Hobby Stash

February 6th, 2009

Mexican Chicken and Rice

One of the problems with having a recipe database, is that an old time favorite occasionally get lost in the shuffle.  I made this one again last week and served it with Mexican Bread Pudding. It’s wonderfully cheesy (well yeah look at the amount of cheese…). But I did it slightly different from the original recipe. I no longer use whole chickens…no time, I’m lazy, you pick the reason. I used boneless chicken breasts (thighs would be great as well).  It is important to cook rice for about half the normal time you would use. Otherwise it will be overcooked in the finished casserole.

Ingredients:

1 3-lb chicken
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup Uncle Ben’s rice
2 cups water
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 (2 oz) jar pimientos
1 (4 oz) can green chillies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
8 oz Cheddar cheese, grated

Cooking Instructions:

Stew chicken with bouillon cubes; remove bones and chop into bite-size pieces. Cook rice in water just until tender.

Saute onions in margarine; then add garlic, cumin, chili powder, pimientos, and green chilies. Set aside.

In saucepan, heat chicken soup, broth, and sour cream; then add Monterrey Jack cheese. Stir until cheese melts and add onion mixture.

Spray 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Put rice in bottom of dish, add chopped chicken and top with soup mixture.

Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes until heated through. Add grated Cheddar chees and return to oven for 5 minutes until cheese melts.

Posted in Casseroles, Poultry
By Linda

January 22nd, 2009

Chicken Breasts with Peanut Sauce

Now that I know the jar of peanut butter I’ve had for months is safe, I’ve decided this is what we’re having for dinner tonight. I haven’t made it in awhile. Based on my old note, I’ll spice it up a bit. I do remember it being extremely easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cooking Instructions:

In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add chicken breasts and cook 7 to 10 minutes until juices run clear when pierced with tip of knife, turning once. Transfer chicken to warm platter.

Stir peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and 2/3 cup water into drippings in skillet; stir until smooth and heated through. Pour sauce over chicken on platter.

Additional Comments:

I just had to try this recipe because it was so different. I used red wine vinegar (didn’t have the white). If you like spicy Chinese dishes, I would suggest doubling the red pepper–we couldn’t taste it in the sauce. Very very easy recipe to make!

Posted in Poultry
By Linda

January 2nd, 2009

Debbie’s Slow Roasted Turkey

Ingredients:

1 turkey, any size

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place unstuffed turkey in roasting pan. Roast unstuffed turkey for 1 hour. Turn temperature down to 250°. Roast for 6-10 hours or until turkey falls apart.

Remove bones and place turkey back in juice.

Can be made the day before and reheated in foil covered pan.

Additional Comments:

I tried this recipe for the first time last Thanksgiving (2003). The result was the moistest turkey ever. I did two different turkeys in two different ovens–13 lbs and 17 lbs. Prep included removing the neck and giblets from the turkey, and rinsing the turkey inside and out. I did not pat dry or season…just plopped them into their pans. One cooked for about 6 hours, the larger for about 7. The only reason I removed them sooner was because the little popups in the turkey had popped up. According to Debbie, cooking them longer, does not dry them out. I did let them set on the counter for an hour to cool before removing the meat from the bones. I cooked them the day before Thanksgiving, which made the last minute Turkey Day prep a breeze. Of course, the smell the day before drove both Ron and me nuts!!

Posted in Poultry
By Linda

December 31st, 2008

Chicken Casserole

This one is a favorite of ours. I made it last night using leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. I use the Penne Regata pasta noodles.

Ingredients:
1 (6 to 8 oz) package noodles 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons margarine 1 can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup 1 can cream of chicken soup	salt and pepper to taste 2 cups diced, cooked chicken or turkey 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1 stack Ritz crackers 1 stick butter or margarine
Cooking Instructions:
Heat oven to 350°. Cook noodles as directed and drain. In large skillet, cook and stir onion in 2 tablespoons margarine until tender. Stir in 2 cans soup, salt and pepper. In greased casserole, layer 1/2 noodles and 1/2 chicken. Top with 1/2 soup mixture and 1/2 cheese. Repeat layers. Melt stick of margarine; finely crumble crackers and mix together. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes.

Posted in Casseroles, Poultry
By Linda

August 17th, 2008

Molasses-Glazed Chicken Thighs

This is one of our all-time favorites and never ceases to get rave reviews when served to guests! I buy the large bag of Tyson boneless chicken thighs (found at Sam’s or Costco) strictly for making this recipe! Original recipe states it will serve 6-8….not in my circle….more like 4 to 6! Our grill runs hot so I cook for 2-4 minutes a side.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup molasses 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil	3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp pepper 12 skinned, boned chicken thighs
Cooking Instructions:
Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish or large zip-top plastic freezer bag; add chicken thighs. Cover or seal, and chill 8 hours, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill chicken thighs, covered with grill lid, over medium heat (300° to 350°) 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done. Source: Southern Living, April 2005

Posted in Poultry
By Linda