# Chicken!



## Laura (Feb 10, 2009)

I succeeded in cutting up my first whole fryer yesterday and definitely plan to turn it into a weekly routine. I know some of you diehard southerners might think that "oven-fried" chicken is a joke, but that's what I did with the thighs and drumsticks last night, and my husband was uncharacteristically enthusiastic. For the sake of full disclosure, he is a Yankee, but I was just as impressed with how it turned out. Not as crisp as KFC or the like, but that was probably because I didn't let the pieces dry out after brining (30 minutes in a solution of 1/2 c. table salt and a half gallon of cold water, supposedly does wonders even to low-quality birds). I coated the pieces in mayo and rolled them around in some fresh breadcrumbs with a little seasoning (garlic, paprika, salt & pepper), then baked them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet for 40 minutes at 400 F. 'Twas succulent.

I need some variety in using the meat so we don't get tired of it (I hated chicken growing up because we only ever had it three or four different ways, _all_ the time). Anyone care to share their favorite chicken recipes?


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## OPC'n (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for yours! Here's two I made up







*Chipotle Pockets*

Ingredients vary according to family size:
Slightly frozen Chicken Breast
frozen bread dough
Black beans
Pine nuts
Queso fresco cheese
avocado
Rotel
Chipotle pepper marinade
Preheat oven to 325
Thaw out bread dough and set aside to partially rise. Spray 9×13 cake pan with Pam to prevent sticking.
Cut slightly frozen breast chicken into small cubed pieces. Season moderately with chipotle pepper marinade. Fry chicken cubes until golden. Note: it is easier to cut slightly frozen chicken into cubes than when it is completely thawed. Note:The chipotle pepper tastes very strong when tasted by itself, but is not at all strong when used as a season.
Cut dough loaf into about 1 1/2 inch sections and roll out round to about 1/8 thickness. Gently place rolled out dough into 9×13. Place your cooked chicken in middle of dough, place black beans on top, cover with pine nuts and Queso Fresco cheese. Fold the dough enough to cover top of goodies but do not close completely. Gather edges in toward center of goodies. Note:You can use a different type of cheese if you like for your cheese to be stringy.
Bake in oven until golden brown. Place chipotle pockets onto plate and stuff with avocado. Depending on your tolerance to spicy, hot food, cover with Rotel.

Here's another one I made up



*Portabella Mostaccioli*

Ingredient amounts will vary on size of family:
deboned chicken breast
mostaccioli pasta
asparagus
portabella mushrooms
Mozzarella cheese
tomatoes
strawberries
Pesto sauce mix
Bearnaise sauce mix
Hollandaise sauce mix
salt and pepper
oil, butter, and milk
Season chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste and place in oven at 350 degrees or fry on stove. When done, place in warming oven or do what I did and cook it while cooking the rest of your meal. 
Cook Mostaccioli pasta until half way done, drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.
There are three sauces that you will use for this recipe which are listed above. Follow the directions on package to prepare the sauces. Very simple and quick to make. Ignore the looks of the sauces! They are very good even though they don’t look good.
Make your Bearnaise sauce and mix with the pasta. I used whole milk but using 2% or even skim milk will make it less rich. I actually added water to the sauce once I had followed the directions on the package. Place pasta mixed with the Bearnaise sauce into a cake pan. Place about six pre-cut slices of portabella mushrooms on top of pasta. Grate some mozzarella cheese and lightly cover pasta and mushrooms. Place in oven at 350 degrees until cheese is golden brown.
About 10 minutes (or however long you like to cook your asparagus) into cooking your pasta in the oven, place asparagus into boiling water and cook until done. Make your hollandaise and pesto sauce while asparagus is cooking.
After chicken is done and placed on plate, cover with pesto sauce and top with some diced tomatoes. After asparagus is done place on plate and cover with hollandaise sauce and top with two slices of strawberries. Both of these toppings really add to these dishes so include them if you can. The sauces are to die for….don’t leave them out!
Finally, place cooked pasta on plate and dig in! Oh, don’t forget the chilled glass of Chardonnay!
Every ingredient really added to this meal and you’ll be missing out if you don’t include them all. If you don’t like mushrooms, try it anyway and you can always push them to the side if you don’t like them.


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## Wannabee (Feb 10, 2009)

Not nearly as fancy as Sjonee, but plenty easy; and different.

Fill Crock Pot with chicken. Pour in about 50 pounds of red chili powder. Crank it up until the chicken falls off the bones. Eat it however you want. We often just put the chicken on a plate and eat it with sauted peppers and onions along with flour tortillas. Okay, it's not really 50 pounds, but we don't measure. Just dump anywhere from a half cup to a cup, depending upon taste. More is better. Good with refried beans, on sandwiches, tostadas, in enchiladas, etc. so on and so forth.


For BBQ, I don't bother with a brush. We like to get the thighs and wings. Toss the chicken in a pot, fill with enough water to cover. Pour in a healthy dose of pepper, some salt, chili powder and any other spices you'd like included. Boil until just about done (not falling apart). Then toss on a preheated grill.
Put your BBQ sauce in a big cup. Depending upon your taste, put Frank's Red Hot in and mix. We often will do it about 75% Frank's. As soon as the chicken is seared a bit on both sides, pick up your pieces, one at a time, and dunk them in the cup and then back on the grill. It's a bit messy, but mmmmmmm. I'll usually dunk them about three times or so before plating them. I've also done it by dunking in 100% BBQ sauce first, then 100% Frank's the next time or two, or three...


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## JBaldwin (Feb 10, 2009)

One of the ways I like to make oven-fried chicken is to scramble an egg or two and add about a tsp of cooking oil, crumble one package of Ritz crackers and put them in a plastic bag with garlic powder (and chili powder if you want it hot), 

Dip the chicken piece in the egg, then in the Ritz cracker crumbs. Lay the chicken in a pan with tin foil underneath and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes. (I usually check it periodically). My family raves over this.


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## LawrenceU (Feb 10, 2009)

We also (gasp) oven fry chicken at times. Season the chicken with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Let it sit in the refrigerator over night. Melt a stick of butter and coat the seasoned pieces in butter. Crumble Ritz crackers very fine in a sack. Add cornmeal (1/4 the volume of the crackers). Shake the sack to mix them. One piece at a time shake the chicken in the sack to coat it with the crumb mixture. Place the chicken in a baking dish that has about 1/8 of an inch of melter butter in it. Bake the chicken at 350 until it is done. Usually about 35 minutes or so. It comes out crispy and is quite good. BUT, cooking in the oven like this often has more fat than deep frying - if you really know how to deep fry.


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## Rich Koster (Feb 10, 2009)

If you strip the breast meat from the bone, cut it into thin strips, season with onion powder garlic powder and black pepper. Place it over a bed of rice (pre cooked) and corn. Top that with cream of mushroom soup. Bake it for 45 min @ 375. The soup will brown over the rest and its a nice, inexpensive one pan meal.

Cook the rest the next time.


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## Grymir (Feb 10, 2009)

Oven Fried is great!!! We have it at least once a week. Good stuff!!


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## Theognome (Feb 10, 2009)

Oops... confuser did something odd...


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## Classical Presbyterian (Feb 10, 2009)

Greek chicken:

2 Lbs of chicken thighs
Kalamata olives
1 onion
1 large can of tomatoes (San Marzano preferred)
3 cloves garlic
1 container feta cheese
1 cup white wine
olive oil
oregano
rosemary
basil

Brown the thighs in oil and set aside. Soften the chopped onion and garlic in some oil. Put into a crock pot and add the chicken thighs, spices and can of tomatoes. Cook for several hours on high. Add the olives, feta and wine. Cook for about 30 minutes more.

Serve with crusty bread and more wine! If you do this in the morning, you'll have it ready by dinner!


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## Hamalas (Feb 10, 2009)




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