Category Archives: Chicken

Tuscan Chicken Sandwich

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This sandwich was amazing – and I’m not ashamed to admit that! 😉 I was inspired by a sandwich that I love to order – something I have never done before. I like the idea of recreating and improving on a favorite meal and this was a successful first attempt. Thankfully the menu listed all ingredients that this sandwich requires so there was no guessing involved. I changed up some of the ingredients to accommodate what I had in my fridge. I didn’t make the ciabatta rolls at home, but these are bakery fresh and full of ingredients I can pronounce. I also didn’t make the cream cheese spread, but I bought it at my favorite specialty food market where they make so much on site. It’s a garlic and herb cheese spread that has cream cheese, basil, parsley and garlic – so it’s easy enough to make if you chose to. It’s basically a Boursin cheese spread, but I checked the ingredients on that and it’s not made with fresh herbs or garlic – pass! It’s not worth 5 plus dollars in my opinion…The basil pesto mayonnaise was super easy to make especially because I had about a cup of this pesto in my freezer.

Tuscan Chicken Sandwich – inspired by Common Grounds Cafe

For the marinade:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded to an even thickness
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
  • Italian seasoning
  • kosher salt
For the Sandwich:
  • basil mayo
  • garlic and herb cheese spread
  • sun dried tomatoes
  • salad greens or baby spinach
  • baby swiss
  • 4 ciabatta rolls, brushed lightly with olive oil for toasting on the grill
Directions:
1. Place your pounded chicken in a zip top bag. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour over top the chicken. Mush the bag to disperse the marinade, place the bag in a container and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
2. Preheat your grill to 350 – 400 degrees. Grill the chicken for 7 to 8 minutes a side and at about 5 minutes before the chicken is cooked through, toast your ciabatta rolls if desired. Take the rolls and the chicken off the grill and place a piece of baby swiss on each chicken breast (my slices are super thin so they melt quickly).
3. On one half of the roll, slather on a good amount of the garlic and herb cheese spread and place a piece of chicken on top. On top of the chicken, top with salad greens and sun dried tomatoes. Spread the pesto mayo on the top bun and place it on top of the sandwich – enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

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I have posted this teriyaki chicken marinade recipe two other times here but each time we’ve eaten it in a different way. The first time using thighs and serving with rice and veggies, the second time as a grilled chicken sandwich and now as kebabs! I marinated the chicken for over 20 hours and it makes such a difference. The flavors penetrate all the way into the meat and keep the chicken moist and tender. This is a double batch of what I normally use because I had about 3 pounds of chicken and about the same weight of bell peppers and mushrooms. We had friends over so there weren’t too many chicken leftovers and everyone enjoyed this – it’s always a hit with company! Thanks for reading, enjoy.
Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs  –
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2  TBSP honey
  • 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2  cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 – 3 inch piece of ginger, sliced thin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast – pounded thin and cut in 1″ chunks
  • 1 pound of crimini mushrooms
  • 3 bell peppers, cut into a large chunks
  • fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into rings (*I didn’t marinade these)
  • 15 to 20 skewers – *soaked for at least 3 hours
Directions:
1. Place your diced up chicken in a sealable container and pour half of the marinade over all and refrigerate overnight.
2. Marinade your diced peppers and cleaned mushrooms for at least 6 hours, and while those are marinating, soak your bamboo skewers.
3. Pull your chicken and veggies out of the fridge and start skewering them – I always keep the meat separate from the vegetables. I skewer about four or five pieces on each stick with a good amount of space in between to ensure even cooking and caramelization. Make sure you choose chicken pieces that are roughly the same size for the same skewer – again for even cooking.
4. Place the chicken on the grill over medium heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating them once. Place the veggies on the grill for 5 to 7 minutes or until done and charred nicely.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Whole Wheat Pita

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This is one of my sneaky ways of getting the family to eat healthier with me. It’s not that they don’t like this kind of meal, but I know if they had a choice – the first one wouldn’t be salad. I marinated the chicken souvlaki style and set it in the fridge for a couple of hours, and the chicken was moist and flavorful. I used my new favorite dressing – this stuff is so addicting I love it on veggies and sandwiches too. M didn’t like the pita because it was too chewy for him, but the kids and I didn’t mind that at all. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
White Whole Wheat Pita – adapted from King Arthur Flour
  • 1 3/4 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Bread Flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (*I didn’t end up using this, but it probably would have helped keep these moist)
Directions:

1.Combine all of the pita ingredients (except the oil for brushing), and mix and knead to make a soft, smooth dough.

2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup, cover it, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it’s just about doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, start to preheat your oven to 450°F, with a pizza stone on the bottom shelf, if you have one.

3. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, cover them, and let them rest for 10 minutes.

4. Working with two pieces of dough at a time, roll each into a 6″ circle. If you roll the dough about 7″ wide, it’ll shrink back to about 6″.

5. Carefully flop the dough onto the hot pizza stone. If you’re not using a pizza stone, put it on an ungreased baking sheet, and put the baking sheet on your oven’s bottom rack.

6. Bake for 4 minutes. The pitas should rise enthusiastically. If they’re on a stone, they’ll probably puff up like balloons; if they’re on a baking sheet, they’ll still expand; just not as vigorously.

7. Turn the pitas over, and bake for an additional 60 seconds.

8. Remove them from the oven, and brush with your favorite olive oil, plain or flavored. Wrap lightly in a cotton towel, to keep them soft. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough

Chicken Enchiladas – His Fave…

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Out of all the dinners I can think of, this has to be his most requested. I don’t understand why, I mean – they are really good – but it’s chicken. Not beef…weird. He doesn’t even want to try any other kind of enchilada – which bums me out because I love variety and trying out new recipes. Like, I would love to make cheese enchiladas…I haven’t had those in years! Anyway, these are more work than my average dinner, but they are so good. This time I’ve roasted my chicken instead of picking up a rotisserie chicken at Sam’s. I figured I could use the practice because Fall is around the corner and I love roasted chicken.

See the extra toasty bits on the tortillas? That is my favorite part – for some reason it’s sweeter there, and the salty/sweet combo is my fave! These turned out to be a little spicier than I remember – but I didn’t remove any of the seeds or ribs from the jalapenos I used. I used 10 medium sized flour tortillas,  so this could easily serve 6 to 8 people. I suppose you could halve the recipe, but he leftovers are just as good especially if you warm them up in the oven. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa – adapted from Food Network

Tomatillo Salsa:
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husked
  • 1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 jalapenos
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
Enchiladas:
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup AP flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock, store bought
  • Chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 large flour tortillas
  • 1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:

Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized – this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn’t burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dishand smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Warm up the tortillas in the microwave. Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it then place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish with cilantro and tomato.

Simple Roasted Chicken

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This is great practice in roasting for me – Fall is just around the corner! I love  Fall because of all the warm, comforting recipes I can make again. The chicken smelled amazing about 10 minutes in and only took about 70 minutes to cook to the 160 degree mark. Once the bird is out of the oven, it continues to cook (“carry-over cooking); so you want to take it out early or it will be toast!
Verdict: Moist, tender, delicious! Trussing the chicken does make a difference and using the probe thermometer makes this a worry free method of cooking the whole chicken. I’m not one to eat the skin, but it was nice and crispy and perfectly browned. Don’t throw the carcass away – there is a lot of great flavor and meat remaining which is perfect for making homemade chicken stock. I’m going to collect a few more for the freezer before making some. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Roast Chicken – 
  • 1 – 3.5 pound chicken
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon, halved (*rolled and pierced with the knife)
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
  • a hand full of cilantro
  • 1 TBSP softened butter
Special equipment:
  • kitchen twine for trussing (*not completely necessary, but it ensures even roasting and nicer presentation)
  • probe thermometer
  • half sheet pan
  • heavy duty foil
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wrap a half sheet pan in heavy duty foil.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of cilantro, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Insert a probe thermometer in the thickest part of the breast (*it’s the easiest, fool proof way of knowing when the chicken is finished cooking*)

Roast the chicken until a thermometer reads 160 degrees, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadilla

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Quick Post: I’ve never made quesadillas for dinner for anyone but the kids – these just looked and sounded so good. Instead of just pounding, seasoning then grilling my chicken, I marinade – always! This was a simple meal to prepare and I would make these again, thanks for reading, enjoy!

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadilla – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded
  • 1 tsp Cajun seasoning (recipe below)
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pineapple, sliced
  • Butter for the griddle
  • Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
  • 6 – 8 medium tortillas
  • jalapeno, seeded and sliced
  • barbecue sauce
Directions –
1. Place your chicken pieces in a zip top bag. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and Cajun seasoning until well combined. Pour over chicken, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
2. Preheat your grill to medium heat – grill the chicken for 7 minutes on each side or until done. Paint the cooked side with barbecue sauce after flipping.  Before the chicken is completely cooked, place your pineapple slices on the grill for about 5 minutes a side until you get nice grill marks. Set the cooked chicken and pineapple aside while you assemble the quesadillas.
3. Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.
4. To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges.

Cajun Seasoning – adapted from Food.com
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons white pepper
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt (optional)
1. Pour all seasonings into a small, air tight container – shake well to combine.

Chipotle Honey-Glazed Chicken

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I’m always on the lookout for new ways to prepare chicken. Chicken can get so boring, especially if you use the same few recipes over and over. Now, some people might be okay with that – but history shows me that my family quickly becomes “burned out” with certain meals. Years ago I used to make something called salsa chicken – it was so good. I would make it at least a few times a month (this was before I was brave and more experienced in the kitchen). Because of all that salsa chicken overkill, I haven’t made it in at least 4 or 5 years and I doubt I’ll ever make it again.

Verdict: If your family loves the smokey flavor of chipotle, this meal is for you. The honey chipotle glaze is slightly sweet so it cuts some of the heat of the chicken. My husband even said it should be on a menu…pretty high praise coming from a man who’s not very descriptive 😉 I’ll take that as a thumbs up from him. We ate this on a homemade sub roll (to be blogged about soon) with lettuce, tomato, avocado and some more of the glaze. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chipotle Honey-Glazed Chicken – adapted from Smells Like Home

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp chipotle chilies in adobo
  • 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2″ thickness
Directions –
1. The night before grilling, mix 1 TBSP ancho powder, cumin, coriander, paprika and salt in a small bowl. Place prepared chicken breast pieces in a zip top bag, drizzle with oil and pour spice mixture over all. Mush the bag to evenly coat the meat, then place the bag in the fridge.
2. Heat your grill to high. With a stick blender or food processor, blend together the honey, chipotle puree, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp oil.
3. Place the chicken on the grill and grill for about 7 minutes.  Flip the chicken and brush the pieces with the honey-chipotle sauce.  Cook for an additional 7 minutes.  Flip the chicken again and brush the other side with the sauce; cook for 1 more minute.    Flip once more and cook for another minute. Remove chicken from the grill and brush on more sauce as desired.

Poblano Chicken Salad

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I was inspired by this post to make this yummy sandwich – “inspired” because I modified this a lot to suit our tastes and my cooking style. I am so happy with how this little experiment tasted and I will make this again. The poblano gave this chicken salad a pleasant smokey/grassy flavor but if you don’t like poblano you could substitute red bell pepper. If my husband liked those I would try that combo sometime because I love the sweet flavor of a roasted bell pepper 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Poblano Chicken Salad – 

For the Roast Chicken:

  • 1 bone-in, skin on chicken breast
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt and pepper
For the Poblano Mayo:
  • 2 poblano peppers
  • 3 TBSP mayonnaise
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/8 tsp chili powder
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 vine ripened tomato, sliced
  • Romaine lettuce
  • sliced pepper jack cheese
Directions:
For chicken: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Prepare your chicken for roasting by washing with cool water then drying with paper towels. Drizzle olive oil over the top and season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Bake for 30 -35 minutes.  Place on a cooling rack when finished and let cool for at least 20 minutes before shredding. Set the shredded chicken aside.
For the poblano mayo: Place a rack about 6-8 inches away from your oven broiler, and set your oven to “broil”. Rinse your peppers, cut off the tops, take out the seeds and ribs inside. Take your knife and carefully cut in half from top to bottom. Place the peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place under the broiler for about 7-10 minutes. You want them to blacken and blister so you can easily remove the skin later. Take them out once they’re nice and charred – set them aside to cool until it’s safe to handle them. Peel the skin off all the peppers (it’s ok if you can’t get every bit off). Place the peeled peppers on a cutting board and dice them for easier blending.
Using your stick blender and carafe or a food processor, blend poblanos, mayo, salt, pepper cumin, chili powder, and lime juice together until the peppers are minced fine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add the poblano mayo and diced celery to the shredded chicken then mix until combined. Serve on toasted bread (or in a wrap) with lettuce, tomato and cheese; enjoy!

Crispy Chicken Sandwich

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Yum! Frying is something I don’t do very often so it’s definitely a treat for us. Everyone enjoyed it – even my pickiest eater. I love panko breadcrumbs because the texture creates the perfect, crunchy crust on whatever you stick it too. I have used it to top macaroni (twice), chicken parm, and mahi-mahi. I don’t even buy regular breadcrumbs anymore. Another great thing about this recipe is that it is easily modified if your family prefers more or less spice. Next time I might try more cayenne pepper or maybe I’ll add my homemade blackening seasoning to the panko. Oh, and if you don’t want to bother with pounding the chicken, you could use cutlets or chicken tenders and adjust the cooking time. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Crispy Chicken Sandwiches – Mom Makes…

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (I had 3 large)
  • 1 cup AP flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups panko
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • kosher salt and ground pepper
To finish the Sandwich:
  • sandwich rolls
  • pepper jack or your favorite cheese
  • Plum tomatoes, sliced
  • Romaine leaf lettuce
  • barbecue sauce, honey, ketchup or your preferred condiment
  • pickles
Directions –
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees and place a wire rack on top of a half sheet pan. Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag. Pound with the flat side of meat mallet until flattened to 1/2  inch thick. Once your chicken is pounded, cut each breast in half ( I ended up with 6 pieces). I did this so the chicken would fit better on the bun and also for easier cooking.
2. In a small bowl or shallow dish, season the flour with salt and black pepper, and lightly beat the eggs in another shallow dish. In a third shallow dish, combine panko breadcrumbs with oregano, garlic, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
3. Dredge pieces in the flour to coat, shaking off any excess flour. Dip the floured chicken into the egg and then coat with the panko mixture. Place on a plate to rest. Repeat with remaining pieces.
4.  Heat 1/ 2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, sprinkle a little flour over it. If it sizzles its ready. Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
5. Once the chicken is done, place on the rack lined baking sheet and lightly salt while still hot then place the sheet in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Assemble your sandwich and enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich on Rosemary Focaccia

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Quick Post: Oh, this was so good! I think this focaccia is my favorite savory bread to date, and thankfully it’s my husband’s too. The last time I made it I baked two loaves off in a 9 inch cake pans; we used one for something that I don’t remember and the other one was stashed in the freezer. I marinated chicken cutlets in my favorite marinade, grilled it, fried up some bacon, sliced a perfect avocado and Roma tomato. I sliced and toasted the focaccia, placed baby swiss on each slice, topped it with a spring mix, and the rest of the toppings. It was the perfect sandwich 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Simple Marinade for Chicken – Mom Makes

  • 2 pounds chicken breast, pounded to an even thickness (or use chicken cutlets)
  • Juice of one lemon (adding the zest would be a nice touch)
  • 4-6 TBSP olive oil (depends on how much lemon juice – more acid vs. oil will cook the chicken)
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • oregano, parsley or your other favorite herb mixture – dried or fresh
Directions –
1. Place your prepared chicken in a Ziploc bag or some other sealable container.  Combine all marinade ingredients thoroughly, and pour over top of your chicken. Place the chicken into the fridge to marinade for 1 to 5 hours.