Category Archives: Chicken

Chicken Lasagna Florentine

From Southern Living

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (6-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup to 1 cup chopped pecans

Stir together chicken and next 6 ingredients.
Arrange 3 noodles in a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; top with half of chicken mixture. Repeat layers with remaining noodles and chicken mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pecans.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 45 minutes; uncover, and bake 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.

To Make Ahead: Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking; proceed as directed.

To lighten: Substitute reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup, 2% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, and reduced-fat sour cream.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Chicken Gnocchi Veronese Olive Garden Recipe

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced (julienned)
½ zucchini, sliced, (julienned)
Salt to taste
4 chicken breasts, sliced in ½” strips
2 small branches rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of ½ lemon

Veronese Sauce

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup ricotta cheese
14 fl oz heavy cream

Gnocchi

2 qt water
6 oz all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 lbs russet potatoes
2 tsp salt

OR

1 lb gnocchi (potato dumplings), cooked according to package directions

Procedures

NOTE: You may make your own gnocchi by following the steps below, or you may purchase them already made.

Gnocchi

1. WASH potatoes and place in water. Cook potatoes until soft (cook time will depend on size of potatoes). Remove potatoes from water and cool in refrigerator.
2. PEEL cooled potatoes and push them through a fine grater (rice grater) until mashed; do not over-mash potatoes or they will get tough.
3. COMBINE potatoes, flour and eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix well until dough does not stick to hands (add small amounts of flour at a time if needed).
4. DIVIDE dough into 4 sections. Roll out each section into a long rope. Cut each rope into ½” pieces. Push fork tines on each piece for the classic gnocchi appearance.
5. BRING water to a boil in a sauce pot. Drop in gnocchi and cook until they float.

Chicken & Sauce

1. COMBINE garlic, lemon juice, rosemary and chicken slices in a mixing bowl. Let marinate for at least 2 hours.
2. COMBINE Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and heavy cream in a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. HEAT sauté pan on medium high. Add extra virgin olive oil, onions, bell peppers, and zucchini. Saute until onions are translucent (do not brown).
4. ADD marinated chicken slices and cook until slices are brown on all sides and internal temperature is 165°F. Reduce heat and add sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer.
5. DRAIN cooked gnocchi and add to pan with chicken, vegetables and sauce. Stir to coat gnocchi with sauce.
6. SERVE gnocchi topped with extra Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Giardino

Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter
¼ tsp dry thyme
½ tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic pepper
1 Tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup water
¼ cup white wine
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced width-wise into ½” strips
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small rosemary sprigs
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Juice of ½ lemon

Vegetables:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ bunch fresh asparagus (remove bottom inch of stem; cut remainder into 1” pieces)
1 zucchini, julienne cut
1 yellow summer squash, julienne cut
2 roma tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
½ red bell pepper, julienne cut
1 cup broccoli florets, blanched
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup spinach, cut into ½” pieces
½ cup carrots, julienne cut

1 lb farfalle pasta (bow ties), cooked according to package directions

Procedures

Sauce Preparation:

1. MELT butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in thyme, garlic pepper and rosemary. Whisk to thoroughly blend and cook for 1 minute.

2. COMBINE chicken broth, water, wine, milk, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Add cornstarch and whisk until cornstarch has dissolved and there are no lumps.

3. ADD liquid mixture to sauce pan. Whisk all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.

Chicken & Vegetables Preparation:

1. COMBINE all chicken ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend well.
2. MARINATE for 30 minutes.
3. HEAT a saute pan over medium high heat. Add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil.
4. SAUTE chicken strips until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
5. ADD all vegetables and sauté until cooked through.
6. ADD cooked, drained pasta and sauce to sauté pan. Stir until pasta is thoroughly coated with sauce.
7. TRANSFER to a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.

Chicken Fricassee

Kids will love the creamy, lemony flavor. Short on time? Use a precooked chicken and canned broth.

1 cup white rice
Salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
4 cups Basic Chicken Soup or 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 1 cooked 4- to 5-lb chicken, shredded
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice, to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, mix the rice with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the butter over moderate heat. Add the flour and stir together to make a paste; let cook for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken soup (reserve vegetables and chicken) or broth and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk, cream, another pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add a few tablespoons of the simmering broth from the skillet and slowly whisk it in; add back to the skillet. Add the vegetables from the soup, if using soup instead of broth, then add the chicken to the skillet.

4. Reduce heat; add lemon juice. Taste sauce for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste, if needed. Serve with the rice.

How kids can help: Measure ingredients; add lemon juice and seasonings to taste.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/6 of recipe)

Chicken Fajitas

4 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced – or uncooked, sliced, sauteed in oil
1/2 cup red and yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup onions, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
8 flour tortillas

If using uncooked chicken, saute in 1 tablespoon olive oil until no longer pink. Remove from pan. Heat 2 tablespoons oil, saute onions and peppers until slightly browned. Add mushrooms, taco seasoning, salsa and vinegar. Stir until mushrooms are soft. Add chicken and garlic. Stir.

Serve with flour tortillas, sour cream, salsa.