Cassoulet

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped (doesn't need to be small)
1 lb sausage
1 lb chicken legs
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 bay leaf
parsley
thyme
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions and sausage; sauté them for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Drain all but 4 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. Brown the chicken legs in the skillet; remove from pan and set aside.

Combine the onions, sausage, chicken legs, tomatoes, wine, chicken stock, herbs to taste, garlic, tomato paste, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper in a large casserole dish. Cover with a lid or foil, and bake the casserole for 25 minutes. Add the carrots to the casserole, cover, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Add the white beans to the hot casserole and gently stir the mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Discard the bay leaf and serve the cassoulet hot.

NOTES
Adapted from about.com.
My amounts of some ingredients didn't quite match the recipe but it still turned out tasty anyway.

Braised Chicken

3 chicken legs
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 large onion, sliced
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp oil

Combine garlic, oil, paprika, curry powder, cinnamon and salt; whisk until you have a fragrant marinade.

Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1-2 Tbsp oil in a skillet and quickly brown the chicken legs. Transfer them to an oven dish. Brush them with half of the marinade. Spread peppers, onions and tomatoes in the pan, around, on top of, and underneath chicken. Lightly dab the vegetables with the other half of the marinade. Pour in chicken broth, but don't cover chicken.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Halfway through, remove from oven, flip vegetables, and spoon sauce over chicken. Return to oven until cooked through.

NOTES
From Pioneer Woman.
Unexpectedly delicious. Way, way better than I thought it could be.
I used frozen peppers/onions and canned tomatoes.
My kids don't do peppers and onions, but they loved the chicken.

Braised Chicken with Baby Potatoes

3 Tbsp flour, plus additional for dusting
3 lbs chicken (breasts, drumsticks and/or thighs)
2 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp chopped shallots
8 oz mushrooms
1/2 c dry white wine
2 c chicken stock
3/4 pound baby potatoes (white, dutch or red, left whole)
1/2 lb escarole, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 roasted peppers, diced
1 Tbsp capers
juice of one lemon (2-3 Tbsp)
salt and pepper to taste

Dust chicken with flour; pat off excess. Heat oil in large oven-safe pan on medium; add chicken. Brown lightly on all sides, 8-10 minutes total. Transfer to clean platter; set aside. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp oil.

Add shallots; cook and stir 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 3-4 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring to loosen browned bits on bottom of pan. Simmer 3-5 minutes to reduce liquids by two-thirds. Stir in remaining 3 Tbsp flour; add chicken stock. Return chicken to pan and add potatoes. Bring to a simmer.

Cover and place on center rack of oven. Braise for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Remove pan from oven. Remove chicken from sauce and set aside. Add escarole to pan; simmer 5 minutes on medium on stove top. Stir in tarragon, peppers and capers. Return chicken to pan and add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

NOTES
From Wegmans.
Untried.

Roasted Chicken with Maple Walnut Glaze

1 whole roasting chicken (about 6 1/2 lbs)
salt and pepper
1 c walnut halves, chopped coarsely
1 stick butter
1/2 c maple syrup

Place chicken in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Place pan on center rack of oven and roast 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Roast until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer from oven to serving platter.

Heat saute pan over medium heat; add walnuts. Stir, toasting until lightly brown, 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Add butter to pan and melt. Remove from heat and stir in syrup. Pour over chicken. Serve extra glaze on the side.

NOTES
From Wegmans.
Untried.

Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

1 lb chicken, cut into cubes
1/4 c Italian dressing
4 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 c chicken broth
10 oz frozen mixed vegetables
1 pre-made pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium skillet, cook chicken in dressing over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and cook until cheese melts. Add flour and stir well. Add broth and vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour filling into a deep dish 10" pie plate. Top with pie crust; flute edges and slit top.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

NOTES
I think this comes from Kraft.
Not your ordinary chicken pot pie -- creamy and tangy and yum.

Garlicky Baked Chicken

4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 stick butter (8 Tbsp)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 c bread crumbs
1 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a small saucepan, melt butter with garlic; pour into a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix bread crumbs and cheese. Dip chicken in garlic butter and coat well; then dip in bread crumbs, patting so coating is thick.

Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan and pat on any remaining crumb mix. Drizzle remaining butter over pieces.

Bake 1 hour, until crisp and golden, basting occasionally.

NOTES
I think this comes from a volume of Best American Recipes.
Not healthy at all, but totally delicious.

Jackie's Crockpot Chicken

Layer in crock pot:

3 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup (1 family size, 1 regular size)
1 packet onion soup mix
1 chicken bouillon cube
salt potatoes, skin on, quartered
sliced carrots
frozen mixed vegetables

Cook 6 hours on low. Before serving, shred chicken using 2 forks and mix well. Serve over biscuits.

NOTES
From my friend Jackie.
No measurements for the vegetables -- just use whatever looks like a good sized layer.
Haven't made this since I gave up canned soup, so I'd probably look for an alternative if I made it again.
Would perhaps look for a homemade alternative to the onion soup mix as well.

Dijon Tarragon Cream Chicken

2 Tbsp butter
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in the skillet. Brown on both sides. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and continue cooking 15 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear. Set aside and keep warm.

Add garlic to the pan and cook for a minute or two. Combine milk and flour and stir into pan, scraping up the brown bits. Mix in mustard and tarragon. Cook and stir 5 minutes, or until thickened. Return chicken to skillet to coat with sauce. Drizzle chicken with remaining sauce to serve.

NOTES
Adapted from allrecipes.com.
Really rich and delicious. The tarragon really makes this dish; its flavor combined with the mustard is superb.

Creamy Chicken Pasta Soup

3 Tbsp butter
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1 c sliced celery
1 c shredded carrots
1 medium chopped onion
3 Tbsp flour
6 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c half and half
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lbs chicken, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 c penne pasta
1/4 lb sugar snap peas, halved
3 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots and onion. Cook about 5 minutes until celery and onion are tender. Add flour; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually mix in chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Stir frequently.

Add half and half and parsley; simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces; cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Cook penne separately and add to simmering soup along with peas; simmer 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste before serving.

NOTES
Original source unknown.
I liked this, but it was not a universal hit with my family.

Tortilla Soup

4 corn tortillas
1 (12 oz) pork tenderloin
chili powder
oil
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
32 oz chicken broth
10 oz frozen corn
3 plum tomatoes, diced
avocado
cilantro
lime wedges

Cut tortillas into strips and bake at about 350 degrees until they are crispy.

Cut pork tenderloin in half lengthwise and sprinkle both sides with chili powder to taste. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and brown pork on both sides.

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until brown. Add garlic, broth and corn; bring to a boil and reduce heat.

Slice pork thinly; add to soup and cook through.

Stir in tomatoes and tortilla slices. Garnish each portion with avocado slices, fresh cilantro and/or lime wedges.

NOTES
Original source unknown.
This is my base recipe for every tortilla soup I make. Sometimes with chicken or beans, sometimes with peppers, sometimes topped with sour cream and cheese.
I usually add more spices, such as cumin, maybe a little oregano, salt and pepper, sometimes chipotle seasoning. Pretty easy to vary to taste.

Greek Chicken Casserole

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 c chopped onion (about 1 large)
2 Tbsp dried thyme
1-2 tsp black pepper
10 garlic cloves, minced
6 c cubed red potatoes (about 2 lb)
2 c cut green beans (about 1/2 lb)
1/4 c water
2 Tbsp finely chopped olives
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
8 skinned, boned chicken thighs (about 1 lb)
1/2 c (2 oz) crumbled feta cheese

Heat oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; saute 3 minutes. Add thyme, pepper, garlic; saute 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add potatoes; saute 8 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown. Stir in beans, water, olives and tomatoes. Remove from heat. Nestle chicken thighs into potato mixture and top with feta. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

NOTES
From Cooking Light.
Untried.

Tuscan Chicken Stew

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c chicken broth
1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans (or other white beans), rinsed and drained
1 (7 oz) bottle roasted red peppers, drained, cut into 1/2" pieces
3 1/2 c torn spinach

Combine first 4 ingredients; toss well. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add broth, beans and peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in spinach; simmer 1 minute.

NOTES
From Cooking Light.
Untried.

Vietnam Fried Rice

4 Tbsp oil
1/4 - 1/2 lb any cooked or raw meat, cut into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbs soy sauce
3 c cooked rice
1 c leftover, frozen or fresh vegetables
2 eggs, beaten

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add meat, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, sugar and soy sauce. Stir-fry until meat is tender and hot, about 1-2 minutes. Add rice and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add vegetables and stir-fry until cooked. Just before serving, push rice, meat and veggies to side of pan and add eggs. Stir until eggs are cooked, then mix with rice.

Serves 4.

NOTES
From Kim.
We make this all the time when we have leftover rice and vegetables.
Works just as well without meat.
We usually add more seasoning -- more soy sauce, or some teriyaki sauce or similar.

Chinese Marinade for Stir-fry

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger root, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1/2 lb beef tenderloin or sirloin, pork or chicken, cut into thin strips
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp oil

Mix garlic, ginger, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add meat and marinate at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. After marinating, add cornstarch, oil and a dash of water if the mixture is too dry. Stir fry with a little oil until tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir fry 5-6 cups of vegetables and serve over rice or noodles.

Serves 4.

NOTES
From Kim.
Good basic recipe, easy to mix up by using different meats and vegetables.

Chicken Wings Hawaiian

1/2 c soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 c finely chopped green onions (or 1 onion)
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 c margarine
1/4 c water
2 lb chicken wings

Arrange chicken wings side by side in shallow baking pan. Combine all other ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cool. Pour over chicken, refrigerate and marinate several hours. Turn pieces, then place in a 350-degree oven without removing sauce. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, turning pieces after 30 minutes.

NOTES
From Kim.

Homemade Shake'n Bake for Chicken

2 c dry bread crumbs
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning (optional)
1/4 c vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend with fork or pastry blender until well mixed. Keeps unrefrigerated in tightly covered container.

When ready to use: Put 1/2 c coating mix in a plastic bag. Moisten chicken pieces with water and shake one piece at a time in bag. Add more mix as needed. Lay chicken skin-side up in greased pan and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees or until tender. No turning needed.

Makes 2 1/3 c mix.

NOTES
From Kim.
Untried.