CHICKEN!

(Preschool farm day)

Chicken is inexpensive, delicious and good for you!  You can also cook it a million ways.  I typically buy a bag of boneless-skinless breasts, boneless-skinless thighs, and drumsticks.  Leg quarters are also a great buy.  Here's where I buy my chicken and some of our favorite recipes.

Costco: I buy the frozen bag of chicken thighs here.  (approx. $1.85/lb.) I sometimes buy the chicken breasts here too. (approx. $2.00/lb)

Grocery ads: right now there are chicken breasts for $1.67/lb. at a local grocery store.  I generally buy drumsticks while they're on sale at the grocery store as well.  Currently leg quarters are $0.75/lb - 10 lb. bag - at another store. (remember: WalMart does ad match.  Bring in the grocery ad and they will match the price for you - see store for details)

Boneless-Skinless Chicken Breasts

Cooking and shredding chicken is great for Mexican Fiesta Night.  We use it on nachos, in burritos, salads or enchiladas.  Chicken salad sandwiches are good for lunch or dinner and adding shredded chicken to my vegetable soup makes it a hearty meal. We also love Chicken Spinach Fettucini, Buffalo Wing Chicken Dip, Chicken Crescent Rolls, Mexican-ish Chicken, Chicken & Broccoli Braid, Lemon Chicken Soup, Chicken Scampi, Chicken Lettuce Wraps or just grilling it.

Boneless-Skinless Chicken Thighs

Years ago I took some Asian cooking classes and they used the thighs because the higher fat content made them more tender and juicy.  I agree and they're used in our home for Honey Bourbon Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, and Stir-Fry (although you can use chicken breasts)

Drumsticks

These are great baked, barbecued, and as Crock Pot Drumsticks - our favorite!  I've seen recipes for "oven-fried" chicken, when I try it, I'll share.

Leg Quarters

We normally don't buy them, but when we do we grill them with a little BBQ sauce at the end.  Growing up I had them in a chicken & rice casserole.  You can also cut the leg and thigh apart and use them separately.

RECIPES

CHICKEN SPINACH FETTUCCINI

1 lb. boneless-skinless chicken breast

1 lb. fettuccini noodles

1 (8-10 oz) pkg. spinach (frozen or fresh)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

Lemon Herb Seasoning

Salt & Pepper to taste

Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and extra, extra lemon herb seasoning.  Put the olive oil in a baking dish and add the chicken.  Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.  Prepare the fettuccini and heat the frozen spinach, then mix together. (if using fresh spinach, I just coarsely cut it and throw it in the pan with the hot, drained noodles - cover with the lid until the spinach is wilted) When the chicken is cooked, cube it and add to the fettuccini and spinach.  Make sure you add all the chicken drippings to the dish.  Sprinkle with more lemon herb seasoning if needed.

**If I'm in a rush, or don't have my chicken already thawed, I generally use the pressure cooker.  I place the chicken, oil and seasonings in and pressure on high for 8-10 minutes.  Let release naturally, then cube it and add to noodles and spinach.

HONEY BOURBON CHICKEN

(From Real Mom Kitchen)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

salt & pepper

1 onion, diced (she only used 1/2 cup)

1 c. honey

1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce (I use a Japanese soy sauce since it's lower in sodium)

1/4 c. ketchup

2 T. canola oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (you can omit or increase, to taste)

1-2 T. cornstarch

Hot Rice

Sesame seeds, optional

Salt & pepper chicken and place in your slow cooker. Place onion on top of chicken. In a medium sized bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pour mixture over the chicken in the crockpot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot and slice into strips. In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp. cornstarch with 1 Tbsp. water. Pour into sauce remaining in the crock pot and stir to combine. If sauce in not thick enough repeat with another Tbsp. of the cornstarch water. Place the chicken back in the sauce and stir around to recoat the chicken in the sauce. Serve over cooked rice and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (optional).

**MY TWO CENTS: Those were her directions, but I like to pressure cook it.  I place everything in the pressure cooker (following directions #1-3) and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.  Then I let it naturally release and follow the directions from #5-8. It's quick and DELICIOUS!!!!

CROCK POT DRUMSTICKS

(I've seen this recipe on a few different blogs.  I'll just credit the one I first grabbed the recipe from at Creatively Domestic  I think this is the best recipe!  Inexpensive, easy and it actually tastes better without the skin!!!)

2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. paprika

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried thyme 

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

3-4 lbs. chicken drumsticks, skinned (optional, but it tastes better!)

foil for crumpling up in crockpot

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine salt and all the spices. Rinse drumsticks and pat dry with paper towel. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken. Crumple up foil  and put in the bottom on your crock pot. Top the foil with the spice rubbed chicken pieces. Cook on LOW for 8-12 hours until very tender. (hers was perfect after 6 hours on Low)

**MY TWO CENTS: I use a little cooking rack in the bottom of my crock pot.  You want to keep the chicken off the bottom of the crock pot.  With the skin off and the spices rubbed into the drumsticks, it makes a nice, firm outer shell with the incredibly tender chicken inside.  TRY THIS ONE!