Italian Parmesan Chicken (aka Miracle Whip Chicken)

Here's a recipe Mary picked up while we lived in Provo, and she has adopted it as her own over the years.  It is a family favorite, and quick and easy to make!  Probably not authentic, but tasty all the same!  I recently searched for this recipe in every cookbook we own, and I finally found it!  I have added my sweetheart's modifications, since she adds 'em by taste and memory, so enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Parmesan Grated Cheese
• 1/3 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
• 1 - 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts (raw).
• 1 Tbsp Water
• Dash of Italian Seasoning (¼ to ½ tsp)
• Dash of Garlic Power (¼ to ½ tsp)

Directions:

1. Thaw 1 to 2 pounds of boneless chicken breast.
2. Quarter meat to provide manageable serving sizes.
3. Place chicken in small baking pan (e.g. cake pan) lined with tinfoil
4. Stir together equal amounts of Miracle Whip Salad (increase sauce to ½ cups each if needed)
5. Add water and seasoning to Parmesan whip mixture.
6. Spread sauce over chicken breasts evenly.
7. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, or until well done (no pink!).

Recommendations:

• Serve over Mashed Potatoes!  The sauce becomes the gravy!
• The chicken does not need to be pre-cooked or even browned.
• Quartered/thin slices of chicken are recommended to insure doneness when cooking.
• Feel free to substitute mayonnaise if you did not grow up with the tangy zip of Miracle Whip!

Original recipe is credited to Sharese Mohlman

Sesame Chicken and Rice

My children love the traditional modern Americanized Asian classic of "Sweet & Sour" Sesame Chicken that can be found at most Chinese/Japanese/Thai restaurants.  And what's not to like about sweet, deep-fried meat? ;-)

However, I was never raised with fried foods; my mother generally baked everything we ate... even fried chicken was oven-baked.  The only time my parents dusted off the electric frying pan and poured in some oil was when making homemade cinnamon-sugar doughnuts, or filleting trout and perch caught in the Deer Creek Reservoir when I went boating or ice fishing with my Dad.

So, I only fry on occasions as well.  I've tried a few different recipes for frying up sesame chicken, and they've been alright.  Most have been fairly intensive in preparation, so I haven't repeated them.  I have a lot of experience cooking and baking, and I love to tweak recipe's.  So how nice it was to stumble across this recipe!  Simple, fast, and requiring only minor modifications.

I did throw in half a can of pineapple tidbits, and substituted finely diced onions for green shoots.  Also, I didn't have any sesame oil; that's an ingredient I would like to add to or pantry.  The chicken came out tender and delicious!  And I'm pretty sure it wasn't rabbit.  As an aside, my wife has become quite adept at skinning rabbits, and when cooked right, rabbit taste like chicken!  So if you have some on hand to process, feel free to substitute some good rabbit meat for the chicken.  :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Chicken Breast Strips (or diced chicken)
• 1 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• ¼ cups Apple Cider Vinegar
• ⅓ cups thinly sliced green onions (or finely chopped yellow onion)
• 3 Tbsp each of Honey, Brown Sugar, and Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh Ginger (or ¼ tsp ground)
• ¼ cup each of Flour and Cornstarch
• 3 Tsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds (optional, but recommended for appearance)
• 2 cups long-grained white rice, cooked.
• ½ can of pineapple tidbits (optional)
• Steamed vegetables (recommended!)

Instructions:

1. Place raw Chicken and 1 Tbsp soy sauce in a sturdy zip-lock bag.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 2 Tbsp soy sauce, vinegar, onions, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, and ginger.  Set aside.
3. Sift flour and cornstarch and pour into the bag with the chicken marinade.
4. Shake and roll bag to coat Chicken; let your kids do this until Chicken is coated thoroughly!
5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Stir-fry chicken tenders 4 - 5 minutes, or until no longer pink.  Don't over-cook!
7. Stir bowl of sauce mixture into pan of chicken, and add sesame seeds.
8. Stir until bubbly and thickened.  

Serve over hot rice!  2 cups of white rice can be easily prepared by rice to a boil in 4 cups of water, and then dropping heat to low for 20 minutes until water is fully absorbed.

As a mix-in, add a generous helping of pineapple to make it truly sweet  & sour!  My kids love it that way, and makes it more of a Hawaiian Chicken Stir-fry.

But feel free to expand on this recipe and steam whichever vegetables your family loves!  Fresh steamed broccoli, sliced carrots, water chestnuts, sugar-snap peas, peppers, and mushrooms.  It's a good way to sneak a salad into the main dish!

Mary's Honey-Lemon-Mustard Chicken

Main Ingredients:

• 4-5 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thigh's
• Paprika ~ a few pinches
• Lemon Juice ~ sprinkle to taste

 Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. Curry
• 1 cap Lemon Juice (1½ tsp.) 
• 3/4 cup Honey 
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup Mustard

Directions:  

1. Line a small or medium sized pan with tin foil.
2. Apply light cooking spray.
3. Place Chicken in the pan and sprinkle with lemon juice and paprika. 
• Just a smidgeon of Paprika... it's purpose is aesthetic as much as taste.
4. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 20 - 25 minutes, until lightly cooked. 
5. Remove pan and drain most of the juices. 
6. Pour sauce over the top of the chicken and cook another 10 - 15 minutes, or until tender.

NOTE: We like to spoon the excess sauce over mashed potatoes as a fun alternative to gravy!

Beefy Chicken Breast

Spread bottom of pan with packaged chipped beef, cut up (a few Budding 3 oz packages). Place raw chicken breasts on top. Pour 1-10 3/4 oz. can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup mixed with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 c. sour cream. Bake at 350° until done.  OR, can be done in electric frying pan.

These are just easy and tasty.

Ellen's Chinese Chicken Salad

Whisk together dressing:
2/3 c. oil
5 TBSP rice vinegar
3 TBSP white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper

Pour over 1/2 head of chopped cabbage, some diced green onions, 1 cup of frozen peas, and 1/2 package of smashed uncooked Ramen noodles (seasoning package not needed). Chill in fridge until ready to eat. Add in some leftover shreds from a cold Rotisserie chicken to make it a main dish on a sweltering summer's eve.

Lanny's Yummy Rice

I use a large flatish broiler pan with the drip tray.

First, chop up an onion and and some garlic and you can either put it in the broiler pan, or brown it in butter first (tastes better this latter way) and mix it with a couple of cups of brown or white rice in the pan itself. If you have the green onions, or if your onions have decided to group and sprouted a little, it adds some color to chop up the sprout part and add that. You can also add thinly sliced carrots if you like. Mix in a large can of cream of chicken soup. Add a small can of mushrooms or several chopped up fresh ones if you prefer. Add a couple of cups of water, salt and pepper to taste. (You can add a packet of instant chicken gravy if you like).

Place a cut-up chicken (or should I say "sliced up" so you don't get a creepy image of a hyperactive chicken spouting one-liners?) on the drip tray, and cover with foil. Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees, but depending on altitude and my poor memory, it could be a little more than that.

Remove the foil and put the chicken on a serving tray. If you're a heathen, you can serve the rice right out of the broiler pan like I prefer to do, or if you're more civilized you can put it in a serving bowl. Either way, you should stir it up to mix any settled ingredients evenly.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This probably isn't a healthy soup but my excuse is that it will help us with some additional padding in the cold winter season. I even lowered the excessive amount of butter from the original recipe (you're welcome)!

1-2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked with a dash of chili powder (either microwave or cook in a separate pan)
1 Onion
1 green pepper (optional)
1 pint Half & Half (I hope to experiment with milk someday, I'll let you know how that turns out)
1 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
4 c. chicken broth (bullion granules + water work fine)
1 c. cheese (plus some for garnish)
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes (with or w/out chilis)
1 can corn, drained (or use frozen)
1-2 cans beans of your choice, drained and rinsed (we like black beans and kidney beans)
Taco Seasonings (packet or homemade - chili powder, cumin, paprika, mustard, Mrs. Dash)
Sriracha chili paste (optional, but Thayne loves to add it)

Saute onion and green pepper in butter. Add Half & Half. Slowly add in and WHISK flour. Add chicken broth, cheese, cooked chicken, tomatoes, and seasonings. Rinse beans in a collander and add. Add drained corn. Season with taco seasonings and Sriracha (optional) to make it as hot as you dare.

Serve with tortilla chips, a little more cheese, and a small dollop of sour cream to cool it down.

Alison's Honey Mustard Chicken

1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. mustard
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. paprika

Mix ingredients and pour over ~4 defrosted chicken breasts in 9x9 pan. Let marinate for 30 minutes or so. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Flip and spoon glaze over chicken. Continue baking for 15 minutes more. Extra glaze goes nicely over some Rice-a-roni. Serve with butternut squash or broccoli.

Pseudo Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Pseudo Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole


2 chicken breasts, microwaved and cubed
Leftover ham, cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2-3/4 can milk
1 box Stove Top chicken stuffing
Can of corn and/or green beans (or frozen)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded (or cheddar)

Mix all ingredients except cheese in a bowl. Spoon into 13x9 dish. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until bubbly and warm. Set the table and proceed to snarf it down!

Alternate rendition: use cubed turkey instead of ham and chicken and use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken soup.

Eryn's Crockpot Chicken Soup

This is nothing fancy, but turned out pretty good!

Ingredients:
8 cups chicken broth (I just used 8 cups of water and some bouillon cubes)
2 cups diced celery
1 medium onion
2 cups diced carrots
1-2 lbs chicken, diced (can throw it in raw or throw it in a pan for a couple minutes with the onion to seal in juices)
Bag of frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups rice (I used brown)
3 cloves garlic
Some lemon pepper
Some thyme
Some basil

Preparation

Throw (or place) everything in the crockpot except for the rice and leave on high for 2-3 hours. Throw the rice into the pot for another hour and you should be good to go!

I will post a picture later - I took one using my phone.

Mary's Honey-Lemon-Mustard Chicken

Mary picked up this recipe from one of the sisters in our BYU young married student wards. It's a quick, easy recipe that has a great sweet & sour tang to it! It's perfect for serving over potatoes or rice, and we all enjoy it. Boil up some frozen or canned vegetables for a side, open a can of pears or peaches for your fruit, and voila! Instant dinner when you have less than an hour to prepare it!

Here is the recipe, if you choose to accept it! Enjoy.


Main Ingredients:

• 4-5 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thigh's
• Paprika
• Sprinkle of Lemon Juice
  

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. Curry
• 1 cap Lemon Juice (1½ tsp.)
• 3/4 cup Honey
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup Mustard
  

Directions:

• Line a small or medium sized pan with tin foil. Apply light cooking spray
• Place Chicken in the pan and sprinkle with lemon juice and paprika.
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 20 - 25 minutes, until lightly cooked.
• Remove pan and drain most of the juices.
• Pour sauce over the top of the chicken and cook another 10 - 15 minutes, or until tender
  

NOTE: We like to spoon the excess sauce over mashed potatoes as a fun alternative to gravy!

Alison's Chicken Chalupas

This is a casserole my mother made often for my family and also happens to be one of Thayne's favorites.

1-2 chicken breast, cubed and cooked
1 chopped onion, sauteed
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 to 1 pint sour cream
2 cups cheese
1 can olives
1 can green chiles (optional)
Seasonings - Curry powder, Mrs. Dash, Lemon Pepper, Chile Powder
6-7 flour tortilla shells

Saute onions. Cook chicken cubes. Combine all ingredients in a bowl to make a lovely mix of flavors. Spread a dollop or two of the mixture onto the bottom of your 9x13 pan so the tortillas don't stick (or you can use Pam, w/e you prefer). Spread two spoonfuls into each tortilla shell, roll up, and place into the prepared pan. Be sure to save enough of the mixture to spread on top to keep shells from drying out and burning. Sprinkle some extra cheese on top, too. Mmmm, cheesey goodness! Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour until nice and bubbly. Devour! You can add some salsa, guacamole, and/or more sour cream on top/side if you'd like.

Chicken Divine Alternative Rock #1

For a little while, we had to avoid feeding eggs to Lizzy due to a luckily short-lived allergy. That meant avoiding some salad dressings like Mayonnaise. Oh dear, mayonnaise is in daddy's Chicken Divine! Well, have no fear, we'll just oust from the recipe! I also experimented with a few other changes. We were out of broccoli, the main and really only veggie in the dish. Well have no fear, we'll just use some other veggies like oh, a can of corn and a can of green beans!

2 cups cooked rice
1-2 chicken boobies, cut up and cooked (sorry, old habit from my Aunt Jane)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 large dollops of sour cream (hehe, I love the word 'dollop'!)
A splash or two of milk
Handful or two of cheese
1 can corn
1 can green beans
Curry powder (daddy would be heartbroken if forgotten)
Mrs. dash (addicting stuff)
Lemon pepper (also addictive)
Any other seasonings you see fit to use
More cheese

Layer the cooked rice into a 9x13 pan. Mix together soup, sour cream, milk, cheese, veggies, seasonings, and chicken in a bowl and spread over rice. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top (mustn't forget or else I'll be heartbroken). Warm in oven at 350 degrees until bubbly and cheese is gooey. Now devour the divine stuff!

Chicken Enchiladas (Mary)

With Mary's dictation and permission, I'll post her famous recipe...Mom mentions that Mary often makes these for our Park City condo vacation in the summer and we all love it!

Start by cooking 2 cups of diced chicken. To keep it extra moist, Mary suggests steaming it a bit by throwing a bit of water on and the pan with a lid.

Mix 1 cup sour cream and 1 can cream of chicken soup.

While the chicken is cooking, melt 1 T butter in a large pan. Add 1 c. fresh chopped onions and 1 t. chili powder. (You can optionally add a 4 oz. can of green chiles. Mary says she will if she doubles the recipe, but otherwise it's over-powering.) Caramelize the onions in the butter and chili powder mix.

Add the cooked chicken to the onions and throw in about 1/3 to 1/2 of the sour cream/soup mixture. Turn the heat to Low and stir all together until it begins to bubble. Now trace lines on the mixture to divide it into 8ths. (Each eighth will be about 3 spoonfuls)

Spray a casserole dish and spoon a very thin layer of soup/sour cream mixture on the bottom. (This keeps the enchiladas from being hard on the bottom.) Spoon 1/8 of the mixture onto each of 8 flour tortilla shells. Roll up without folding in the ends. Cover all 8 with the remainder of the soup/sour cream mix.

Cover with foil and bake at 375º for 15 minutes.

(Optionally, you can also spread mild red enchilada sauce before the cheese.) Sprinkle 1 c. of grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese on top.

Bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.

Enjoy!

Chicken Corn Chowder

Saute in butter until tender:
3/4 c. chopped celery
3/4 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. butter

Add:
1 3/4 c. milk
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can corn
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. salt

Heat until chowder is hot but not boiling.

Chicken Divine

Blend:
2 c. cooked chicken
1 c. mayonnaise
2 cans cream (of chicken, of mushroom or of celery) soup
1 t. curry
1 T. lemon juice

Rice:
Stir 2 c. raw rice into 5 c. cold water. Bring to boil. Turn heat to low. Cover. Cook 20 minutes.

Cook 1 bunch cut-up broccoli (or use 2-10 oz. packages of broccoli). Drain. Layer cooked rice, broccoli, chicken, sauce and top with grated cheese and/or toast crumbs.

Bake 30 minutes at 350º.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Credited to Alberta Hall, this is fabulous for gatherings and potlucks.

Cook and cube:
4 boneless chicken breasts

Cook and drain:
2 pkgs (12-oz each) multi color corkscrew pasta

Slice:
2 c. red and green grapes

Chop:
2 c. celery

Add:
1/2 - 1 c. slivered almonds
Season all (to taste)

Combine all with
1 16-oz. bottle of Hidden Valley coleslaw salad dressing

Chill.