Chicken

Lemon Herb Roast Chicken

Roasting a whole chicken might be intimidating, but I promise you it’s easier than it seems and you’ll impress everyone you make it for. I like roasting a chicken for dinner over the weekend so I have leftover meat to use on salads during the week or to freeze for quick soups, barbecue, tacos, pizza, etc. And make sure to save and freeze the broth for soups — it’s so much better than store-bought! The keys to the perfect roast chicken are the seasoning and a meat thermometer; you don’t want a dry, bland bird! (If you don’t already own one, buy a meat thermometer. I think it’s one of the most important and useful gadgets you can have, plus you’ll always be confident meats are cooked to the perfect temperature.)

Lemon Herb Roast Chicken
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Ingredients
  1. 1 whole chicken (about 5 lbs.)
  2. 1 lemon, zested and thinly sliced
  3. 1 onion, quartered
  4. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  5. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  6. 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  7. 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  8. 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  9. 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a bowl, combine the lemon zest, kosher salt, ground black pepper, minced garlic, dried parsley, dried thyme, and extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
  3. Remove the giblets from inside the cavity of the chicken. Rinse both the inside and outside of the chicken under cold water and pull out any remaining pin feathers from the skin. Pat dry with paper towels, and place the chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet.
  4. With the chicken breast-side up, gently slide the lemon slices between the skin and the breasts of the chicken.
  5. Brush the oil/herb mixture over the entire outside of the chicken, and put the onion quarters in the cavity.
  6. Place breast-side up in a roasting pan containing about 1-inch of water.
  7. Cover and roast chicken for about 20 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Chicken, Broccoli, and Brown Rice Bake

Chicken and broccoli casserole — rice, creamy sauce, chicken, broccoli, cheese, croutons — has always been one of my favorites. The cream of chicken soup that’s used to make the sauce is not. So I’ve recreated the casserole from scratch, and I think it’s even better the the original. 

Chicken, Broccoli, and Brown Rice Bake
Serves 4
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2. 1 cup finely diced onion
  3. 3 cloves minced garlic
  4. 2 cups milk
  5. 1 cup chicken broth
  6. 1 dried bay leaf
  7. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  8. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  9. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  10. 1 cup dry brown rice, cooked according to package directions
  11. 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
  12. 3 cups frozen broccoli florets, cut into smaller pieces
  13. 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  14. 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
  3. Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until lightly browned.
  4. Add the bay leaf, broth, and milk, and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes.
  5. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the dried thyme, salt, and pepper.
  6. Spray a 21/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Add the cooked rice and all but about 1 cup of the sauce. Stir to combine.
  7. Add an even layer of the broccoli, and then add the chicken evenly on top.
  8. Pour the remaining sauce over the top.
  9. In a small bowl, combine the Panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top of casserole and spray lightly with cooking spray.
  10. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

I make homemade pizza almost every Friday night, so when I want something other than basic tomato sauce and cheese, I default to this barbecue chicken pizza. Topped with homemade barbecue sauce, caramelized onions, shredded chicken, fresh herbs, and lots of cheese, it’s full of flavor and nothing like your basic pizza. If you’ve never made your own pizza dough, this recipe (Quick and Easy Pizza Crust) is perfect for newbies — and those short on time. Although it’s a yeast dough, it requires very little rise time. For years, I’ve made pizza dough that requires two-plus hours to rise, so I was skeptical of this recipe, but it is just as good!

Barbecue Chicken Pizza
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
10 min
For the dough
  1. 2 1/4 teaspoons (.25 ounce) active dry yeast
  2. 1 teaspoon white sugar
  3. 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
  4. 2 1/2 cups bread flour
  5. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  6. 1 teaspoon salt
For the Sauce
  1. 16 oz. no-salt-added tomato sauce
  2. 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  3. 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  4. 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  5. 1/8 cup molasses
  6. 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  7. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  8. Several dashes of cayenne pepper (optional)
For the Caramelized Onions
  1. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  2. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  3. 1 cup sliced yellow onion
For Assembling
  1. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  2. 1 cup cooked chicken
  3. 3 cups cheese (2 cups mozzarella, 1 cup sharp cheddar)
  4. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 F (if using a pizza stone, place it in the oven while preheating).
For the Dough
  1. In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in flour, salt, and oil. Kneed until smooth.
  3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes.
  4. With a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to desired thickness.
  5. Transfer to a greased pizza pan or a pizza peel dusted with flour and cornmeal.
For the Sauce
  1. Combine sauce ingredients in a medium sauce pan, bring to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes until sauce slightly reduces and thickens (yields about 2 cups). Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.
For the Caramelized Onions
  1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat.
  2. Add the sliced onion in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown in color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
For Assembling
  1. Brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil along the outside edge of the pizza dough.
  2. Add the sauce, spreading evenly, allowing about an inch around the edge of the dough bare.
  3. Sprinkle with cheese, chicken, the caramelized onions, and herbs.
For cooking
  1. Transfer the pizza to the preheated oven (either on the pizza pan or slide from the pizza peel onto the pizza stone), and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/