Chicken Alabam

Yet another chicken recipe! Years ago when I had my third little baby, my mom came to stay with me. I always feel a lot more confident cooking around my mom because I feel if I get in a jam, she will know a way to get me out of it and make whatever I am cooking turn out all right. I decided I wanted to try a recipe in the Lion House "Classics" Cookbook. I am so glad that I did, because it was heavenly!
My Mom and I both agreed that it was one of our favorites and we have both made it over and over again.

8 pieces chicken
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
dash thyme
5 TBS butter
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 cup chicken stock, or 2 chicken bouillon cubes, or 1 1/2 tsp chicken soup base granules and 1 cup water
1/2 light cream (I also have used evaporated milk)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2 TBS pimiento (optional)

Dredge chicken pieces with mixture of flour, paprika, salt, pepper, and thyme. Brush chicken with 3 tablespoons melted butter and brown in oven, or shake off excess flour and saute chicken in about 3 tablespoon cooking oil.

Saute onion lightly in 2 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes. Stir in excess flour from dredging chicken. Add soup stock; cook and stir until thickened. Add light cream; cook until smooth and thick. Add lemon juice, then pimiento; blend well. Pour sauce over chicken in 2 to 3 quart casserole; cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 hours, or until chicken is fork tender. Serve over cooked rice.

Ritzy Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 can (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup, condensed
1 can (10.75 ounces) cheddar broccoli soup, condensed
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 cups cooked white rice
25-35 butter- flavor crackers, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place chicken in a greased 9x13- inch pan.

In a bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except crackers. Pour over chicken. Bake 45 minutes, or until chicken is done. During last 5-10 minutes of baking, sprinkle cracker crumbs over top. Makes 4 servings.

Swiss Chicken

8 boneless chicken breasts
8-10 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. water
1 box Stove Top Stuffing
1/3 c. melted margarine

Put chicken in 9x13 inch pan. Place cheese slices over chicken. Mix chicken soup with water and pour over chicken. Sprinkle stuffing mix over top. Drizzle margarine over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hours (I would do just 1 hour as I felt that the extra 15 minutes made it a little dry) uncovered.

Hearty Beef Stew

My sister in law, Amy made this stew for me once and I had to have the recipe. It is heavenly! I am posting it for her. My SILs have some serious cooking skills. I am trying to get them to post on here...we will see.

4 cups water
5 beef bouillon cubes
1tsp pepper
2 cups cubed cooked beef (sometimes I used leftover roast, it is good)
6 carrots, peeled, thickly sliced
3 potatoes cubed
1 med onion chopped
1 tsp garlic salt
1 small bay leaf
2 T flour

Bring water and bouillon cubes to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring until bouillon dissolves completely. Add Worcestershire sauce and pepper.

Stir beef, carrots, potatoes, onion and garlic into bouillon mixture. Return to boil. Place bay leaf on top; cover tightly and reduce heat.

Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove about 1/2 cup of the liquid to a small bowl. Blend with flour.

Increase heat to boiling point. Stir flour mixture into stew. Cook, stirring continually until juices are thickened, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

This is a very thick stew. If you don't want it so thick, add more water or beef stock.

Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken

Don't you love slow cookers? You put in the ingredients and then... forget about it (I hope you inserted a Brooklyn accent when you read that last part). So I prepared a yummy chicken dish that was super easy (remember me? Miss Simplified).

Here is the yummy recipe... *note- the recipe makes a ton. So I'll give you the original and you can prepare it according to your individual family needs. Seeing how I was making din din for two... I cut it way down.

Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 envelopes (o.7 ounces each) Italian salad dressing mix

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

8 cups cooked rice

Dip chicken in butter and then sprinkle generously with dry dressing mix. Place chicken in a 6- to 7- quart slow cooker. Mix any remaining butter and dry mix and pour over chicken. Cover and cook 3-4 hours on high heat or 6-8 hours on low heat. Remove chicken and stir cream cheese into liquid in slow cooker. Add water in necessary to make the consistency of gravy. Return chicken pieces and cook another 30 minutes on high heat. Serve chicken with sauce over rice. Makes 8 servings.

This was from the "101 Things to do with Chicken" cookbook by Stephanie Ashcraft... I fancy her recipes.

Quinoa Pasta Salad

Have you heard of Quinoa? I hadn't until my awesome SIL Stacey (she has some great recipes) gave me this recipe to try four my family's Fourth of July picnic. Quinoa is a supergrain. It is super healthy for you, gluten free and pretty cute (when it is cooked it gets a curly tail). You can find Quinoa at a health food store and I have heard that Winco might carry it in their bulk section.

This recipe makes a ton so I halved it.


3 c. small shell pasta (I use whole wheat pasta)
1/2 c. red Quinoa
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped red onion
1 c. cheddar cheese
1 can pineapple tidbits
2 gala apples (add these last)

Cook the Quinoa in a small sauce pan with 1/2 c. water for 15 minutes. You may have to add more water.

After Quinoa has been cooked, combine it with all of the ingredients together adding the gala apples last.

dressing:
2 tbs lime juice
3 tbs honey
c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. cream cheese softened
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Coat above salad evenly.

Chicken Fried Chicken

I love fried chicken. I have tried to make it before with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but to no avail. I was so happy when I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It is so good!

30 saltine crackers
2 tbs all purpose flour
2 tbs dry potato flakes
t tsp season salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 egg
1/4 vegetable oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1.Place crackers in a large resealable plastic bag; seal bag and crush crackers until they are coarse crumbs. Add flour, potato flakes, seasoned salt, and pepper to bag and mix well.

2. Beat egg in a shallow dish or bowl; heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

3. One by one, dredge chicken pieces in egg beat, then place in bag with crumb mixture, seal bag and shake to coat.

4. Reduce heat to medium and cook coated chicken in skillet for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown and juices run clear.