Chicken

There was a time when Chicken was reserved for the Sunday or holiday dinner table. (Think early- to mid-twentieth century.)

Now, it's an anytime meal. To that end, here are six chicken recipes to help you through the day, including Slow-Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken and Savory Chicken Pot Pie. Enjoy!

CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Spices lose their flavor over time but few as quickly as paprika, which starts out tasting of pepper and sunshine but deteriorates in but a few months to sawdust and bitterness. For this recipe, get some new at the market: sweet or hot Hungarian paprika is best, but the generic article isn’t terrible and the smoky Spanish varieties known as pimentón de La Vera would not be out of place either, lending a deep, woodsy aroma reminiscent of cooking over an open fire. It’s a dish that pairs beautifully with butter-slicked egg noodles.” Yield: Serves 4 - 6; Time: 1 hour.

This was featured in “The Fresher the Spice, the Better the Chicken Paprikash” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks, or whole chicken legs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large yellow or Spanish onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons Hungarian paprika, sweet or hot, or a combination

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes or 1 large ripe tomato, chopped

1 cup chicken broth, homemade or, if not, low-sodium

1 pound egg noodles

3/4 cup sour cream

Preparation

Heat oven to 400. Season the chicken aggressively with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, heavy, oven-safe sauté pan or Dutch oven set over high flame, until the butter is foaming. Sear the chicken in batches, skin-side down, until it is golden and crisp, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Then turn the chicken over, and repeat on the other side, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate to rest.

Pour off all but a tablespoon or 2 of the accumulated fat in the pot. Return the pot to the stove, over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently with a spoon to scrape off any browned bits of chicken skin, until the onion has softened and gone translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir again, cooking it until it has softened, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the paprika and the flour, and stir well to combine, then cook until the mixture is fragrant and the taste of the flour has been cooked out, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and broth, whisk until smooth and then nestle the chicken back in the pan, skin-side up. Slide the pan or pot into the oven, and cook until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, set a large pot of heavily salted water to boil over high heat. Cook noodles in the water until they are almost completely tender, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the noodles, and toss them in a bowl with the remaining butter, then toss again to coat.

Place the chicken on top of the noodles, then add the sour cream to the sauce, stir to combine and ladle it over the whole.

SAVORY CHICKEN POT PIE

This is from Kraft Recipes, and begins, “When a chicken pot pie bubbles and oozes this much creamy comfort in every bite, you know you’re home.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Servings: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas), thawed

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose baking mix

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F.

Cook cream cheese and broth in large saucepan on low heat until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently with whisk. Stir in chicken, vegetables and garlic powder.

Spoon into 9-inch pie plate. Whisk egg and milk in medium bowl until blended. Add baking mix; stir just until moistened. Spread over chicken mixture. Place pie plate on baking sheet.

Bake 25 to 30 min. or until golden brown.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN MASSIMO WITH ARTICHOKE SOUBISE

This is from Mario Carbone on the TODAY Show cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “Amp up chicken breasts with a luscious balsamic glaze served with thinly sliced artichokes and onions that are cooked low and slow until they become a creamy sauce.

“’I love this recipe because these flavors feel familiar but it’s prepared in an unusual way,’ says chef Mario Carbone of Carbone restaurants in New York and Las Vegas. ‘Plus it’s my mom’s favorite dish so it’s not going anywhere!’

“Chicken Massimo is named after star Italian chef Massimo Bottura, a friend of Carbone.

“Technique tip: Finish the vegetables by adding butter to bring the flavors together.

“Swap option: Use canned vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.”

Cook Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 2

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Balsamic Glaze

4 cups balsamic vinegar

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon sugar

Artichoke Soubise

1 onion, sliced

6 artichoke hearts, sliced (frozen are OK)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 dash salt

1 tablespoon butter

Chicken

2 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Freshly grated Parmesan

Preparation

Make the balsamic glaze: Bring all ingredients to a simmer and allow to reduce until there are approximately 2 cups remaining, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Make the artichoke soubise: In a sauté pan, heat olive oil. Sauté artichokes, onion and salt for 10 to 15 minutes until soft and translucent. Add butter to finish. While soubise is cooking, prep the chicken.

Make the chicken:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In an oven proof pan, sauté chicken until golden crust forms, approximately 5 minutes.

Add balsamic glaze to chicken and baste several times. Place in oven. Continue basting every 2 minutes to form a coating over the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven and grate Parmesan cheese over the top. Give it a generous coating and place under broiler until golden brown.

SLOW-COOKER CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN

This comes from tbsp.com and begins, “Simple, easy, and kid-friendly, and easy on the wallet, this slow-cooker chicken recipe is easy to customize with your favorite flavors and add-ins. Reduced-fat ingredient substitutions work well, too.” Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 hours 0 minutes; Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cans (10.75 oz. each) condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10.75 oz.) chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

6 cups hot cooked rice or egg noodles

Directions

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place in bottom of slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, combine soup and broth and mix well. Add garlic powder and pour mixture over chicken. Cook on LOW for 5 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.

Fifteen minutes before end of cook time, remove chicken from the slow cooker. Break softened cream cheese into chunks and add to slow cooker, whisking until the sauce is smooth.

Shred chicken if desired and return to slow cooker. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chicken over hot rice or egg noodles and top with sauce.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN STROGANOFF

This comes from Judi Ann at Allrecipes. Judi Ann wrote, "Cubed chicken breast cooked in the slow cooker with a simple, creamy sauce mixture. This is so good, and so easy to make on a busy day. Serve over hot cooked rice, if desired."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 5 hours; Total: 5 hours 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17227/slow-cooker-chicken-stroganoff/.

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed

1/8 cup margarine

1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

Directions

Put chicken, margarine and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

This comes from Southern Living, and begins, "Give your traditional chicken casserole a break and serve this bright and lively chicken spaghetti. You only need a Dutch oven and a 9-x-13 baking dish to create this delicious meal, meaning there is less clean-up afterwards. Cook and shred your chicken in advance to save time."

Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes; Serves: 10

To view this online, go to https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/easy-chicken-spaghetti.

Ingredients

6 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 (14-oz.) bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, skin removed

3 (7-oz.) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, skin removed

12 ounces uncooked spaghetti

1 (5-oz.) can evaporated milk

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon lower-sodium Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)

1-1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)

2 cups chopped tomatoes (about 3 medium tomatoes)

4 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring stock to a boil in a Dutch oven over high. Add chicken to stock. Cover; reduce heat to medium. Cook until a thermometer inserted in thickest piece of chicken registers 160°F, about 25 minutes. Remove chicken; let stand until ready to use. (Inner temperature of chicken will rise as it stands.)

Return stock to a boil over high. Add pasta to Dutch oven, and cook until just tender, about 9 minutes. Transfer pasta to a medium bowl (reserving stock). Return stock to a boil over high; boil until liquid is reduced to about 2-1/2 cups, about 1 minute. Whisk together evaporated milk and flour in a small bowl. Stir into stock; boil until slightly thickened, 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt. Pour stock mixture over pasta.

Return Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add butter, onion, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; add pasta mixture back to Dutch oven. Shred chicken, discarding bones. (You should have about 4-1/2 cups meat.) Add chicken and tomatoes to Dutch oven; toss to coat. Pour mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with cheese. Lightly coat aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cover with foil; bake until cheese is melted, 25 to 30 minutes.

Chef's Notes

You don't have to be a food stylist to create a casserole that looks as good as it tastes. Instead of pouring the pasta mixture from the pot into the baking dish, use tongs and a large spoon to twirl the noodles into nests, as shown below.