Tag Archives: chicken

Meal Prep: Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowls

Friday, April 27, 2018 at 11:47 am by Sarah DiPeppe

Meal prep is all the rage. Making time for meal prep might seem a little intimidating, but with these Test Kitchen tips, it’s easy to turn meal prep from a headache into a habit. Whether you have your #MealPrepSunday routine down or are simply sick of grabbing canned soup or going out to eat on your lunch break, Mediterranean chicken quinoa bowls are a delicious meal you can easily prep for the week ahead.

The Test Kitchen originally developed mediterranean chicken quinoa bowls as a recipe option for using leftover chicken. We included the bowls in a group of meal planning recipes to make using our slow cooker basic shredded chicken. Instead of portioning the chicken out for three separate dinners during the week, use it to help prep your lunches.

To make meal prep a breeze, do your cooking over the weekend so your meals are ready and waiting when the busy work week starts.

Slow cookers and rice cookers are great meal prep tools. We used both to help prepare the chicken quinoa bowls. Over the weekend, make basic shredded chicken in your Hamilton Beach® slow cooker and quinoa (brown rice would also be delicious in these bowls) in your Hamilton Beach® rice cooker.

Once the chicken and quinoa are cooked, you’re ready to assemble the bowls for the week. We filled five to-go containers (any containers that seal will work), with shredded chicken, quinoa, and a variety of Mediterranean ingredients. Chickpeas, ripe tomatoes, feta cheese, artichokes, cucumbers, and olives add tons of flavor and color to your weekday lunches.

We topped the bowls with a creamy greek dressing. You can easily whip up a homemade dressing in your Hamilton Beach® single-serve blender (another helpful meal prep tool) or use your favorite store-bought variety. Pour your dressing of choice into mini to-go containers (you can buy them online or at the grocery store). They fit perfectly on top of the other ingredients so you can seal the salad and the dressing in the same container.

Say goodbye to sad desk lunch and hello to bright, fresh Mediterranean chicken quinoa bowls. For the full recipe, click here.

TAGS: bowl, chicken, meal prep, quinoa, rice cooker, slow cooker
CATEGORIES: Everyday Recipes, Healthy Eating, main courses, salads

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Slow Cooker Lemon Thyme Whole Chicken

Thursday, March 15, 2018 at 2:15 pm by Sarah DiPeppe

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Did you know you could cook an entire chicken in a slow cooker? That’s right. It’s one of the Test Kitchen’s favorite methods for cooking whole chicken. Not only does it allow you to keep the oven off or free it up for making sides dishes or dessert, slow cooking chicken leaves you with a juicy, tender bird.

Slow cooker lemon thyme chicken is the perfect springtime recipe to have on hand. Make it to serve for dinner on the patio as the weather warms or for your Sunday meal prep. You could serve it for dinner on Sunday and save leftovers to toss into salads, tacos, or rice bowls throughout the week. Winner winner chicken dinner, indeed.

Lemon thyme chicken is especially delicious thanks to a homemade herb butter we put under the skin before cooking. Use a Hamilton Beach® hand mixer to whip butter until it’s light and fluffy. Add parsley, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper and beat until the herb butter is well blended. Then use your hand to spread the butter under the skin of the chicken breast. It gets a little messy but it’s totally worth the end results.

Quarter an onion and add half to the slow cooker crock and gently place the chicken on top. The onions will help lift the bird off of the bottom of the crock, so the lower half of the bird won’t cook in the juices and get soggy. Stuff the cavity with the rest of the onion, herbs, and lemon for a beautiful presentation and to add extra flavor to the meat. Cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Slow cooker lemon thyme chicken puts the spring in spring chicken. Garnished with extra lemon slices and sprigs of fresh thyme, this beautiful bird will surely fly off the table. Serve with a simple spring salad or shred leftovers for meals throughout the week. No need to pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store when you can make your own whole chicken at home in your slow cooker.

Slow-Cooker-Whole-Lemon-Pepper-Thyme-Chicken-2

Slow Cooker Lemon Thyme Whole Chicken

Servings

Slow Cooker Lemon Thyme Whole Chicken

Servings

Ingredients

Servings:

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Instructions

Using an electric hand mixer, beat butter on high speed until light and fluffy.
Add parsley, thyme, lemon juice, salt, lemon zest and black pepper. Beat until blended, about 1 minute.
Gently slide one hand under the chicken skin over the breast to loosen the membranes.
Spread butter mixture under the skin of chicken breast.
Add 1/2 of the onion to slow cooker crock. Place chicken on top of onions. Fill cavity with remaining onions and 3 sprigs thyme. Cover and refrigerator overnight.
Cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Chicken is well done when meat temperature registers 165°F in the breast or 175°F-180°F in the thickest part of the thigh.
Garnish with fresh thyme and lemon slices.

Recipe Notes

Test Kitchen Tip: USDA recommends 165°F as the safe eating temperature for chicken. Chicken is done when meat temperature registers 165°F in the breast or 175°F-180°F in the thickest part of the thigh. For more information on food safety, visit foodsafety.gov. Follow steps 1 through 5 to prepare chicken the night before. Cook the chicken following steps 6 and 7.

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TAGS: chicken, lemon, slow cooker, spring, thyme
CATEGORIES: Everyday Recipes, main courses, Slow cooker

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Sheet Pan Supper: Chicken Nachos

Friday, March 9, 2018 at 12:25 pm by Sarah DiPeppe

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Need to throw together a quick dinner after a hectic work day? What about a filling after-school snack for the kids? Have 10 hungry football fans at your house? Nachos are the answer. Nachos are always the answer.

If you’ve been on Pinterest or read a food magazine recently, you have probably seen a sheet pan supper or two. We love the idea of throwing ingredients on one pan, letting everything cook together, and having dinner ready in no time – with minimal clean up. These chicken nachos are another sheet pan supper that won’t disappoint.

Heat your Easy Reach® Toaster Oven to 350 degrees, then line your oven pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange your favorite tortilla chips (the sturdier the better) in an even layer on the pan and prepare to pile toppings high. We mixed shredded chicken, homemade salsa (use store-bought if you want to save a little time), black beans, and cheese together and spooned the mixture onto the chips. Top with even more cheese (obviously) and jalapeños if you like your nachos spicy and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

We served these nachos with extra homemade salsa and guacamole but customize them to your liking. Substitute ground beef or steak for the shredded chicken or add sour cream and hot sauce on top. If you’re feeding a crowd, use your regular oven and a cookie sheet and double or triple the recipe.

Whether you place the sheet pan in the middle of the dinner table to easily feed the family or put it on the coffee table while friends watch the game, these nachos won’t last long.

Sheet Pan Supper: Chicken Nachos

Ingredients

tortilla chips
2 cups shredded chicken
1 3/4 cup Fresh & Spicy Salsa, divided
1 cup drained black beans
2 cups shredded colby and Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 fresh jalapeno, sliced
Guacamole

Servings:

Units:

Instructions

Heat toaster oven to 350°F. Line a toaster oven pan with aluminum foil and spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Arrange tortilla chips in an even layer in pan.
In a small bowl, combine chicken, 3/4 cup salsa, black beans and 1 cup shredded cheese.
Spoon chicken mixture over chips. Top with remaining cheese and jalapeno slices.
Bake until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through, 18 to 20 minutes
Serve with remaining salsa and guacamole.

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TAGS: cheese, chicken, kids, march break, nachos
CATEGORIES: appetizers & snacks, Fun with kids

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Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at 5:06 pm by Matt Harrington

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Honey sesame chicken is a popular Chinese takeout order, but you can make a much healthier and more nutritious version at home with your slow cooker.

We love making Asian inspired dinners at home because it allows us to control exactly what ingredients are going into the meal – and we don’t have to skimp on any of the flavour.

With this recipe, you still do a little stir frying (the red and green bell peppers really make the dish pop), but you have the added benefit of tender, slow cooked chicken. After the chicken cooks for a few hours in a honey and soy sauce mixture (you could take this time to brush up on your chopsticks skills), transfer to a skillet or wok along with the vegetables for a quick sauté.

You could serve it over rice (we used a rice cooker to make perfect sticky rice), or in lettuce wraps for a handheld meal. If you want to make this a low-carb recipe, just omit the rice from the lettuce wraps.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Hot cooked rice

Servings:

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Instructions

Combine soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, ginger and red pepper in slow cooker crock.
Add chicken to soy sauce mixture. Stir to coat chicken with sauce.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or LOW for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
Remove chicken from sauce. Transfer sauce mixture to skillet. Blend cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Over medium-high heat, add cornstarch and cook until thickened. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to sauce. Add red bell pepper strips and cook 4 minutes or until peppers are crisp tender.
Serve over rice. Sprinkle with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

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TAGS: Asian, chicken, Chinese, CNY, slow cooker
CATEGORIES: Everyday Recipes, Healthy Eating, main courses

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Gameday Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at 5:06 pm by Sarah DiPeppe

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Whether you’re watching football at home or in a restaurant, chances are chicken wings are on the table. With the big game around the corner, I’m already brainstorming watch party recipes. Some football season favourites like Buffalo chicken dip and chili con carne made the starting lineup, along with these deep-fried garlic parmesan chicken wings.

In a food processor fitted with the chopping/mixing blade and with the processor running, add parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and black pepper through the food chute. Process for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese is grated and set aside.

Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels – this cuts down on splatter when they drop into the deep fryer. Place one layer of chicken wings in the fryer basket and lower into the preheated oil (375 degrees). Fry the wings for about 10 minutes. When they’re cooked and golden brown, remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel.

Brush the chicken wings with a mixture of melted butter and garlic (no wonder they taste so good), and sprinkle with the parmesan mixture and a little oregano. The garlic and butter add flavor and help the cheese stick to the wings.

Dip these garlic parmesan chicken wings in peppercorn ranch, blue cheese dressing, or hot sauce for added flavour and the full wing experience. If your hands aren’t messy by the end of the play, you’re doing it wrong.

Gameday Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Servings	Prep Time
10	1 hour

Servings	Prep Time
10	1 hour

Gameday Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Servings	Prep Time
10	1 hour

Servings	Prep Time
10	1 hour

Ingredients

Servings:

Units:

Instructions

Heat oil in deep fryer to 375°F.
Using a food processor fitted with the chopping/mixing blade and with processor running, add Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and black pepper through the food chute. Process 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is grated. Set aside.
Pat wings dry with paper towels.
Place one layer of wings into the fryer basket and carefully lower basket into the preheated oil. Deep fry chicken wings in oil until reaches 165°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from fryer, drain on paper towels.
Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, heat butter and garlic on HIGH power for 30 seconds at a time or until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant. Brush each chicken piece with butter mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan mixture and oregano.
Serve immediately with peppercorn ranch dressing for dipping.

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TAGS: chicken, chicken wings, deep fryer, football, fried, fried chicken, super bowl
CATEGORIES: appetizers & snacks

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