5 oz garlic & herb cream cheese
  • 1 cooked boneless chicken breast, diced, about 12oz
  • 4 cups broccoli florets, about 1 head
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and junienned
  • 3 cups mild cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp pepper, to taste
  • ½ tsp salt, to taste
  • ¼ cup fresh chives, divided
  • ¼ cup bacon bits, divided (optional)

Instructions

Melt butter over medium high heat, and sauté onions and shallots until translucent and tender, but not yet browned. Add carrots and garlic continuing to sauté until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and whisk into a roux.

Slowly add milk stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Add chicken stock and cream cheese stirring to break up lumps.

When the soup is smooth and combined, add broccoli florets and chicken. Simmer until broccoli is softened and chicken is warmed through, about 15 minutes.

Add cheddar cheese in batches, stirring to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve garnished with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits and fresh chives.

Chicken & Andouille Etouffé

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This stew is normally made with shrimp instead of chicken.

Serves 8.

Ingredients

  • 1½ to 2 lbs chicken breast, diced into 1″ chunks
  • 1 lb Andouille sausage, split and diced into ½” pieces
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
  • ½ cup vegetable or corn oil
  • ¾ cups flour
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 can tomato paste, 6 oz
  • 3 cups chicken stock, divided
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh sage, or 1 tsp dried, ground
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried, ground
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2 dashes liquid smoke (optional)
  • 2 cups water, reserved

Directions

Prepare Andouille sausage, splitting lengthwise then cut into ½” pieces. Prepare chicken by chopping into 1″ pieces, bite-sized.

Prepare a bouquet of fresh herbs, if using.

Preheat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear Andouille sausage, leaving any browned bits behind. Remove to a bowl.

Add oil and butter to the pot. When butter has melted and foamed, sprinkle flour over top and whisk into a roux. Whisk roux continuously over medium-high heat until toast brown and aromatic, about 10 minutes.

Add chopped onion, pepper and celery to roux and sweat until onions are just translucent, but not browned. Add garlic and tomato paste, and sauté until aromatic, another 1-2 minutes. Add half of the chicken stock and deglaze any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. When the pot is clean, combine remaining ingredients, returning the sausage to the pot.

Stir to combine, and add water to desired consistency. Lower heat to a simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Adapted from Chicken and Andouille Etouffé by Saveur