Simple Chicken and Noodles

Happy Fall Y'all!

It's finally starting to cool off a little around here.  Woohoo!  Man, I love Fall.  It makes me want to visit pumpkin patches and bake bread while wearing a sweater.  It's just awesome.

If you're busy doing Fall-y type stuff all day, you'll need a simple recipe to cook for supper.  Here's a good one:

SIMPLE CHICKEN AND NOODLES

2 chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped (or 10 baby carrots)
4 cups chicken broth
12 oz egg noodles (or broken spaghetti, or elbow macaroni)
salt/pepper
a little oil (2-3 TBS)
1 TBS butter


Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat a little oil over medium-high heat.  Brown the chicken.  You don't need to cook it all the way through here.  It will finish cooking later on.

Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.  Add the onion, celery and carrots.  Saute until softened.  To speed this process up you can add a little water then cover.  Let the veggies steam for a few minutes then stir.  Repeat until softened.  Season with salt and pepper.

Return the chicken to the pot.  Add broth.  Bring to a boil.

Add the butter then add the noodles.

Stir well and press the noodles down as best you can.

Put the lid on, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.

It's done when the broth is absorbed and the noodles are tender.


Garnish with a little parsley.

This is a simple dish that's comforting and filling.  Plus it makes a little chicken go a long way.  Great way to use up a few chicken breasts.  The family gave it the thumbs up.  Give it a try and see how you like it.

Chicken and Rice

Hi Everyone!

I know I haven't been blogging as much as I used to.  It has been a very hectic time around here!  Between Mardi Gras, birthdays, work and Mama Duties, I have been non-stop!  Even though my kiddos are now in college they still say "Mama can you...Mama would you...Mama I need your help with...".  Honestly, I love it.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

When time is limited, but you want a good supper, this is the recipe for you.  It's a one pot dish that doesn't take a lot of babysitting.  Plus, it's yummy comfort food!  Can't beat that!

CHICKEN AND RICE

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth
salt/pepper
2 TBS oil

You will need a big pot with a tight fitting lid like this:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat the pot over medium-high heat.  Add the oil.  When hot, add the chicken.  Let it brown on the first side before stirring.  Then, brown on the other side.

Once lightly browned on both sides, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. 
See the brown bits on the bottom of the pot?  That is flavor!  We are going to get those bits up by cooking the veggies.  The water in the veggies will loosen the bits and get all that flavor into our chicken and rice.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, celery and carrots.  Season with salt and pepper.  It's important to season a dish throughout.

Let the veggies cook until slightly softened, stirring occasionally.  If you can break a carrot in two with your spoon, you're good to go.

Add the chicken broth.

Return the chicken to the pot.

Add the rice.

Again, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Turn the heat up to high and bring it to a boil, stirring every once in a while to keep the rice from sticking (but don't over stir or the rice can get gummy).

Once it comes to a boil, cover with the lid, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.  Don't open the lid.  Don't stir it.  Just leave it alone for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, remove the lid.  Let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes.  Then, fluff with a fork before serving.

This is easy to make, you only use one pot, and it's delicious.  It tastes like chicken soup and jambalaya got married and had a baby.  Yum!  Give it a try and let me know what you think.  Enjoy!

Smothered Chicken

My Mama used to make smothered chicken when I was little and I loved it!  It's a simple comfort dish that happens to be delicious.  It takes a little time, but it requires minimal ingredients and minimal work.  It's one of those recipes that you can make a lot or a little very easily, depending on your needs.  I like to make extra so I can eat it for lunch the next day or debone the chicken to use in other recipes.  Once you see how easy it is, you'll love it too.

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

8-10 pieces bone-in chicken (I like thighs and drumsticks)
1 large onion, sliced (or 2 small)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Creole or Cajun Seasoning (or seasoned salt)
2 TBS oil
1/2 cup water
1 - 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels (this helps the chicken to brown instead of steaming).  Season the chicken with Creole seasoning.

Heat a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat until very hot.  Brown HALF of the chicken at a time.  If you over crowd the pot the chicken won't brown properly.  It should take about 5 minutes per side, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.

When the first batch is done, remove to a plate while you brown the second batch.

Once both batches of chicken are browned, lower the heat to medium-low and add the onions and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown.

Add 1/2 cup water and scrape the bottom of the pot to get up all the brown bits.  This helps make the sauce yummy.

Let cook until most of the water is gone.

Return all the chicken to the pot.

Add enough chicken broth to reach halfway up the sides of the chicken, between 1 and 1 1/2 cups.

Bring it to a boil.  Then, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and let cook 15 minutes more.  This helps the sauce reduce and thicken.

Serve the chicken with the onions and sauce over the top.

This is great with mashed potatoes or rice or pasta.  It has a wonderful caramelized onion, deep, slow-cooked flavor and the chicken is so tender.  It's simple, delicious, old-fashioned goodness.