Smothered Chicken

From: Gold’n Delicious – Junior League of Spokane, page 142

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

6 to 8 chicken breasts and thighs (about 2½ pounds), skinned

vegetable cooking spray

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 cups onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1 (2 ½-ounce) package dry chicken noodle soup mix

¾ cup water

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped, optional

Combine flour, paprika and salt in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture and set aside.

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add oil and heat to medium. Add chicken and cook until evenly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Scatter onion rings and soup mix over chicken and stir in water. Cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Remove chicken to a platter and keep warm. Stir milk and parsley into skillet. Cook until thoroughly heated and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour sauce over and chicken and serve. Serves 6.

Rice is the perfect accompaniment for this chicken recipe that pleases children and adults alike.

Nancy’s Notes: Made January 18, 2010 for Michael and Stephanie. Next time I would add a dash of Chimayo Holy Chile. I added the chile to the leftovers when I reheated them – much better.

Chicken Enchiladas Supreme

From: Colorado Cache – Junior League of Denver, page 261

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken or turkey meat

1 4-ounce can chopped, mild green chiles

1 7-ounce can green chile salsa

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups heavy cream

12 corn tortillas

1½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Combine chicken, green chiles and green chile salsa and mix well. Mix salt and heavy cream in a medium-sized bowl. Heat about ½ inch oil in a small skillet. Dip each tortilla into hot oil for about 5 seconds, just to soften. Drain on paper towels. Dip each fried tortilla into bowl containing cream and salt, coating each side. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Roll and place in ungreased flat baking dish. Pour remaining cream over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20-25 minutes.

Nancy’s Notes: This is one of Michael’s favorites, always a winner. I find it much easier if someone else is around to help with the assembly – one person to do the tortilla in the hot oil and one person to fill and roll.

Open Sesame Chicken

From: Gold’n Delicious – Junior League of Spokane, page 144

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 large chicken breast halves, skinned

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine flour, sesame seeds and salt in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in soy sauce and then dredge in flour mixture. Place flesh side up in a baking dish and drizzle with melted butter.

Bake at 400°, basting occasionally for 40 minutes or until tender. Serves 4.

Nancy’s Notes: Made 12-14-09. Simple, easy and fast. I would use twice as much flour and seeds. If using skinless breasts I don’t think it takes 40 minutes to bake.

Runnin’ Rebel Chicken

From: Glitter to Gourmet – Junior League of Las Vegas, page 131

1 (10-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 (3-ounce) can French-fried onions

4 chicken breasts

Combine the soup, cayenne pepper and about 1 cup of the French-fried onions in a bowl and mix well. coat a 9×12-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.Arrange the chicken in the baking dish. Spread the soup mixture over the chicken. Cover the dish with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, basting the chicken frequently while baking. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining onions. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 4 servings

This recipe was provided by Coach Bill Baryno, basketball coach of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels.

Nancy’s Notes: This recipe couldn’t be easier and was very tasty. I served with Toasted Rice.

Chicken Thighs with Roasted Grape Tomatoes

From: Colorado Classique – Junior League of Denver, page 137

1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 boneless Maverick Ranch Certified Organic chicken thighs

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

2 cups grape tomatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 ½ tablespoons capers

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat and oil grill. Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in a large zip-top bag. Add chicken to bag and seal. Marinate in refrigerator for 15 minutes, shaking bag occasionally. Remove chicken from bag and place on a plate; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until done.

To roast tomatoes, preheat oven to 425°. Combine tomatoes and olive oil in an 8-inch square baking dish and toss gently. Bake for 18 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Combine tomatoes with parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, salt, and pepper and stir gently. Serve tomatoes in a small bowl next to chicken and dip chicken in sauce of tomatoes, or spoon tomatoes over chicken. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Nancy’s Notes: Made the Roasted Tomatoes Oct. 5, 2009. With a surplus of grape tomatoes from the garden I thought this would add a nice addition with the Imperial Chicken. I was disappointed, didn’t think they were worth the effort.

Sweet Chicken Salad Sandwich

From: Colorado Classique – Junior League of Denver, page 74

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

3 stalks celery, c hopped

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

½ cup pecans, toasted

1 ½ cups light mayonnaise

1/3 cup orange blossom or plain honey

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

8-10 small croissants

Combine chicken, celery, cranberries, and pecans in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, honey salt, and pepper. Combine dressing with chicken mixture. Serve on croissants or bread of choice.

Nancy’s Notes: – Made Nov. 9, 2009 – I liked the crunch from the nuts and celery and the sweetness from the cranberries and honey, makes a nice sandwich.

Poppy Seed Chicken

From: Beyond the Rim – Junior League of Amarillo, page 118

6 chicken breasts

Minced garlic to taste

Pepper to taste 2 sleeves butter crackers

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

¾ cup chicken broth

1 (10-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup

1 ½ cups sour cream

Combine the chicken, garlic, pepper and water to cover in a large saucepan. Simmer the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken and cut into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Set aside.

Place the crackers in a sealable plastic bag and crush. Add the melted butter and poppy seeds. Set aside. Combine the broth, soup and sour cream in a bowl and mix. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer the soup mixture and chicken in the prepared dish. Top with the cracker mixture. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Yield 6 to 8 servings.

Nancy’s Notes: Made Nov. 9, 2009 – Okay, not exceptional. I probably didn’t use enough chicken. I didn’t have butter crackers and used a variety. Might try again following the recipe more closely.

Imperial Chicken

From: Beyond the Rim – Junior League of Amarillo, page 116

½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

1 garlic clove, crushed

¾ cup dry bread crumbs

½ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Juice of 1 lemon

Paprika to taste

Combine the melted butter and garlic in a shallow bowl. Set aside. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper in a second shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in the butter mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. Place in a lightly greased baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter and the lemon juice. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350° for 35 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Yield: 4 servings.

Nancy’s Notes: Made Oct. 5, 2009 – Good, easy, what’s not to like?

Funeral Chicken

 

From: The Sweet Potato Queens author Jill Browne

Line 9×13 pan with bacon slices

Sprinkle 1 cup uncooked rice over bacon

Place chicken pieces on top of rice – best to use chicken with skin on

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika

Whisk together 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of water, garlic salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, pinch of nutmeg. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons parsley flakes.

Cover with heavy-duty foil.

Bake in 300° oven for 2 hours

Nancy’s Notes: I used thick sliced bacon and didn’t think it was cooked enough. Might not be a problem if used thinner bacon. If using the same thick sliced I would cook briefly before assembling. I cut each piece of bacon in thirds so that when dished up each serving would get some. Because of my supplies I used a mixture of brown and white rice. I used at least 1½ cups rice. I think it would have been better with chicken pieces with some fat and skin. I only had boneless/skinless. Therefore there was no fat to season the rice.

I made 9/13/09 for Bob and Michael, we like but I would suggest the above changes.

Judy shared this one from a book on tape she was listening to. The name comes from the fact that it’s easy, we can put it in the over, go to the funeral and then take it to the meal following the services.

Runnin’ Rebel Chicken and Toasted Rice

I tried two tasty, super simple recipes from Glitter to Gourmet, the Las Vegas Junior League cookbook.

Runnin’ Rebel Chicken

1 (10-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 (3-ounce) can French-fried onions

4 chicken breasts

Combine the soup, cayenne pepper and about 1 cup of the French-fried onions in a bowl and mix well. coat a 9×12-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.Arrange the chicken in the baking dish. Spread the soup mixture over the chicken. Cover the dish with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, basting the chicken frequently while baking. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining onions. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 4 servings

This recipe was provided by Coach Bill Baryno, basketball coach of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels.

Recipe from: Glitter to Gourmet, Savory and Sensational Recipes from the Junior League of Las Vegas.

Nancy’s Notes: This recipe couldn’t be easier and was very tasty. I served with Toasted Rice.

Toasted Rice 

1 cup uncooked rice

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups beef broth

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

 

Spread the rice in a heavy baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until toasted a golden brown color. Melt the butter in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stir in the toasted rice. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions and soy sauce. Cover and let stand for a few minutes for the flavors to blend. 

Yield: 4 servings

 

Recipe from: Glitter to Gourmet, Savory and Sensational Recipes from the Junior League of Las Vegas. 

 

Nancy’s Notes: This is an easy twist to rice, nice to do if you’re baking the meat course and have the oven on already. I served with the Runnin’ Rebel Chicken.