buttermilk baked chicken.

Back when we started this blog, I made it my goal to post as many recipes for chicken as I could. The internet is full of incredible desserts and heavy casseroles, but finding reasonably healthy weeknight suppers is next to impossible. As I attempt to get back into the swing of blogging, it only seems fitting that I add a quick, tasty, not-so-boring chicken recipe to the mix.

buttermilk baked chicken.
via how sweet it is.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts, cut in half
3 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Place chicken in a large baking dish, and cover with buttermilk. Allow to marinate at least a couple hours, if not overnight.

Preheat oven to 450. Line a rimmed baking pan with foil, and put a wire rack into the pan. Coat rack with cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl, mix together panko, breadcrumbs, flour, and spices. Remove chicken from buttermilk, being sure the pieces are thickly coated with buttermilk. Press into crumb mixture to get a good crust. Place each breaded chicken breast on the rack, and spray generously with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and turn chicken. Coat this side with cooking spray, and return to oven to cook another 15 minutes, or until done.

If you really want to get fancy, click through to How Sweet It Is, and see how she used this chicken. I was just looking for an easy, delicious way to add some protein to my veggies that night – and this did not disappoint!

Life would be more fun if I could eat red meat everyday,
jcristg

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baked mozzarella chicken rolls.

I threw these together last week, when my husband and I were both exhausted but wanted a fresh, home-cooked meal. I roasted some baby potatoes along with it but next time I’d definitely make pasta.  Making cutlets, stuffing, breading and baking may seem like A LOT OF WORK WHO HAS TIME, but really, this was ready in an hour.

baked mozzarella chicken rolls.
via pinch of yum.

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup bread crumbs (italian, plain, whatever you have!)
6 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided
5 oz fresh baby spinach
1 clove minced garlic and olive oil for sauteeing
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
⅓ cup beaten egg whites (I used something similar to Egg Beaters)
3 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 cup marinara sauce
Fresh basil for topping

Preheat oven to 450.

Cut chicken into 8 cutlets, and pound until they are thin. Alternately, you can buy cutlets at the grocery like I did. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet and saute the garlic for a minute. Add spinach and wilt. In a small bowl, add the ricotta and 4 tbsp of parmesan cheese, along with the spinach and 2 tablespoons of the egg whites. Combine and set aside.

In a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of parmesan. In another shallow dish, add the remaining egg whites. Place one piece of chicken flat, and put a spoonfull of the ricotta-spinach mixture in the middle. Roll up, dip in egg whites and roll in breadcrumbs. Lay seam-side down in a large baking dish, coated in Pam. Repeat with remaining cutlets, leaving some space between rolls so chicken can brown and cook through.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove from oven and top with marinara and pieces of mozzarella. Return to the oven to bake another 5 minutes, or until mozzarella is gooey and delicious looking.

Top with basil for serving.

Don’t we all need more easy weeknight meals?
jcristg

Maple Chili Glazed Chicken Legs

Back in June, I was in New Orleans for work for a trade show. It was a long trip (about 9 days), and a LOT of hard work – but we managed to fit in several delicious dinners, which helped ease the pain of the 18 hour work days. One of the meals we enjoyed was at one of Emeril’s restaurants, and I had this delicious maple chili-glazed chicken. As I usually do, I decided that I would recreate it at home – and while my version wasn’t quite the same, it was still incredibly delicious (and easy)!

Maple Chili Glazed Chicken Legs
serves 3-4

1lb chicken legs, with skin*
olive oil
salt and pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 T honey
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t smoked salt

*If you’d prefer, you can use other chicken pieces – you just want them to be bone-in, and skin-on. Keep in mind that larger pieces of chicken will likely require a slightly longer cooking time.

1.) Heat a large pot over medium heat, and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Season your chicken legs with kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Once the pot is hot, add the seasoned chicken pieces to it, skin side down. Allow them to cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip once, and allow the second side to brown for another 2-3 minutes.

2.) Preheat your oven to 375°. Whisk together the maple syrup, honey, cayenne pepper, and smoked salt. Remove the chicken legs from the pot, and allow them to drain on paper towel for a few minutes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and set a baking rack inside. Lay the chicken legs on the rack, and brush them with the maple syrup mixture. Put the baking sheet into the oven.

3.) Allow the chicken legs to bake for about 30 minutes, flipping them and basting them with the glaze 3 or 4 times. If you’d like to crisp the skin a bit further before serving, feel free to put them under the broiler for a minute or two at the very end. Serve immediately.

I served this chicken with some brown rice, and honey soy bok choy (recipe forthcoming later this week). It was a delicious, easy meal for a weeknight – the chicken only required a few minutes of active cooking, and sort of took care of itself otherwise. The glaze is a great mix of sweet and spicy – if you are VERY averse to spicy food, I’d start with 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and work your way up, but I think the 1/2 teaspoon I used lent the perfect amount of heat to the chicken.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner,
Tina

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuit Topping

Right off the bat, there are two important things you need to know: 1.) I strongly dislike chicken pot pie, and 2.) I love my husband dearly. Despite thing #1 above, thing #2 (and a lightning strike idea recently, in which my brain suddenly screamed “You could use CHEDDAR BISCUITS as a chicken pot pie crust!”) compelled me to make a chicken pot pie last night… and from what I’m told, it was mighty tasty.

(I CAN, however, tell you that the extra cheddar biscuits made a terrific accompaniment to my dinner of scrambled eggs and bacon.)

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuit Topping
serves 4-6

For the filling:
1 T olive oil
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 medium onion, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
3-4 small carrots, cut into 1/4″ rounds
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz peas (fresh or frozen)
2 T butter
2 T all purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
kosher salt and black pepper

For the biscuits:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 T sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
4 T cold butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
2 oz sharp cheddar, grated

1.) Heat a large skillet or pot over medium heat, and add the olive oil to it. Chop your chicken into bite size pieces, season it with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, and add to the pot. Cook the chicken until nicely browned and just cooked through; remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

2.) Add the carrots to the hot pot, and cook until the edges are starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (a pinch each); add the onions, and cook both until they are lightly browned and slightly softened, another 3-4 minutes or so. Add the garlic, and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3.) Preheat your oven to 425°. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter to the vegetables in the pot, and allow the butter to melt. Once it has melted, sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, and stir until all the flour is moistened. Allow the flour-coated vegetables to cook for 2-3 minutes, to cook out the raw flour taste.

4.) Pour the chicken stock into the pot, and use a wooden spoon to stir and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow everything to come to a simmer, and add the heavy cream. Add the chicken back into the pot, and allow the sauce to simmer until it has thickened slightly, 4-5 minutes.

5.) While the chicken and vegetables are simmering, make your biscuits (the method is here – stir the cheddar in at the same time as the buttermilk).

6.) Add the peas to the chicken and vegetable mixture, stirring them in. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, and evenly space the biscuits across the top.

7.) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the biscuits are nicely browned, and the gravy is bubbling. Serve hot!

As I mentioned above, I don’t eat chicken pot pie (I am not a fan of gravy, and I’m not really fond of peas, either) – but my husband had nothing but great things to say about this dish. As a matter of fact, he ate 2/3 of the pan in a span of about 30 minutes! I would absolutely make it again, when we’re in need of some delicious comfort food – it’s even pretty enough to make for company!

I just can’t get into gravy, I’m sorry,
Tina