Chicken Recipes

By Sherril Steele-Carlin

Chicken is healthy, light, and satisfying at any time of the year, but it always seems difficult to come up with new and exciting chicken recipes for the family. Here are some recipes that use herbs and spices to liven them up and add new interest to the "same old" chicken.

Chicken and Rice

  • 2 1/2 pounds chicken, cut up
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 1/2 bell pepper, minced
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • Flour
  • 1/3 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/3 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1/8 tsp. coriander seed, crushed
  • 1 tsp. oregano, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked

Season flour with salt and pepper, then roll chicken pieces in flour. Brown in hot olive oil. Drain and keep warm on a serving dish, retaining oil in the pan. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic to hot oil and sauté. Add tomatoes, herbs, seeds, spices, and wine. Cook 10 minutes, stirring well. Return chicken to sauce. Add enough hot water to cover, stir well. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring several times. Add rice, cook until rice is tender - do not stir! Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Chicken with Oregano

  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 3 1/2 pound whole chicken
  • Juice of one orange
  • 1 sprig fresh oregano
  • 2 sprigs fresh lemon thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 4 sprigs fresh chervil
  • 4 leaves fresh basil
  • Fresh ground pepper

Heat butter in an ovenproof casserole. Place chicken in casserole, let it brown on all sides. Pour orange juice over chicken and surround it with herbs. Add pepper, then cover casserole. Cook at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, turning chicken once or twice. When cooked, remove chicken from casserole, carve, and arrange pieces on a platter. Strain juices and discard herbs. Pour juices over chicken. Serve with buttered noodles, wild rice, or a green salad. Makes 4 servings.

Light Chicken Salad

  • 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp. ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 3 cups cooked chicken
  • 1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes
  • 1 cup sliced celery
  • 1/3 cup sliced green onion
  • 1/2 cup broken walnuts

Combine mayonnaise, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, grapes, celery, green onion, and walnuts. Serve on lettuce leaf or in a pita bread half. Makes 5 1/2 cups.

Lemon-Parsley Chicken Breasts

  • 2 whole chicken breasts, boned & skinned
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

In a measuring cup, combine wine, lemon juice, and garlic. Pound each breast until 1/4-inch thick and lightly coat with breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown chicken, 5 minutes on each side. Stir wine mixture and pour over chicken in skillet. Sprinkle on parsley and let simmer 5 minutes. Serve with pan juices. Makes two servings.

Chicken Cacciatore

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup sherry
  • 15 oz. can stewed tomato bits
  • 1 (6 oz..) can sliced mushrooms
  • 1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
  • 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • Garlic powder, to taste
  • Bay leaf

Boil chicken until done. Save water (use this to boil rice in). Cut chicken into tiny squares. Brown in butter and sherry. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, Italian dressing mix, green pepper, and other seasonings. Bring to boil and simmer for one hour. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Baked Chicken Breasts

  • 8 chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless
  • 8 slices Swiss cheese
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1 cup Pepperidge herb stuffing mix
  • 1/4 tsp. melted butter or margarine

Put chicken in very lightly greased baking dish. Top with cheese. Combine soup and wine. Spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with stuffing. Drizzle melted butter over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 50 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

Scalloped Chicken

  • 1/2 loaf white bread, cubed
  • 1 1/2 cup cracker crumbs, divided
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup diced celery
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped onion
  • 3 cup cubed cooked chicken
  • 1 can (8 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
  • 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

In a mixing bowl, combine bread cubes and 1 cup cracker crumbs. Stir in broth, eggs, salt, celery, onion, chicken, and mushrooms. Spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole. In a saucepan, melt butter, brown remaining cracker crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Chicken Chardonnay

  • 2 (6 oz.) chicken breasts, boned and skinned
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. shallots, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/4 cup chardonnay (or other dry white wine)
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • Flour
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • Parsley, chopped

Pound chicken flat; set aside. In butter, sauté shallots; add mushrooms and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice; let simmer 6 to 7 minutes. Dredge chicken in flour and season if desired. Sauté in oil in frying pan. Add cream to mushroom mixture and heat until reduced. On warm serving plates, place mushrooms over chicken breasts. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.





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