Parmesan Swiss Chicken

Oil for frying – about 1/2 – 3/4 cup

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts – about 4-5 oz each

3/4 cup Seasoned Parmesan cheese, the jar type

1/4 tsp garlic 

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices bacon- cooked, crumbled
1 egg beaten

1 tablespoon water
Broccoli

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small shallow bowl, mix egg and water.  In another shallow bowl, mix cheese, pepper, salt and garlic.  Heat oil over medium high heat using a frying pan suitable for oven use.  Dip each piece of chicken first in egg mixture then in cheese mixture.  Fry in hot oil until crust is golden brown.  Prepare a baking pan by covering with foil and placing wire rack on top.  Place chicken on rack and bake about 20 minutes or until juices run clear.  Strain the grease from the frying pan leaving browned Parmesan that came from cooking chicken.  Add broccoli and toss to coat. Cook in oven until broccoli is done but still has a slight crunch.   Remove chicken and broccoli from oven.  Place chicken in an 8 x 8 x 2 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Sprinkle Broccoli around chicken.  Place 1 piece of cheese on each piece of chicken.  Top each with 1/4 of the bacon.  Return to oven and allow cheese to melt, about 5 minutes.  Serves 4.

Martha:  I think I found the original recipe on Fridgg.  Wherever it was it caught my eye and I decided to give it a try.  I did my usual and made a couple of changes.  First, the Parmesan was plain, I used seasoned.  It called for Asiago cheese which I changed to Swiss.  And the broccoli was my idea completely.  When I saw the bits of cheese that had come off while frying my chicken I just couldn't let it go to waste.  I knew I liked cheese on my broccoli so it became the perfect blend.  I also did my final cooking a little different from the original recipe.  I put my chicken into another dish (in my case individual dishes but give you instructions for using the 8 x 8). The original called for broiling the cheese on the chicken while still on the rack, I didn't broil but just let it stay in the oven for the last 5 minutes.  This dish came out with so much flavor.  If you like chicken and Swiss, you must give this one a try.  It's a pretty dish too!

Comment from Food Tester Carol:  First of all, this is a very attractice dish.  Chicken crusted in herbed parmesan crumbs with Swiss cheese melted on top reminds me a little of a schnitzel, which I love.  The broccoli is also dredged in these tasty crumb mix before roasting.  Altogether delicious!

Chili Sauce Grilled Chicken

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. honey
4 chicken tenderloins or 2 boneless, skinless chicken
    breasts butterflied

Place chicken in a shallow dish with cover.  Mix all other ingredients together.  Pour over chicken and toss to coat both sides.  Refrigerate covered 8-10 hrs.  When ready to use, grill chicken.  Serves 2

Martha:  I found a recipe for a Japanese Soy Chicken that I actually misread.  One of the ingredients was for Asian chile oil and I read it as chili sauce.  Yes I was in a hurry.  No problem.  The chili sauce gave it a delicious taste that I will use again.  I also cut down the amount of chicken.  The original recipe called for 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts which I felt was too much for the amount of marinade so I cut it in half and also increased the marinade time to make sure the flavor really soaked up in the chicken.  This mixture turned out so good that I want to give it a try with pork.  Almost forgot, this can be cooked on an indoor grill too.

Dijon Grilled Chicken

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. minced garlic
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Slice the chicken down the center (butterfly).  Mix all other ingredients together.  Place the chicken on the grill and spoon the sauce over each breast.  Grill 4-6 minutes, turn and spoon sauce over the cooked side.  Grill another 4-6 minutes or until chicken is done.  Serves 4

Martha:  The sauce for this was found in a 2000 grilling cookbook.  I doubled the ingredients because to me there just wasn't enough to go on both sides, plus I split the chicken breasts making them thinner but also giving them a larger surface.  And the next time I make this I plan on making even more so it can be spread on thicker.  The sauce is delicious and could be used on grilled chicken as well as baked.  I really loved it.

Chicken with Squash Dressing

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup Picsweet Seasoned Onions & Peppers
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Cornbread Stuffing Mix
3-4 med. yellow squash
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Cheddar Cheese Soup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place chicken in a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and seasoned onions and peppers.  Bake 30-35 minutes or until chicken is done.  Peel and slice squash.  Place in a saucepan and add enough water to cover.  Boil until done.  Drain squash.  Remove cooked chicken from baking dish.  In a large bowl combine squash,  stuffing mix and cheddar cheese soup.  Pour liquid and cooked onions and peppers form baking dish into squash mixture and stir to blend.  Spread squash/dressing mix evenly in the chicken baking dish.  Top with chicken and return to oven.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until squash/dressing mixture is hot.

Martha:  A neighbor brought me some fresh squash and to be honest I only eat squash one way and that is mixed with stuffing and cheese.  I had found a recipe for an Italian chicken dish which was supposed to have spaghetti sauce poured over the chicken, onions and peppers.  I eliminated the sauce and decided to create a Chicken with Squash Dressing dish instead.  This is a simple dish to make and the chicken goes perfectly with the squash dressing.  I loved it and all I had to do was add a salad and I have an easy, delicious meal.

Food Tester Carol:  Squash casseroles are such a great mainstay of our menus.  We loved this blend of squash, chicken and cheddar flavors with the herbed bread stuffing.  The stuffing makes it taste like Thanksgiving or like a Sunday dinner all in one dish.  You said it was easy and we are going to make this one soon.

Buttermilk Ranch Chicken Skewers

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 oz Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt


Cut chicken into one-inch cubes.
Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl for marinade.
Place the chicken in the bowl and coat well in the marinade.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Thread chicken onto skewers (if using bamboo, soak in water for 30 minutes first.)
Preheat grill, and bring to medium-high temperature.
Oil or spray the grate to prevent sticking.
Grill skewers for 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink, flipping halfway.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6

Martha:  This recipe came from Chef Thomas Grossmann.    I did do my usual and make a change or two.  Actually I made the chicken using his recipe and made my changes afterwards.  I put my chicken in a baking dish, sprinkled it with Panko and cheese, put it in the oven to melt the cheese and brown the Panko.  After that I added it to my salad.  YUM!  The taste of the chicken is wonderful.  The melted cheese added great flavor to my salad and the toasted Panko added even another taste.  But that wasn't all I did.  I took the leftover chicken along with the Panko and cheese, placed it in a processor and ground it up for chicken salad to which I added - don't tell Arby's - 2 packages of their horseradish sauce and a little mayo to cream it up.  OMGoodness!  This was great too.  So, make this up and create 3 meals out of one simple chicken recipe.

Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes

(Make this mixture twice)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
4-5 med. potatoes, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In 1 large bowl mix oil, paprika, rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a large bowl.  Add chicken.  Toss to coat well and set aside.  In another large bowl mix 2nd batch of oil, paprika, rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Add potatoes and toss.  Arrange potatoes in single layer on a foil lined 9 x 13 x 2 baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake 15 minutes.  Place chicken in another baking dish and place in the oven.  Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and chicken is done.  Turn occasionally through cooking.

Martha:  I found this recipe in a McCormick handout.  I ended up making just a couple changes.  The original used bone-in chicken thighs and red potatoes.  I used chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces.  I also used regular baking potatoes instead of the red.  The original had the chicken and potatoes tossed in the same bowl as well as cooked in the same bowl.  I separated them not only in tossing with the mixture but also in cooking.  Doing this required me to make up 2 mixtures and it was worth it.  I did combine the 2 when serving.  The potatoes came out with such a wonderful taste, as did the chicken.  I served this with slaw and farro.

Food Tester Carol:  Succulent chicken and crispy roasted potato wedges, both rubbed in an enticing combination of spices that bring zest to the palate - that's what this dish is.  Can't wait to see what these spices are.  Farro is a nice mild partner and the coleslaw was a fresh and lightly acidic taste just the way my family likes it.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1/2 cup brown & wild rice blend, uncooked
1 leek, chopped small
1 carrot, chopped small
1 celery stalk, chopped small
6 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped

1 can Campbell's turkey gravy
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Cook rice according to package directions.  In a large sauce pan melt butter.  Add leek, carrots and celery.  Saute until tender.  Add water and bouillon cubes, chicken, gravy, rice, salt and pepper.  Cook 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend.  Mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water.  Stir into soup.  Cook on medium heat another 5 minutes allowing cornstarch to thicken.

Martha:  One of the restaurants I enjoy going to serves chicken and rice soup once a week.  I've always loved the slight thickness of the soup so decided to ask what they used.  I was told cornstarch.  That, along with the H. T. Trader brand of brown and wild rice blend that I love so dearly, prompted me to work up this recipe.  The rice has wheat and rye berries which give you a slight chew that is really good.  The turkey gravy was a thought to add more flavor, which it did.  And the cornstarch measurements above gave this the perfect thickness for my taste.  You can add less or more for your own taste or you can leave it out completely.  And for the chicken, you can use pre-cooked frozen, fresh cooked and even canned.  Whichever you happen to have on hand.  I used pre-cooked frozen.  This dish has so many flavors and textures that it's simply delicious with our without crackers.

Food Tester Carol:  The chicken noodle and chicken rice soup I grew up with turns out to have been a weak, watered down broth based soup, nothing like the whole hearted flavor in this soup.  The generous chicken pieces are intensified by the addition of the turkey gravy that deepens the flavor and creates a pleasing balance with the nutty flavors of the blended rice and grains, a heartier rendition of the previous neutral white rice or limp noodles that I always thought were added just to "stretch" the soup.  This chicken and blended rice soup is the "real deal!"