Need a suggestion! Easy chicken??

squirrelzzrule22
squirrelzzrule22 Posts: 640 Member
in Recipes
Hello!

I like to cook up several chicken breasts at one time so I can eat them over the course of a couple weeks in my work lunches or for a quick dinner.

I have never found a recipe I truly LOVED for doing this. I want to bake four chicken breasts and do something easy and tasty to them that will make them taste good with a variety of salads or sides. I've tried lemon pepper and found it a little boring. I've tried parm but I can never seem to get the breadcrumbs crispy, and its a bit high cal.

ANY suggestions for mass chicken cooking?!???!?

Replies

  • lbesaw
    lbesaw Posts: 267 Member
    Chicken is quick, easy and SO versatile. I always cook it from fresh. Pan seared just salt, pepper, and maybe a little poultry seasoning in about a tsp of olive oil. Season both sides, get nonstick pan heated, add olive oil and lay chicken in to cook about 4 minutes each side--turn only once and then rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

    You can saute' peppers, onions and serve as Philly Chicken sandwich or pair with vegetable or salad.
    Change your seasoning around for different flavors.
    I love with baked butternut squash, or brown rice and veggies. Broccolli and spinach, mushrooms.....yummy
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    I do a few pounds at a time in a pressure cooker once a week with just salt and pepper so I can have versatility for any kind of meal. I work full time and cook for myself and my son every night too.

    Some things we do:

    Pulled chicken breast w/bbq sauce
    Cubed/browned for stir fry
    "Cantina bowls" w/Mexican seasoning/diced avocado/rice
    Add to pasta/salad, or frozen meal if I'm in a rush
    Pan sear with beans/wilted spinach (Cajun/Italian)
    Tacos/enchiladas/burritos

    I always brown it quickly so it doesn't dry out. Let the steam from the rest of the ingredients warm it up the rest of the way!
  • seeled
    seeled Posts: 93
    Home made taco seasoning then cut it up with a salad. I had that almost every day for two months for lunch
  • abbyrae1
    abbyrae1 Posts: 265 Member
    have you ever used the crockpot for it? you can just add some simple spices to your "broth" and then make what you want with the chicken from there (i.e. shredded for tacos, chicken salads, on top of a salad, sandwiches, etc.)
    If I don't have a specific recipe in mind, I usually throw in chicken with garlic, little salt & pepper and let it slow cook, then if I know what I'm going to use it for, I jazz it up when ready.
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
    Anything in the crockpot. I have some chicken breasts with onions an chicken broth crockin as we speak(or type). One of my favorite and easiest is chicken breasts with salsa verde(you could use any salsa of course). Make tacos or mix with rice, beans, veggies, whatever. Soo good!

    This is my favorite way to bake chicken:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/48061920994175638/
  • MeganKSchultz
    MeganKSchultz Posts: 73
    By cooking a whole chicken in a pot I am able to make my own chicken broth as well. Since the majority of a whole chicken is white meat, it's really healthy, and when it cools you can skim the fat off the broth. I pull the meat off the bones and throw the bones back into the pot to make the broth. I can then use the chicken and broth to make a variety of soups and casseroles.

    You can easily find good recipes online for any of the following: chicken tortilla soup, chicken noodle soup, minestrone, king ranch chicken casserole. You can make large batches of the soups (often in a crock pot) and freeze the left overs.
  • TinaBean007
    TinaBean007 Posts: 273 Member
    What about marinating and cooking them separately. It's a little more work but give you variety through the week. I also cook big batches of shredded chicken in the crockpot and use it for tacos, quesadillas, pulled BBQ chicken and my fav buffalo chicken anything. (I just take standard recipes and make them healthier.)
  • ebren056
    ebren056 Posts: 3
    I found a great recipe on Food Network that I have made a few times and it's delicious - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/four-step-lemon-onion-chicken-recipe/index.html

    Before cooking the chicken, you dredge it in just a little bit of flour which helps to brown the outside, giving it a really nice texture. It's then cooked with sauteed red onions, chicken broth, lemon juice and a small amount of white wine (optional). This sauce reduces down and ends up being super tangy and flavorful, even though there is really nothing bad for you in this recipe!

    Also, another tip - make sure you aren't over-cooking your chicken. This can be the difference between a nice juicy piece of chicken or a dry, chewy piece of chicken. Just a thought.
  • fresh_start59
    fresh_start59 Posts: 590 Member
    Below are the two ways I use most often to batch cook chicken breasts:

    Marinate the chicken breasts overnight in some Franks Red Hot sauce before baking.

    Put in crockpot with some chopped onion, pepper, garlic powder. Then add enough chicken broth to barely cover the chicken. Cook on high for 2 hours, then turn to low and cook until done. (I usually have it on low for 6-8 hours).
  • kelleyannclemons
    kelleyannclemons Posts: 71 Member
    Top with a mushroom cream sauce made with laughing cow garlic and herb cheese, skim milk, and fresh mushrooms.

    Top with swiss cheese and carving board ham for a cordon bleu.

    Shred and heat with some taco seasoning for a taco salad.

    Dice for a chicken caesar salad.

    Shredd or slice and place on bread with swiss cheese, cooked bacon, mushrooms, and onions (or just swiss cheese and ham). Mist the bread lightly with oil and cook both sides in a pan.
  • karendee4
    karendee4 Posts: 558 Member
    In the summer we grill a large package of chicken with a canjun type seasoning. I love to turn the grilled chicken into other things for my lunch.

    Not really what you asked but grilling them over some wood would give them a nice smokey taste and a little different than baking.


    I also bake chicken many times with light salad dressings on them to keep them moist. Any flavor you like will do. I use some homemade ones too.

    Karen

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