Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes

It’s been a tough battle, but I finally have my husband eating ground chicken.  Don’t understand why he put up a fuss with this when he doesn’t have a problem with other ground meat,( i.e. pork).  Just another little mystery of life. J  Add as much hot sauce as you want.  I like to use Texas Pete Buffalo Wing Sauce.

1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
½ Onion, chopped
1 C. Carrots, diced
1 lb. Ground Chicken
8 oz. Tomato Sauce
¼ - ½ C. Hot Sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
½ tsp. Celery Seed

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion, carrot and celery seed until softened. Add ground chicken. Cook until browned and cooked through, breaking up into small pieces. Stir in tomato sauce and Worcestershire. Simmer on low until thick. Serve on buns or over rice.

Chicken Soup with Tomatoes and Paprika

Easy weeknight meal that only takes a few minutes to throw together.  The beans add a comforting feel to the soup.   Serve with baked chips or cheese quesadillas.  

2 Chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2 C. Chicken Broth
15.5 oz. Can Navy Beans
15.5 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
½ tsp. Smoked Paprika
¼ C. Cilantro, minced
Sour Cream

Drain and rinse beans. Lightly mash. In a large saucepan, add all ingredients except sour cream. Heat soup over medium heat until simmering. Cover with a lid and continue to simmer for 20 minutes to let flavors meld together. Top with sour cream.

Chicken with Almonds and Chow Mein Noodles

This is one of the first meals that my son made when he was first starting to learn how to cook around the age of ten.  He picked the recipe out of the cookbook and was responsible for the whole meal, from making sure that we had the ingredients and prepping the vegetables to checking the dish once the timer sounded on the oven.  If you let kids in the kitchen and let them help, they will try such a greater range of foods that they might otherwise turn down. 

3 chicken breast, cooked and chopped
2 C. Celery, diced
1 C. Carrots, shredded
1 C. Bell Pepper (red and green), diced
8 oz. Canned Mushrooms, sliced
2/3 C. Almonds, sliced
1 can, Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can, Cream of Mushroom Soup
Chow Mein Noodles

In large bowl, stir together all ingredients except chow mein noodles. Transfer to a baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes until hot. Remove foil and top with noodles. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, for 5 – 10 minutes.   

Catalina Chicken

A recipe received from a very dear friend, who used this as a camping treat for years.  It is a super easy weeknight dinner and is delicious whether from a gas or charcoal grill.  Add a side salad and bread for a complete dinner.  Or add mashed potatoes and veggies.  Nothing gets easier than a three ingredient meal.  The chicken turns out super moist and tender. 

 

3 Lb. Chicken Breast
1 C. Seltzer Water
1 C. Catalina Salad Dressing

Trim chicken of fat and slice against the grain into 4 or 5 pieces per breast. In large bowl, combine seltzer water and salad dressing. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. Pour into foil pans or boats. Grill over medium heat until chicken is done and marinade has reduced to a glaze.

Spicy Chicken and Shrimp

This can be made with just chicken or just shrimp. Control the spiciness with the amount of hot sauce used. If you do not like hot foods, you may want to reduce the hot sauce down to 2 - 3 Tbsp.

1 Pd. Jumbo Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Pd. Chicken Breast, sliced into thin pieces
1 med. Onion, minced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp. Turmeric
1 tsp. Coriander
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Oregano, dried
12 oz. Lager Beer
½ C Frank’s Red Hot, hot sauce
4 Tbsp. Butter

Melt butter in skillet. Season chicken and shrimp with salt and pepper. Sauté shrimp until just turning pink. Transfer to a plate. Sauté chicken until lightly browned on both sides. (Meat may not be cooked through.) Transfer to plate. Add onion and garlic to skillet. Sauté until softened. Stir in turmeric, coriander, cumin and oregano. Cook about 1 minute. Add beer. Bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced by half. Stir in hot sauce. Add the chicken and shrimp. Cover skillet with lid. Cook until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice.

Chicken with Wine and Grape Sauce

This sauce has a very heavy, sweet grape flavor. If you are a grape lover, you will like the distinctive flavor, if you do not like grapes; this is probably not the sauce for you. The grapes could be substituted with mushrooms instead.

 

 

4 Chicken Breast
1 Lg. Onion, Minced
1 C. Grapes, halved
1 C. White Wine
2 C. Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
Canola Oil
All-Purpose Flour

Place about 1 cup of flour into shallow dish. Season well with salt and pepper. Trim chicken breast of fat. Slice into 3 or 4 pieces. Lightly pound to flatten to ¼ “pieces. Dredge chicken in flour. Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in skillet over med-high heat. Reserve the flour. Cook chicken in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. (Chicken may not be cooked through.) Transfer to plate. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until translucent. Add grapes. Cook until softened. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. of reserved flour. Stir to coat. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add wine and broth. Bring to boil, stirring to break up any clumps from the flour. Return chicken to skillet and cover with a lid. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thickened. Stir in parsley. Serve over rice.

Chicken with bacon and garlic

The chicken in this recipe is ‘oh so tender’.  Whenever you are cutting the chicken breast into slices, make you that you are cutting across the grain for the most tender cuts.  As a time and mess saver, place the flour, salt and pepper in a large Ziploc baggie and shake to coat.  So much easier than coating each individual piece. 

 



½ C. flour

3 Chicken breast, sliced

2 C. Chicken stock

1 C. Dry Sherry

1 Tbsp. butter

2 Bacon slices, chopped

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

5 Garlic Cloves, sliced thin

2 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge in flour.  Cook bacon in skillet.  Remove and chop.  Add oil to skillet.  In batches, brown chicken on both sides.  Remove to a plate.  Saute garlic until golden brown.  Add stock, sherry and parsley.  Bring to simmer.  Return chicken to pan.  Simmer uncovered until thickened.  Serve over rice, noodles or in a sandwich.  Top with chopped bacon. 

Chicken Pomodoro

Ask my husband how many ways you can cook chicken and he will just laugh.  However, this is one of his favorite dishes.  If you don't want to use the vodka that this recipe calls for, you can just use the chicken broth to help deglaze the pan. 

4 Chicken Breast
2 Tbsp. Oil
½ C. Vodka
¼ C. Heavy Cream
2 C. Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
15 Oz. Diced Tomatoes

Cut each breast into 4 or 5 pieces. Pound lightly until ¼ inch thick. Dredge chicken in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet. In batches, sauté chicken until lightly browned. Transfer to platter. Deglaze pan with vodka. Add broth, tomatoes, cream and lemon juice. Return chicken to pan. Cook on low with lid on, for 30-40 minutes.

Chicken and Carrot Stew

If you prefer not to have the stew version of this meal, you can follow the recipe to the point of deglazing the pan with wine and then return the chicken to the pan with a lid on and fully cook the chicken. 

2C. Carrots, sliced ½ “ rounds
1 Lg. Onion, diced
1 ½ Pd. Chicken, cubed
4 Tbsp. Flour
1 tsp. Thyme
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Paprika
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 C. White Wine
2 C. Chicken Broth
½ C. Heavy Cream
¼ C. Fresh Parsley, minced
1 ½ C. Bowtie pasta

In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Add chicken and shake well to coat. Heat 1 Tbsp oil a in large skillet over med-low heat. Cook onions, stirring frequently until softened. Remove from skillet. Increase heat to med-high. Add chicken in a single layer, cook until browned. Flip chicken and brown on the other side. Chicken will not be cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet. Add wine to deglaze the bottom of the skillet, bringing to a boil and scrapping the browned bits from the bottom. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced by a third. Add the chicken broth and carrots. Return the onions and chicken to the skillet. Cover with a lid and cook on low until the carrots are tender and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the mustard and cream until mixed. Add pasta, making sure it is submerged in the liquid. Cover and cook on low until pasta is cooked ., stirring occasionally until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat, keeping the skillet covered for 5 – 10 minutes.

Below is a picture of just cooking the chicken in wine.

Chicken Stew over Rice

This is a very flavorful stew.  Bold flavors of lime, cumin and turmeric really come through.  The sugar provides a nice touch of sweetness.  If you want a spicy version, add a jalapeno or crushed red pepper flakes along with the bell pepper.  Excellent over rice or noodles.

 

2 lb. Chicken breast, sliced 1 inch

¼ C. lime juice

1 tsp. Black pepper

1 bell pepper, chopped

4 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Onion, chopped

2 C. chicken stock

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire

2 tsp. Sugar

2 tsp. Dry mustard powder

1 tsp. Turmeric

½ tsp.  Cumin

2 Tbsp. Canola Oil

15 oz. Diced tomatoes

Combine chicken, lime, Worcestershire, sugar, mustard, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, garlic, bell pepper and onion.  Marinate for at least one hour.  Remove chicken from marinade.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned.  Remove from the skillet.  Add the marinade to the skillet along with the tomatoes.  Cook until onions and peppers are softened.  Add stock and chicken to skillet.  Bring to a boil then simmer covered for 20 – 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  Serve over rice or noodles.

 

Tortilla Soup

Very flavorful soup.  Grocery stores now stock already minced cilantro in the salad section which is a great time saver.  Use less chicken broth if you want a thicker soup as the recipe below tends to have alot of broth.  Leftover corn tortillas brushed with oil, cut into sixths and baked in the oven are a great low fat version of the chips that you buy in the stores.

 

8 C. Chicken broth

2 ½ lb. Chicken

1 Onion, chopped

1 Jalapeno, minced

15 oz. Tomatoes, diced

1 Tbsp. Veg. Oil

½ Bunch Cilantro, minced

3 Tbsp. Lime juice

1 C. Frozen Corn

Tortilla Chips, broken

Boil chicken in salted water until cooked through.  Remove and let cool.  Shred.  Heat oil in Dutch oven.  Sauté onion and jalapeno until softened.  Add broth, tomatoes, lime, cilantro, corn, chicken, salt and pepper.  Simmer until flavors blend and soup is reduced by about 1 Cup.  Ladle into bowls and top with the chips. 

Chicken Salad

The taste of the tarragon will become more pronounced after mixing the ingredients.  Use a little less than you think you'd like and let the salad sit in the fridge for an hour for the flavors to develop.  After an hour, stir and adjust seasonings.

 

3 large chicken breast, trimmed

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tsp. Tarragon, dried

1 C. mayo

1 C. sliced grapes

½ C. chopped walnuts

Salt

Pepper

Slice the chicken breast into 4 or 5 pieces.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add chicken and garlic and cook until cooked through.  Drain the chicken and discard the garlic.  Shred or chop the chicken into a large bowl.  Add tarragon, mayo, grapes, walnuts, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Add more mayo for desired consistency. 

White Bean Chicken Chili

This chili can be made in a number of different ways.  Leftover rotisserie shredded chicken also works well with this.  If you like more heat add additional jalapenos or for a mild version substitute bell peppers.  A great alternative to tomato based 'traditional' chili.

 

2 Tbsp. Veg. Oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Oregano, dried

¼ tsp. Crushed Red pepper

1 pd. Ground Chicken

45 oz. White kidney beans.

4 C. Chicken broth

1 C. frozen corn

2C. Fresh Spinach, chopped

Heat oil in Dutch oven.  Sauté the onion and garlic until softened but not golden.  Add the ground chicken.  Cook on medium heat breaking up the meat until cooked through, stirring to prevent sticking on the bottom.  Drain and rinse the beans.  Add beans and the remaining ingredients to the pot.  Simmer, covered, on low for ½ - 1 hour.  Add salt, pepper and adjust seasonings.