Easy Orange Chicken

Is it kinda sad that I obsess so much about food and do this group and have this blog, but really don't do any blog browsing of my own?? It's a good thing I follow my cousin's blog at www.sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com; I let them do all the time consuming work of finding great recipes and I just get to copy them, adjust them to taste and call them my own! They got it from Team T Adventures, in case you were wondering. I absolutely LOVE orange chicken! It's pretty much a guarantee anytime we go out for Chinese that one of us will get it and the rest will pick at it! This recipe was simple and seriously tastes as good as the restaurant- at least as good as you can get without adding all the unhealthy msg and fast food preservatives you'd get at certain fast food Chinese chain restaurants... I did have a few changes that I added at the bottom of the directions...

4 boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small chunks
1/3 C flour
olive oil
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp ketchup
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (3/4 C)
1/4 C brown sugar

In a small bowl, mix the salt, vinegar, ketchup, orange juice concentrate and brown sugar. Set aside. Pour the flour in a separate bowl. Coat the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess. Pour a small amount of olive oil {about 1-2 tbsp} in a skillet and cook the chicken for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. {It doesn't need to be fully cooked if you put it in the crock pot. Directions are included for both crock pot and oven}

Place the chicken in a crock pot and cover with the orange concentrate mixture; stir lightly. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3. Serve with boring old rice, or this way more exciting, tasty and simple fried rice! Panda Express, eat your heart out!

~OR~
I found the chicken got a little dried out going this route, so either make sure the chicken is under cooked before putting it in the crock pot or don't leave it in as long. If you are unsure, taste test a piece after 2-3 hours. Then again, and again, but leave some for the family!

Next time I do this, I'd fry the chicken as directed, but until just cooked through then toss in a large bowl with the orange concentrate mixture. Spread in a single layer on a baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes or until evenly heated.

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Trina Bowers knew exactly what she wanted to bring when she heard that we were doing appetizers! It was a fabulous mix of all those classic buffalo chicken flavors! My husband stopped by for a sample of everything while it was fresh and he said this was his favorite. I could totally see a bunch of guys sitting around watching a football game noshing on this in between plays. It just wasn't very attractive for presentation, so Jayme Welly helped me out!
Aren't you just dying to try it now?!?! ;) Thanks, Jayme!

2 (10 oz) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 C ranch dressing {or to taste}
3/4 C pepper sauce {i.e. Frank's Red Hot. Add more or less to taste}
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Add all ingredients to a crock pot on low until all ingredients are mixed together and warm.

Lemon Chicken

I've been on kind of a Chinese kick lately, which is strange, because that's one category I'm not typically crazy about attempting at home! But, I'm glad I'm reaching out, because I'm finding some good stuff! Like this. I love the gooey glaze of this makes it kinda taste breaded and fried, but so much easier than actually breading and frying!

Marinade:
1 tsp flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut to bite size

In a medium size bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add soy sauce and beaten egg. Add chicken and marinate up to 24 hours.

1 carrot, thinly sliced {or a cup or two of baby carrots, sliced lengthwise into quarters}
1-2 tbsp oil

Saute chicken in vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes. Add carrots and continue to stir fry until chicken is no longer pink.

Lemon sauce:
3 tbsp sugar {actually, my recipe doesn't say tsp or tbsp or cups... I put 1 tbsp sugar in, but could have done more or less and it still would have been good!}
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

Combine all ingredients for lemon sauce. Add to chicken and cook until thickened. Serve over steamed rice.

Sweet and Sour Pork or chicken or meatballs

This has been hanging out in my 'magical cookbook' for some time, but I didn't really remember it, so I hadn't made it before. I thought I'd give it a try one night when I had LOADS of leftover pork from Harvest Maple Pork loin. It originally calls for meatballs, but pork or battered chicken would be equally delicious! If you wanna try the meatball version, the recipe for the meatballs is after the sauce. Just as good as any Chinese restaurant I've been to! I love the sweet and tangy combination of flavors in this and won't be ignoring this recipe any more!

1/4 C cider vinegar
3/4 C beef bouillon
1 tbsp catsup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp molasses
1/4 C brown sugar
1 (10 oz) can pineapple chunks or tidbits
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 C green bell peppers, cut in strips
6 maraschino cherries, halved

Mix first 6 sauce ingredients and juice from pineapple in bowl, pour into frying pan, simmer. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 C water, stir into simmering sauce. Boil, stirring until thick and transparent. Add meatballs, pork or chicken, pineapples, green peppers and cherries. Simmer until heated through. Serve over hot rice.

Meatballs:
1 slice white bread
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp soy sauce
1 6 oz can water chestnuts, diced and drained

Stir together meatball ingredients, shape into 1 1/2" balls. Brown in hot oil, remove from pan when brown, set aside to prepare sauce.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

My mom got this from my aunt and made a few adjustments to come up with this go-to, all-in-one casserole. I love the hint of curry, soggy bread, veggie and chicken... It's what immediately pops into my mind whenever I start thinking of a menu. This dish is sometimes referred to as Chicken Divan. Fancy name for a simple, comfort dish!

4 small chicken breasts, cut to bite size and cooked
1 pkg broccoli, cooked {I use about 3 C of a vegetable medley}
5-6 slices stale bread, torn into bite sized pieces
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C miracle whip
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 C chicken broth
1 C milk
1 C cheddar cheese

Spread broccoli on bottom of 9x13" pan. Top with chicken then bread crumbs. Whisk together of soup, miracle whip, lemon juice, curry, cream of mushroom, broth and milk. Pour over the bread crumbs. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sweet and Sticky Orange Chicken

Kraft Food's quarterly recipe magazine becomes my 2nd bible every time a new one comes in the mail. I highly recommend it. But then, you'd have most of my best recipes.... ;) This is a combination of two of their recipes. I adjusted it for the crock pot, but kinda over cooked parts of the chicken. In order to avoid that, flip your chicken every couple of hours.

1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges
1/4 C orange juice
1/8 C orange juice concentrate
1/4 C Asian toasted sesame dressing
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 tbsp ginger or minced gingerroot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces

Crock pot version:
Place chicken in a large crock pot. Add red bell peppers. Mix remaining ingredients except oranges in a separate bowl and slowly add to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, turning the chicken every couple of hours. Add oranges for last 30 minutes of cook time. Serve over rice with stir fry vegetables.

Stove:
Mix orange juice concentrate, dressing, soy sauce, sugar and crushed pepper. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and cook in a skillet on high heat for 5-6 minutes or until done, stirring frequently. Add ginger and garlic; cook and stir on medium- high heat 2 minutes. Add red peppers; cook 2 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Transfer to a bowl; cover to keep warm.
Add dressing mixture to skillet; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Add chicken mixture; cook and stir 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in oranges; spoon onto platter. Serve over rice with stir fry vegetables.

Make Ahead Pizza Casserole

I can't remember where I got this recipe- it's just been sitting in my cookbook for ages! I'd made it before, and it was ok, so I made a few adjustments. I love that I can make it ahead of time {like when my kids are sleeping and not pulling on my pants or demanding my attention} and it's super good when regular pizza just ain't cutting it! Plus, you can alter it with your favorite pizza toppings.

1/2 lb shredded mozzarella cheese

6 C French or Italian bread {about 1 loaf}

5 eggs

1 1/4 C milk

1/2 C sour cream

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2-1 tsp garlic powder

3 medium tomatoes, cored and diced {or about 1 can of diced tomatoes}(optional)

Your favorite toppings. {I used a can and a half of pineapple tidbits and a package of diced ham. Not sure the sizes...}

Spray a 9x13" pan with Pam. In a LARGE bowl, toss together the mozzarella, tomatoes, bread, and chosen toppings. Arrange mixture evenly in the baking pan. Using the same large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk; add the milk, sour cream, oregano, basil and garlic powder. Beat well. Pour egg mixture over the bread, tilting the baking pan from side to side to soak all the bread cubes evenly. {I added a little more mozzarella to the top} Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Remove from fridge and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes; heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the casserole and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on top. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

A few variations I'd like to try:

Sausage, olives, diced green bell peppers and onions, a can of cream of chicken for a Supreme

chicken, red onions, pineapples, barbecue sauce for a Hawaiian chicken BBQ{one of our favs}

pkt ranch dressing, bacon, chicken, onion for a Bacon Chicken Ranch

Simple Whole Roasted Chicken

How do you get a flattering picture of a whole chicken? Personally, I'm disturbed by meat when it is still identifiable. Once I got past the visions of "Chicken Brent" from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, I LOVED it! Super moist{my least favorite word, but my most favorite way to have chicken!} with a surprising flavor of all the spices you'd find in pumpkin pie!

2 tsp salt

1 tsp white sugar

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1 (4 lb) whole chicken

5 cloves garlic, crushed

In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Rub the chicken with the mixture{Jayme removed the skin first so the flavor is directly on the meat}. Cover chicken and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 450 degrees and continue roasting an additional 15 minutes. Baste chicken with pan drippings, reduce heat to 425 degrees and continue roasting 30 minutes to an internal temperature of 180 degrees. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup

This chicken soup was comfort food at it's best! The creamy soup was so full of flavor. Combine that with how creamy it was and it is just win-win! Audrey Maycock stopped by for a bit to share it with us.

Soup:

6 chicken breasts

10 C water

10 tsp chicken bullion

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 potatoes, chopped

3 celery stalks, sliced

1 C carrots, sliced

3 cans cream of chicken

Boil chicken and bullion for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool. Add chopped vegetables to chicken bullion water and boil for another 20 minutes.

Dumplings:

5 C flour

1 1/2 sticks of butter, cubed

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

water

Put flour in a mixing bowl and stir in salt. Work in butter as you would when making pie crust, using two knives or a pastry cutter. Add egg, working it into the dough. Stir in cold water 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes together and is a stage where you will be able to roll it out.

Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick (or thicker for bigger dumplings). Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough in 1/2" to 1" squares. Drop dumplings into pot of bullion and vegetables. Boil for 25 minutes. Cut up chicken and add to pot. Add cream of chicken and stir until blended. Cook for another 5-10 minutes to blend all the flavors or until you have a gravy texture.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

My mom calls this a poor man's version of cordon bleu, though I doubt financial status affects how delicious this is! Plus, it's not breaded, so it skips the time-consuming task of breading the chicken. The gravy is super creamy and we love it served over garlic mashed potatoes.

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
6 slices ham, deli style
6 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
1 (10 3/4 oz) can of cream of mushroom
1 C heavy cream

Stuff breast cavities with ham and Swiss cheese. Mix spices, rub into chicken pieces. Place breasts in 9x13" pan. Mix soup and cream; pour over chicken. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with rice, garlic mashed potatoes, or baked potato.

Teriyaki Chicken

Who doesn't love a good Teriyaki meal?!?! Jamie Massie is really earning her place at our exchanges! This was a tasty, subtle teriyaki, though I'm thinking there's a little missing from her directions to get it to this point....

1/2 C soy sauce
1/3 C brown sugar
1 tbsp ginger
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 tsp sesame oil
4 chicken breasts

Marinate no longer than 4 hours.

I'd guess that she had a little extra to glaze over the veggies and chicken after cooking them both... Jamie??

Key West Chicken Marinade

This chicken tastes like something you'd have sitting at a restaurant on the beach in the Bahamas! Jamie Massie does it again! She served this with some rice (She uses bazmati rice cooked with chicken stock instead of water- good enough it should have gotten it's own picture).

3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp lime juice
Chicken strips

Marinate at least a half hour, but no more than 4. Cook by your preferred method until cooked through.

Fried Chicken

Real southern fried chicken from a real southerner! Joni Joiner has immediately endeared herself to everyone with her accent, openness and this recipe! She later disclosed that she totally made this up. It must just come standard in southern genes...

4 Chicken breasts

4-6 drumsticks

2 1/2 C flour

2/3 C buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried marjoram

1/2 tsp ground sage

salt and pepper to taste

peanut oil for frying

Add the flour and all the spices to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, add the buttermilk and egg; beat slightly. Use a large skillet to heat oil to medium high(oil should be a half inch deep). When oil gets hot, take each piece of chicken and coat in the flour mixture then dip into the liquid mixture then once again in the flour. Carefully add to the oil. Continue with all pieces and fry each side for 20-25 minutes or until tender (usually 40-45 minutes total time). Cover with a lid while frying for more moist pieces.

Keep in mind she made this recipe up, so you can vary the spices to fit your taste. Or just trust the professional! ;) Also, she served this with a gravy, but I just realized that I haven't gotten it yet. I'll post it as a comment as soon as I do!

Ritz Chicken

I was surprised by a creamy extra umph when I tasted these homemade chicken nuggets. I have determined that I will never again dip chicken nuggets (or various other battered chicken recipes) in butter or egg again! Easy, delicious, and completely kid friendly! Thank you, Sheree Mowers! And thanks again for hosting!

1 lb chicken
1 C Parmesan
1 1/2 pkg Ritz crackers
1 C vanilla or plain yogurt
salt
pepper
seasoning

Cut chicken 1" or use chicken strips. Put yogurt in a pie pan. Smash crackers and mix with remaining ingredients in another pan. Coat chicken in yogurt, then in cracker mix. Place on a greased cookie sheet and cook at 350 degrees until chicken is done(about 10-15 minutes).

Parmesan- Dijon Drumsticks

Drumsticks are so moist and juicy, then add that to the full and robust flavor of this breading... Jessica Pace, you are welcome ANYTIME!!! ;)

3 C fresh white breadcrumbs made from firm white sandwich bread
1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 oz)
6 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 C butter (3 sticks)
1/2 C plus 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
24 chicken drumsticks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper in large bowl; stir to combine. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat; add all mustard and whisk to blend. Brush drumsticks generously with butter mixture, then roll in breadcrumb mixture, coating drumsticks completely. Arrange drumsticks on prepared baking sheets. Bake drumsticks until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature within 2 hours.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

I got this recipe from Kraft. I'm not typically a huge spinach fan, but I loved the blend of cheeses and spinach wrapped in chicken, rolled in a Ritz and Parmesan breading, then smothered in marinara... Makes eating spinach (a SUPER good for you veggie) quite tolerable!

4 oz cream cheese, softened {I used neufchatel. Lower fat}
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen, chopped spinach, thawed, well drained {I had a can and it seemed fine...}
1 1/4 C Mozzarella cheese
6 tbsp Parmesan cheese, divided
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 egg, beaten
10 Ritz crackers, crushed
1 1/2 C spaghetti sauce, heated

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese, spinach, mozzarella, and 3 tbsp Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks if desired. Set aside.

Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam side down. In 9x13" baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and additional Mozzarella.

Tomato Cream Sauce

Hubby has moved to a grave shift so he's sleeping in the mornings and wanting to hang out in the evenings- not helpful when it comes to taking time to make dinner. So, my crock pot is working over time! I've been fiddling with recipes that can be adjusted for the crock pot and am adding this to the repertoire. This manages to have a hearty and sweet taste to it at the same time. I usually do this with sausage, but thought I'd try with chicken this time. I won't do that again. It was still pretty good, but I like the flavor of the sweet and creamy sauce and the ground sausage. It can also be done meat free...

1 lb sage or plain ground sausage(optional)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can Italian diced tomatoes, with juice

1 tbsp dried basil

3/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tbsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 C heavy cream

1 tbsp butter

Lazy- Brown the sausage. Put in crock pot with remaining ingredients except cream. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6. Add cream 30 minutes before serving.

Original- Brown the sausage with the onion, garlic and olive oil. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in cream and butter. Reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes.

Serve over hot noodles.

Hawaiian Chicken

I love cooking in my crock pot- especially during these hot summer months when a hot stove or oven is my nemesis. I was looking for something new to throw in one morning and came up with this concoction. I'm really hoping I remember everything I put in now... It's pretty simple and eliminates the need to stand over heat! It has a sweet taste with just a touch of sour to it. The pineapple makes it nice and light, perfect when you don't want something heavy at 113 degrees! The chicken can be shredded and added into the rice topping, but I kinda liked it on the side.

2 lbs chicken breasts {I just threw mine in frozen- best part!}
1 16 oz can crushed pineapple with juice
1 C chopped green pepper
1 C packed brown sugar
2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
2 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 stalks green onions, chopped
1/3 C honey
1/2 C orange juice

Place chicken in crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. If you wanna get fancy, mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl then pour to coat the chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

This would be good topped with almonds or macadamia nuts.

Spicy Honey Chicken

Oh, my. This was SOO good. SSOOOOOOOO good! Jayme Welly found this here at OurBestBites.com. Matt came back for seconds and couldn't get over how much they reminded him of his favorite wings from The Outback. He has already requested I make this again. Soon. Jayme isn't a big fan of spicy food, so she cut the spicy ingredients in half and broiled in her oven.

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs(can be done with breasts, but best with thighs.)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Rub:
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp kosher salt {Jayme used sea salt}
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

Glaze:
1/2 C honey
1 tbsp Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in a bowl and mix well.
Use kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat from the chicken. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over the chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands to get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not too thick {not too long, as honey can get scalding hot}. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2 tbsp of the honey glaze for later. Brush the rest onto both sides of the chicken in the final moments of grilling. Drizzle remaining glaze over top when cooking is done.

*** This WILL drip, so don't be surprised if you have burning drippings. Totally worth it!

Pasta Salad, v. 2.0

Ok, so I've posted my pasta salad recipe before, but I made this for dinner for my family the night before the exchange, so I shared the leftovers... is that weird? Oh, well. Also, I have another pasta salad recipe that is at least equally good, if not even a degree or two better... So, here's what I'm doing. The various ingredients used to make the salad are interchangeable- tasty with either dressing, so I'll list all my favorites. Then if you want the dressing I actually made that night, go here. If you want the one I would have made if I had a bottle of cole slaw dressing, then keep reading! Another great one for hot summer nights, picnics, dinner by the pool, barbecues, etc... Plus I love that I can throw it together while my kids are napping earlier in the day and have it ready whenever we want to eat- and it contains every food group in one bowl. Ease.

Possible salad ingredients{Just add what you know your family likes!}:

12 oz bow tie, elbow macaroni, or other pasta

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut (about 2 cups)

1 C celery, chopped

1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 C red grapes, halved

1 C Craisins

3-4 green onions, chopped

1/2 C slivered almonds

1 C chopped or grated carrots

4 hard boiled eggs

5-8 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped

1 C frozen green peas

1 C grated cheddar cheese

I can sliced olives

2 sticks string cheese, chopped

cucumbers, diced

The list is ongoing! Gently toss together your favorites from the list in a LARGE bowl.

Dressing:

1 C Miracle whip or mayonnaise {grew up on Miracle Whip, so that's my lard of choice}

12 oz cole slaw dressing

Mix the Miracle Whip and dressing, toss with salad ingredients. Chill several hours.