September 2018 – Chicken

Cauliflower Chicken Nuggets

Gloria Dougherty, Akron
“These nuggets are really good and they are baked, not fried.”

  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • ½ cup plus 1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs, divided
  • ½ lb. ground chicken breast
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ketchup or sweet and sour sauce for dipping

Add cauliflower to a pot fitted with a steamer basket and 2 inches of water (or cook in a pan with 2 inches of water if you don’t have a steamer basket). Cover and steam about 8 minutes or until very tender. Drain and place onto a clean kitchen towel to dry thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place 1/2 cup bread crumbs in small bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, add cauliflower, chicken, Parmesan, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, salt and remaining 1/3 cup bread crumbs. Process to combine well, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to portion out the mixture; roll into rounds and flatten slightly. Coat all sides of nuggets in the reserved bread crumbs, pressing lightly to adhere. Place nuggets onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, turning them over halfway through.

Serve with ketchup or other sauce for dipping.


Sunday Dinner Chicken

Joyce Stoner, Denver

  • 1 chicken or chicken legs and breast
  • 1 package dried onion soup mix
  • 1 can mushroom, golden mushroom or celery soup
  • 1 cup rice, uncooked

Grease a 9”x13” glass baking dish. Add rice, dot with butter and pour a package of onion soup mix over it. Salt and pepper chicken and place it in pan. Add one can of water to soup and mix. Pour over chicken and raise chicken so soup can go under it. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 1 hour at 375°F covered. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes at 400°F.


Coating for Baked Chicken

Joyce Stoner, Denver

  • ½ cup flour
  • 4 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • salt and pepper

Melt margarine or butter in a baking dish. Mix and put all ingredients into a bag. Add chicken, 1 to 2 pieces at a time, and shake to coat. Put in baking dish, skin side down. Bake chicken at 350°F for 45 minutes. Turn and bake at 450°F for 10 to 15 minutes until browned.


Lemon Chicken with Thyme

Joyce Stoner, Denver

  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon margarine
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

In a plastic bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken and shake. Brown chicken in 1 tablespoon margarine. Brown each side about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and add chopped onion to pan. Cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in rest of flour, stirring until all used up, about 1 minute. Add broth, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and thyme. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Return chicken to the skillet and reduce heat to medium low. Cover skillet, and cook until chicken is tender. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice into sauce and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. Delicious!


Scalloped Chicken

Rosella Coblentz, Blue Ball

  • 16 slices white bread, cubed & dried
  • 4 cups cooked chicken
  • 1 cup celery
  • 1 cup onion
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup shredded cheese

Mix all ingredients together except soup and cheese. Place in a 9”x13” pan. Before putting into oven, spread cream of mushroom soup on top. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top for the last 10 minutes.

Serves approximately 12.


Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings

Kris Zimmerman, Lititz
“Our family LOVES this recipe. It’s very easy to throw together on a busy day & tastes wonderful in cold weather.”

  • 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cans cream of chicken soup
  • 1 to 2 cans chicken broth
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 4 Grands flaky refrigerator biscuits (I use a pack of 8)

In your crockpot, put chicken breasts, butter, soup, onion, chicken broth & parsley. Let cook on high for 4 to 6 hours. After 4 to 6 hours, break chicken into pieces. (Can use tongs and do this while chicken is still in crockpot.)

Cut biscuits into small pieces (can use kitchen shears to do this). Stir biscuits into chicken & let cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Delicious!


Ranch Chicken Marinade

Kris Zimmerman, Lititz
“This is a delicious way to have chicken & very handy to have in the freezer for days when you just don’t have time to prepare a meal. I often do several bags of these when I buy a case of chicken.”

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 8 boneless skinless thighs)
  • 1 package Hidden Valley ranch dressing
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder

Mix all ingredients and put in freezer bag. Freeze.

Remove from freezer, thaw and put in crockpot on low for 4 hours.

Notes: Can also be put in crockpot frozen and cooked all day, approximately 8 hours. Also delicious if you throw fresh broccoli and cauliflower in with it the last 2 hours of cooking. Yum!


Zesty Salsa Chicken & Black Bean Casserole

Kris Zimmerman, Lititz

  • 2/3 cup brown rice
  • 1½ cup vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 medium green pepper, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
  • 4 oz. diced green chilies
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 dashes of cayenne pepper (if you don’t like spice omit this all together, or use 1 dash)
  • ¾ cup jarred or homemade fresh salsa
  • 15 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed
  • mozzarella cheese

Mix rice and stock in a pot, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down to a low simmer and cook until tender, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9”x13” pan.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, green peppers, carrots and green chilies to the pan and sauté until the onion is tender. Add in the chicken and the spices. Stir to combine. Turn off the heat and add the cooked rice and beans to the mixture. Stir and make sure it is completely combined. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Place mixture in the greased 9”x13” pan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve and top with just a pinch of mozzarella cheese.

Note: If you’re a vegetarian, or you are just trying to stretch your grocery budget even further, you could replace the chicken for another can of black beans, or even a can of pinto beans.

Serves 4-6


Creamy Chicken Rice

Janice Martin, East Earl

  • 4 cups cooked rice
  • ½ cup butter, divided
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 to 5 cups cooked chicken, cubed
  • 12 oz. Velveeta cheese
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 1¼ cups crushed crackers

Spread rice into a greased 9”x13” pan; set aside.

In a saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, bouillon, seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat and add chicken, cheese and sour cream; stir till cheese is melted. Pour over rice. Melt remaining butter and toss with cracker crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole.

Bake uncovered at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes. Very good!


Chicken Stuffed Potatoes

Janice Martin, East Earl

  • 6 potatoes
  • 2 cup diced chicken
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup cooked peas
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion
  • 1 cup grated cheese

Bake potatoes. Cut in half lengthwise and remove pulp, saving skins.

Mix all remaining ingredients well, reserving cheese. Whip potatoes. Put potato mixture in skin halves. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

Note: Can be prepared ahead – keeps well!


Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Janice Martin, East Earl

  • 2 cups cooked chicken
  • 1 cup chopped green pepper
  • 8 oz. jar picante sauce, divided
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • ¾ lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
  • ¼ cup milk

Stir chicken, green pepper, 1/2 cup picante sauce and cream cheese in saucepan over low heat until smooth. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up.

Place seam side down in greased baking dish. Stir cheese spread and milk in saucepan over low heat until smooth. Pour sauce over tortillas. Cover with foil. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

Pour remaining picante sauce over tortillas. Serve with shredded lettuce and sour cream.


Chicken in the Garden

Pat Roth, Ephrata

  • 3 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
  • 10 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
  • 3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
  • (2) 10¾ oz. cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
  • ½ cup 2% milk
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • hot cooked rice, noodles or biscuits

Place broccoli and mixed vegetables in a greased 2 quart baking dish. Top with chicken. Combine the soup, milk, mayonnaise and curry powder. Pour over top of the chicken.

Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with rice, noodles or biscuits.

Serves 6.


Scalloped Chicken

Pat Roth, Ephrata

  • ½ loaf white bread, cubed
  • 1½ cups cracker crumbs, divided
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup diced celery
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion
  • 3 cups cubed, cooked chicken
  • 8 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
  • 1 tablespoon butter

In a mixing bowl, combine the bread cubes and 1 cup cracker crumbs. Stir in the broth, eggs, salt, celery, onion, chicken and mushrooms. Spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown the rest of the cracker crumbs. Sprinkle over the casserole. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

Serves 6 to 8.