Chicken Recipes

Remember the good old days of big family meals at grandma’s house?  Undoubtably, chicken was often on the menu.  One of the ways grandma could feed the whole family inexpensively was with a big pot of chicken and dumplings.  If you want to revisit those meals with your own, here is a recipe for chicken and dumplings.  Now they may not taste like grandma’s, after all she was the best cook around, but they will probably be real close.  Nostalgia Chicken and Dumplings is a great, inexpensive way to feed your family today.  Aren’t we all looking for ways to cut back on spending?

NOSTALGIC CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

6 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed2 whole cloves12 frozen pearl or small whole onions, thawed1 bay leaf1 garlic clove, minced1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp dried thyme1/2 tsp dried marjoram1/4 tsp black pepper1 cup chicken broth3 tbsp cornstarch1/4 cup cold water1/2 tsp browning sauce, optional1 cup Bisquick baking mix6 tbsp milk1 1/2 tsp parley flakesPlace chicken in a slow cooker. Insert cloves in an onion and add to slowcooker. Add bay leaf and remaining onions. Sprinkle chicken with garlic, salt, thyme, marjoram, and pepper. Pour broth over chicken. Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours until the chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken and keep warm. Discard cloves and bay leaf. Increase temperature to high. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, water, and browning sauce until smooth. Slowly stir into the slow cooker. In another bowl, combine biscuit mix, milk, and parsley. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto simmering liquid. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes without lifting lid. Dumplings are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve dumplings and gravy over/with chicken.

Enjoy!

If you have fond memories of walking into mom or grandma’s house to the scent of delicious food smells wafting in from the kitchen, chances are chicken was one of the dishes tantalizing you.  Here is a great old recipe for Mary Esther’s Chicken Casserole.  This is a great economical way to serve dinner for your family.  This one dish has meat, pasta, vegetables, and dairy.  If you are a working mom or having an especially busy day you can still make this recipe work for you.  Pick up a deli roasted chicken rather than cooking your own.  While the noodles cook, you will have the time to remove the chicken from the bone.  Then you can quickly toss the ingredients together and it only has to bake for 30 minutes.  Add a salad and you are ready to gather the family around for a quick, easy, and tasty meal.

MARY ESTHER’S CHICKEN CASSEROLE

6 to 8 pieces chicken, white or dark1 pkg (8-oz) egg noodles1/4 cup margarine2 medium onions, chopped3 tbsp flour2 cup milk2 tbsp parsley flakes1 3/4 tsp salt1/8 tsp pepper2 tsp Worcestershire sauce1 cup cottage cheese (small curd)1 pkg (10-oz) frozen peas1 1/2 cups sliced carrots, cooked1 cup shredded cheddar cheese3 tbsp Miracle WhipCook chicken and remove from bone. Cook the noodles. Set to one side while preparing the sauce. To make sauce: Melt the butter and add onions, saute just until onions are slightly cooked. Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute. Add milk, parsley and the seasonings. Cook until smooth. Combine chicken, noodles, vegetables, and the sauce and the Miracle Whip. Bake in a large casserole covered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove cover and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and continue baking five more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Note:  For today’s busy cook, a deli roasted chicken would work easily in this recipe.

Enjoy!

Chicken has been a family favorite and a cook’s standby since our earliest days.  And sometimes it is just hard to improve on the old fashion recipes grandma used.  Here are two chicken recipes from my vintage recipe collection.  Baked Chicken Breasts is a chicken rice dish.  Add a salad or a vegetable side and you have a meal.  This dish goes together quickly and bakes for 2 hours.  Put it in the oven and forget about dinner until a few minutes before it is done.  Miz Rowena’s casserole is a perfect way for diabetics to enjoy macaroni and cheese.BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS8 chicken breastssalt to tastepepper to taste1 can cream of celery soup1 can cream of mushroom soup1 1/4 cups milk2 cups instant rice1/2 envelope of dry onion soup mixPreheat oven to 325 degrees.Arrange chicken breasts, skin side up, in a greased oblong baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk together both soups, milk and rice. Pour mixture over the chicken breasts. Sprinkle the dry soup mix over the top. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours. MIZ ROWENA’S CHICKEN & MACARONI CASSEROLEThis recipe is from an old Southern Indiana newspaper clipping.2 to 3 cups cubed chicken (or turkey) that’s been cooked2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted2 cups milk1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed1/2 cup diced onion4 hard-boiled eggs, optionalMix all the ingredients together in a big bowl with a lid. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least half a day. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking time. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or dish. Spoon mixture into the pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.Note: Modern day advantage: You can melt the cheese in the milk in the microwave before mixing the ingredients. Enjoy!