Creative Cooks

Brown Sugar Lemon Chicken Skillet
Yields: 4 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, bone in skin on
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 lemon
Olive oil or cooking spray
Fresh parsley to garnish

Spice Mix:
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the spice mix.
Season each chicken thigh on both sides.
Gently lift the skin and rub the spices underneath as well.
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat.
Allow the skillet to get hot by waiting about 5 minutes before adding two tablespoons of olive oil. After the oil is hot, place the chicken thighs in the skillet top down.
Allow the chicken to cook for about 4 minutes without touching.
They should turn a nice golden-brown color.
Flip the chicken and allow them to cook on the bottom side for about 4 minutes.
Remove the chicken thighs and place on a plate.
Pour one cup of chicken broth in the hot skillet to deglaze the pan.
Use a wooden spoon to scrape off any brown bits.
Add minced garlic and the juice of 1 lemon to the pan, stir.
Place the chicken back in the skillet and allow the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and place the skillet in the preheated oven for 35 minutes to finish the cooking process.
Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.

Baked Caprese Chicken
10 Minutes Prep Time, 25 Minutes Total Time, 4 Servings

Ingredients

No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 can (14.5 oz each) Petite Diced Tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 boneless skinless thin-sliced chicken breast fillets (4 breast fillets = about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons balsamic glaze, divided
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices

Directions

Step one - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line shallow baking pan with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray. Stir together drained tomatoes, basil, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt and pepper in medium bowl; set aside.
Step two - Place chicken in pan. Brush both sides of chicken evenly with 2 tablespoons glaze; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and oregano.
Step three - Top chicken evenly with tomato mixture and mozzarella slices. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in centers (165°F) and cheese melts. Transfer to serving dish; drizzle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon glaze. Serve immediately.

Dreamy Chicken Francese
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 3

Ingredients

3 (5 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
3 cloves garlic
1 cup whipping cream
¾ cup chicken broth
¼ cup Pinot Grigio wine (Optional)
½ medium lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
Use a sharp knife to cut each chicken breast horizontally into 3 thin pieces.
Combine tapioca starch, flour, and salt in a shallow dish and mix well. Place eggs in another shallow dish, and beat well.
Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Dip chicken first in flour mixture, then into the eggs, coating completely. Cook chicken, in batches if necessary, until golden and no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a drip tray.
Place chicken in the preheated oven to keep warm.
Meanwhile, reduce heat to medium-low, and melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cream, broth, wine, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has reduced. Sauce can break if the heat is too high and it's not stirred regularly. Serve chicken topped with sauce.

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken and Rice
Serves-6 Prep time-5 minutes Cook time- 3 hours

Ingredients

3 boneless chicken breasts
1 pound thick cut bacon cooked and chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 (10.75-oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (1-oz) package Ranch Dressing Mix
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup regular white rice
2 cups shredded cheese (of your choice), divided

Instructions

1-Spray the insert of the slow cooker with cooking spray.
2-Place chicken in the bottom.
3-Mix together the cream of chicken soup, half of the bacon, ranch dressing mix, cream, pepper, half of the cheese, milk, and rice.
4-Pour over chicken.
5-Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 3.
6-Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.
7-Place back in the slow cooker and stir to combine.
8-Top with remaining cheese and bacon.
9-ENJOY!

Chicken-n-Chips Casserole

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 scallions, sliced – including green and white
1 can sliced water chestnuts
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sherry
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups crushed potato chips
1 cup shredded cheese, divided

Instructions

In a bowl combine all ingredients except the chips and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
Place in a greased 9×13″ casserole dish and top with remaining chips and cheese.
Bake in a preheated 400 oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

Dragon Chicken
Yield: 4-6 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp ginger paste
1 Tbsp garlic paste
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika
1 egg, beaten

Stir-fry sauce
¼ cup tomato ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp red chili paste (like Sriracha or sambal oelek)
1 tsp sugar
¼ cup water

Dragon Chicken
¼ cup oil (for shallow frying and for stir fry)
½ red bell pepper, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
½ orange bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
3-4 dry red chilies, cut into large pieces (see note)
1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
¼ cup cashew nuts

Instructions

Add chicken along with all the marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix well till all the chicken pieces are coated well. (You can marinade while you prep the rest of the ingredients)
In a small bowl, mix all stir fry sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil in frying pan or wok on medium high heat. Shallow fry the chicken in batches till golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Plate it out on a paper towel lined dish.
Remove all but about 2 Tbsp oil from the pan. Once the oil is hot, stir fry diced red onion along with bell peppers and red chili pieces for a couple of minutes on high heat.
Add in chopped ginger and garlic along with cashew nuts and stir fry for another couple of minutes.
Add in sauce and fried chicken and toss till every chicken piece is well coated with the sauce.
Serve immediately as appetizer, or over a bed of white rice.

AVOCADO CHICKEN SUMMER ROLLS W COCONUT PEANUT SAUCE
Prep time: 35 MINS total time: 35 MINS

INGREDIENTS

ROLLS
1 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken
4 baby seedless cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
2 avocados, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro
12 rice paper wrappers
1 lime, for spritzing
Salt and pepper

COCONUT PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup peanut butter
¼ cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup hot water, or a little more if needed
Pinch salt and pepper, if needed

INSTRUCTIONS

ROLLS
Set up an assembly line with your shredded chicken, cucumber sticks, avocados and cilantro.
To assemble the rolls, fill a round cake pan or skillet with warm water. Dip rice paper wrapped in and submerge it completely for 15 to 20 seconds. Remove it and place the rice paper on a cutting board. Top it with a few pieces of shredded chicken, a few cucumber sticks, a few pieces of avocado and a pinch of cilantro. Spritz with lime juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Start rolling from one end and fold in the sides as you go. The paper will stick together and your roll will hold! Repeat with the remaining rice paper wrappers. Serve with the peanut sauce!

COCONUT PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
Whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice and garlic until combined. Whisk in the hot water until the dip thins out and is smooth. Taste and season with a pinch of salt and pepper if needed. If the dip thickens up again, you can always add in a drop of hot water and stir! This stays great in the fridge for a few days.

French Onion Stuffed Chicken Casserole
Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 45 mins Total Time 1 hr Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large onions halved and thinly sliced
Pinch of salt and pepper to season
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme divided
2 tablespoons white wine, sherry or balsamic vinegar (OPTIONAL)
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup beef broth or stock divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese (or mozzarella cheese)
4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Lightly grease a 9x12-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt, pepper and half of the fresh chopped thyme. Cook for 5-8 minutes until soft.
Reduce heat to medium and cook, while stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and jammy (about 15 minutes). Pour in 1/4 cup of broth if pan gets too dry, and keep stirring until onions are browned.

OPTIONAL: Pour in white wine, sherry or balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan and get some additional flavours into the onions. Let cook for a minute until the sauce thickens slightly.
Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn off heat and let cool slightly.
Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally to create pockets. Season chicken all over and inside pockets with salt, pepper, garlic powder and ground thyme.
Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of caramelized onions into each pocket. Stuff each breast with the cheeses and seal chicken with toothpicks.
Transfer the remaining caramelized onions from the skillet to the prepared baking dish. Mix in remaining 1/4 cup of broth. Set aside.
Heat oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Sear the stuffed chicken breasts for 4 minutes each side until browned. (They will not be fully cooked. You will finish them off in the oven.)
Arrange chicken on the caramelized onions in the baking dish. Spoon some of the sauce in the dish over each chicken breast. Top with remaining chopped thyme and bake for 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked.
Discard toothpicks. Serve with pan juices and onions.