Batter Fried Chicken

1 cut-up fryer
1/2 cup pancake mix
Salt and pepper
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoons milk
Oil for deep frying

Directions:
Steam the chicken pieces for 20 minutes. (Bring a few inches of water to a boil; position the chicken pieces above the water in a sieve or on a steamer rack; cover and allow to steam for 20 minutes.)

Meanwhile, mix salt and pepper into pancake mix. Beat egg and milk together. When steaming of chicken is complete, dip each piece into egg mixture. Then roll in pancake mix until pieces are well-coated. Heat fat and fry chicken until golden brown, turning only once.

Notes:
Personally, I prefer to broil or bake chicken (or boil it to get the broth), but here is a batter-fried recipe for the adventurous. I like this recipe's idea of steaming the chicken first to ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 small onion, quartered
1 tablespoon margarine
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped broccoli
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:
Cook the broccoli according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, begin cooking the chicken. In a medium-sized saucepan, cover chicken breasts and onion quarters with water. Place the lid on the pan and poach the chicken over medium-low heat until meat is white all the way through, about 20 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, melt the margarine in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Preheat the broiler. Place cooked broccoli in an 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Drain the cooked chicken and onion; arrange  in a single layer over broccoli. Top with mushrooms. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Notes:
From Rebecca Goss, my friend and a fellow AAFES wife in Berlin, Germany, in the early 1990s.

Quick and Easy Chicken Cups

1 can Grand® Biscuits
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (or 1-1/2 cups) chicken breast chunks
1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Directions:
Preheat oven according to the directions on the biscuit can. Combine the soup, shredded cheese, chicken chunks, and parsley flakes. Spray muffin tin(s) with cooking spray. Flatten each biscuit and push it into a muffin cup, shaping the biscuit dough to the sides. Fill each cup with chicken mixture. Bake 18 minutes or until the biscuits are browned on the underside and lift easily from the muffin cup.

Cheese and Chicken Pot Pie

Filling:

3 tablespoons butter
2 stalks celery
1 medium onion
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large carrots, diced, cooked, and drained
2 large potatoes, diced, cooked, and drained
2 cups frozen peas
4 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Clean and dice celery, and onion. In heavy skillet, melt butter; saute celery and onions until tender. Stir in flour, broth, salt and milk; stir constantly until mixture thickens. Add carrots, potatoes, peas, and chicken. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan and set aside.

Topping

1-1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add butter and blend until texture resembles cornmeal. Add milk and stir well. Turn dough onto a floured board and roll out a rectangle approximately 9"x12". Sprinkle dough with cheese. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting on a 12" side. Slice the roll into 1/2 inch biscuits and place on top of chicken mixture. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is bubbling and biscuits are cooked. 6 to 8 servings.

Notes:
Bake another pan of plain baking powder biscuits to serve on the side.

Crispy Baked Chicken Strips

2 cups Bite Size Shredded Wheat cereal 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons prepared mustard 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut the chicken breast into 3/4 x 2-inch strips. Crush the cereal down enough that it measures just 1 cup. Combine crushed cereal, Parmesan cheese, salt, paprika, garlic powder in a shallow dish and set aside. Combine mayonnaise, honey and mustard in a mixing bowl. Stir chicken strips into mayonnaise mixture; then roll each strip in cereal mixture. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken strips are cooked through (no pink remaining.) Yields 25 to 30 strips.

Notes:
This is a good way to use up the crushed cereal and crumbs that are always left in the bottom of the box.

Glorified Chicken Breasts

2-1/2 to 3 lb. chicken breast pieces
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 can Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup

Directions:
Remove skin from chicken breasts, and split into two pieces if desired. Arrange chicken pieces, bony-side down, in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes. Spoon soup over chicken. Bake another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and tender. Gently stir the sauce and serve.

Crusty Baked Chicken Strips

1 cup crushed crumbs of Shredded Wheat cereal 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons prepared mustard 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch x 2 inch strips Cooking spray or oil

Directions:
Prepare a baking or broiler rack by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray or brushing a light coating of oil over it. Place the rack inside a shallow baking dish and set aside. Toss together cereal, Parmesan cheese, salt, paprika, and garlic powder, and set aside. Combine mayonnaise, honey and mustard in another bowl. Dip each chicken strip in mayonnaise mixture, then roll in cereal mixture until well-coated. Place each chicken strip on the baking rack. Try to keep strips separated. Bake about 15 minutes at 400°F or until strips are well cooked (not pink in the center and juices are clear.)

Notes:
The Shredded Wheat adds some fiber to this meat dish, substantially more than white flour or cornmeal breading.

Elizabeth's Oven Baked Chicken

2 cups cornflake crumbs 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon Accent*

1/2 teaspoon celery salt 1/2 teaspoon onion salt or powder 1/2 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt 1 chicken, cut up 1 can evaporated milk Melted butter or margarine

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients well. Dip chicken pieces in evaporated milk; coat with flour mixture, and brush with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tender.

Notes:
*Accent is monosodium glutamate. A few people are deathly allergic to it. I recommend omitting it altogether and adding other assorted seasonings, such as garlic powder or flavored pepper.

This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law, Elizabeth Netz. It's a sized-down recipe from the Laurel Club. The Laurel Club is a volunteer group of ladies who cook for banquets and other events at the RLDS Auditorium in Independence, MO. Elizabeth worked in that group for many years.

This breading can also be used for tenderloins.

Baking a Turkey

A large frozen turkey (15 to 20 lbs.) should be placed in the refrigerator to thaw four days before it will be cooked.

Use the table below to estimate the baking time of a turkey, but use a meat thermometer to be certain the turkey is done. The turkey should be 180° at the thigh which is the thickest part and stuffing should be at least 165° at the center.

WEIGHT	UNSTUFFED	STUFFED
10 to 12 lbs. 12 to 15 lbs. 15 to 18 lbs. 18 to 21 lbs. 22 to 25 lbs.	3-1/2 hours 4 hours 4-1/4 hours 4-3/4 hours 5-1/4 hours	4 hours 4-1/2 hours 4-3/4 hours 5-1/4 hours 5-3/4 hours

Stuffing can be cooked separately in the oven. Place it in a buttered baking dish, cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, and cook at 375° for 30 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally with juice from the turkey.

If you are going to bake the turkey with the stuffing inside it, do not stuff it until immediately before it goes in the oven. The stuffing should be cool when you place it inside the bird, and it should not be tightly packed. The stuffing should be at least 165° at the center before you remove the turkey from the oven.

WEIGHT	CUPS OF STUFFING
12-15 lbs. 15-20 lbs.	10 cups 12 cups

Cheesy Baked Chicken and Rice

1 can Campbells Cream of Chicken soup
1-1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked white regular long-grain rice (NOT instant rice)
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cups frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 lbs.)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Mix soup, water, uncooked rice, onion, pepper, and peas in an 7x11-inch baking dish. Lay chicken breast halves on top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice is done. Remove the foil and lift out the chicken. Stir rice; sprinkle half the cheese evenly over it and toss lightly. Replace the chicken and sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Return to the oven briefly until cheese is melted. (Serves 4.)

Notes:
The chicken breasts are safely cooked when the meat is not pink and the internal temperature is at least 170°.

Easy Pot Pie

2 (15 oz.) cans mixed vegetables, drained
1 can cream of potato soup
1/4 cup milk
2 cups cooked and shredded turkey or chicken (1 lb. if buying at the deli)
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 ready-to-bake pie crusts (either homemade or purchased)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. In a mixing bowl, combine drained vegetables, soup, milk, turkey, thyme, and pepper and stir gently until well mixed. Press one pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan. Pour vegetable/chicken mixture into the crust. Place the second crust on top, seal the edges, and cut vents with a sharp knife. Bake about 1 hour on bottom rack in oven, or until crust is browned and filling is hot through. Remove pie from oven, cool for five minutes, cut, and serve.

Notes:
An easy way to use holiday turkey leftovers or a good potluck dish.