I hope you enjoy all these recipes using chicken.
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Creamy chicken soup
1 tbsp. olive oil
6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/3 C all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
1 chicken bullion cube, crushed (or 2-3 tsp. vegetable stock powder)
1 good pinch of salt
4 C chicken broth
5 cups milk
10 oz. uncooked egg noodles or pasta of choice
1/3 C frozen peas
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sear chicken thighs on both sides until golden (about 3 minutes each side). Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Sauté for another 5 minutes until onion becomes transparent and celery just begins to soften. Add flour, parsley, crushed bullion cube (or vegetable stock powder), and salt. Mix all ingredients and allow to cook for 3 more minutes.
Pour in broth; mix everything together thoroughly; increase heat and bring to a boil for about 4 minutes (broth will begin to thicken). Reduce heat, partially cover pot with a lid, and allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Transfer chicken to a plate and shred meat; discard bones. Add chicken back into soup along with milk and noodles (or pasta). Bring to a boil and allow to cook for 6-8 minutes until noodles are just beginning to soften. Add peas and continue to cook until peas are cooked and soup has thickened. At this point, taste test soup and add extra salt or pepper or stock powder if desired to suit your tastes. Serve warm.
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Special shredded chicken sandwiches
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
12-oz. bottle Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce
1-oz. packet Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
rolls
optional toppings – cheddar cheese, blue cheese crumbles, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, lettuce
Lightly spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in a single layer. Sprinkle chicken breast evenly with ranch dressing, flipping chicken and coating both sides. Next, pour Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce over chicken. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours – cooking times vary, be sure to adjust your cooking time for your crockpot so you do not over cook.
When ready, shred chicken right in the crockpot with sauce using two forks. Serve on fresh baked sandwich rolls topped with your favorite toppings.
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Slow cooker barbecue chicken
2 to 2-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh)
1 C onion, chopped (optional, but highly recommend)
1 C Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce
1/2 C Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 C light brown sugar
Spray slow cooker lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in single layer in slow cooker. Top chicken with diced onion (optional). Mix remaining ingredients (BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar). Pour sauce over chicken. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until chicken is tender and easy to shred.
When ready, shred with two forks. Reduce slow cooker temperature to low and cook an additional hour. Cooking the extra hour allows yummy sauce to absorb into chicken. Serve chicken piled high on your favorite rolls along with your favorite barbecue sides – coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, baked potatoes, French fries, veggies, salad and more.
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Thought – When life gives you lemons, freeze them and throw them as hard as possible at the people making your life difficult.
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)