These are some of my favorite chicken (& poultry) recipes. They are delicious and enough for one or two. But if you are cooking for one; and the recipe is for two – you can either cut the recipe in half or enjoy the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I was often the envy of co-workers that were having cold sandwiches for lunch.
Chicken Parmigiana
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet. Pour 1 egg into a small shallow bowl; beat slightly. Place approx. 2 ounces dry bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. First, dip 1 of 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves into egg, then into the bread crumbs (add more bread crumbs, if needed). Repeat with second chicken breasts. Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until no longer pink and juices run clear. Then, pour ⅓ cup jarred spaghetti sauce into a 7×11 inch baking dish. Place chicken over sauce, and cover with ⅓ cup jarred spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese on top and return to the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts: Per Serving:528 calories; 18.3 g total fat; 184 mg cholesterol; 1309 mg sodium. 44.9 g carbohydrates; 43.5 g protein;
Chicken and Mushrooms
Preheat oven to 400°F (200° C). Season 2 boneless, skin-on chicken breast halves, on all sides with salt and ground black pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp.olive oil over medium-high heat in an ovenproof skillet. Place chicken skin-side down in skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; stir 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms with a pinch of salt into skillet. Increase heat to high; cook, stirring mushrooms occasionally, until mushrooms shrink slightly, about 5 minutes.
Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes. Then transfer chicken breasts to a plate and loosely tent with foil; set aside. Set skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat; cook and stir mushrooms until brown bits start to form on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Pour ½ cup water into the skillet, and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan.
Cook until water is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in any accumulated juices from the chicken into the skillet. Stir 1 Tbsp.butter into mushroom mixture, stirring constantly until butter is completely melted and incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mushroom sauce over chicken and serve.
Nutrition Facts: Per Serving: 398 calories; 30.6 g total fat; 91 mg cholesterol; 355 mg sodium. 3.7 g carbohydrates; 28.1 g protein
Barbecue Chicken
Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Heat 1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute ¼ cup diced onion and 2 cloves minced garlic until tender. Stir 5 Tbsp.ketchup, 3 Tbsp. honey, 3 Tbsp. brown sugar, 2 Tbsp.apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp.Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes to thicken sauce. Then, remove from heat, and allow to cool. Lightly oil the grill grate. Dip 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves in sauce, and turn to coat. Cook on grill for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once. Move chicken to the skillet with sauce. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side.
Nutrition Facts: Per Serving: 452 calories; 13.1 g total fat; 67 mg cholesterol; 714 mg sodium. 60.1 g carbohydrates; 25.7 g protein
Chicken Fried Rice
In a wok or large, non-stick skillet, heat ½ Tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When oil is lightly smoking, add 2 scallions greens, chopped whites, ½ Tbsp. grated fresh ginger, 1 clove grated fresh garlic and cook 30-45 seconds. Add the ½ medium zucchini, diced, 1 carrot, diced, 1 cup bite-size broccoli flowerettes, 1 cup fresh mushrooms (preferably shiitake) sliced & stems removed. Cook 4-5 minutes, using a spatula to stir the vegetables throughout. Add ¼# skinless chicken thighs, sliced into bite-size pieces and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, until the pieces are no longer pink.
Stir in 2 cups cooked brown rice and 1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce and cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the rice to to get crispy on the bottom. Create an empty space in the middle of the pan and add 1 lightly beaten egg. Use the spatula to quickly scramble the egg until light and fluffy. Then stir them into the rest of the ingredients. Serve garnish with scallion greens.
Nutrition: 390 Calories; 10g Fat; 2.5g Saturated Fat; 720mg Sodium
Ramen Noodles with Chicken & Vegetables
This recipe was featured on the first Wine & Dine Wednesday Event. I tweaked it a little bit to serve two (or 1 depending on your hunger level). OK – start by preparing 1 package of Ramen noodles (minus the flavor packet- save it for another use) according to the package directions. Dice one boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh into bite-size pieces. In a 10″ skillet brown the chicken pieces in a small amount of oil. Can also be prepared using 4oz. sliced beef, pork or 6-8 shrimp.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 2 ½ Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. white vinegar, ½ Tbsp. hoisin sauce, 1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil and ½ tsp. sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl heat ½ of a 12oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables; I like using the stir-fry mix with 1 Tbsp. water. Heat 3-4 mins. Drain any excess water. Add to the chicken.
Drain the Ramen noodles and add to the chicken and vegetables and pour in sauce. Mix well and enjoy!! Can be served hot or cold.
Sorry I don’t have the nutritional information for this one.
Tostada Stack
Every other month or so I stock up on staples, ya know canned foods and other non-perishables to have on hand, just in case. This time I included green chilies, enchilada sauce, corn, black olives, stewed tomatoes. Since I had some corn tortillas & ground turkey in the fridge I decided I would make a Tostada Stack. Here’s how it went.
Preheat oven to 350⁰F. In a medium skillet, brown ½ lb. ground turkey* with ½ a small onion, diced, (drain if necessary). Add ½ cup drained corn with poblano and red peppers, 5-6 jumbo black olives, sliced and ½ of a 10oz can green enchilada sauce.
In a small (round) casserole dish, sprayed with cooking spray. Lay 1 (10”) corn tortilla on the bottom, sprinkle with a small amount of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ⅓ of the meat mixture. Then repeat with tortilla, cheese, meat, end with cheese. I ended up with 3 layers.
Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray and loosely cover the casserole. Bake at 350⁰F for 35-45 minutes.
Let set 5 minutes before slicing. Serve topped with sour cream and other favorite toppings like diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, salsa, guacamole, if desired. Serves 2.
Note: you can add sliced jalapenos, to each layer or omit the black olives if you are not a fan. Include any of your favorite ingredients.
* this would also be a good way to use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, shredded instead of the ground turkey.
Gobble Gobble Meatballs
Makes about 2 dozen 1.5″ meatballs. They can be frozen in individual serving containers. They are called Goggle Gobble not only because they are made with ground turkey. But because you will gobble gobble them up.
Preheat oven to 450⁰F. Drizzle the 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
Combine 2 lbs. ground turkey, 2 cups garlic croutons or stuffing cubes, 1 cup dried cranberries, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup bread crumbs, 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 pinch of ground cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1½ inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of one of the meatballs should read 165⁰F Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.
Recipes will be added and swapped out for new ones. I cannot guarantee how often, but I try new ones all the time.
If you are a wine drinker; check out Pairing wine with food. You are sure to find something that goes well with the chicken recipes for one or two.
More recipes will be added as I sample some new ones; it’s a tough job but I am happy to do it
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