Crispy Rosemary Chicken & Fries

I am trying very hard to eat healthier and this recipe sounded really good to use up some chicken thighs I had in the freezer. I also love these little red potatoes. Perfect! The chicken was very juicy and the potatoes, while not exactly crispy, were yummy as well.

Crispy Rosemary Chicken & Fries:
from allrecipes.com

8 chicken thighs
6 small red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary (I used dried)
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano (I used dried)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (I used garlic salt)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place chicken and potatoes into a large bowl. Pour olive oil over them and stir to coat. Scatter the chicken and potato pieces in a large baking dish, or cookie sheet with sides. Sprinkle with rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Bake for 1 hour (mine took 1 hour and 10 minutes) in the preheated oven, uncovered. Baste during the last 15 minutes for extra crispness.

Sweet & Tangy Chicken

This chicken was very tender and it cooked up in no time. The sauce was slightly sweet, but not overpowering. I served it with potato croquettes and they complimented each other nicely.

Sweet & Tangy Chicken:
courtesty of campbellskitchen.com

1 Tbsp. butter

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 can Campbell's condensed tomato soup

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp. vinegar

Heat butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned.

Add soup, water, sugar and vinegar. (I mixed it together in a bowl first and then added to skillet.) Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until done.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I am still learning to cook, but I wanted to attempt something completely from scratch and not from a cookbook. I knew the basic principle of chicken cordon bleu and ran with it. This came out amazing!! My husband and my one year son gobbled it down!

Chicken Cordon Bleu:
my recipe

2 chicken breasts - pounded thin
2 slices virginia ham deli meat
2 slices provolone cheese
2 slices mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups half and half
6 Tbsp. butter
8 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup shredded cheddar/monterey jack combination
4 slices provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay chicken breasts flat on the counter. Layer one slice of ham, one slice of provolone and one slice of mozzarella on each breast. Roll up carefully tucking in filling when you can. Once rolled, secure with toothpicks. Combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese on a plate. Dip chicken breasts into eggs, one at at time, and then dredge in the bread crumb/cheese mixture, covering each breast completely.

Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet. Brown the chicken on all sides to a golden brown color, then transfer to the oven. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until done.

Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt the butter in a large sauce pot. Once melted, add the flour and stir. Let cook for a minute to cook out flour taste. Add the half and half and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the slices of provolone and the cheddar/jack mix. Whisk until smooth.

When chicken is done, spoon sauce over the top of each breast.

Chicken & Dumplings

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings:

adapted from allrecipes.com

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs - fat trimmed away

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of chicken with herbs soup

1 carton chicken broth

2 8 oz. cans of biscuit dough - regular ones, not grands

garlic powder

onion powder

Place the chicken thighs in a large crockpot. Season to taste with garlic powder and onion powder. Pour the two cans of cream of chicken soup over the chicken pieces. Pour in chicken broth until the level is about 1" over the chicken pieces. Cover and let cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until chicken falls apart.

Break pieces of chicken up into bite size pieces. Add the rest of the carton of chicken broth to the existing juices. Tear the biscuit dough into small bite size pieces and drop into the chicken/broth mixture. The crockpot will be very full after all biscuit pieces are in. Replace lid and cook on high for about 30 minutes. Do not stir the dumplings or remove the lid. After 30 minutes, taste the dumplings for doneness. (I've had it take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how big the dumplings are.)

Roast Sticky Chicken - Rotisserie Style

This chicken is so good!! It just falls off the bone and is so incredibly moist. My husband didn't even have to carve some of it. Pieces just fell apart. It's time consuming, but it's perfect for a Sunday dinner. The leftovers are great too.

Roast Sticky Chicken - Rotisserie Style
adapted from allrecipes.com

4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. white pepper (I omitted)

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 onions, quartered (I used one large onion)

2 (4 lb) whole chickens (I used 1 5 lb chicken)

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Remove and discard giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken cavity and pat dry with paper towel. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture. (We don't eat the skin, so I gently lifted it and placed seasoning under the skin as well.) Place one onion into the cavity of each chicken. Place chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 to 6 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 25o degrees.

3. Place chickens in a roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 5 hours, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees. (Mine took 4 hours) Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.