Chicken Marsala

4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

All-purpose flour, for dredging

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

8 ounces crimini or porcini mushrooms, stemmed and halved

1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them; pound with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly.

Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden, turning once – do this in batches if the pieces don't fit comfortably in the pan. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.
Lower the heat to medium and add the prosciutto to the drippings in the pan, saute for 1 minute to render out some of the fat. Now, add the mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the Marsala in the pan and boil down for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan; simmer gently for 1 minute to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Tara’s Chicken Salad

2-3 chicken breasts, shredded
Golden raisins
Mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip) until moist
Diced green peppers
Green onion, chopped
Celery

Boil chicken and shred.  Add remainder of ingredients.  Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Serve chilled in croissants. 

**This is a good recipe for recycling chicken.  We like this as a summer recipe.

Creamy Italian Chicken

¼ cup butter
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Italian Dressing mix packet
1 (4 ounce) container cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup (see alternative below)

Cream of Mushroom Alternative:

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms, keep the juice in

For cream mixture: Melt butter. Add flour and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Slowly add milk while stirring. Add mushrooms. Allow to thicken over medium heat.

In a crockpot melt butter.  Add chicken and sprinkle packet of Italian Dressing mix over the chicken.  Cook on high for 3-5 hours until chicken is done.  Shred with a fork.  Add cream cheese and cream of mushroom soup (or alternative).  Cook on low for 1 more hour.  Serve over rice.

Dijon-Lime Chicken

3 ½ lb. Precut chicken or Split breasts
3 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP Mayonnaise
1 clove minced garlic
 zest and juice of 1 lime
¾ teaspoon pepper
Salt

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry; place in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, garlic, lime zest and juice, and pepper.  Season the chicken generously with salt.  Pour the mustard-mayonnaise mixture over the chicken and toss well to coat.  In a large baking pan, arrange the chicken to fit in a single layer.  Bake until it is cooked through; breasts will take about 30 minutes and lets will need 5-10 minutes longer.  Serve the chicken with the pan juices drizzled over the top.  If desired sprinkle a little more lime zest on chicken as a garnish

Chicken Pot Pie

1 Package (10 ounce) frozen Vegetables (Your choice...I like mixed & add extra)
⅓ cup butter or stick margarine
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup onion
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ¾ cups chicken broth (1 can)
⅔ cup milk
2 ½ to 3 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey
Frozen Pie Crust (the roll out kind works great!)

 Rinse frozen peas and carrots in cold water to separate; drain.  Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat.  Stir in broth and milk.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Stir in chicken and peas and carrots; remove from heat.  Heat oven to 425º.  Make pastry.  Roll two-thirds of the pastry into 13-inch square.  Ease into ungreased square pan, 9 X 9 X 2 inches.  Pour chicken mixture into pastry-lined pan.  Cover top with remaining pastry.  Cut slits in top.  Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown.

**Good recipe for using up leftover chicken.

Lemon Basil Chicken

1 cup Miracle Whip
2 teaspoon honey
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 fryer, cut up (2 ½-3 lbs.)
 
Preheat oven to 375 º.  Mix Miracle Whip, juice, honey, and basil.  Place chicken in 13X9 baking dish (sometimes I place cooked/uncooked rice and a little water under the chicken).  Spread with salad dressing mixture.  Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through and rice is cooked. 

*This recipe is nothing special, but its kid friendly and a good way to use chicken.  I like to use the precut fryer or just the split bone-in chicken breasts, which are less expensive anyways; making this a cheap meal!

Easy Chicken Wrap

⅓ cup mayonnaise

4 whole wheat tortillas
2 cups cooked chicken Breast (I like mine shredded)
¼ cup roasted sweet red peppers
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup sliced Basil leaves

Warm tortilla and chicken.  Spread Mayonnaise on tortilla and top with chicken and remaining ingredients.

*With this recipe I like to boil a split chicken breast (the bone-in kind...remove the skin) ahead of time.  Bone-in chicken tends to be cheaper, so its a good way to save money.  Boil the chicken until its done then remove and cool.  When chicken is cool, remove from the bone and set aside.  You can do this a day or so in advance or earlier in the day, which will make this a quick meal when you're ready to eat.  I like to plan this meal around another meal involving boiled chicken, because then I can do it all at once and utilize the chicken in several meals.

Easy Curry Chicken

*I got this recipe from my sister Diane

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or shredded)

Baby carrots, halved or quartered
Celery, ½ inch pieces
Garlic, minced
1 apple, peeled and cubed
Raisins
Curry powder to taste

Cream Mixture:

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 ¾ cups milk
½ cup chicken broth

Sauté baby carrots, celery, and garlic until crisp-tender (about 5 minutes).  [While this is cooking start cream mixture.]  Mix chicken and raisins into vegetables. 

Cream Mixture: Melt butter in a separate sauce pan.  Add flour to melted butter and mix over medium heat 1 minute.  Mixture should be thick and bubbly.  Slowly add milk and broth while stirring.  Allow to thicken over medium heat.  Add to chicken mixture.

 Add curry powder to taste.  When almost done, peel and cube apple.  Add to chicken mixture.  Serve over white rice.

***This recipe is easy if you're in the mood for curry chicken and don't want to devote a lot of time. The mixture of the curry, sweet, and salty is so yummy!  If you aren't lactose intollerant you can omit the butter, milk and broth and add 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 1/2 a can of water.

Garlic Chicken

**You do have to like garlic for this one, but its very good!

2 teaspoons crushed garlic
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves ( prefer to do 2 boneless skinless breast halves sliced in half lengthwise to make 4...saves money and you get a better proporting of flavors to meat...)

Preheat oven to 425°.  Warm garlic and oil to blend flavors.  In a separate dish combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Dip chicken into the oil mixture then dry mixture to coat.  Bake in shallow baking dish for 30-35 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
*Note: If you don’t have a food processor to make fresh bread crumbs, you can try using a blender and pulsing the crumbs or try using panko bread crumbs (usually found in the Asian foods aisle). If you are using a food processor, you can also add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the bread crumbs and pulse to combine to create an even finer crumb.

4 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1-2 thick slices whole wheat bread (for about 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Combine butter and garlic in an 8- or 10-inch skillet. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted. Pour the butter/garlic mixture into a shallow pie plate or similar dish and cool to room temperature. Pound the 4 chicken pieces with a meat tenderizer until they are about 1/4-inch thick.
In the bowl of a food processor, tear the bread into large chunks, and pulse until the bread is ground into crumbs. Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow pie plate or shallow bowl and toss with the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Dip each chicken breast in the melted, cooled garlic butter. Transfer to the bread crumb mixture and turn until coated on all sides. Arrange the chicken in one flat layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle any of the remaining melted butter over the chicken. Bake the chicken until it is lightly browned and just cooked through, 40-50 minutes. The baking time will depend on the thickness and size of the chicken you are using. Don’t overcook or the chicken will be dry.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

*I got this recipe my cousin Hila

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise

4 slices deli ham
8 slices deli Swiss cheese
Salt, Pepper & Garlic powder to taste
¼ to ½ cup bread crumbs, seasoned or unseasoned

Preheat oven to 350°.  With a sharp knife slice each breast in half length way so you have two thinner breasts.  Pound each chicken breast to about ¼ inch thickness.  Sprinkle both sides of each breast with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.  Place one slice of ham on each breast, and then one slice of cheese on each slice of ham.  Roll chicken breast up and secure with a toothpick.  Transfer to greased backing pan.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Cover with foil (or put on a cookie sheet and freeze, then store properly for the freezer).  Bake for 40 minutes or until juices fun clear.  Remove from oven and place another slice of cheese atop each breast.  Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serves 4.

*Lactose free tip: I leave the cheese off of my chicken piece and just make sure I mark it with an extra toothpick or something

 **My Notes:  I always double this recipe and freeze half of them for later use.  Prepare as directed except everything that comes after putting it in the oven.

I*** hate pounding the chicken out, but its much easier to do after slicing the chicken in half.  I like slicing it because there is also a better distribution of chicken to ham to cheese.