Baked Chicken Caprese

Photo courtesy The Cooking Corner

    Basil is one of my favorite herbs. The smell is clean, fresh and well, bright and perky. It's not too over powering like oregano or cilantro and honestly, is just an easy plant to grow. I also love cooking Italian dishes and basil often pairs perfectly with a good '"red sauce", and with the tomatoes and mozzarella of bruschetta, or can also brighten up a pizza. 
   So far, one of my favorite recipes with basil has been a Caprese Baked Chicken. It was quick, easy and had a bright taste topped with gooey cheese. What's not to like?

Baked Chicken Caprese
4 thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 large split in half
3 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2-3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs (or Italian)
1 pkg. sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (2 per serving)
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
dozen or so fresh basil leaves
2 T. balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray small sheet pan or baking dish.
Brush chicken with olive oil. Salt and pepper both sides.
Coat in bread crumbs and bake 10 minutes per side.
Remove from oven and top with sliced mozzarella and tomato. Return to oven with heat off. Let rest 5 minutes to melt cheese. Top with sliced basil and serve. (Option: drizzle tomato with balsamic vinegar before serving.)

Biscuit-Topped Turkey Casserole

Photos courtesy The Cooking Corner

    How many of you try recipes that are on the back of a box or can? Most of us have at one time or another. The idea of putting recipes on a product was started by Campbells years ago. The traditional green bean casserole recipe was promoted on the cream of mushroom soup can. Many food companies have joined in that marketing practice. If you ask me, it's smart.
    Not long ago, one of my sons found a recipe on the back of the cream of broccoli soup can and suggested that we try it. After reading it over, I decided it would be a perfect way to recycle some holiday leftovers. I had some smoked turkey that was just waiting to be used and everything else was basic pantry stock.
    This dish was as easy as could be, took little time and turned out to be very filling. The only thing I might change, would be smaller biscuits to get more servings. The big biscuits are very hearty.

Biscuit-Topped Turkey Casserole
1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of broccoli soup
1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of potato soup
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/8 tsp. pepper (black or white)
2 cups (1-16 oz. bag) frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups smoked turkey, cubed
1 pkg. 7 oz. refrigerator biscuits
(I used 10 oz. flaky Grands from Pillsbury)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray coat a 11x7x2 inch baking dish.

In medium bowl, mix together soups, milk, spices, vegetables and turkey.
Pour into baking dish.

Bake 20 minutes until mixture is hot and bubbly. Gently stir mixture.
Place biscuits on top of mixture and return to oven.
Continue baking 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Ready for oven.

Serves 6 or so.

**cream of celery or cream of chicken may be substituted as well as 2 cups cooked chicken instead of turkey.

Inspired by Campbell's soups.

Casserole just out of oven

Baked Kick'n Chicken Tenders

  
     After a week of turkey, it was time to find something new. However poultry was what was in the freezer. To give a new twist to more bird, I cut them into tenders and tried a different flavor.
     One my friends found some Weber seasoning combinations and stocked my spice rack. I had the options of Tandori Chicken, Carne  Asada, Thai Chili and Kick'n Chicken. After consideration, the Kick'n Chicken seemed the tamest of the lot. I added just a touch of cayenne for a little more heat.
     This twist on chicken turned out to be very easy, especially since they were baked. They didn't take long to cook because they were cut into tenders and clean up was a cinch. It was a win-win dinner.

Baked Kick'n Chicken Tenders
3 boneless chicken breast, sliced into tenders, about 3/4 of an inch wide (12 tenders total)
2 T. Weber "Kick'n Chicken" spice blend*
1/8 tsp. pepper

3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup Panko crumbs
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/4 cup + 1/8 cup + 1 T. flour
2 T. mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. salt
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 and spray coat a 13x9x2 and a 8x8 inch baking dish.

In a pie plate, combine Kickin' Chicken spice blend, Panko crumbs, flour, salt, cayenne, pepper and garlic powder. Mix to combine.

Put mayonnaise in a bowl.

Roll chicken tenders in mayonnaise to coat. Then roll chicken in flour and spices. Place in baking dishes. Do not crowd the pan or they won't brown well.

Bake for 25 minutes. Flip tenders after 15 minutes.

Serves 4.

* If you don't have Weber's Kick'n Chicken Seasoning, blend together the following -
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. red pepper flake
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. paprika
Save leftovers in a container in dry place.

Tenders just out of oven.

Spicy Honey Chicken Kabobs

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     A little while back I was watching a food TV show that has a collection of chefs that give their twists on certain food topics, dishes or methods. This time the topic was the beginning of summer grilling and marinades.
    What I found educational was the make up of the marinades. What ever your flavor combination, they should all have part oil, acid, sweet and heat. That's balance. 
    On the food show, the dish that caught my eye was the teriyaki pork. However, one of the problems was that I didn't have a pork tenderloin just laying around as a spare part. There was also the small issue of weird ingredients. So the art of substitution once again came into play.
    By the time I did all of the recipe substituting, I was past the point of messing with the grill. When I did these teriyaki glazed chicken kabobs, they got popped in the oven for a bit and were easier than all of the thinking I did to figure it out.

Spicy Honey Chicken Kabobs
1 medium onion, sliced in wedges 3/4 inch thick or so
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast tenders, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 tsp. ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup honey
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 T. cornstarch

1 1/2 T. water
4-5 bamboo skewers

 Soak skewers for 30 minutes in water.

 In a medium sauce pan, combine garlic, soy, honey, chicken broth and peppers. Whisk to mix well. Heat over medium and simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring often.

 In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until well blended. Add to sauce and simmer 3-4 minutes more until sauce is thickened and reduced by about half. Remove from heat and let cool.

 Place chicken and onions in a plastic container with a lid. Pour half the sauce over the chicken and onion and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until needed. Save the other half of the sauce for basting.

 Place onion and chicken alternately on skewers and then in a foil lined pan. Heat broiler to high. Brush remaining glaze over kabobs and broil 5 minutes. Turn skewers and broil 4-5 minutes more watching carefully. Serves 4.

Easy Chicken and Noodles

    A few weeks ago a coworker had a family situation come up. She was making daily trips to the hospital that had to be physically and emotionally trying at best. Because no matter what's happening in life, there are still those daily chores of laundry, bills, dishes and dinner.
    When I just couldn't shake the thought of what she was dealing with, I picked up an extra package of chicken breast and noodles at the store. I cooked 3 chicken breasts in the slow cooker and added one to some noodles for her and saved the other two breasts for us. I won't forget the surprise and gratitude in her eyes for such a simple act of kindness. This is so easy, you can do it, too

Easy Chicken and Noodles
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, cut in chunks or shredded
5 cups water
5 tsp. chicken base or bouillon
1 - 7 oz. bag Oakland noodles*
2 T. butter
1 T. parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. celery seed (optional)

Bring 5 cups water to boil and add chicken base and noodles.
Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes per package directions.

Reduce to simmer and add all other ingredients.
Warm for 10 minutes more to combine flavors and heat chicken. 

Serves 4-6.

*Oakland noodles are a brand of Amish type noodles that I get from a local produce shop. They always turn out great.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles

     One of the top favorite comfort foods that warms the body and fills the tummy is chicken and noodles. It always reminds me of Granny's house. After multiple attempts at this childhood favorite, I've learned the trick is in the noodles. If you put them in too early or use the wrong kind, they fall apart. The frozen egg noodles work best, but a thick fettuccine or Amish type noodle works good, too.
     I've also tried this with different types of chicken - breasts and quarters. I tend to have breast on hand and they are easy to cut and cook quickly. Quarters, while more of a pain to mess with, are cheaper when you catch them on sale. The trick to them, is to cook the quarters in the slow cooker the day before and pull the meat and save the stock.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles
3 cups hot water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in cubes
1 thick slice of onion
1/4 tsp. celery seed (or 1 stalk diced)
salt and pepper, sprinkle of each
1/4 tsp. rosemary or 1 sprig fresh
1/4 tsp. sage or a few leaves fresh
2 cups Kluski noodles*
1 T. butter, heaping

   Put 3 cubes bouillon in hot water and microwave 3 minutes and stir to dissolve. Cut chicken and put in a slow cooker. Stir in bouillon, onion, celery, and spices. Let cook on high 1-1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

  Put sieve on large measuring cup and pour liquid from crock pot through, saving stock. (You're trying to sift out excess fat from chicken - the white clumps- but with breasts there isn't much.) Return chicken and stock to slow cooker.

  Add noodles and butter. Return heat to high and cook 1-1/2 hours more or until noodles are tender, but not falling apart. (Serves 4)
Recipe can easily be doubled.

*Reames frozen noodles are good, but I used a thick Kluski noodle which is an Amish-type noodle, like the German Spaetzle.

Crispy Chicken Tenders

Photo courtesy of Taste of Home

     Of all the ways I've fried chicken for my family, their favorite is chicken strips. I took my lesson from the Colonel and spiced up the flour and pan-fried sliced breasts until golden brown. 
    They are perfect dipped in a sauce, smothered in gravy and even reheat pretty well. My trick to a light crispy breading is using instant mashed potato flakes in the final coating. Yeah, who would've thought, but I've been doing it for years.
 

Crispy Chicken Tenders

2 lb. frozen chicken breasts (cut in strips) or tenders

Flour Coating -

1/2 cup flour mixed with 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion salt and 1 tsp. paprika in a pie pan

Egg Wash - 

2 eggs mixed with 1/4 cup milk and a splash (2 tsp.) of hot sauce (optional) in flat bowl

Breading -
1/2 cup instant potato flakes

1/2 cup Bisquick

1 tsp. each oregano, basil, parsley, paprika, onion salt and garlic powder

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper all combined in a pie pan

Pour about 1-inch oil into large skillet and set over medium heat. 

Set up dipping station with farthest from skillet the flour mixture, in center the egg mixture, with a pie pan of potato flakes, biscuit mix and remaining spices closest to stove.

Roll chicken in flour to coat, dip in egg mixture, then coat well with potato breading. 

Fry about 5-6 minutes each side until golden brown. Drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper while hot. 

Serves 6-8.

Chicken Francaise

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     One of the girls at work sent me an idea for chicken that I found interesting. I'd never heard of Chicken Francaise. The ingredients were simple and the steps were to coat, dip and fry like many other chicken dishes. However, I was intrigued at the method and decided to give it a try.
    This dish is made totally backwards from how I'm used to doing chicken. First of all the flour is plain. Everything went into the eggs instead, and not just salt and pepper. I added  parsley and shredded Parmesan cheese, too. Never in my life have I added cheese to any egg wash.
    Once the chicken is cooked, it's removed to a plate so you can make a sauce in the same skillet. It's then returned to the sauce to warm before serving. I can't say that I've ever tried that with breaded and fried meat. It seemed like the crust would get soggy, but it didn't. It was a thin sauce with bright flavors (lemon) that seemed to soak right into the chicken.
     The methods were a little foreign to me, but the combination came out just fine. It seemed to be a good thing to try new methods and techniques because you never know when might learn something new.

Chicken Francaise
4 small chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour

3 medium eggs
2 T. dried parsley, divided (fresh would be nice)
1 cup Sherry (or white wine)
1 cup chicken stock
3 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese (1/2 of 6 oz. bag)
1 tsp. roasted minced garlic (in a jar)
4 T. olive oil
4 T. butter, divided
2 T. lemon juice
salt and pepper

Place each chicken breast in plastic wrap and smack with a meat malot, sauce pan (cast iron) or heavy rolling pin until thin.

Put flour on a plate. Set aside.

Crack eggs into a shallow bowl or container. Add salt, pepper and 1 T. parsley. Mix well. Add shredded cheese and mix again. Set aside.

Heat large skillet over medium (almost medium-high) heat. When hot, add olive oil and 2 T. butter. Swish mixture in pan so as not to burn.

With one hand coat chicken in flour. Place in egg mixture. With other hand coat chicken so that it's well covered. Put in hot oil and cook for about 4 minutes per side, until golden or very light brown. Remove cooked chicken to warm plate. Continue with other pieces as space allows. Do not crowd the skillet.

 Remove skillet from heat and add sherry (to avoid a fire hazard). Return to medium high burner and add garlic, lemon juice, chicken stock and remainder of parsley and butter. Reduce over full heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken back into sauce and continue heating over medium heat.

Plate chicken while sauce is continuing to reduce and just before serving, spoon a few tablespoons of sauce over top.

Makes 4 average servings.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    Two of my favorite things are do-ahead dishes and my slow cooker.  I love being able to throw a few odds and ends into a slow cooker and let it do all the cooking while I'm doing other things. It's also nice to have dinner done ahead of time so that all you have to do is assemble it. That cuts the time down greatly.
    This dish is so easy. You throw some easy ingredients into a slow cooker and you have a meal ready for you whenever you want. This can become fajitas or a topping for nachos or even Spanish rice. Whatever your choice, an easy do-ahead dish is always nice.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
2 bell peppers (red and green) sliced in strips
1 medium onion, sliced in strips

Easy ingredients.

2 T. fajita seasoning
2 lb. chicken breast (or 9 strips)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can Rotel with green chilies
2 T. lime juice
6 soft shell flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican or taco flavored cheese
condiments of choice - sour cream, guacamole, salsa, chopped onion etc.

Place 1/2 of bell peppers and then half of onions in the slow cooker.  Squirt with 1 T. lime juice.

Top with chicken and then sprinkle seasoning on all sides, rotating chicken as needed. Sprinkle with chopped garlic.

Add canned tomatoes and liquid onto seasoned chicken.

Layer remaining bell peppers and onions on top. Squirt with 1 T. lime juice.

Cook on high heat 3 hours.

Turn heat off. Remove lid and with tongs or two forks, shred chicken and stir well. Replace lid and let sit until ready to serve or col enough to refrigerate until later.

*Note-when saving for later, use a slotted spoon to drain excess moisture before rolling the fajitas or they could be soggy.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

   For those of you who like chicken wings, but aren't a big fan of BBQ or buffalo sauces, here is a different twist on wings. My son made these one Sunday afternoon and we were very pleased with the outcome. There's a slight garlic flavor and the cheese coating provides a nice mellow crunch. Boiling the wings before hand seems to keep them moist (like a brine) and helps reduce baking time. It's a nice change of taste for wings.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Cooking spray

3 quarts cold water

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup salt

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. rosemary

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 pinch salt

3 T. olive oil, or as needed

1 T. ground black pepper

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

4 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints, tips discarded

2 T. Italian bread crumbs

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat foil with cooking spray.

Combine water, vinegar, 1/4 cup salt, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and rosemary in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Add chicken wings, return to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove chicken wings with a slotted spoon to a cooling rack and allow to dry for 15 minutes.

Mash garlic and a pinch of salt together in a mortar and pestle until smooth.

Combine mashed garlic, olive oil, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add chicken wings and bread crumbs; toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. 

Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Recipe can easily be cut in half.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    I'm always looking for easy dinners that can be made on a busy work night. The kind that you combine a few ingredients, toss them in the oven and then have 30 minutes or so to tend to other chores, are a particular favorite.
    This Poppy Seed Chicken casserole is one of those quick and easy meals. One of the girls at work shared this recipe with me, saying it is her sons' favorite. I was surprised at how easy this was to do and with a side dish, made a flavorful filling meal.

Easy ingredients.

Poppy Seed Chicken
3 cup cooked chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
sprinkle of salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper (or regular)
1 stick butter
1 T. poppy seed
1/2 cup Ritz crackers, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut chicken into small chunks and place in sprayed casseroled dish.

In small bowl combine salt, pepper, chicken soup and sour cream. Mix until well combined. Pour over chicken in casserole, spread to cover evenly.


In small pan or microwave-proof bowl, melt butter. Add poppy seeds and crushed crackers. Stir to combine and then spread on casserole as a topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serves 6.

Casserole ready for oven.

Mushroom Chicken in White Wine Sauce

Photo courtesy Taste of Home

    A food friend that has a catering business and I got in a discussion about that side of the food service industry one afternoon over brunch. I learned many things from our talk that I passed on to others is my weekly food column. (Check the Pages tab on this blog, under Cooking Corner Columns for the whole story.)
     One thing I found interesting was that fried chicken is the most requested meat when catering a dinner. My food friend, Candy, had a great idea for a creative use of chicken that would impress guests and be a good compliment to an Italian meal. (See note below.)

Recipe courtesy of  Candy Yancey of Rz's Cafe

Mushroom Chicken in White Wine Sauce

1 lb. pasta of your choice, cooked al dente

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

5 T. unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chopped flat parsley

1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

4 chicken breasts

1 lb. mushrooms, sautéed

Heat oil in skillet, add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté  for a few minutes until fragrant but do not brown. Add spices, wine and butter.  Stir and let reduce a bit. Toss with pasta and top with cheese.

Sauté  boneless skinless breast 10 minutes or so until juices run clear and meat is cooked through. Serve over pasta and top with sauce and mushrooms.

Note: Round out this meal service with an Italian salad of Romaine lettuce, Greek dressing, tomatoes, olives and banana peppers with an antipasto bruschetta. For dessert, try an Italian cream cake.

Honey Sriracha Chicken Bites

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     Our family is one that loves chicken wings, but most of us prefer them boneless. It's just easier eating that way, nothing to worry about or to get in your way. Even though some of us like Buffalo-style wings, we could do without that bite of vinegar. 
     At a recent family dinner, our son came up with this modified recipe for chicken wings. He used Sriracha to avoid the vinegar wang and chicken breasts chunks instead of wings so that bones weren't an issue.
     These little bites were tender and moist with just a little heat on the back side, but it wasn't over powering or long lasting. The slow cooker keeps them moist and enriches the flavor. This was an excellent appetizer and would also be good in a taco or stir-fry.

Staying warm with sauce, just out of oven.

Honey Sriracha Chicken Bites
2 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders, cut in 4 pieces
3/4 cup Sriracha sauce
3/4 cup honey
2 T. butter
1/4 cup lime juice

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat and line a small cookie sheet. Sit spray coated rack on cookie sheet.

In slow cooker combine everything except chicken. Stir well to combine.

Add chicken chunks and stir to coat and combine thoroughly.

Cook on low 6-8 hours to combine flavors.

Spread chicken on a spray coated baking pan and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes to just crisp edges and caramelize.

Serve warm with toothpick on a plate.

Offer remaining sauce as a side dip.

Chicken Chili Verde

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    What happens when you combine a recipe for Mexican Chicken Stew and Pork Chili Verde? You get a flavor-filled soup called Chicken Chili Verde. This was my "dare to be different" chili for the end of football a few weeks back. 
    I wanted to try something different and so I did. Instead of the typical beef or sausage in chili, I went with chicken thighs. I thought they'd be less likely to dry out and toughen up like breasts. Also instead of a tomato based broth I mixed a chicken stock and tomatillos. And instead of a dose of chili or kidney beans, I used good old carrots and celery that are always a great base for soup. Let's just change it all up.
    This turned out to be a nice hearty soup that had many of the Mexican flavors without any heat. It's really easy to do if you skip roasting the veggies and just throw it all in the pot for a low and slow simmer.

Chicken Chili Verde
1 pkg. boneless chicken thighs, (about 9 thighs, cut into quarters)
10 tomatillos, peeled and rinsed
4 cups chicken broth/base
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
10 baby carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
squeeze of lime (or lemon) juice and cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spread veggies on pan in single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat.

Place pan on top oven rack and roast 25-30 minutes until they start to brown. Stir twice.

In a slow cooker combine roasted veggies, chicken, broth, oregano and cumin. Heat on low for 6-8 hours.

Top each serving with a sprinkle of lime juice and a touch of cilantro.

Serves 4-6.

Note - A nice side to this warm bowl of soup is a Southwestern egg roll. (For the egg roll, follow this recipe but use chorizo sausage.) http://janceys.blogspot.com/2010/09/spicy-sausage-egg-rolls.html

Panko Coated and Stuffed Chicken

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    One of our local restaurants does a stuffed fried chicken that I find interesting. It's stuffed with a cheese and spinach mixture, quickly dipped in the deep fryer for some crunch and then baked off to finish cooking the meat.
   After seeing this made I decided to do a version at home - without the spinach thank you. Using what I had on hand, bacon crumbles and flavored cream cheese, I found a way to do it nicely. The panko crumbs add a great texture and the bacon and cream cheese were a good flavor combination.

Panko Coated and Stuffed Chicken
1 pkg. 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flavored cream cheese with garlic and chives

Easy ingredients.

1/4 cup real bacon pieces
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup seasoned flour (like Kentucky Kernel or flour with garlic, pepper, paprika, salt etc.)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat a small baking dish (11x7 dish for 4 breast).

Lay chicken breast flat on cutting board and pound thin with meat mallet.

Put bread crumbs and flour in two separate shallow pans or plates.

Rolled and stuffed chicken.

Spread 2-3 T. cream cheese on each breast. Sprinkle 1 T. bacon pieces on top of cream cheese.

Roll into a bundle with cream cheese and bacon inside. Coat in flour and then bread crumbs. Place in baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Rolled and coated chicken ready for oven.

Crunchy Onion Chicken Tenders

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    A few weeks ago our son found one of those "back of the box" recipes that worked out really good with chicken breasts. It was on the back of the French's onions box (the one that's a classic in green bean casserole). 
    In this recipe you use an egg to coat the chicken pieces and then they are rolled in crushed french fried onions for a coating. That's not hard at all. The chicken was tender inside with a nice crunch on the outside. This was a quick and easy dinner.

Crunchy Onion Chicken Tenders

2 cups (4 oz.) French Fried Onions

2  T. flour

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half

1 egg beaten

Crush onion rings with flour in a plastic bag.

Dip chicken in egg. Place in plastic bag and coat in onion crumbs. Press firmly.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until no pink in center.

Note: additional onions may be needed depending on size of chicken pieces.

Chicken just out of the oven.

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