Chicken

If you love Chicken, today's post is sure to please. Check out the Chicken and Avocado Burritos, the Chicken Marsala, and the rest of today's recipes. Enjoy!

FREEZER BAG CHICKEN PRIMAVERA

This yumminess is from the Food Network, and begins, "Primavera isn't just for pasta. With a little planned prep, you can have an instant chicken and vegetable combo that has all the flavors of the iconic dish."

Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes (plus freezing and defrosting time); Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/freezer-bag-chicken-primavera-3885959.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

One 6-ounce container cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley and grated Parmesan, for serving

1 baguette, warmed and cut into 4 pieces

Directions

Whisk together the butter, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds black pepper in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the green beans, tomatoes and peppers and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until the green beans are crisp-tender and still bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and let cool completely.

Transfer the vegetables with the marinade to a large resealable plastic bag and add the chicken. Squeeze out most of the air and seal, then toss gently to coat the chicken with the marinade. Freeze until ready to use. Let thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before cooking.

Pour the chicken, vegetables and marinade into a large skillet and heat over high heat. Cook, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the chicken and vegetables among 4 plates. Sprinkle with the parsley and Parmesan and serve with a piece of baguette.

Cook’s Note

To warm the baguette, put in a 350 degrees F oven until warm, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness.

CHICKEN MARSALA

This is from Tyler Florence on the Food Network.

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-marsala-recipe-1951778.

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

All-purpose flour, for dredging

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

8 ounces crimini or porcini mushrooms, stemmed and halved

1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them; pound with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly.

Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden, turning once – do this in batches if the pieces don't fit comfortably in the pan. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.

Lower the heat to medium and add the prosciutto to the drippings in the pan, saute for 1 minute to render out some of the fat. Now, add the mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the Marsala in the pan and boil down for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan; simmer gently for 1 minute to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

GRANDMA'S CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "When it comes to weeknight dinner, casseroles are king. This super-simple, five-ingredient chicken casserole recipe comes together quickly and bakes up beautifully. It’s sure to be your quick-meal go to for at-home dinners and a reliable favorite for bake-and-take potluck dinners."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

3 cups Progresso™ plain panko crispy bread crumbs

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Place chicken evenly in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Spoon and spread soup evenly over chicken; sprinkle with cheese.

In medium bowl, stir bread crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over cheese. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are golden brown and thoroughly heated.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

Your grandma probably didn’t use panko bread crumbs, which are crispy crumbs used in Japanese cooking. But she’d definitely embrace them if she were given a box. Panko makes topping a casserole quick and ensures there’s good texture and contrast to the creamy center of the hot dish.

tip 2

Leftover roast turkey is a great substitute for chicken in this recipe—especially the day after Thanksgiving.

tip 3

Sub in crispy French-fried onions to top the casserole or try Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend instead of cheddar cheese.

CHICKEN & AVOCADO BURRITOS

This is from Campbell's, and begins, "Chicken & Avocado Burritos stuffed with chicken, avocado, cheese and sour cream, cooked until browned and crisp on the outside? Yes, please! The best part is that with this recipe, you don't have to prep and cook the chicken- canned chicken is the perfect time saver! Learn how to make these chicken burritos. It really couldn't be easier, and it's easy to customize, too! Want to use whole wheat tortillas? Go for it. Is shredded Cheddar cheese your favorite? Use that instead! This Chicken & Avocado Burritos recipe is foolproof, and ready to eat in less than 20 minutes!"

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 18 minutes; Serves: 4

To view this online, go to https://www.campbells.com/swanson/recipes/chicken-avocado-burritos/.

Ingredients

1 can (12.5 ounces) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

1/3 cup Pace® Salsa Verde

2 tablespoons light sour cream or plain nonfat Greek yogurt

4 flour tortilla (10-inch), warmed

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 lime, cut into quarters

Instructions

Stir the chicken, salsa verde and sour cream in a bowl.

Place the tortillas onto a work surface. Spoon the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with avocado, cheese and cilantro. Fold in two sides of each tortilla and roll up to enclose the filling.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the burritos for 4 minutes. Turn the burritos over and cook for 4 minutes or until hot. Serve with the lime wedges and additional salsa verde, if desired.

CHICKEN A LA KING

This is from Craig Claiborne and adapted by Eric Kim in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yumminess, Eric wrote, "This regal midcentury favorite of tender poached chicken draped in a creamy sherry sauce is due for a revival. Think of chicken potpie filling without the crust, or the kind of banquet poultry served at weddings. Many hotel chefs in the 19th century, including George Greenwald of the Brighton Beach Hotel, claim to have invented chicken à la king, which has as many variations as there are cooks. This particular iteration of the retro dish comes from Craig Claiborne, adapted from a column he wrote for The New York Times in 1969. For the full effect, serve the comforting chicken with toast triangles, as they still do at nostalgic restaurants like Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles and Cecchi’s in New York City, or enjoy with rice, noodles or biscuits, whatever makes you happy. This dish reheats beautifully in the microwave or over low heat on the stove."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Yield: 4 to 6 servings

This was featured in "A Chicken à la King That’s Actually Fit for a King," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026730-chicken-a-la-king. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth or 1-3/4 cups homemade stock (see Tip)

Salt and black pepper

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1/4 pounds; see Tip)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup sliced button or cremini mushrooms (2-1/2 ounces)

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup frozen green peas

2 tablespoons drained jarred sliced pimentos, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons dry sherry

Toast triangles and Tabasco hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Poach the chicken: Add the stock to a medium saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then turn the heat to its lowest setting. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add to the saucepan. Cover and poach the chicken until the centers are barely opaque, 15 to 25 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through cooking. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and the stock to a measuring cup.

While the chicken cools, make the sauce: In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium, then add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the green bell pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute.

Whisk in 1-1/2 cups reserved chicken stock. Boil, whisking constantly, until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook over low, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1/2-inch cubes and stir into the sauce, along with the peas, pimento and parsley. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the chicken is just cooked through.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sherry to combine and stir into the sauce. Do not boil the sauce at this stage or it may curdle. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat when steaming hot and serve immediately with the toast triangles and Tabasco sauce, if using.

Tip

To prepare an even richer, more flavorful dish, do as Mr. Claiborne does in his cookbook “Craig Claiborne’s Southern Cooking” (1987) and start by poaching a whole chicken. Add a whole chicken to a snug pot, fill the pot with just enough water to cover it. If desired, add aromatic ingredients, such as peppercorns, bay leaves, onion, allspice, carrot and celery. Season with salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Strain and use the stock in Step 3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let cool slightly before tearing off the meat and carving it into 1/2-inch cubes to use in Step 4. You should have about 3 cups of cubed boneless, skinless chicken.

CHICKEN BACON RANCH CASSEROLE

This is from the Pillsbury emailing list. It begins, "Level up your casserole game in the easiest way with a yummy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole. Simple, hearty and guaranteed to please, this creamy chicken pasta dish will have the whole family asking for seconds. Prep your casserole in just 20 minutes, then let your oven do all the heavy lifting—this chicken bacon ranch pasta bake is the definition of comfort food!"

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 45; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb penne pasta, cooked and drained

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce

1/2 cup ranch dressing

6 slices chopped cooked bacon

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

Chopped parsley, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray 13x9-inch pan.

In large bowl, place 1 lb cooked and drained penne pasta, 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce and 1/2 cup ranch dressing. Stir to combine. Pour mixture in pan; spread evenly.

Sprinkle 6 slices chopped cooked bacon evenly over top, then sprinkle with 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz).

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Tips from the Pillsbury Kitchens

tip 1

Don't skimp on the optional sprinkle of chopped parsley. It adds bright color and a fresh taste to your bacon ranch chicken bake.

Tip 2

If you don't have any leftover chicken, pick up a rotisserie chicken at your grocery store. A 2-lb bird will provide about 3 cups of meat.

Tip 3

To add a more distinct cheesy flavor to your chicken bacon casserole, use cheddar cheese instead of the mozzarella.

Tip 4

You can use any short pasta, including fusilli or rotini, in this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole recipe. The short noodles make the casserole easy to scoop up and serve.