Honey Garlic Chicken

Click here to see some progress pictures!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast
2 TBLSP cornstartch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBLSP vegetable oil
1 TBLSP unsalted butter
4 (recommended, I used 6) cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 TBLSP rice wine vinegar
1 TBLSP light soy sauce
1/3 cup rough chopped parsley 
18oz Jasmine 3 minute rice
Crushed Red Pepper (to taste or not at all)
Ginger (fresh or powder) (to add a little more flavor but totally optional)

LET'S GET COOKING!

Combine honey, chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce in a bowl. Set aside
Dice chicken in to bite sized pieces
Mix Corn starch, salt and pepper, a pinch of parsley, (and crushed red pepper and ginger if you choose) in a bowl, toss chicken in this 

Heat a pan over medium-high, add oil when hot
Add chicken, brown and cook to completion (165f) 

Microwave your 3 minute rice

Add in butter and garlic, cook until garlic is golden brown and aromatic
Stir sauce in bowl once again to ensure that honey has fully incorporated, pour over chicken
Turn heat up and bring to a boil
Reduce sauce until it thickens a little
Stir in rice
Serve in bowls, garnish with parsley

Put in your mouth hole and enjoy!

Notes:
I don't know if it actually makes a difference, but I always cover my chicken while it's cooking to retain moisture. I hate dry chicken. Just my two cents lol

 

French Onion Chicken Bake

Click here to see on Instagtram

There are two ways to do this dish. You can go the purist, starting from scratch way or you can go the quick and simple way. I will give instructions for both. (I went the simple way this time)

Ingredients:

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz)
1 can of condensed French onion soup (10.5 oz)
    - DO NOT use reduced fat versions of either soup. They will not break down properly and your recipe will fail.
15 oz of chicken broth
1 cup of long grain or brown rice (really, it's whatever you want to use)
    - For the simple route you may use 90 second rice. I suggest 2 packs
Olive/Vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion
1 lb chicken breast
2 cups shredded cheddar (or whatever kind of cheese you want. I used Colby Jack)

LET'S GET COOKING!

The longer but probably better way:
Preheat oven to 350f
Cut onion into thin slices, sauté in a pan 
Dice chicken into bite sized pieces
Whisk soups and chicken broth together in a bowl
Place uncooked chicken in the bottom of a 9x9 or 11x7 casserole dish
Sprinkle rice on top of chicken
Lay out onions evenly
Pour the soup mixture on top of everything, cover tightly with foil
Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes or until chicken is 165f and rice is cooked
Remove from oven, cover in cheese and put back in the over until cheese is melted
Remove from oven, top with crispy onions
Serve in bowls
Put into your mouth hole and enjoy

The faster way:
Preheat oven to 350f
Heat a skillet (I like to use a cast iron because I'm a bougie bitch) over medium heat 
Add about 2 TBLSP of olive/vegetable oil to pan, heat
Place chicken breast in the skillet. Cook halfway through, flip cook until chicken reaches 165f
Remove from pan, set aside to cool
Cut onion into thin slices, sauté in skillet
Shred chicken with fork or hands (be careful it's still pretty hot)
Cook 90 second rice, lay in bottom of a 9x9 or 11x7 casserole dish
Add chicken, onions, and soup mixture to skillet (you may need a pot at this point depending on how big your skillet is)
Bring to a low boil
If your mixture is super runny you can mix 1TBLSP of corn starch with 1 TBLSP of water. Add this to your skillet and cook until the mixture thickens
Carefully transfer contents of skillet to your casserole dish
Top with desired amount of cheese (I used a whole 2 cup bag of shredded Colby Jack)
Place back in oven until cheese is melted and golden
Remove from oven, top with crispy onions
Serve in a bowl
Put in your mouth hole and enjoy

NOTES:
A metal pan will cook faster than ceramic, glass, or pyrex
Again, DO NOT USE reduced fat soups
For an even quicker meal, use a rotisserie chicken. Shred with hands/forks
Roasted Brussel sprouts would make a GREAT side for this dish 

Italian Chicken and Gnocchi

 

Click here to see the final product

4 Servings    732cal

Ingredients:

1 TBLSP olive oil
2 TBLSP unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves, minced (use more or less, it's up to you!)
1/2 cup white wine (I used a $4 bottle of Pinot Grigio from Kroger)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cup chicken broth/stock
Salt and pepper to taste
6.3 oz cream cheese (roughly 1 1/3 blocks ,Kroger brand)
1 lb gnocchi
3.5 oz spinach (roughly chopped optional, keep whole optional)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
12 oz chicken breast

LET'S GET COOKING!

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, mix with Italian seasoning, paprika, and Salt and pepper, and a few drops of olive oil
Mince garlic
Chop/Chiffonade spinach (I rough chopped it)

*For this recipe I used the very old cast iron skillet that my wife's grandma gave us*

Heat pan over medium-high heat
    - Add olive oil, coat bottom of pan
    - Add butter, melt
Once the butter has begun to foam, add the diced chicken
    - Cook until lightly browned
Add in garlic, cook until it has lightly browned and is aromatic
Add white wine, cook for 1-2 minutes
Add chicken stock/broth, bring to a simmer
Add cream cheese, ensure that it has broken down completely. You should have a smooth, creamy sauce
Add gnocchi and spinach, cook 3-5 minutes (until gnocchi  is soft)
Remove from heat and stir in parmesan

Ladle into bowls

Put it in your mouth hole and enjoy

*Recipes often call for garlic and they tell you how many cloves to use, don't listen to them either. You garlic the hell out of it, or lesson the garlic. You're in charge of your garlic destiny!
*The seasoning measurements came from the original recipe I found, but you do not have to go by that. Season to the extent your heart tells you to

*The seasoning measurements came from the original recipe I found, but you do not have to go by that. Season to the extent your heart tells you to

*Recipes often call for garlic and they tell you how many cloves to use, don't listen to them either. You garlic the hell out of it, or lesson the garlic. You're in charge of your garlic destiny!

Mexican Street Corn Con Pollo Nachos

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 6 Servings           342 cal

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 yellow onion
1 jalapeno
4 cups chicken broth/stock
1.5 cups sour cream (or sub plain yogurt)
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese
4 cloves of  fresh garlic, minced (I used 6 because NOBODY's gonna tell me how much garlic to use)
1/2 TBLSP oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder (use your heart to measure)
2 cups frozen white (or yellow) corn
1/2 bunch cilantro, rough chopped
1 lime, squeezed (you can use store bought lime juice if you wish)
3 TBLSP cornstarch
3 TBLSP water
Olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pan)
Cojita Cheese/ Queso Fresco
Tortilla chips
Avocado 
1/2 TBLSP paprika (smoked paprika works best)
1/2 TBLSP cumin
Bacon bits (optional, I hate bacon lol)
White Wine (I used a $4 bottle of Pino Grigio from Kroger)

LET'S GET COOKING!

Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces (or leave it whole and you can shred it after it cooks)
Mix chicken and spices with a little bit of olive oil, set aside
Dice onion, jalapeno
Mince garlic
Rough chop cilantro

Heat pan on medium-high (I used a 60 year old cast iron skillet gifted to us by my wife's Grandma)
    - Add oil, sauté onion and jalapeno
    - Add in garlic, cook until garlic is golden and aromatic
    - Remove veggies and deglaze pan with white wine
    - Add chicken and veggies back to pan
    - Add chicken broth/stock and monterey jack cheese, and cilantro, bring to a broil
    - Reduce heat, cover, cook until chicken is done (165F)
    - If  you left the chicken breast whole, this is where you would shred it

Combine corn starch and water in a bowl and mix thoroughly

    -  Add sour cream, cilantro, and squeeze your lime in it
    - Add corn starch and water mixture, stir

Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

Put desired amount of tortilla chips in a bowl or on a plate

Ladle street corn over nachos
    -Garnish with bacon (optional), avocado slices, and cojita cheese/ queso fresco crumbles

Put it in your mouth hole and enjoy

    

Notes:
I put all my veggies in the cast iron without any oil and roasted them until they were browned before I sauteed anything, but that was me being extra
I also charred my jalapeno with the flame from my gas stove before sautéing it
I used Rattlesnake Hill Farm's Bourbon Smoked Red Pepper instead of paprika order here

*The seasoning measurements came from the original recipe I found, but you do not have to go by that. Season to the extent your heart tells you to
*Recipes often call for garlic and they tell you how many cloves to use, don't listen to them either. You garlic the hell out of it, or lesson the garlic. You're in charge of your garlic destiny!