Archive for the ‘Chicken’ Category

Pot Pie Puffs, Round 1

Sunday, March 29th, 2009
pot-pie-puffs-round-1

So, about a month ago, I mentioned the Curry Chicken Pot Pies that I had at a party.  I wanted to give them a whirl, but of course, I couldn’t stick with Alton’s original recipe… (Sorry, Alton!!  But I’m sure you understand.)

It’s still not perfect by any means, so this is round one – but they are still pretty tasty!  I skipped the curry – my brother isn’t a fan (bad childhood experiences) which was fine, I’ve been looking for a decent “plain” chicken pot pie filling recipe to start with, and this looked like a good base.

First, I wanted to do some sort of bite sized version like my friend did.  I couldn’t find puff pastry (I am sure my market has it and I was just looking in the wrong places) so I went with fridge biscuits and used about 1/3 to 1/4 of a biscuit for each section in a mini muffin tin.

I added some garlic (because everything needs garlic) to the onions & celery, and used sweet onion since the white onions around here have been insanely strong this year.

Cut the 4 cups of veggies to 2 cups and added 2 cups of diced white potatoes.  (I also microwaved them for a few minutes, as I had no faith that they would cook through just sitting in the oven with the veggies – I would have boiled them if I had thought of it soon enough.)

Finally, rather than letting the sauce thicken and then folding in the veggies & chicken, I just went ahead and added it all at the same time and letting the chicken simmer in the sauce & seasonings.  Added them to the biscuit cups and popped them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 (the temp called for on the biscuit package.)

And the results:

I put some of the leftovers in the fridge – 5 minutes at 400 degrees in the toaster oven is just right for reheating without burning the biscuit part.  The rest are in the freezer, we’ll see how well they can be thawed and reheated for snacks.

Now, the changes I need to make for next time…

– Cut it in half.  The original recipe says 6-8 servings.  That is 6-8 servings for people who really, REALLY like chicken pot pie!  (Seems most 4 serving recipes will feed myself and my brother, and then I have a small serving left for lunch the next day.)
– More potatoes, less veggies. :)
– A little bit of bacon.  Cause everything is better with bacon, and I think it would give it a little something.
– Find where the grocery store is hiding the puff pastry.

Just a quickie – Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

No pics, sorry!  I was at a party this weekend and the hostess made Alton Brown’s Curry Chicken Pot Pie, and put the filling in little phyllo tarts so they were bite sized.

They were SO GOOD – I HIGHLY recommend this recipe.  The curry is not at all overwhelming, it just gives it a little bit of a kick.

I am definitely going to have to give these a whirl at some point.

(Oversized) Dijon Popcorn Chicken

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

Or somewhat undersized chicken nuggets, your choice.  These are one of my favorites, they taste great and it takes a whopping 10 minutes prep time (if that) – works fine for full sized chicken breasts as well, just takes longer to cook.  They are also terrific as cold leftovers.

Popcorn Chicken

Dijon Popcorn Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into nugget size of your choice
~ 2 cups Italian Style Breadcrumbs
~ 1 cup Grated Parmesean Cheese
~ 3 T Mayonnaise
~ 3 T Country Dijon Mustard

Combine Mayo & Mayonnaise in one bowl. Breadcrumbs & Parmesan Cheese in another bowl. (I usually add a few more spices – a bit of oregano, basil & garlic powder.)

Dredge the chicken pieces in the mayo/mustard, then in the breadcrumbs. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-20 minutes. (Depends on the size of the chicken pieces, how accurate your oven is, etc. The good news is that it is really hard to overcook these.)

I usually bake them on a wire rack to prevent stickage.

Yield: 36 nuggets/pound for me.

Wire Rack

Per Nuggets: 33 Calories; 1g Fat (36.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 9mg Cholesterol; 94mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Chicken Chili Soup

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
chicken-chili-soup

The original is over at Allrecipes.com, and below is my version. It’s more of a thick soup consistency to me, and great in the winter. Though I normally eat it “naked”, I’m betting it’s one of those soups that would be good with a dollop of sour cream on top. There is a nice heat to it, but not to the extent that you won’t be able to taste anything else for the rest of the evening. The jalepeno cornbread I snagged at the market worked well with it, but I think plain cornbread would be perfect for the next time.

Also, if chopping onions and garlic while standing next to open containers of crushed red pepper and cumin doesn’t clear your sinuses – you need to see a doctor.

It really hit the spot, and will be making a repeat appearance tomorrow evening. (It’s just as good, if not a touch better the next day!) A small container has been stashed in the freezer for future colds. ;)

Chicken Chili Soup

Full recipe and another pic after the jump.

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A new challenge…

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

Chicken pot pie. Or something somewhat resembling it. My brother had recommended the CCP’s at Boston Market. Well, I’m sorry – they suck. Or at least the one I got certainly did. Yeah, I should know better – it’s fast food, it’s trucked in frozen and basically reheated, etc, etc.

But, the chicken was very low quality, the potatoes tasted like they hadn’t been washed, there were big clumps of flour in it, and it had apparently been stored near some holiday pies as it had some weird underlying cinnamon thing going on.

To me, the filling for a CCP should basically be a really thick cream of chicken soup concoction. I’m thinking from a simplicity standpoint, make that, fill some ramekins and then puff pastry on top. Granted, it wouldn’t be a true CCP, but a hell of a lot better than what I got from Boston Market…

I’ve got a good baked potato soup recipe, I bet I could modify that – just a matter of figuring out the best way to cook the chicken. Will report back when I’ve had a chance to make it happen.

Chicken Enchilada Crisps

Friday, September 21st, 2007

So, the folks over at Chefs Like Me threw out a chicken challenge this week – here are the results:

I’ve been in the mood for something Tex-Mex-ish lately, and this popped into my head when I saw the challenge was chicken.

Not a difficult dish at all, but hit the spot tonight. Poached chicken breasts in 1:2 water/broth, shredded them and let them marinate in enchilada sauce overnight. Fried up the tortillas, put down some cheddar & monterey jack cheese, then the chicken and more cheese. Pop under the broiler just long enough to get the cheese melty. When I make these again, I need to figure out something else to put on top to give it a little more kick and color.

Chicken Salad Wrap

Sunday, June 17th, 2007
chicken-salad-wrap

My very favorite way to have this chicken salad is on criossants, but I couldn’t get hold of any today, but little flour tortillas did the trick. It’s ridculously easy.

Toss some boneless, skinless chicken breasts into a deep skillet, cover w/water, put on med to high heat. Bring to a boil (~10 mins), cover, cook 10 minutes, turn over, cover, cook 10 more minutes.

Put chicken in fridge to chill (just makes it easier to cut up. If you prefer shredded, then go at it)

Dice chicken, slather in sauce, chill, eat. It’s carb friendly to boot.

Sauce:
~2 parts mayonnaise
~1 part Country Dijon Mustard (the kind w/the seeds)

Mix to taste, mix with chicken until it looks like you’ve put a little too much on it – as the chicken sits, it will soak up some of the sauce.

Things you can add that are good:
- chopped celery
- chopped walnuts
- chopped apples
- finely diced onion

Since you can’t see the filling when it’s all wrapped up…

Dinner!