Chicken Nuggets

This is a recipe from the book Once A Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg.  I currently owe about $3.00 in library fines for this book.  I maybe should consider just buying it for myself. 

I have about four bags of these in my freezer.  I love the way they taste.  The original recipe uses dried, Italian-style breadcrumbs.  I used Panko breadcrumbs and added some Italian seasoning.  Makes 'em crunchy!  These aren't quite as "ready to go" as the nuggets in a bag, but they are healthier.

makes 4 to 6 servings

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (I prefer Penzey's)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (I just use the stuff from the green can)

Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks.  Combine chicken, melted butter, and Worcestershire in a 1-quart freezer bag to make a marinade.  Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a second freezer bag.  Tape the bags together; label and freeze.

TO PREPARE:

Thaw and remove the chicken chunks from the marinade.  Put them in the bread crumb bag (a few at a time) and shake to coat. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Arrange chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.

Chicken Caesar Wraps

We're trying a whole No Eating Out thing for September. Six days in we've done pretty well :) I went out with my friends during our shopping extravaganza yesterday, but since it came out of my money and not the family budget, I didn't count that. This plan means coming up with some quick lunches for after church on Sundays. (This is usually our weak spot. We sit in the car and talk ourselves into Salsarita's or Firehouse instead of heading home to cook.)

I thought this would be pretty easy to throw together, and it would have been with a bit more planning on my part: cooking the bacon and chicken the night before would have really helped. I'll do that next time ... because these things were awesome. Way better than the ones at McAlister's. (Oh, I got the recipe from Food & Family, the free(!) magazine from Kraft.)


3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (marinated in Lawry's Herb & Garlic marinade and broiled)
4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled (used Oscar Meyer Hearty Thick Cut ... man, that was some GOOD bacon)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (used Sargento shredded)
1/4 cup croutons
1/2 cup Caesar dressing (used Ken's Creamy Caesar)
4 flour tortillas (8 inch)


Place first 5 ingredients in large bowl.

Add dressing; toss lightly.

Spoon onto tortillas; roll up tightly.

Beefy Cheese Cups

This is another one from my mom's cookbook and Dave's favorite use of a muffin tin. Yum. Meat muffins.


1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup cheese crackers, crushed
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon finely chopped bell pepper
2 Tablespoons chili sauce
2 drops Tabasco sauce
1/3 cup skim milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in bowl.

Grease muffin pan (8-muffin capacity) and divide meat into the eight cups.

Bake 40 minutes.

Barbeque Pork Ribs

This is my mom's recipe. I don't think she made it up herself, but who knows? Well, Mom does so maybe she can answer that question. These are the reason I always pick up a rack or two of baby back ribs when they're on sale and the reason our grill always has a layer of goo on the bottom. (Although I usually cut the recipe in half when it's just for us ... for some reason I always make a full amount of the sauce, though. Don't know why ... )


4 pounds baby back pork ribs
2 jars (9 oz total) strained baby food peaches
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
dash o' pepper


Rub the ribs with salt and pepper.

Cook bony side up on coals (or medium-low heat) for 20 minutes.

While that's going on, mix together the rest of the ingredients to make a sauce.

Flip the ribs and baste with sauce.

Repeat flipping and basting every 10 minutes for the next 40 minutes or so until they are done cooking.

Artichoke Chicken

We made this last night, and it was the best meal I've ever made with so few ingredients.

Artichoke Cream Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts (6 oz or so)
5 tbsp butter
Flour
1 c. milk
4 c. prepared instant white rice

Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers for lunch, which is generally how we roll) from The Best of Mr. Food - Quick and Easy Recipes - Volume 2.

Put the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and go to town on them with a mallet (Christopher's weapon of choice) or a meat tenderizer (which we don't own). Pound them out until they're good and tender. On a plate or in a small casserole dish, put some flour. I added some salt, pepper, and ground oregano to my flour for some added flavor. Dredge the chicken on both sides, generously, with flour.

Melt 2 tbsps. butter in a large saucepan (you can use a large skillet, but ours is not big enough, so I use our pan that looks sort of like this - I find this helps with splatter as well). Put the chicken in and let it cook for about five minutes on each side on a medium-high heat. Don't move the chicken a lot or turn it over much, because you want to let the flour cook up nice and crispy and really stick to the chicken. Add more butter if you need it.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, begin melting the rest of your butter. Add three tablespoons of flour, and cook those together for a little bit. Then, slowly add the marinade from the jar of artichoke hearts and the milk. Stir together and let it cook until it gets bubbly and thickens, stirring occassionally to keep it from sticking. It should have the consistency of white gravy, pretty much. Add the artichokes and let it sit for a few minutes, and then serve over the chicken and over the white rice.

This was AWESOME. I couldn't wait to go home and eat the leftovers for lunch with Chris today. I would make this weekly - all we really had to buy special was the small jar of artichoke hearts, which I believe cost $1.50, and the meal fed us for two meals.

Mesquite Lime Chicken

serves 6

Found this one off the McCormick website.


1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons McCormick® Grill Mates® Mesquite Seasoning
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Mix lime juice, Mesquite Seasoning, oil and honey in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

Grill over medium heat 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning frequently.

Caesar-Style Steak Sandwiches

serves four

My dad gave me a lifetime membership to a cooking club. I get the magazine every month and find at least one tip and recipe that I want to try. This month, we're trying this one. (Yes, we do grill during the winter. Doesn't everyone?)


1 1/2 lb. beef sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 baguette, halved horizontally, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup refrigerated Caesar salad dressing
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese*
8 romaine lettuce heart leaves
8 tomato slices

Heat grill. Sprinkle steak with pepper. Grill, covered, over medium-high heat or coals 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Remove steak; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

Meanwhile, brush cut sides of baguette with oil. Grill, covered, 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Brush cut sides of bread with dressing; top bottom pieces with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, steak and remaining bread.

Roasted Paprika Chicken

serves four

Another Everyday Food recipe to try. I tend to stick with either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or whole chickens when cooking. I thought I'd stretch my limits a little :)


1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces


Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet; rub with spice mixture. Roast on upper rack, basting with pan drippings once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.

When chicken is done, transfer to a plate, and loosely tent with aluminum foil (reserve baking sheet with drippings).

Rotini and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham

serves six

Because you just can't have enough variations on macaroni and cheese. I have in my notes to make sure you whisk in the spices before you stir in the cheese* because as I recall, if you don't you end up with tongue-burning clumps of spices in your pasta. Which is no good if you're trying to convince your two-year-old to just try a bite.


4 quarts water
2 cups uncooked rotini (about 8 ounces corkscrew pasta)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cubed light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped reduced-fat ham

Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add pasta; cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli; cook an additional 5 minutes or until pasta is done; drain.

While pasta cooks, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a medium saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; stir in cheese and next 4 ingredients* (cheese through pepper). Combine pasta mixture, cheese sauce, and ham.

Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs with Mint-Feta Sauce

serves four

At some point during my freshman year at LSU, my best friend Stacy took me to a Greek-Lebanese Cafe. I had never had Greek food in my life, but was too embarrassed to refuse. Thank goodness. Now I love hummus and gyros and pita and feta and all manner of Greek flavors. We've had these Greek kebabs before and they were delicious!

I made the mint sauce this time and it was SUPER minty. We were not fans. Next time we'll stick with a more traditional tzatziki sauce.


1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into twenty-four 1-inch pieces
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into sixteen 1-inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, quartered, layers separated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup fresh mint leaves


In a resealable plastic bag, combine chicken, zucchini, onion, oil, oregano, and 2 tablespoons vinegar; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight).

Heat grill or grill pan to medium. Soak eight 6-inch wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes.

Onto each skewer, alternately thread 3 pieces of chicken with 2 of zucchini and 2 of onion (see below). Grill skewers, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, make dipping sauce: In a food processor, blend feta, yogurt, mint, and remaining tablespoon vinegar until smooth. Serve kebabs with dipping sauce.

Italian Pot Pies

serves four

Another one from Everyday Food. We're giving this a try tonight to see how it goes. It sounded interesting ...

Oh yum! The biscuit topping was so good. And the flavors in the meat were delicious as well. This one joins the regular rotation for sure!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound ground beef sirloin, thawed if frozen
2 cups homemade or best-quality store-bought tomato sauce
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup whole milk


Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, Parmesan, baking powder, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; make a well in center, and add butter and milk. Stir just until dough comes together.

Spoon meat mixture into four 8-ounce ramekins; mound dough on top. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

Honey Chicken Skewers

serves four

These were on the same page as the Teriyaki Burgers in the Real Simple magazine. They sounded good as well so on the menu they went.


1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Place twenty 8-inch wooden skewers in water to soak. Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside.

Slice the chicken lengthwise into twenty 1/2-inch-thick strips. Thread each strip onto a wooden skewer. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Lightly oil the grill. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, basting with the ketchup mixture during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Quick Grilled Chicken

serves six

This is off the McCormick website. We grill chicken this way quite a bit. It gives the chicken a great flavor, but it's not overwhelmingly taco-flavored. I'll grill more than we can eat to have extra chicken leftover for salad or sandwiches or casseroles. Yum.


1 package McCormick® Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves


Mix Seasoning Mix, oil, water, lemon juice and vinegar in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

Broil or grill over medium-high heat 6 to 7 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through, turning frequently.

Teriyaki-Glazed Burgers

serves four

One from Real Simple magazine. I just needed something for dinner that used ground beef, but wasn't meatloaf or some homemade form of Hamburger Helper. Oh, and if it broke out of the Italian theme I've got going lately, all the better. We did not serve ours on English muffins. The kids and I ate ours without buns and Dave used slices of bread. I also didn't trouble with the tomatoes or cucumber. Instead I heated up some leftover fries from Chik Fil A and called it good. We just bought a cheap jar of Kroger brand teriyaki sauce.

Results: The flavor wasn't very teriyaki. If I make these again (and I might since I have most of a bottle of teriyaki sauce left), I think I'd mix in some teriyaki sauce with the meat when forming the patties. We liked the flavor, there just wasn't enough of it :)


1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
4 English muffins, split
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
3 Kirby cucumbers, cut into spears

Heat grill to medium-high. Form the beef into four 1/2-inch-thick patties and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Grill the burgers to the desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium, basting with the teriyaki sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Grill the English muffins until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Sandwich the burgers in the muffins. Serve with the tomatoes and cucumbers.

Skinner's Lasagna

serves 6-8

This is the lasagna recipe in my mom's cookbook. The same one on the box of Skinner lasagna noodles. If I'm making it just as a regular weeknight meal for our family, I make the whole recipe, but assemble it into two smaller pans (I use my 8x8 Pyrex for the one I'll be cooking that night and put the other half in my 11-cup Pyrex Rectangular Storage Plus** [because it has a cover]) and then put one in our freezer for dinner another time. I don't cook it before freezing. If it's been frozen, I take it out of the freezer to thaw and just cook it like the recipe calls for. It's my version of frozen lasagna.

I love this recipe. It's not difficult to make at all. Especially since you don't cook the noodles before assembling the lasagna. Plus, it tastes really, really good!


1 lb. ground beef
3 1/2 C. spaghetti sauce (28-32 oz jar)
1-1/2 C. water
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 C. shredded mozzarella
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 C. chopped parsley
1/2 TSP. salt
1/4 TSP. pepper
9 uncooked skinner lasagna noodles


Preheat oven to 350.

In a saucepan, brown meat; add spaghetti sauce and water; let simmer for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper.

In 13x9 dish, pour 1 cup of sauce on bottom. Place three uncooked noodles lengthwise on top of the sauce. Pour 1 cup of sauce over the noodles, then add half the cheese mixture over the sauce. Repeat noodles, sauce, cheese. Place the last three noodles on the top and pour the remaining sauce over the lasagna.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50-55 minutes.

Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. (If you like it extra cheesy, you can top with extra mozzarella cheese at this point.)





**I did not know they had other sizes of that pan available! I'm a little too excited about that :)

Chicken and Dumplings

serves four

From my mom's cookbook. She says this one has a tendency to boil over if the lid is on too tight. She's right. I would also add that it has a tendency to scorch the bottom of your pan and the chicken if you forget to turn down the stove between browning the chicken pieces and letting them simmer. Learn from my mistakes. I like this recipe, but haven't tried it yet with the new Heart Smart trans-fat free Bisquick. Somehow I bet it won't be as tasty ...


Chicken pieces
1 cup Bisquick mix
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons shortening
1 Tablespoon butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cup milk
Dumpling dough (recipe on Bisquick box**)
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning


Mix baking mix, salt, paprika and pepper in a bag. Shake 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time to coat thoroughly.

Melt shortening and butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Brown chicken thoroughly on all sides and remove from pan. Drain fat.

Stir soup and milk together in pan. Add chicken. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour or until chicken is tender.

Twenty minutes before the end of cooking time, prepare dumpling dough as directed on baking mix package adding parsley flakes and poultry seasoning before mixing in liquid. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot broth. Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer.



**Dumpling Dough
2 1/4 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk

Mix

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

serves 8-10

My mom gave me this recipe. She got it from one of her friends. It makes an easy, great tasting gumbo. And, yes, you cook most of it in the microwave!! This is our current "company" meal. I try to cook this the night before we're going to eat it. If it's cold enough, I stick the pot (with the lid on!) out in the garage overnight. It it's not cold enough, I store it in the fridge. Then the next day, I just heat it up on the stove and make my rice. To serve, just have the bowls ready and let everyone get a scoop of rice and then top with the gumbo. Leftovers are measured out in one-cup portions and frozen in Ziplocs. (I freeze the leftover rice the same way ... separate bags from the gumbo.) Then I have lunches ready to heat and eat!

I don't add okra because I don't like it. And the Conecuh sausage is a Mississippi or Alabama thing and we can't find it up here in TN. Edit:  I have found it at the "new" Kroger by the church.  So I use either andouille sausage or just some smoked sausage. Word of warning: If you try to use turkey sausage, it turns out pretty dry and not nearly as flavorful. I use chicken thighs (and the boneless thighs are the easiest to prepare).

2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup flour
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
4 cloves garlic
¼ cup parsley
4 chopped green onions
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp salt
1 can tomato paste
8 cups chicken broth
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 pkg (12 oz) frozen okra
2 lb. chicken, chopped
1 lb. Conecuh sausage

Put oil & flour in container and microwave for 4 min.; add onion, celery, & bell pepper and microwave 3 min.; add parsley, garlic, green onions and microwave 2 min. Put all in large pot and add rest of ingredients. Cook 1 hour.

Breakfast Pizza

serves four

This is a recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook. We made this one Sunday to bring to our Sunday School class. We bought two full-sized crusts and used a roll of breakfast sausage (which we browned first) rather than sausage links. We also made one of the pizzas with diced, cooked bacon (one whole package) as a substitute for the sausage. We did not pre-bake the crusts, but we should have. Dave and Julia stopped by Pizza Hut the night before to get two boxes to carry our pizzas to church. :)


1 package (8 ounces) frozen brown-and-serve pork sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 eggs, beaten
4 ready-to-serve pizza crusts, 6 inches in diameter
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Cook sausage in skillet about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Remove sausage from skillet; set aside.

Pour eggs into skillet. As mixture begins to set at bottom and side, gently lift cooked portions with spatula so that thin, uncooked portion can flow to bottom. Do not stir. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until eggs are thickened throughout but still moist.

Place pizza crusts on ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top each with eggs and sausage. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Chicken Breasts

serves as many as you'd like

This is my fall back dinner. When I was pregnant, Dave would get a chicken breast with some kind of topping, no side, for dinner at least three times a week. It was not a shining moment in my culinary history. The nice thing is that everyone can fix their own if you have individual baking dishes. Some days, we have "Fix Your Chicken" days and each person can suit his or her own cravings for that meal.

Chicken breasts (number depends on people you are feeding)
Topping (salsa, BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, chopped tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, whatever your mood)
Cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, feta, parmesan, depends on the topping you choose)

Turn the oven on to around 350.
Take a pan big enough to barely fit your chicken breasts. Sometimes I remember to spray it with Pam or grease it with butter.
Place chicken in the pan without overlapping.
Dump topping on top.
Cover and cook for around 30-35 minutes.
Remove cover and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake until cheese is melted.

Buttermilk-Brined Pork Chops

serves four

another CL recipe :) We made this last night and it was SO good. Dave grilled the chops on our grill rather than using a grill pan (which I don't have). After reading the reviews about the end result being salty, I made sure I blotted the excess marinade off the meat before cooking. And I didn't have lemon rind so I used some of my orange peel. We also had only three boneless chops rather than four bone-in chops. It was still delicious.


2 cups fat-free buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; shake well to dissolve salt and sugar. Add pork; seal and refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from bag; discard brine. Pat pork dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle pork with pepper.

Heat a large nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.