Chicken

Chicken has been popular for decades. While it may have once been relegated to the Sunday dinner table, it's now an anytime meal.

On that note, here are six chicken recipes to help you through the day, including Slow Cooker Chicken Ragu with Herbed Ricotta and Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. Enjoy!

MISO CHICKEN

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Making a compound of unsalted butter and the salty, fungal deliciousness of Japanese miso paste is a surefire way of adding immense flavor to a simple weeknight meal. Here the mixture is spread over chicken thighs, which are then roasted to golden perfection. But you could easily use it on salmon or flounder, on corn or potatoes. The recipe calls for white miso, which is more mild than the aged version known as red miso. But you could certainly use red for a more intense result.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

This was featured in Asian Pantry Essentials and can also be found online by clicking here.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white miso

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon rice vinegar (do not use seasoned rice vinegar)

Black pepper, to taste

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, approximately 2-1/2 to 3 pounds

Preparation

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine butter, miso, honey, rice vinegar and black pepper in a large bowl and mix with a spatula or spoon until it is well combined.

Add chicken to the bowl and massage the miso-butter mixture all over it. Place the chicken in a single layer in a roasting pan and slide it into the oven. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, turning the chicken pieces over once or twice, until the skin is golden brown and crisp, and the internal temperature of the meat is 160 to 165 degrees.

CHICKEN RANCH ENCHILADAS

This comes from "Smith's Wife" on the AllRecipes site. She wrote, "I got this recipe from my cousin and now this is my favorite dish. The ranch dressing mix adds nice flavor."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Makes 6 servings; Yield: 1 9X13 inch dish

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/169293/chicken-ranch-enchiladas/.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies

1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix

10 (8 inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center, about 7 minutes. Whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chiles, and ranch dressing in a bowl; spread a thin layer of the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce into each tortilla; divide the chicken among the tortillas and sprinkle with 3/4 of the cheese. Roll the tortillas into cylinders and place seam-side-down into the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until hot, about 35 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Return to the oven and cook a few more minutes until the cheese melts.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN RAGU WITH HERBED RICOTTA

This is from Sarah DiGregorio on The New York Times cooking site. Sarah wrote, "This recipe has a comforting lasagna vibe, as the spicy chicken-and-tomato sauce mingles with the rich, herby ricotta. Make the sauce as hot as you like: Begin with 1 1/2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes for a fairly mild spice level, then add more at the end if you want more heat. You’ll notice there isn’t much liquid when the chicken and vegetables go into the slow cooker, but have faith: The juices released during cooking end up making a not-too-thick ragù that is perfect for saucing pasta. In fact, because some chicken has more moisture than others, you may end up with more liquid than you’d like. If that happens, turn off the heat so the sauce cools a bit and is not bubbling, then vigorously stir in two egg yolks before you add the pasta. This adds glossy thickening power, just like it does in carbonara."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 6 1/2 hours

This can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022080-slow-cooker-chicken-ragu-with-herbed-ricotta.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 yellow or red onion, finely minced (about 1 cup)

4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)

1 sprig fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)

1-1/2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon onion powder

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes or crushed tomatoes

8 ounces pappardelle, tagliatelle, fettuccine or other long, thick pasta

1 cup whole-milk or part-skim ricotta

Heaping 1/4 cup chopped soft fresh herbs, such as chives, oregano, parsley or basil, or a mix

Juice of 1/4 lemon (1 to 2 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 handful torn fresh basil leaves

Preparation

In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken, carrot, onion, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes and onion powder. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a couple grinds of pepper.

Pour the tomatoes and their juices into the slow cooker, crushing the tomatoes with your hands, if using whole. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low until the chicken is very tender, about 6 hours. The ragù will hold well on warm for an additional 1 to 2 hours.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. While the pasta cooks, in a small bowl, combine the ricotta with the chopped herbs, lemon juice and a pinch of salt; set aside.

Coarsely shred the cooked chicken with two forks. Remove and discard the herb sprigs and add the vinegar and the basil leaves. Taste the sauce, adding more red-pepper flakes, if you like. Turn off the slow cooker. Pour the drained pasta into the slow cooker and toss to combine.

Divide among bowls and top with the ricotta mixture.

CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS

Recipe Yield: Servings: 4

Source: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

Book Title: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/chicken-with-peppers.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups frozen stir-fry pepper blend

1 can (15 ounces) chunky Italian-seasoned tomato sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Saute chicken and garlic in oil in large skillet until lightly browned. Push chicken to side of pan; add stir-fry pepper blend and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 215; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 674 m; Cholesterol: 71 mg; Protein: 28.5 g; Carbohydrates: 10 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 3 Meat

CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

This yummy soup is from Chungah, on her wonderful site, Damn Delicious. I've mentioned her site once or twice. But if you haven't visited it yet, I highly recommend it. Go ahead, I'll wait. (Tap, tap, tap...)

Okay, hopefully you checked it out. Now, this recipe begins, "So warm, so cozy, so soothing. A must for those busy cold weeknights, using up that leftover rotisserie chicken!"

Yield: 8 servings; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes

You can view this online at https://damndelicious.net/2022/04/29/creamy-chicken-noodle-soup/.

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 sweet onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 celery ribs, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup dry white wine

6 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 cups leftover shredded rotisserie chicken

2 cups wide egg noodles

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup frozen green peas

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in chicken stock and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.

Stir in chicken and pasta and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes.

Stir in heavy cream, peas and parsley until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately.

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.