Teriyaki marinade for grilling

 

This simple marinade has only 3 ingredients.  Easy and yummy, that's my kind of recipe.  The flavor of the marinade and flavor a grill gives is a perfect combo. I use it to marinade chicken breast or chicken tenders.  This marinade was my mother's favorite way prepare meat to serve a crowd.  Except she always used turkey steaks (the tender strip from the turkey breast).  Her neighbor had a turkey farm.  Actually she got this recipe from him.  Many, many people have enjoyed turkey steaks at her home.

Teriyaki marinade:

1 part soy sauce
1 part vegetable oil
2 parts Sprite

I know a recipe by parts seems strange, but actually it very convenient because you can make the amount you need.

Small,

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Sprite

or large,

3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 12 oz can Sprite

or any amount in between.

Prepare your turkey or chicken by trimming off any fat.  If the chicken breast are large I like to cut them in half length wise.  (I use my kitchen scissors.)  I like the way they cook on the grill cut to that size.  Marinate the meat in the sauce for at least 4 hours, but longer is better.  I try to start marinating in the morning of the day we'll have it for dinner.  Keep the meat in the fridge and covered while marinating.  (If using chicken tenders marinate for only about 4 hours)  Stir occasionally.  To grill, preheat grill on high.  Place meat on the grill reduce heat.  When meat has dark grill lines turn.  The amount of time depends on the size of your meat.  I like the way chicken breast cut in half length wise have three sides to brown.  Cut a piece to make sure it is done or use a thermometer.  My family likes Casserole Potatoes with Teriyaki chicken.

            

 

                                                                                                 Chicken breasts cut length wise.

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Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!

Welcome to Friday's Five Favorites!  We decided to make Fridays a little more fun around here by every Friday giving you a taste of some of our favorites.  This week I'm going to feature our top five favorite chicken dinners.  My dinner group used to tease me a little because I always wanted to use chicken and I admit it probably is my favorite meat to cook with.

Anyway, here's this week's top five, in no particular order!

Spicy Romano Chicken!


This one has been one our most popular posts and for good reason.  This is one tasty dish!  The white cream sauce has quite the kick to it that will give you taste buds a good buzz.  Add your favorite pasta, green onions, chicken and sauteed mushrooms.  Yes, this recipe is definitely making our top five. Go here for the full Spicy Romano Chicken recipe.


Chicken Flautas with Sour Cream Salsa!



Another one of our most popular posts and probably my absolute favorite!  You can't go wrong with this Tex-Mex recipe.  You'll love the crunch of the flaky crust and then the yummy chicken and cheese mixture inside.  The best part of this meal is the Sour Cream Salsa that combines two my favorite flavors lime and cilantro! Go here for this amazing recipe.

White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas!


Creamy, dreamy white sauce chicken enchiladas, makes my mouth water just looking at it.  This recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser in your home! Go here for the full recipe!

Sweet & Sour Chicken!


The saying opposites attract is certainly true in this case.  The sweet and sour flavor, and the soft texture of the rice with the contrasting crunch of the veggies mix well together.
Go here for the recipe for this scrumptious dinner!

And here's something new! This is also one our families all time favorite chicken dinners. This is a extremely easy recipe, you pretty much throw some ingredients, that you most likely always have around, in a crock pot and anxiously await it's goodness.  It's one of my best go-to meals!

Salsa Chicken Burritos!

Here's what you'll need:
2-3 lbs of cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups of your favorite salsa
2 tbs of taco seasoning
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese
1 can of corn
1 can of drained black beans
shredded cheese
tortillas

This is a recipe that you can play with and add or subtract ingredients easily.  I've added various rice mixtures before to these burritos, which makes your meat go further.  If your eaters are pretty picky try leaving out the corn and beans.  You can also control how much flavor it has by using either a mild or hot salsa.

Start by throwing your cooked chicken in the crock pot with the 1 1/2 cup of salsa.  Cook on low for 3 or 4 hours.  Once it's cooked shred the chicken with two forks.

Next add the block of cream cheese and let it cook for about another hour.

Finally add in the drained can of corn and black beans, stir them in and let them warm up while you grate the cheese and prepare the tortillas.

Fill the tortillas and enjoy a yummy meal!

Check back with us next week to hear about that week's top five favorites!

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White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas!

This is one of my all time favorite recipes! Seriously just looking at this picture is making my mouth water! You're going to love a change from your normal enchilada sauce with this creamy, dreamy white sauce. Yes, I am really in love with this sauce. Talk about comfort food!

Here's what you'll need to make this tasty dish:

8-10 flour taco size tortillas
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 4oz can of diced green chilies
3 cups shredded chicken
2 tablespoons dehydrated onions
1 tablespoon parsley
1/8 garlic salt
pepper
2-3 cups cheese

 Start by making your filling by combining;

1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups shredded chicken
2 tablespoons dehydrated onions
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 can of green chilies
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt (if you're using canned chicken I wouldn't add any extra salt)
pepper

 Next make up the sauce by mixing;

1/2 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 can of green chilies

 Grease your 9x13 pan and then spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom.  I then add about 1/2 cup or so of sauce to the filling mixture.

 Fill the tortilla with about 1/3 cup of the filling mixture and some cheese, roll up the tortilla and place into the pan with the seam down.

 Pour remaining sauce on top of the filled tortillas.  Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 325.  When they're done, remove the foil and top with grated cheese.  Place in oven till cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

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Coke Chicken

Coke Chicken!  That's right, chicken cooked in coke!  That alone made me want to try it.

Coke chicken is a dish my daughter-in-law makes that we all love.  She was kind to share this recipe.  I'm sure your family will love this flavorful chicken.  Serve with rice.    

2 lb boneless chicken, light or dark meat 

6 slices of fresh ginger root
2 green onions

1 whole star anise

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 liter Coke (NOT Diet Coke)

Cut chicken into cubes.

Slice the ginger root and cut up the green onion.

   

Heat up the oil, add ginger root, green onion, and anise.  Stir for a minute.  Add chicken and soy sauce, stir for 3 or 4 minutes.

 Add Coke until it just covers the chicken.

Let it cook until the liquid is almost dry.  Remove anise.  Serve with rice.
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Crockpot Chicken & Potatoes

I can't remember if I've mentioned on here that our little family is getting ready to move.  With the moving day looming closer and with so much still to do I have been turning to my trusty crockpot more and more for dinner.  I love that I can just throw in a few things in the morning and when 5 o'clock catches me walla dinner is done.  It's so easy that is seems like magic.  I also love that my house smells yummy all day.  This is one of the easiest crockpot recipes out there and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand.

Here's what you'll need:

5-6 potatoes cut up
Small bag of baby carrots
Frozen chicken tenderloins
Cream of mushroom soup (I often just use two cans of cream of chicken)
Cream of chicken soup
Salt
Pepper
Minced onions

Cut up the potatoes into big chunks and place on the bottom of the crockpot. Next, layer carrots over top of potatoes and then layer frozen chicken over the carrots.  Empty both cans of creamed soup on top and spread around a little.  Top it off with a little salt, pepper and minced onions. (I don't measure this but it's probably about 1/2 tespoon or so for each.) Cook for about 6 hours on high - 8 hours on low. Mix occasionally during cooking.  Enjoy!

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Salad Dressing Chicken

Surprise, surprise but here comes another really easy recipe from me!  Not only is it easy but there's only 3 ingredients. This is probably our favorite way to eat chicken.  You bite through a tasty layer of crunchy-ness to find tender and juicy chicken full of flavor.

Here's what you'll need:

Enough chicken breasts or tenders to feed your family.
A bag of your favorite (or for me cheapest) croutons. I bag of croutons usually covers 5-7 chicken breasts.
Your favorite salad dressing.  (We've tried almost every kind with Italian probably being our favorite. In these pictures I was using Russian.)

Marinate your chicken in your favorite salad dressing.  If you don't have time to marinate then just coat the chicken with the dressing.  (If marinating your chicken it will be more flavorful and juicy if you poke it with a fork a couple of times while it marinates.)

Crush a bag of croutons to little pieces.  I use a food chopper but you could also smash then in the bag with anything hard.

They should look like this afterwards.

Take your chicken that is coated with dressing and cover it with the crouton pieces.

 Place it on a cookie sheet (I use a baking stone.)  And bake for 30-40 minutes at 400. 

As with most meats I would make sure the temperature is right or cut into it first to make sure it's cooked enough before eating.

Enjoy!

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Creamy Italian Chicken

This is another of our family's all time favorites.  It's hard to go wrong with a tasty creamy sauce, pasta and chicken.  It's great to feed large groups, it's EASY and it's crock pot friendly!  Crock pots are amazing and probably my favorite kitchen essential.  Start dinner early and enjoy the afternoon knowing dinner is already done!

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup water
1 Italian salad dressing seasoning packet (dry)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

8 oz. cream cheese, softened or Neufchatel cheese

Trim fat off chicken and cut breasts in half length wise. Spray bottom and sides of slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour in water and put in chicken. Sprinkle chicken with Italian salad dressing packet (dry) over chicken. Cook on high for 2-3 hours. 

In small mixing bowl mix soup and cream cheese together, pour over chicken. Cook on high for an additional hour.  Stir before serving. Serve with linguine, fettuccine, wide egg noodles, any other pasta or even rice. Serves 6.

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Chicken Flautas with Sour Cream Salsa

Watch out because here comes another stellar dinner group recipe.  This one comes from my friend Karie who is a lover of good Tex-Mex food.  Flautas are great because they taste like true Tex-Mex food but aren't too spicy.  You'll love the crunch of the flaky crust mixed with incredible flavors including two of my all time favorites lime and cilantro!

One of the best part of flautas is the to die for Sour Cream Salsa that you dip them in.  It pretty quick to whip up by mixing together;

1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. lime zest
1 Tbsp lime juice
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped.  (I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes so I will often leave them out or add some of our favorite homemade salsa.)

Once mixed up fridgerate until you're ready to serve it.

In my mind you can't go wrong with cilantro.  It's probably my favorite spice!  People often ask how I chop up my cilantro so small and it's by using a good pair of kitchen scissors.

Now for the flautas! You'll need;

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp shortening
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1  tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can diced green chilies
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I often use canned chicken but if you do make sure you reduce the amount of salt to at least half.)
cheddar cheese, grated

Saute' onion and garlic. Stir in shortening, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add broth, green chilies and chicken.

 Fill flour tortillas with chicken mixture and add cheese.

Fold in the two sides,

and roll up burrito style.

I put a toothpick in to make sure they don't come undone while frying.

Fry in 1/4 inch of hot oil.  They cook quick so be ready to turn them often.

Serve with the sour cream salsa and your favorite Mexican side dishes. YUM-O!

Enjoy!

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