Tequila Lime Chicken

It's getting hot outside.  Time to grill!  I'm always looking for new ways to make grilled chicken.  This recipe goes great with margaritas ;)  It would be good in tacos too.

Ingredients:  tequila, limes, oranges, chili powder, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper and boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Juice the limes and oranges.

Mince the jalapeno and garlic.

Mix all of the ingredients together.

And submerge the chicken.  Cover and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or overnight.

When you take it out of the fridge it the acid in the citrus juice will have cooked the chicken a little and it will start to look opaque.  Don't worry - it won't affect the flavor.

Then grill it! (or make your husband grill it).  Yum!

Link to the printable recipe:

*Note:  the recipe is VERY limey.  I would suggest 3/4 c. lime juice and 3/4 c. orange juice.

Tequila Lime Chicken

Source:  Barefoot Contessa

Chicken and Dumplings

I love classic chicken and dumplings.  Tonight we ate this with turnip greens and biscuits for a Cracker Barrel copycat meal at home.  I have to say, it was pretty darn close to the real deal!  I love this recipe because it is from scratch but still quick and easy.

Ingredients:  cooked chicken, chicken stock, flour, baking powder, salt, butter and milk.

You can make this as easy or complicated as you want.  The most complicated way (which is still really easy) is to make the chicken stock yourself.  Basically, just simmer the chicken (any part) in salt water for about an hour. You can add any other leftover vegetables and herbs you have around such as onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary and parsley.  If you don't have extra veggies or herbs, just chicken and salt is enough.  You can remove the meat from the cooked chicken and reserve the stock for the recipe.  Or you can always cheat and use store bought broth and chicken.  Or you can roast the chicken.  The possibilities are endless!

I prefer to make my own stock.

To make the dumplings, mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and cut the butter (dice it first) into the mixture using a pastry blender or fork.

Pour in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough comes together in a ball.  It should be pretty sticky.

Roll it out on a well floured surface with a floured rolling pin.  Use a pastry or pizza cutter to cut the dough into roughly 2X2" squares.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the dumplings one at a time, swirling after each addition.  Reduce to a simmer and let them cook for about 15 minutes.

If the broth needs thickening when the dumplings are done cooking, remove some of the broth with a coffee cup and mix in some flour.  Then pour the concentrated thickened broth back into the pot.  Add the cooked chicken and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper.

Easy right?  Super delicious!  Just like Cracker Barrel.

Link to the printable recipe:

Chicken and Dumplings

Source:  Tasty Kitchen

Crispy Yogurt Chicken

It's hard to find a good recipe for crispy baked chicken.  Usually chicken won't get truly crispy unless it's fried.  Well this recipe is a winner... Moist, delicious, crispy baked chicken!

Ingredients:  Greek yogurt, Hidden Valley dip seasoning (any flavor - I chose dill), garlic, parsley, lemon juice, chicken legs or thighs, panko bread crumbs and butter.

Start by mixing the yogurt with the Hidden Valley dip mix.  This part is optional, but I feel like it gives the recipe some extra zing ;)

Toss in some minced garlic, minced parsley and fresh lemon juice.

And mix it all together.

Spread the panko bread crumbs out on a plate and season lightly with salt.

Rinse the chicken legs and pat them dry.

Coat the chicken in the yogurt mixture.

And roll it in the panko until all sides are coated.



Place the chicken in a buttered baking dish and top each piece with a pat of butter.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Remove the foil and broil for about 5 minutes or so until the bread crumbs brown.

The yogurt keeps the chicken really moist and gives it incredible flavor and the panko is perfectly crispy.  This is fantastic, crispy baked chicken!

Link to the printable recipe:

Crispy Yogurt Chicken

Source:  Pioneer Woman

Caribbean Chicken Wings

If you like things that are both spicy and sweet, then you will love these wings.  They are crispy, glazed, sweet, hot goodness!

Ingredients:  habanero pepper, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, fennel seed, cayenne pepper, allspice, dried thyme, ground ginger, garlic, green onions, apple cider vinegar, fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice and chicken wings.

If you can't find habanero peppers, you can substitute jalapeno.

Put all of the ingredients except the chicken wings into the bowl of a food processor.

And blend until smooth.  This smells so incredible!

Reserve some of the marinade and pour the rest over the chicken in a Ziploc bag.  Let it marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours.

When you are ready to cook them, turn them out onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the reserved marinade to a simmer over the stove.

Until it thickens into a glaze, about 5-10 minutes.

After the wings have baked for 20 minutes, pull them out of the oven and brush them with the glaze.  Then put them back in for another 20 minutes and raise the heat to 400 degrees.

They will come out caramelized and sticky.

Wow.  I love chicken wings.  These are amazing!

Link to the printable recipe:

Caribbean Chicken Wings

Source:  Sunny Anderson

Mexican Chicken Manicotti

The real name of this recipe is "Maniladas" but I thought that would scare people away.  This recipe is a cross between manicotti and chicken enchiladas.  Spicy and stuffed with chicken like enchiladas; pasta with a creamy cheese sauce like manicotti.  If you can't decide between Mexican and Italian, this is the recipe for you!

Ingredients:  manicotti shells, olive oil, onion, garlic, cooked chicken, salt and pepper, tomatoes, fresh cilantro, sour cream, tomatillos, red onion, jalapeno, butter, flour heavy cream, creamy cheese such as fontina or havarti and nutmeg.

I didn't get pictures throughout the process this time : / but to make the filling, saute onions and garlic in olive oil in a skillet until soft.  Remove from the heat and add chopped cooked chicken (I roasted mine; you can also boil it or buy a cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store), chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro and sour cream.

Mix it all together and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions.  Reserve some of the pasta water.  Stuff the shells with the filling.  The best way to do this is with your hands.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the flour.

Let it bubble and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches a golden color and smells like browned butter.

Whisk in the heavy cream and bring it to a simmer to thicken the sauce, whisking constantly.

Toss in the shredded cheese.  I used havarti because I couldn't find fontina at my local grocery store.  Sometimes they have it, sometimes they don't :(  Havarti is white, mild and creamy.  The perfect substitute!

Whisk it until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is nice and thick.

Spread it over the stuffed shells.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until heated through and bubbly.

To make the tomatillo sauce, toss the tomatoillos, red onion, jalapeno and a couple of cloves of garlic in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until soft and caramelized.

Move directly to a food processor.

And pulse until combined.  Use a little of the reserved starchy cooking water from the manicotti shells to thin the sauce to the right consistency.

Spread a thin layer of the tomatillo sauce over the cheese sauce.

And dig in!  The tomatillo sauce is very spicy, but it balances well with the creamy cheese sauce.  The sauce has a ricotta-like consistency, which gives it that manicotti texture.  It's manicotti with the spice and flavor of chicken enchiladas.  My husband and I really enjoyed this!

Link to the printable recipe:

Maniladas (Mexican Chicken Manicotti)

Source:  Sunny Anderson