Apricot Chicken Drumsticks

Apricot Chicken Drumsticks

- 12 chicken drumsticks (about 3 lbs)

- 1 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp pepper 

- 1/4 cup canola oil

- 1/4 cup apricot jam, warmed

- 1/4 cup prepared mustard

- 1 Tbsp brown sugar

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. For sauce, in a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. 

Lay chicken in an oven safe dish and pour marinade over chicken. Roll each drumstick in marinade to cover it. Bake in oven at 375 degrees, turning drumsticks about halfway through. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170-175 degrees. Set broiler on and broil chicken for an additional 4 minutes, or until chicken crisps on the edges.  

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Oh wow! Was this meal good! Not that I thought it wouldn't be, but I was so surprised how much I LOVED the sauce for the chicken. It totally makes this dish.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken
(from Jamie Cooks it Up)
submitted by Michelle


4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 C milk
3 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 t dried parsley

 Sauce:
1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 T sour cream
2 T butter


Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk, then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don’t worry about it. Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don’t let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

I am not a fan of Buffalo wings, but my Hubby is. So for a treat one night for him I made these Buffalo Wings, had a few myself and then couldn't stop eating them! So yummy! In fact they are so good I have made them 3 times more since then. I found the recipe online somewhere, but didn't like some of the ingredients so adapted it to our taste.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

submitted by Michelle

4 pound bag of chicken drummettes

1 Tbsp of Veggie oil

1 tsp of salt

1 cup of flour

Sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp salt

6 Tbsp Franks Hot sauce

6 Tbsp butter 

In a bowl toss the chicken with oil and salt. Place in a large bag and add flour. Shake to coat evenly. Remove chicken from bag, shaking of excess flour, and spread out evenly greased foil-lined baking pans. Do not crowd. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, turn chicken over, and bake another 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and browned. 

While the wings are baking mix all the sauce ingredients in a pan over low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, turning off heat once it is simmering. After chicken is cooked, transfer to large mixing bowl. Pour sauce over hot chicken and toss with a spoon or spatula to completely coat. 

Enjoy!

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

We have been enjoying some more summer grillin'!! Here is a new recipe I came across over at The Girl Who Ate Everything...she has some GREAT recipes!!! And this one was FANTASTIC!!!! We all ate it up, not a single leftover!! We paired it with some rice, and grilled veggies. Yum yum!! Hope you are all having a great summer!!!!



Hawaiian Grilled Chicken
submitted by Camille
(from The Girl Who Ate Everything)

3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 cups soy sauce (the soy sauce and water just needs to be a 1:1 ratio)

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1/4 cup of a white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk

Trim chicken thighs of any visible fat. Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinade chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight to make sure the flavor gets infused (I marinaded it over night, and the flavors were amazing!!!).

Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Seriously...only 3 ingredients. Only 3 ingredients and still soooooo good!!! If you are like me and hate to turn you oven on in the summer because it makes you whole house feel like you are living in Dubai OUTDOORS, you will definitely want to be making this crockpot meal at least a couple times this summer!!!!



Pulled Pork Sandwiches
submitted by Camille
(from The Girl Who Ate Everything)

• 1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin (pork shoulder or butt can also be used)
• 1 (12 ounce) can of root beer
• 1 (18 ounce) bottle of barbecue sauce
• 8 hamburger buns

1. Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker and pour the can of root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork.
2. After pork has cooked, drain and discard the root beer. Shred the pork and place it back in the slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and stir to combine. Serve immediately or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve. Serve on hamburger buns.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs are a big hit over here at my house. I usually make our fave Manhattan meatballs (which I didn't realize I have never posted on here. I will do that soon), but wanting to switch it up, but still wanting the whole fam to like the meal I searched around my fave recipe sites until I saw this one at My Kitchen Cafe. I tried it out and everyone loved it! Yay! It will now make it's regular rounds at the dinner table at our house.

FYI- I didn't use her meatball recipe, I just used the sauce. I used the meatball recipe from my Manhattan meatballs and just added her sweet and sour sauce. Or you could go an even easier route and buy frozen meatballs and just make the sauce to go with. Oh, and I double the sauce like she mentions to do if you like more sauce. Love it.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
(submitted by Michelle)
recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

Serves 4-6
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup quick oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in a casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat in a small saucepan until combined and sugar is dissolved and pour over meatballs. (This dish is not overly abundant on sauce so if you enjoy things a bit saucier, double the sauce ingredients.)

Skillet Nachos

I made these Nachos for dinner one night. They were great! Defiantly would be a fun dish to take to a party or something. I didn't add the Zucchini since we aren't fans of it, though.

Skillet Nachos
submitted by Michelle
(from The Sisters Cafe)

½ lb ground beef

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

1 small zucchini, chopped (1 cup)

1 cup chili beans in chili sauce (from 15-oz can)

1 cup thick-and-chunky salsa, divided

Tortilla chips (the salted kind, of course!)

1 ½ c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (6 oz)

sliced ripe olives

diced fresh tomatoes

Brown ground beef. Drain and remove ground beef to a plate; set aside. Using the same pan, stir-fry bell pepper and zucchini for 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Stir in chili beans and ½ cup of the salsa; cook until hot. Stir in ground beef.

Line tortilla chips on a broiler safe pan. Spoon dollops of the mixture atop the chips. Sprinkle with olives and tomatoes (or you can add these after the nachos come out of the broiler). Sprinkle with cheese, to your liking. Put under broiler (not super close) until cheese is melted, only a couple of minutes.

Serve with remaining salsa.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have made this dish 2 different times now. WE. LOVE. IT. It taste so much better than any Sweet and Sour Chicken I have had any where else. All of my kids eat this up with no complaints. Now that is what I call a successful meal!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
submitted by Michelle
(from My Kitchen Cafe)


*Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the baking directions in the recipe and pour the other half in a small saucepan. Cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

*Serves 4-6

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice.

Glazed Mini Meatloaves

I am not a meatloaf fan. And my hubby is not one even more so than me. So he was definitely hesitant when he came home to find me making Meatloaf for dinner. But Mel over at My Kitchen Cafe hasn't disappointed me yet, so I knew I had to try it. And besides, she has 4 boys that all seemed to love it, so I was sure my own 3 boys (well 4 if you count the Hubs!) would at least try it.  And they did. And they LOVED IT. The whole fam agreed it was most definitely a keeper. Well, Savannah didn't understand, but I guessed from her empty dinner plate that she loved it, too. :)


Glazed Mini Meatloaves
submitted by Michelle
(from My Kitchen Cafe)

Makes 4-5 mini meatloaves.

Meatloaves:
17-20 saltine crackers, crushed fine (about 2/3 cup)
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground meat
2 teaspoons oil

Glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Stir cracker crumbs, milk, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, egg, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Add ground meat and combine until uniform. Shape mixture into oval loaves
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling. Add meatloaves (without letting them touch sides) and brown well on one side, 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip loaves over and tidy up edges using a spatula . Brown on this side for another 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix glaze ingredients together until smooth. Transfer mini meatloaves to a foil-lined baking pan and spoon the glaze over the top of each meatloaf. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (or do like Mel does and cut one of the little babies open and if it looks done – pull ‘em out of the oven!).
Enjoy!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

This is such a tasty meal! Everyone in my family loves it. And that makes me HAPPY!
Bruschetta Chicken Bake
submitted by Michelle
(from kraftfoods.com)

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened. Layer chicken, basil and cheese in 3-qt. casserole or 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with stuffing. Bake 30 min. or until chicken is done.

Chicken and Cheese Tostada's

These were very yummy and easy to make, too. Two of my most important ingredients.
Chicken and Cheese Tostada's
submitted by Michelle
(from Kraftfoods.com)

6 Flour Tortillas
1 pkt. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix, divided
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup water
2 large tomatoes, chopped, divided
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. Sour Cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

HEAT oven to 400°F. Place tortillas in single layer on large baking sheet; spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. seasoning mix. Bake 7 to 8 min. or until tortillas are crisp and golden brown.
MEANWHILE, combine chicken, remaining seasoning mix and water in large skillet. Bring to boil on medium-high heat; simmer on medium-low 5 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Add 1-1/2 cups tomatoes; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1-1/2 cups cheese.
SPOON chicken mixture onto tortillas; top with remaining ingredients.

Carnitas

Carnitas

submitted by Michelle

(from my friend Katie Lisonbee)

2lb. pork roast

1tsp. cumin

1tsp. oregano

2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can tomato and green chiles (diced)

1tsp. salt

1tsp. chili powder

1 clove garlic (minced)

Cook all ingredients on low in crock pot for 6 hours. When meat is soft, take it out and shred it. Put it back in crock pot for 1-2 more hours. Serve with tortillas or tortilla chips.

(We like it best in warmed tortillas with some sour cream. YUMMY! ~Michelle)