Skinny Chicken Parmesan

I love Chicken Parmesan. It was actually one of my favorite meals to eat at the cafeteria back in college, because they actually made it perfectly (can you believe it??).

I've never made it myself, though. I've always been too nervous I'd mess it up.

But when I saw this recipe, it sounded so simple, and I knew I had to give it a try. Especially since it's "skinny"! It definitely did NOT disappoint. Even my husband loved it. In fact, he devoured two pieces. I'm thinking this may have made it into one of our "regulars". :)

Skinny Chicken Parmesan

(Recipe by Allison)

 via

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz) chicken breasts, sliced in half (horizontally, or butterflied but cut all the way through. You will end up with 4 pieces of chicken)
• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings (I added a little more than this... maybe about 3/4 to 1 tsp)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (This does not have to be fresh. In fact a use the stuff in the green bottle more times than not)
• 1 1/2-2 tbsp butter, melted
• 3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup marinara or your favorite spaghetti sauce
• cooking spray      

Directions

 Preheat oven to 450°. Line large baking sheet with foil (easy clean up) and spray lightly with cooking spray.Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings in a bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave in another bowl (this is usually melted after about 20 seconds, so watch it closely.) Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of chicken.

Lightly spray a little more cooking spray on top (this makes it nice and crispy) and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Spoon sauce over each piece and top with mozzarella cheese and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Yields: 4 servings


(255 calories per chicken breast, 6 WW Points+)

Garlic Chicken Puffs

We had a luncheon this week at church for all of the women's Bible studies that meet up on Tuesdays. Everyone signed up to bring something. My signature dishes are usually desserts. I'm just better at baking, I think. Probably because my sweet tooth never fails me; I can tell if something will come out right just by looking at the picture. But I brought a dessert last time, so I figured it was time to push myself out of my comfort zone. However, I decided to stick with something simple.

I found this recipe and decided to give it a whirl.

It was inexpensive, tasty, and fed a lot of people. I think next time I'll take it up a notch and add some herbs... maybe some basil, oregano, etc. But they're definitely a great snack food to bring to a party, shower, or any other event where hungry people will be. And I got a couple of random compliments, so the fact that they're a crowd-pleaser is a plus.

Have a great weekend!!

Garlic Chicken Puffs

(Recipe by Cheryl)

via

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup cooked shredded chicken*
• 2 cans refrigerator crescent rolls

Directions

Mix cream cheese, garlic and chicken until well blended.

Unroll crescent rolls and cut each triangle into 2 triangles (when you unroll the crescent rolls, 2 triangles are attached making a big square, I just followed the perforation on the opposite side and made an X, creating 4 little triangles).

Place 1 tsp of chicken mixture on the center of each triangle and fold the corners in over the creamy mixture. Place on cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with no stick spray. Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes (mine were ready in about 10 minutes, so watch them closely).

*For cooked chicken, I used the leftovers from my favorite oven roasted chicken dish I make. If you're not planning on making chicken the night before, you could always grab an precooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

Weeknight Chicken Veggie Casserole

Some people don't really like casseroles, and I totally understand. They can look pretty unattractive (no matter how great the lighting and angle, as you'll see in a sec), and who knows what people hide in them. However, there are some GREAT pros to casseroles.

#1. You can throw just about anything in them, and they still taste good.

#2. You can throw healthy anythings in them, and they still taste good.

#3. They're economical.

#4. They're a great use for leftovers. See #1 and #2.

This dish happens to be one of those old stand-by's that my mom used to make. Consequently, it's turned into one of those for me as well. My husband is one of those people who doesn't particularly like casseroles. He doesn't like cream based dishes, and he doesn't trust what's in it.

Except this one.

It's tomato based, so it's not overly heavy. And I throw in ingredients that he normally eats (and a couple that he doesn't... but don't tell him). He also loves it, because he figured out how cheap it is to make. I always make this casserole with leftover chicken from the night before. It doesn't really matter what kind either... grilled, lemon-pepper, roasted... it all works.

The best part is that you can make this casserole on a Sunday/Monday night, and the fam can eat off of it for several days (obviously depends on the size of your family, but you get the idea).

Enjoy!

Weeknight Chicken-Veggie Casserole

(Original recipe by my momma)

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) box rotini pasta (also works with ziti, bowtie, etc... pick a favorite and go for it). To add more nutrition, go for whole wheat.
• 2 jars marinara sauce (I recommend Newman's Own Socarooni; it has a bunch of good stuff added in it that mixes well with the rest of the ingredients).
• 2 cups Italian-style shredded cheese (or more, if you like), divided.
• 1 (16 ounce) bag of frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn, etc), thawed (Tip: get the steam-in-a-bag kind to save some time).
• 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or torn into small pieces. (this also works well with ground beef/turkey, if you want to use that instead).
• Optional: I like to kick up the nutrition and a little ground flax seed to the mix. You can't taste it, and it's a great way to give your kids a nutrition boost without them even knowing it.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook pasta according to package instructions and drain. In a large bowl, mix pasta, marinara sauce, 1 cup shredded cheese, veggies, chicken, and flax seed. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese (sprinkle a little Parmesan on top, if you like).

Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Yields 8-10 (or more) servings.



Herb Roasted Whole Chicken

I made this a couple of weeks ago, and oh my goodness, it's delish.

The only thing I messed up on? I used olive oil instead of canola oil.

I know, I know. All you foodie veterans are shaking your heads at me, aren't you?

For those of you who aren't aware, cooking olive oil at a very high temperature causes smoke alarms to go off. It doesn't affect the flavor of the chicken in any way. In fact, it tasted amazing. It just made the kitchen smokey. So I learned my lesson. Follow the directions. They're there for a reason. :)

Herb Roasted Whole Chicken

(Original recipe by Ryan Detzel)

(Photo source)

Ingredients

• 3-4lb Whole Chicken
• Something to stuff inside the chicken (Apple, Onion, Lemon, Garlic, Carrot, etc..)
• Canola Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Fresh Herbs (I used Thyme and Rosemary)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while you pick the herbs from their stems.
Chop the herbs. Toss those herbs into a bowl and add in your salt and pepper.
For EACH chicken you’ll be roasting, you’ll need:
* 1-2 Tablespoons of chopped herbs
* 1 Tablespoon of salt (kosher is best)
* 1 Teaspoon of pepper
Add the Canola oil to the herb mixture and stir.  Chop/slice/mash and stuff the bird with the aromatics of your choice (I used lemon, onion, garlic, and herbs).
It’s important that your whole chicken be patted dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. This will help to insure a nice crust on your chicken once it’s finished. Begin rubbing the chicken down with your canola-herb-salt-pepper mix. No need to get crazy with it. It’s just a chicken. Slide your herb coated chicken(s) into that 450 degree oven for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes until they are golden brown and have developed a delicious crust.
Once the chickens have roasted, it’s good to let them rest for 10-15 minutes. This will allow all of the juiciness of the bird to redistribute to the right places. If you tore into it right away…all its goodness would run out and you’d be left with a dry chicken.

One chicken yields 3-4 servings.

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

I'm a big fan of Ree over at The Pioneer Woman.

She's so stinkin' funny and real and best of all?

Girl can cook.

I tried one of her recipes the other night, and she definitely did not disappoint.

I'm a huge fan of panini. Like Ree says, it's like a quesadilla. Throw whatever you want in there, add a little cheese, and voila! Dinner.
This one is so good. Who needs Panera, when you can make your own at home?

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

(Original recipe by Ree Drummond)

(photo source)

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 8 whole Sundried Tomatoes, Packed In Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Prepared Basil Pesto
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• ¼ cups Mayonnaise
• 2 whole Red Bell Peppers
• 8 whole Slices Provolone Or Mozzarella Cheese
• 8 slices Good Whole Grain Sandwich Bread
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Softened

Directions

CHICKEN

Slightly flatten chicken with a mallet (just until uniform thickness.)
In a blender or food processor, puree sundried tomatoes, pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add half the mixture to a ziploc bag with the chicken breasts. Smush around to coat the chicken, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
After marinating, heat heavy skillet or grill to medium. Grill or cook chicken until done. Slice chicken into strips.

SPREAD

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons of the sundried tomato mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

If you have a gas cooktop, blacken red peppers directly over the flame. (If you do not have a gas cooktop, blacken them directly under the oven broiler.) Completely blacken/char on all sides, then immediately seal in a ziploc bag. Allow peppers to sit, sealed, in the bag for at least 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove from bag and use fingers to slip off the blackened skin. (Don’t be afraid to leave some black bits!) Lop off the top, cut in half, then seed and slice into strips. Set aside.

(fyi, if you're short on time, just buy the roasted red peppers in the jar)

TO ASSEMBLE

To make the panini, spread generous amounts of the sundried tomato/pesto spread on one side of all the pieces of bread. On four of the pieces, arrange 1/4 of the chicken slices, 1/4 of the pepper slices, and two pieces of provolone. To with the other four pieces of bread with the spread face down. Butter both sides of sandwich, then grill in panini maker or on a skillet over medium-low heat. (If you use a skillet, set a heavy pan or skillet on top of the sandwich as each side browns.)

Slice sandwiches in half and serve immediately with cold grapes. Delish!

Serves 4.

Roast Chicken and Vegetables for Two

One of my favorite wedding gifts we received happened to be the Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford. I have to admit, at first some of the recipes seemed pretty intimidating. I'm not sure why? But for the first time in a long time, I sat down and actually read through it. And while a lot of the dishes seem fancy, the directions seem, for the most part, fairly uncomplicated. I knew I needed to start tackling some of the recipes, so I decided to start with an easy one. And oh.my.goodness.
This dish is so delicious.
Have you ever tried to roast a chicken, only for it to turn out dry and disappointing?... No? Just me? Ok, well, even so, this chicken really has no choice but to stay moist with all the juices involved. And the veggies that go with it?? YUM.

Mary and Sara recommend spicing things up a bit if you end up using this recipe a lot, by using a rub or a glaze. Their suggestions: "experiment by rubbing the bird with jerk or Cajun seasoning, a cumin and coriander spice mixture, or coarse lavender salt (there are so many great spice rubs out in the marketplace to try). Brushing with a mixture of warm honey, rosemary, and cayenne is over the top (I tried this one, but definitely keep a close eye on it, because the glaze will burn), and basting with bacon grease and maple syrup is sweet home Carolina (tent with foil midway through roasting if using sweet glazes, to avoid burning)."

Roast Chicken and Vegetables for Two

(Original recipe by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford)

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, cut into thirds
• 6 small red mew potatoes, quartered if large
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 6 wedges
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Put the carrots, potatoes, and onion in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Toss the vegetables with 1 tablespoon of butter. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.  Spread the vegetables to the edges of the baking dish, making room for the chicken.
Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the chicken and discard. Rinse the bird under cold running water and pat dry. Put the chicken, breast-side up, in the center of the baking dish. Brush the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season the cavity and skin generously with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Put the lemon quarters and rosemary sprigs inside the cavity. Put the garlic cloves under the chicken to prevent them from burning.
Roast for 45 minutes.  Remove the dish from the oven.  Using tongs, tilt the chicken, pouring the juices from the cavity onto the vegetables, and shake to coat.  Baste the chicken with the pan juices.  If the bird is browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.  Continue roasting until the chicken is a deep golden brown and the juices run clear when the tip of a knife is inserted into the thigh joint, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh, away from the bone, registers 170 to 175 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes more.
Transfer the chicken to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Using the back or a spoon, mash the garlic and squeeze some lemon into the pan juices. Toss the juices with the vegetables. Carve the chicken* and serve the vegetables alongside. Drizzle any remaining juices over the chicken.

Note: Our favorite way to serve roasted chicken to our families is to carve all the meat from the bones after the meat has rested and chop it into bite-sized pieces. We then return the meat to the garlicky, lemony pan juices, re-season it with more salt and pepper, and toss with the vegetables. This way, every last bit of chicken is well seasoned and moist throughout (breasts included).


*Carving a Chicken or Turkey

1. Anchor the breast of the bird with a carving fork and, using a boning or carving knife, cut through the skin between the thigh and the breast. Pull the leg and second joint outward. This exposes the joint at the bottom of the thigh, which is easily cut through.
2. Detach the leg and cut the thigh away from the drumstick. Turn the bird around and repeat with the other leg.
3. If serving the wings separately, pull the wing out from the breast and cut through the joint that connects with wing to the breast.  Repeat with the other wing.
4. For chicken, you may opt to serve the breasts whole. To do this, cut between the meat and the bone, angling the knife toward the bone. Otherwise, cut thin slices of the breast meat on a diagonal to the breastbone, including a little skin with each slice.

Y'all are going to have to excuse me for being so quiet lately. My other blog has been suffering from neglect as well. But I'm fixin' to remedy that right now. :)

Ever tried to make fried chicken at home, only to be disappointed that it just didn't turn out quite right? I'm a true Southern girl who loves her some fried chicken (in moderation, of course). And as much I like some KFC or Bojangles, I needed to be able to brag that I can cook some fried chicken. It's just one of those things I needed to do myself.
I tried so many different kinds of recipes over the years, but this one is the only one that really doesn't disappoint. The chicken stays juicy and the crust is crispy. Perfect combo. (I mean, really. Who wants a soggy chicken?)

Southern Fried Chicken

(original recipe by Paula Deen)

(photo source Food Network)

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• About 1 cup hot red pepper sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• House seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 (1 to 2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
• Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil

Directions

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the house seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.
Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.

*Added by me: Try a true Southern method of draining the chicken and place it on a paper bag. It absorbs the grease and won't cost you in paper towels. :)

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Simple Split Chicken Breast

Need a super easy dinner idea during this busy season?? Great, then keep reading.

I don't even remember where I found this recipe, but it's now one of my last-minute go-to recipes. It's actually really budget friendly as well. Watch your circulars. Most stores will do a major sale on bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. I think the lowest I ever found was $.77/lb. Still good, right?

Anyways, it takes about 5 minutes to prepare, and it smells divine while cooking.

Simple Split Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs split chicken breasts (bone-in)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt (this is important, don't sub for regular table salt)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

(To minimize the risk of transferring bacteria, I go ahead and pour olive oil in a small bowl, then mix the seasonings in a small bowl. Also, go ahead and get your roasting pan...with rack inserted...out next to the sink.)

Wash the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Use your hands to coat the skin lightly with olive oil. Season (on both sides) with the kosher salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Roast on a rack or tin broiler for 1 hour. Let sit 10 minutes and serve.

Easy Asian-Style Chicken Appetizers

I know we're all excited about Thanksgiving coming up and everything, but you realize that once those leftovers are stuffed in the back of the fridge, it's already time to start planning (or just attending) Christmas parties!

I love party food. It's like going to the grocery store and eating all those little samples, but you can come back for more. And you don't feel like a cow, because the majority of the food is bird sized! You just have to be smart about what you pick up. Not only for calorie reasons (but who watches those during the holidays...), but because you don't want to be left staaarving after the food is gone. Even if you're trying to impress your friend's cute neighbor by not scarfing cake, eating nothing but broccoli off the veggie tray is definitely a bad idea (also, don't eat broccoli at a party. it gets in your teeth, and people are just too awkward to tell you about it).

 

So on to the recipe...

 

This is the perfect party food. It's yummy, filling, and won't have the cute neighbor walking away disgusted by your teeth. Also, very easy to make!

 

It's from kraftfoods.com and is so worth trying.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

(ps. the caps... their emphasis on the brands, not mine. although I do agree, there's just no substituting a Ritz).

 

3 Tbsp. KRAFT GOOD SEASONS Asian Sesame with Ginger Dressing

1 Tbsp.  KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise

1-1/2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken

8   snow peas, chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Dash  freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

24   RITZ Crackers

 

Directions:

MIX dressing and mayo in medium bowl until well blended.
ADD all remaining ingredients except nuts and crackers; mix well.
SPOON chicken mixture onto crackers just before serving; top with nuts.

Makes 12 servings.

Extra tips:

Use a cooked rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to make this dish even easier!

Chicken mixture can be prepared in advance. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator up to 24 hours before using as directed. For best results, spoon onto crackers just before serving.

Chicken and Mixed Veggie Quesadillas

I'm a sucker for any type of quesadilla or taco loaded with veggies. I also prefer chicken instead of beef. So I was excited when I found this one on Food Network's website. It has a ton of flavor, aaaaand... it's super easy! What's not to like?? Ok, well, maybe you won't like it if you hate mushrooms. But seriously, you hardly know they're there. I swear it's worth trying. Come on, be adventurous. ;)

Chicken and Mixed Veggie Quesadillas

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 cooked chicken breast halves
• 8 (6 to 8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup chopped red onions
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers (from water-packed jar)
• 1/2 cup sliced artichokes (from water-packed can or jar) ... I know. Ew, right? I promise they're good. Just give it a try. If you really hate them, you can just pick them out. :)
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese, for each quesadilla 

Directions

Coat a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Set pan over medium heat to preheat. Using a fork, pull chicken meat from bone in shreds.
Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top 1 side of each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken, mushrooms, red peppers, and artichokes. Top vegetables with shredded cheese. Fold over tortillas, making a half moon. Place quesadillas in (or on) prepared pan and cook 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese melts.