Any good ideas for plain old Chicken?!?!

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heather62803
heather62803 Posts: 266 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My husband and I are both trying to eat better and cook better meals for our family - we've been going strong since January, but lately we have been coming up short with meal ideas and are getting tired of plain old "white chicken" as my five year old calls it (the nugget variety he used to eat is "brown" chicken!) Anyone have "family friendly" ways of baking/cooking chicken (or other meats as well) that are healthy and taste good? I have a picky husband, and even pickier 5 year old and a 1 year old who will eat just about anything - plus we are a one income family and the budget is tight. PLEASE HELP US FIX OUR BORING DINNERS!!
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Replies

  • Patti909
    Patti909 Posts: 36
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    Pour a jar of salsa over boneless skinless chicken breast, cover and back.
    We had that for dinner tonight, yummy and easy! I serve over brown rice.
  • ARJacobson
    ARJacobson Posts: 11
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    I found a great website: www.eatbetteramerica.com

    It has lots of ideas and most of the time has the calorie count and all nutritional info.


    Hope that helps!!
  • DizzieLittleLifter
    DizzieLittleLifter Posts: 1,020 Member
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    I like to make a marinade with mustard, onion powder, and garlic. Simple. It doesn't taste like mustard. For mine and the hubby I add chipotle Tabasco sauce :)
    With the left over chicken you can make chicken burritos, with mushrooms and onions.

    You can make baked chicken strips with panko breadcrumbs. (always a favorite here).

    Bake and cube chicken then add to pasta sauce.
  • cesse47
    cesse47 Posts: 947 Member
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    I make a coating mix using Kellogg's Corn Flake crumbs. I mix in garlic, pepper, sesame seeds, parmesean cheese, Mrs Dash, etc. ... whatever sounds good when I'm making it. Brush the skinless chicken with an egg wash then dip into coating mix. Bake at 350.

    I make a similar coating mix but include crushed rosemary leaves, Mrs Dash, pepper. I coat pork chops and bake them at 325. Pork chops stay much more moist this way. I estimate the amount of coating on the meat. and calculate calories based on the ingredients used.

    When my granddaughter was little she had two favorite chicken dishes -- healthy chicken nuggets baked in the oven and Chicken Teriyaki with pineapple chunks.
  • SHAMEKALACHELLE
    SHAMEKALACHELLE Posts: 25 Member
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    Marinade is low in calories and the walmart brand is usually around $1.00. Do some breasts and grill them-I love my George Foreman grill-the best!
    A thing I've learned in baking chicken is to use as freely the seasonings with no salt added, they are calorie free.
    Also, Carolina Treet bbq sauce, crock pot it! (if they sell it where you are-it's fabulous-full of flavor).
    Crock pot chicken and veggies.
  • ron2282
    ron2282 Posts: 2,772 Member
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    1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
    1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
    1 envelope of good seasonings Italian dressing

    Moisten the chicken with water, coat with the mixture and bake. I set the oven to broil after it's cooked to give it a golden brown look. It's a little higher in sodium than I normally like, but if I plan a low sodium breakfast and lunch I don't have a hard time staying under my limit.

    Calories 189
    Carbs 1
    Fat 5
    Sodium 663
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    I've been playing with some old favorites and looking for good ones myself and these are two VERY popular items at my house (and we eat chicken ALOT too)

    Chicken Fingers
    I throw a small bit of flour (depending on how much I plan to make - either whole wheat, or that one that is a bit more fine that has the benefits of whole wheat but "acts" more like baking flour) and a tsp of garlic pwdr, paprika, and 1/2 tsp of chili pwdr, cumin, and sea salt into a ziploc bag, cut chicken breasts in 1/2 lengthwise, wet with cold water and shake in the bag one at a time to coat. Spray baking sheet with olive oil spray. Bake at 375 for 20 min.

    The coating keeps the inside juicy and they are great for picky eaters . . . and you are still eating chicken breasts . . . again . . .

    You can also shake up the spices . . .

    Our ABSOLUTE favorite one though is a MOCK chicken wing: cut chicken breasts into 3 strips, /or cut skinless boneless chicken thighs in 1/2. Cover with most of the following marinade, reserving some for later basting.
    MARINADE
    1/2 c ginger marinade (lots of versions in grocery store, I find the one with the least sodium & calories)
    1/4 c hoisen sauce
    2 Tbs sesame oil
    2 Tbs lemon juice
    2 Tbs low sodium soya sauce
    1 Tbs fresh crushed garlic
    1 Tbs fresh grated ginger
    1 tsp curry pwdr
    1 tsp chinese 5 spice pwdr
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1/2 tsp cayenne pwdr
    ground pepper

    Shape the marinated raw chicken into finger shapes in a baking pan, line up close to each other so they retain the shape, pour the marinade it was soaking into it, bake for 15 minutes @ 350. Throw them on the grill just to get the "grill marks" and baste with the little bit of marinade you reserved.

    This is an amazing recipe that we saw on a tv show, Eat, Shrink & Be Merry. I got it off the food network a few years ago and we have made it consistently since when we have a craving for something different. My husband used to be a frequent pub patron and was really missing his chicken wings . . . these he says are way better!
  • TuscanySun
    TuscanySun Posts: 3,608 Member
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    www.sparkrecipes.com great site...type in "chicken" and you'll get tons of hits and they have the nutritional info right with it...love the site.
  • youngs
    youngs Posts: 250 Member
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    Take boneless chicken breast (4 to 6 pcs) and add 1 can of reduced sodium cream of chicken soup 1 packet of (dry) Hidden valley Ranch and 1 16oz container of Fat free or light sour cream..Mix this all together and pour over chicken and put in oven for about 45 min to hour on 400 degrees..then fix rice and serve over it..very yummy..
  • mommamills
    mommamills Posts: 437
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    bump! we do lots of chicken at my house. Will def have to try some of these! thanks!
  • Samantharose8akaDebbie
    Samantharose8akaDebbie Posts: 407 Member
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    Bump for later
  • fiendiish
    fiendiish Posts: 186
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    b-b-b-b-b-bump for later
  • lilay
    lilay Posts: 122
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    bump
  • heather62803
    heather62803 Posts: 266 Member
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    Thanks for the GREAT ideas - everything sounds so good - will definitely try some of these this week - we just had plain old baked chicken (seasoned with spices and onion) tonight - now I'm wishing I would have posted this earlier!!!!! Thanks for the help - hopefully my family will appreciate the help as well - I think one in particular will like all the "brown" chicken recipes - he loves his chicken fingers!
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
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    I never know what to do with my chicken either. Glad you made this thread. :) Will be trying some of these soon
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
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    A crock-pot salsa chicken
    I just put cut up cubes of chicken with a jar of salsa, a red pepper, a green pepper and a quarter onion into a crock pot when I leave in the morning by the time I get home it is done. Serve like a fajita. I have seen some recipes with black beans and corn added also.
  • RacheBell
    RacheBell Posts: 111
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    I roast red bell pepper in the oven, chop it up (1/4 cup), chop up kalamata olives(2 tbs), basil leaves(as many as you want), and get feta cheese(1/4 cup). Cut the chick so there is a pocket and pack those ingrediants in. About 2 tbs per chicken breast. Simple and sososososososo good.
  • dore0021
    dore0021 Posts: 137
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    Bump for later! These suggestions were soooo needed. Thanks :-)
  • sduhart
    sduhart Posts: 3
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    I might give that a try tonight, thanks :drinker:
  • cvtga
    cvtga Posts: 118
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    I take thin chicken cutlets and place provolone cheese, a tbsp on ricotta cheese, and spinach then roll up the chicken using toothpicks to hold the shape. Season outside with garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, paprika and parmesan cheese. Bake 350 for 35-45 minutes. Yum.

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