We eat a lot of chicken at our house! There are lots of reasons for this….not the least being we just really LIKE it! :-)
- It’s less expensive than other type of meat.
- It’s SUPER versatile! You can use it in a quick and simple recipe to prepare after a long working day, or a more sophisticated dish to serve on a special occasion. There are literally THOUSANDS of chicken recipes out there!
- You can use the LEFTOVERS in tons of delicious, economical meals!
- It can be cooked quickly when necessary! My chicken meals almost always start with frozen chicken breasts that I throw in the microwave. (Or if I’m using the crockpot…I just throw them in FROZEN!)
- It’s a healthy alternative to red meat (as long as you’re not deep-frying it everytime…or drowning it in fatty sauces).
The problem is….lately I’ve been getting a bit bored with my current repertoire of chicken recipes. And that’s saying something….because I have a LOT of recipes for chicken! (Course a good many of them involve LEMON…I just can’t help it! I love LEMON!)
So tonight I did a little online “research” and came up with quite a few “new” ways I want to try making chicken!
First of all….the PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN!
My friend Tracy Bruce gave me a wonderful (and EASY!) recipe for roast chicken years and years ago and I used to make it all the time! Tonight when I saw a recipe online for Roast Chicken…it reminded me of that recipe I haven’t made for so long! I went to track it down in my recipe book….and there is was!
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| Wow! Look at the binding on that thing! Yeah…it’s an OLD recipe book! |
In case you can’t read my “scrawl”…it says:
Wash & dry, salt and pepper inside and out, pour stick of melted butter with clove of garlic over and inside (of the bird); 400 degrees till sizzle (til you HEAR it sizzling); turn down to 300 degrees for 1 hrish (hourish).
Can’t wait to revisit this recipe SOON! (Those OVER-PRICED, dried out, BLAH roasted chickens from the grocery store deli can’t hold a CANDLE to this recipe!)
In addition to this recipe….I came across several more I’m super excited to try! Take a peek and see if any of them appeal to you!
from MelsKitchenCafe.com
“Marinaded in a flavorful concoction of lemon, oregano, soy sauce and garlic, this recipe is similar to the tasty lemon and garlic grilled chicken that I have waxed poetic about in the past. The difference with the Island Chicken is that it is a bit more subtle on the robust fresh lemon juice and garlic flavors which allows the soy sauce and oregano to really shine, as well.”
Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa
from MyRecipes.com
“A three-minute dip into a pungent cilantro-lime marinade is all that’s needed to deliver big flavor to chicken breasts. Serve with saffron rice.”
from TheCraftingChicks.com
“–place the lemon herb chicken on top of the bed of rice and drizzle with the extra lemony gravy from the crockpot. It is also yummy over mashed potatoes. Plate it up with your favorite veggies and some fresh french bread and you’ve got a meal!”
from BarefootContessa.com
(LOVE HER!)
Jill,
Once again great info! So easy! I read at Thanksgiving time, that the breast meat is so much moister on the bird if we flip the bird (looks weird) and cook it breast side down, I tried it and it is true. So hey…all is A-OK with your pic! lol
Marce
There really is nothing like a good roasted chicken, is there? I vary mine a little bit every time I make it. You can also "roast" a chicken in a big crockpot if you don't want to heat up the kitchen… you don't get the crispy skin, but it sure is moist.
I learned a trick once that I use sometimes for extra-crispy skin, for other people out there who are chicken-skin nuts like me. You just rub baking powder all over the chicken. You'd think it'd make it taste gross, but it doesn't affect the flavor at all – just makes it crispy. Don't know how it works, but it sure does.
PS – my fiance fell in love with the idea of the cake mix cookie sandwiches, and made them for a pot luck at his work today. Hopefully they get good reviews! Each batch doesn't make too many, so I only got to eat the burnt ones. :-( We'll have to try them for our house sometime.
Jillie -
We always cook our chicken "upside down" to keep the white meat under any broth or liquids – it helps to keep it more moist!
Thank you for all your inspiration!
~ Belinda
Marce and Belinda…thank you for making me feel better about my "upside down bird"! :-) That is good to know!
Lilybean…that is a great tip! I am definitely going to try the baking powder trick. I LOVE crispy skin! Can't wait to hear the reviews on the cookies. ;-)
Thanks Jillee, some of these look amazing. I generally buy chicken thighs by the bag, and no matter what the recipe calls for, I can substitute chicken in almost any of them LOL. Aren't recipes supposed to be suggestions and jumping-off points, instead of actual "instructions"?
I tried roasting a chicken once. Not sure what I did wrong, but it splattered all over my oven, and smoked up my house, and then I had to clean the oven. The chicken was fine, but oven was not! Any ideas on what I did wrong?
Victoria
I did a roast chicken this morning for tonight's supper. I did my moms wonder roast chicken (just like they do at our locally owned grocery store). rinsed and dried it then slathered it down with miracle whip and lots of season salt. Smells amazing. Let it rest about 20 min before throwing it in the fidge and all my hubby has to do is reheat it in the oven and it will be supper time when I get home.