Chicken Archives - The Midnight Baker

Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Pasta

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 23:00:37 +0000

Copycat Olive Garden chicken and pasta is a delicious slow cooker dinner that’s easy to make.

Copycat Olive Garden Chicken And Pasta: It’s As Good As They Say!

I believe this one originated on Tik Tok. There’s a lot of recipes that go viral from there just like that feta and tomato pasta. There’s a reason they become viral; they’re usually easy and very tasty. This copycat Olive Garden chicken and pasta is no different.

This recipe makes a lot so if you have family who have huge appetites–meaning teenage boys–then there won’t be any leftovers. For lighter appetites there will be leftovers but hear me out here–this tastes even better the next day! I usually dislike any reheated chicken, but this is very good.

The Pasta

That would be any tubular shape you like. I used penne here but ziti, rigatoni or elbows will do just fine. So will small or medium shells. As always, use what you have.

One thing here is this is not a total slow cooker recipe. You cook the pasta conventionally. I’d like to try this where you’d let the pasta cook along with everything else, but there’d have to be more liquid added in order to cook the pasta. The recipe doesn’t have that much liquid so there’d have to be adjustments. You might be able to get away with it if you used regular egg noodles, but I’m not sure. So if anyone feels like experimenting, please let me know your results.

The Sauce

The sauce is pretty simple. It’s broth, salad dressing and cream cheese.

The recipe calls for the brand-name Olive Garden dressing. I was careful to use that because in a comparison of other Italian dressings on the store shelf, it looked somewhere between the creamy and traditional varieties. Since I want something I make to come out as it should, initially I will use exactly what’s called for in the recipe. The good thing here is you don’t use the entire bottle so you can pop it in the fridge to either use on salads or for another time you make.

Personally, I found the finished product a bit on the dry side so I just added a bit of cream to make it more juicy.

The Recipe

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Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Pasta

Easy and delicious

Prep Time10

Cook Time4

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: olive garden chicken, olive garden copycat chicken recipe, slow cooker chicken and pasta, tik tok chicken

Servings: 6

Calories: 741kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1.5-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
8 oz Olive Garden Italian dressing from a 16oz bottle
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese jarred is fine too
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp of parsley
1/4 cup of melted butter
8 oz Chicken broth
4 oz heavy cream
8 ounce block of full fat cream cheese
16 ounces penne pasta

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of your slow cooker.
In a separate bowl, mix the Olive Garden Italian dressing, cream, butter, broth, parmesan, pepper & parsley until combined.
Pour the mixture over the chicken breasts
Place the cream cheese on top.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
When the chicken is tender boil your pasta according to box directions and drain.
Shred the chicken with 2 forks mixing everything together.
Toss the pasta in with the chicken and sauce and sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese if desired.

Nutrition

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Smoky Garlic Chicken Waffle Sandwiches

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 23:04:20 +0000

Waffle sandwiches are all the rage nowadays. Try these easy and tasty smoky garlic chicken ones.

Waffle Sandwiches–Woo Hoo!

Waffle sandwiches are all the rage now. Frankly, it’s a marvelous idea. It makes waffles become something other than a breakfast food. It’s a novel way to have “breakfast” for lunch or dinner.

Waffles also have great taste which make them an excellent choice to replace bread or rolls in sandwiches. Best part is if you make the waffles yourself, you can use whole grain flour making them quite healthy. But no matter how you make them, they are a novel and great sandwich hack.

How Easy Is This?

These waffle sandwiches can be made totally homemade or made with convenience ingredients. Now, how easy is that?

Certainly if you have time, you can make your own waffles from scratch. Likewise, when it comes to the chicken strips, you can make your own as well. Here’s a couple of excellent from-scratch recipes–there’s my air fryer pecan crusted chicken strips and my chili corn chip chicken strips. The garlic smoky paprika oil will work well with either, but if you just want to do a plain crunchy coating, that’s just fine too.

Now we get to the time-saving way. First of all, you can always make waffles from baking mix or pancake/waffle mix. That’s a big time saver. However, there’s nothing wrong with the frozen toaster variety either.

As for the chicken, there’s many fine varieties of crispy chicken strips. So you only have to reheat them. In fact, in these I used a major-brand chicken strips and used a pancake/waffle mix for the waffles. One thing I did do because the waffles didn’t seem crisp enough was pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes to crisp ’em up.

Smoky Garlic Oil

This gives the chicken an extra kick. All you do is toss the warm chicken strips in the oil mixture and away you go. But make sure to use a high-quality smoky paprika as the flavor will be much better.

Now just add a dollop of mayo, some lettuce and tomato and you’re all set.

The Recipe

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Smoky Garlic Chicken Waffle Sandwiches

Use waffles as bread!

Prep Time5

Cook Time0

Course: Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: main course sandwiches, waffle sandwiches

Servings: 2

Calories: 570kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 lb crispy chicken strips about 6 pieces cooked
4 waffles about 3-inches square

Smoky Garlic Oil:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoky paprika

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the smoky garlic oil ingredients in a small bowl. Toss warm chicken strips in the mixture to coat.
Build sandwich with lettuce, tomato chicken strips and any sandwich spread you like.

Notes

You can use all convenience ingredients as I did or make everything from scratch. See post for suggestions.

Nutrition

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Firecracker Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 23:00:33 +0000

Despite it’s name, firecracker chicken is not hot. It’s name is homage to a British holiday.

Firecracker Chicken–Easy!

Firecracker chicken is one of the easiest and tastiest chicken dinners you ever will eat.

The name is a bit misleading. This chicken will only be as hot as you want it to be.

It gets its curious name from a major British holiday–Bonfire Night. Long story short, there are many fireworks displays, hence the name. Bonfire Night used to be called Guy Fawkes Day. Guy Fawkes attempted to burn down the Houses of Parliament. The holiday is in November. That concludes the British history lesson; now onto this scrummy chicken.

High-Quality Paprika A Must

The major flavor of this chicken is the smoked paprika. You definitely don’t want any cheap or dollar store stuff here. There are great varieties available in most grocery stores. This is something I buy online because to me this is the best paprika ever. Chiquilin also offers mild and hot paprika. All are excellent and I’ve used them for years.

The marinade also gets it’s bit of sweetness from maple syrup. Although I’ve never used pancake syrup in this, I suppose it can be substituted for the maple syrup. I prefer the real thing so that’s what I use and besides I live in maple syrup country here in New York so it’s readily available.

Try Wings

This marinade also makes great wings! Don’t hesitate to use it for that. You won’t be disappointed.

Another wonderful feature of this recipe is that the chicken can be frozen in the marinade for future use. It’s really a boon to have this in your freezer so you’ll have a nice tasty dinner.

Here’s another tip–make sure you line that baking sheet for easier cleanup. And…this is easily adaptable to the air fryer. Just reduce the temperature to 400 F/200C and check for doneness at 20 minutes for drumsticks. You will have to keep your eye on it, but it’s worth it.

The Recipe

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Firecracker Chicken

Great sweet smoky flavor

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Bonfire Night recipes, smoky chicken marinade, sweet smoky chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 561kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken parts i.e. 12 drumsticks
Salt & pepper

Marinade:

2 tbs smoked paprika
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs maple syrup
6 tbs olive oil
2-3 drops Tabssco optional use more for more heat

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sprinkle the chicken parts with about 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. The Tabasco is optional if no heat is wanted, but if you do, use as much as you like.
Place the chicken parts in a plastic zipper bag and pour in the marinade. Shake the bag to coat all the pieces. Place the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate at least 30 minutes but overnight and up to a day is preferred. The chicken can also be frozen in the marinade for future use.
To cook: Preheat oven to 425F/220C. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with non-stick parchment. Pour any leftover marinade over the chicken. Bake for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. For instance, drumsticks take about 30 minutes and thighs take about 40 minutes.

Notes

See post body for air fryer method

Nutrition

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Buttermilk Chicken Breasts

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 23:00:54 +0000

Whether it’s served on a plate or on a roll, these buttermilk chicken breasts are tender and delicious. Easy too.

Buttermilk Chicken Breasts

Looking for something easy but delicious for dinner–or lunch–that can also be served as a sandwich? Look no further than these scrumptious buttermilk chicken breasts!

Since you pound them down to a uniform thickness of about1/4-inch, they cook very quickly and stay moist and juicy. It’s also amazing how something so simple can be so delicious too. I personally prefer these served on a roll. So you can bypass that fast-food place’s chicken sandwich and make your own. Off the top of my head I’d say that you can serve four people for what you’d pay for two sandwiches in one of those joints. So consider these a budget-friendly option.

Chicken Breast Size

Any time these are on sale at the stores I shop in, the size is, in a word, huge. The only time I’ve seen “normal” sized chicken breast is in the organic variety. So, if that’s your choice you’re set to go with four servings.

However, if the size you buy is the enormous ones, you’ll probably be able to cut them in half after pounding and get double the servings. This is especially true if you’re using them for sandwiches and/or are serving lighter appetites.

Spice It Up

For those that like things a little spicy, you can make.a very simple sauce to drizzle over this chicken.

Just a bit of honey, maybe about 4 tablespoons, and add a couple of drops of your favorite hot sauce. That’s all there is to it!

The Recipe

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Buttermilk Chicken Breasts

Great on a roll too

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Chill Time (optional)1

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buttermilk batter chicken, chicken cutlet sandwich, copycat fast food chicken sandwiches

Servings: 4

Calories: 945kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbs paprika
1 cup oil - fill a a 10 inch to 12 inch skillet about 1/2 inch deep

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet to about 1/4-inch thickness. If breasts are large then one breast will serve 2 people.
Place flour, cayenne (can be omitted if desired) salt, mustard, garlic powder and paprika in a plastic bag and mix well.
Place the buttermilk in a shallow dish--a pie plate is perfect for this.
Shake chicken in the bag with the flour. Now dip in the buttermilk, letting excess drain. Now place in the bag with the flour to coat again. Shake off any excess flour and place on a plate. Refrigerate the chicken of at least one hour.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Heat oil to 350F/180C. Fry chicken on both sides about 5 minutes per side. You likely will have to fry in shifts. Drain on a paper towel.

Nutrition

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San Marzano Chicken Cacciatore

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 23:00:29 +0000

This special variety of tomatoes makes this San Marzano chicken cacciatore extra special.

San Marzano Chicken Cacciatore

Sometimes it’s funny when you realize how long it’s been since you’ve eaten something that you enjoyed so much. That was the case here. A recent bout with sciatica left me chair bound with a heating pad planted firmly on my butt. There was not much else to do than binge watch movies and shows. So, I re-watched The Godfather and there was some chicken cacciatore.

Since I was reading all the hype about San Marzano tomatoes and how awesome they were, I decided to make San Marzano chicken cacciatore.

I usually buy the store-brand canned tomatoes. They’re good and they’re inexpensive. San Marzano tomatoes will at first produce some sticker shock because they’re expensive; almost twice the cost of the store brand. Are they worth it? A big YES there. However I only use them when the flavor of tomatoes is the dominant flavor.

The Chicken

Chicken cacciatore is a stew. In fact, it’s sometimes referred to as “hunter’s stew.” And just like beef stew, using a less tender and more inexpensive cut of beef to get the best flavor, the same applies here with the chicken.

Dark meat produces the very best flavor. Because the flavor is everything, you’ll want skin and bone chicken. Boneless skinless breasts won’t produce the flavor necessary; it will be rather bland with the taste of the chicken completely overpowered by the tomatoes. Bone-in skin-on chicken breast would work a little better but won’t be as good as thighs and drumsticks.

Fresh Basil

Using fresh basil is important here.

You don’t let it cook with the sauce. You stir it in when the chicken and sauce is done. It adds a lovely pop of color because it’s still bright green and gives a bolder flavor to the sauce because it’s not cooked down.

If you don’t grow basil yourself, it’s readily available in supermarkets.

The Recipe

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San Marzano Chicken Cacciatore

San Marzano tomatoes make the sauce extra-special

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken cacciatore with san marzano tomatoes, hunters chicken, italian chicken stew, san marzano tomatoes

Servings: 4

Calories: 578kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 chicken leg quarters separated into thigh and drumstick
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour
3 tbs olive oil

Sauce:

28 oz San Marzano tomatoes
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Dredge chicken in the flour and brown well on both sides; remove to a plate.
In the same pan you browned the chicken, add the bell pepper, onion and garlic and cook until the onion just begins to get tender. Stir frequently so this mixture doesn't burn.
Add the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half; about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, stock and oregano. Stir well. Add the chicken back to the skillet and turn so it's coated with sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken tests done (160F/80C) about 30-40 minutes.
Stir in the chopped fresh basil.
Serve immediately--nice with pasta.

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Pickle Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 23:00:10 +0000

Save that pickle juice to make this air fryer pickle chicken!

Air Fryer Pickle Chicken

At first this sounded crazy to me. However, I got to thinking how the composition of pickle juice would make a great marinade. And besides, it comes from Meredith Laurence who is also known as The Blue Jean Chef. I like her recipes so I decided to give this a whirl. I wasn’t disappointed–far from it in fact.

There are some slight deviations from her original recipe, but nothing very major. Since I rarely make my own pickles anymore, I opted for using commercially packed dill pickles–the ones that are shelf stable, not the refrigerated variety. Meredith gives a brine you can make yourself on her site which you may want to use because it’s clear.

A Word About Marinating

A rule of thumb is that marinating for longer produces a better flavor. That’s true here as it is with other meats.

I marinated this for about 10 hours, which is a bit more than “overnight.” And the flavor of the pickle juice really flavored the meat, so I suggest you let it sit for at least 8 hours.

One thing that I noticed was that the chicken had taken on a chartreuse color like the pickle juice. It actually looked radioactive–but don’t let that put you off. The chicken gets a breading so you won’t see it, but if you think that may be an issue (it would have been with my late husband), then I suggest you use Meredith’s formula for your own pickle juice since it’s clear.

Air Frying

The chicken is air fried in batches, which makes sense if you have a basket-style fryer, but it’s final cooking is done with the chicken stacked. Again, I thought this was weird, but as I said before, I trust her recipes and it came out perfectly. Of course this won’t be an issue if you have an oven-style fryer where you can use two racks.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Pickle Chicken

Surprisingly delicious

Prep Time20

Cook Time47

Marinate5

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer chicken marinated in pickle juice, chicken brined in pickle juice, using leftover pickle brine

Servings: 4

Calories: 743kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3.5 lb chicken legs bone-in and skin-on cut into drumsticks and thighs, 4 whole legs
pickle juice from a 24-ounce jar of kosher dill pickles
1/2 cup flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 tbs oil
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
vegetable or canola oil in a spray bottle

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place chicken in a large zipper freezer bag and pour in the pickle juice. Seal bag and refrigerate overnight.
Let the chicken come to room temperature before you are ready to cook.
Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs and the 2 tablespoons of oil and place in another shallow dish.
Preheat air fryer to 370F/185C.
Remove the chicken form the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge the chicken in the flour then dip it into the egg mixture and then press it into the breadcrumb mixture coating all sides. Place the breaded chicken on a baking sheet and spritz with oil liberally.
Air fry the chicken (in shifts) 10 minutes on one side then turn and air fry for an additional 10 minutes. Repeat with the other batch of chicken.
When the second batch is done, place the first batch on top of it and air fry at 340F/170C for an additional 7 minutes or until internal temp is 165F/80C and juices run clean

Nutrition

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Chicken In Bacon Mushroom Cream Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 23:00:38 +0000

Chicken in bacon mushroom cream sauce is out-of-this-world delicious. Easy to make too.

Chicken In Bacon Mushroom Cream Sauce

If you’re looking for a really deliciously gourmet meal that’s easy to make, this recipe is for you.

While it’s fancy enough for a “date night” or guests, it’s equally great as a weeknight family meal. The reason for that is that it is easy.I know I say this a lot but some of the best-tasting meals are those with the simplest ingredients and are ridiculously easy. That pretty much sums up this recipe. And I bet you have most, if not all ingredients on hand too!

Chicken Thighs

I used boneless skinless thighs for this. The original recipe called for skin on, bone in thighs. Honestly, that’s what I prefer but I had a package of the boneless skinless in the freezer so that’s what I used. And my followers know my mantra of “use what you have.” In this recipe, I feel the boneless skinless actually work a bit better. Since the sauce contains cream and bacon, the extra fat would probably detract from the flavor. Trust me, I’m NO health nut but sometimes fat is overkill. Personally, I’d rather have bacon and cream than chicken fat. Don’t think I’m alone there.

Chicken breast would work just as well. I’m sure mostly everyone has these in their freezer as they are on sale quite frequently. However, if you do opt to use boneless skinless breasts, I’d advise pounding them down with a meat mallet so the thickness is pretty much even. That way, you won’t have the thin parts overcooked.

Don’t Like Mushrooms?

Simple–leave them out and this dish is just as good.

You can always add some spinach or peas if you leave out the mushrooms. In fact, either of those would be a great addition even with the mushrooms.

The Recipe

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Chicken Thighs in Mushroom Bacon Cream Sauce

Simple and delicious chicken

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy gourmet chicken dinners, one-dish chicken dinners with cream sauce, one-skillet dinners with chicken

Servings: 4

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs oil divided
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp Italian seasoning
6 oz sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine or vermouth
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Sauce:

5 slices bacon cooked chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Season chicken thighs with the salt, pepper & Italian seasoning.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet and brown chicken over medium-high heat on both sides; remove from pan.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and sear the mushrooms until they begin to brown. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the thyme and the chicken back to the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken tests done.
Remove the chicken from the pan and add the bacon, cream and salt. Cook over medium heat until the sauce is reduced about 50 percent and it coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Notes

For UK/EU readers--the bacon used in this recipe is streaky bacon.

Canned mushrooms may be used if you don't have fresh.

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Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 00:00:08 +0000

Skip the takeout and make this honey garlic sesame chicken in your own kitchen.

Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken–Take Out At Home

Honey garlic sesame chicken is one of the top take-out dishes at Asian restaurants. You can see why when you taste it!

Now you can skip the take-out joint and make this dish in your own kitchen. First, you know exactly what’s going into what you eat. To me that’s really important.

It’s very easy to make but there are a couple of steps involved. They’re not hard and not really time consuming. One step can be eliminated if you don’t mind the battered chicken not being super crispy. However the extra step for the crisp coating for me is a given. That’s why I recommend it being done.

Double Frying

That’s right; the chicken is fried twice.

This added step makes the batter super crispy so it doesn’t get soggy when tossed with the sauce. Of course, it is supposed to be served immediately. Trying to keep this warm will defeat the purpose of the second fry.

If you have to hold it to keep it warm, then eliminate the second fry time. You can also eliminate that step if you don’t require the coating to be very crunchy.

Breasts Or Thighs

I tend to use boneless skinless thighs when doing anything battered and fried that’s Asian. The meat seems to hold up better, has more taste and is tender without having to velvet it.

If you use boneless skinless breasts then I would advise velveting the meat. It’s pretty easy and uses a common ingredient–baking soda. For each half pound of meat (225 g) sprinkle it with 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda, toss to coat and let it stand for 20 minutes. Then rinse the meat well and dry it on paper towels and proceed with the battering and frying.

The Recipe

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Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken

Forget takeout and make it at home

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: asian sesame chicken, authentic sesame chicken, take-out style sesame chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 1408kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut in bite-sized pieces
2 tbs cornstarch
2 cups oil for frying
2-3 tbs sesame seeds
1 green onion sliced for garnish

Batter:

1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 egg white
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Sauce:

1 tbs oil
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/3 cup honey
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs rice vinegar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat in a large deep skillet or dutch oven to 350F/180C.
Toss chicken in the 2 tbs cornstarch so that all pieces are coated.
Combine all batter ingredients in another bowl and whisk well so there are no lumps. Place chicken in the batter and coat well,
Add about 8-10 pieces of chicken to the hot oil, letting excess batter drip back into the batter bowl. Fry for 8 minutes then remove chicken to drain on a rack. Repeat until all the chicken is fried. Keep the oil hot because you're double frying the chicken so it doesn't get soggy.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by heating the 1 tbs of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds--don't let the garlic burn,'
Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes making sure to watch it and stirring frequently. Don't let the honey burn. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.
Now refry the chicken--again in batches--for 3 minutes or until it begins to get golden brown. Drain on rack as before.
Add the chicken to the sauce and toss to coat. Place chicken on a serving platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and sliced green onion.

Notes

Chicken breast may be substituted, but see post for directions.

Nutrition

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Sheet Pan Honey Dijon Drumsticks

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 00:00:23 +0000

Sheet pan honey dijon drumsticks are a great way to use this chicken part. Pair them with roast potatoes of the same flavor and you’ve got a dinner hit.

Sheet Pan Honey Dijon Drumsticks: Sheet Pan Dinners Rule!

Yes they do; which is why you see so many of these recipes!

These sheet pan honey dijon drumsticks with roast potatoes are no exception. First and foremost, is the wonderful flavor. Nothing really beats dijon mustard mixed with honey when it comes to chicken.

This is also a good way to use up any chicken drumsticks you have hanging around. Of course it can be made with other parts. It will just require a longer cooking time.

I ended up with a lot of drumsticks when I misread a quantity of packages when I ordered some gourmet chicken. I thought I was ordering four packages of four drumsticks but what I got was four boxes of four packages. OMG!!! So I was looking for ways to use them. This was one way to do that.

Potatoes

In this recipe, it’s more convenient to use those mini potatoes because all they require for prep is to cut them in half. They are more expensive but I was lucky enough that they were on sale so had them on hand.

Of course you can take larger potatoes and cut them in chunks about the same size as the minis. I wouldn’t peel the larger ones either. I’d just scrub them well before using them.

Try to stay away from mealy potatoes such as russet and maris piper (UK equivalent). Here you need a waxy textured potato so it stands up. They don’t have to be Yukon gold; other potatoes of similar texture will be fine–red potatoes for instance.

Grain Mustard

The recipe also calls for grainy mustard. Don’t skimp here–and you know I rarely say this. The grainy mustard is there for a texture and a flavor.

Personally, I love the stuff and add it to a lot of things I cook. Mixed with some mayonnaise, it’s a wonderful sandwich spread. I also add it to my deviled eggs when I have it on hand.

Even though it’s a bit pricy, you will get your money’s worth from it.

The Recipe

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Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Chicken with Roast Potatoes

Gourmet sheet pan meal

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gourmet sheet pan meals, grainy mustard, honey mustard sheet pan chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 577kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs Dijon mustard
2 tbs + 2 tsp. honey
1/3 cup plus 3 Tbs olive oil divided
8 chicken drumsticks patted dry
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt divided
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper divided
1 1/2 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes halved
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove finely minced
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
4 tsp whole grain mustard

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Whisk Dijon mustard, 2 Tbs honey, and 1 Tbs oil in a medium bowl to combine. Season chicken on all sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Transfer to bowl with honey mustard and toss to coat.
Toss potatoes, 2 Tbs oil, 1 tsp salt, and remaining 1/2 tsp pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange drumsticks (skin side up) in the center of pan; discard excess marinade.
Arrange potatoes around outside of pan in an even layer, then turn cut side down . Arrange thyme over potatoes. Roast until chicken and potatoes are golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165F/85C, 30–40 minutes.
Whisk garlic, lemon juice, whole grain mustard, and remaining 1/3 cup oil, 2 tsp honey, and 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl. Divide chicken and potatoes among plates. Drizzle dressing over chicken, and potatoes

Nutrition

The post Sheet Pan Honey Dijon Drumsticks appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 00:00:39 +0000

Once you do an air fryer rotisserie chicken you’ll never make it any other way. You won’t buy it in the store again either.

Delicious Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken

If you’ve been buying rotisserie chicken at the supermarket, you won’t do that anymore after making one in your air fryer!

I admit I absolutely love my supermarket’s rotisserie chicken. Since I learned the secret to why they are so juicy and awesome from a lady who works in the deli department, I can now duplicate that at home.

Chicken made in the air fryer is extremely tasty and juicier than when it’s done in the oven. So with the little deli trick–which really isn’t a trick–it’s even juicier!

Brining Is The Key

This is a real no-brainer. In fact, I wonder why I didn’t realize this before the gal in the deli department told me.

It’s not really necessary if you don’t have the time to brine. You are committing 4-5 hours if you do. The secret is not to brine for too long. No more than 5 hours. Plus you don’t rinse the bird when it comes out of the brine. Just pat the inside and outside dry with paper towels.

The brine is simple. Just kosher salt, sugar, a bay leaf and some peppercorns.

However, the brining takes the chicken to the next level.

Trussing

There’s many different ways to do this. Whatever is best for you always works, but if you want to learn a new way, here you go.

I just picked up this method recently while binge-watching some older Julia Child French Chef shows. When I saw how she did it, I thought it was a lot more convenient–and neater–than the usual way. You might want to save this video for when you’re doing a large bird such as a turkey. It appears to be better for bigger birds.

This video is the entire show on chickens. About 5 minutes or so in Julia shows you how to French truss the bird. It’s about 30 minutes total time, but she’s so darned entertaining you’ll want to watch the whole show. She does tell you how to make a trussing needle , (affiliate link) but they are available on Amazon.

The Recipe (Method)

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Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken

You'll never make it any other way after you try this

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Brining5

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer rotisserie chicken, roast chicken in the air fryer, rotisserie chicken seasoning

Servings: 4

Calories: 673kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

5 lb whole chicken
fresh herbs optional
2 lemon slices optional
2 tbs rotisserie chicken rub or your favorite rub
1 tbs oil

Brine:

1 gallon water
1//4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 bay leaf
3 peppercorns

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the brine so that all the sugar & salt is dissolved. Place chicken in the brine--making sure the liquid covers the chicken. Brine for no more than 5 hours and do not rinse the bird, just pat the inside and outside dry with a paper towel.
If desired, stuff chicken with a handful of herbs of your choice and/or the lemon slices. FYI I use a small bunch of fresh thyme and the lemon.
Truss the chicken (see video link in the post to see how I truss a bird) then rub with the oil and sprinkle on the rotisserie seasoning.
Place the chicken breast side down in the basket of the air fryer. If you have an oven-style fryer, use the rotisserie attachment.
Air fry at 370F/185C for 30 minutes. Turn breast side up (for basket style fryers) and air fry at 360F/180C for 25-30 minutes. Always test with a meat thermometer as all fryers differ in power. These times are based on my 1800W 5.8 quart model. Your time may vary.

Nutrition

The post Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken appeared first on The Midnight Baker.