Favorite Chicken Recipes - Family Pleasing

Never underestimate the love of chicken, whether it's a plate of fried chicken or in a casserole, it's sure to please a hungry family.

Chicken can be prepared so many different ways from grilling to baking and from frying to boiling. It can be the main ingredient in casseroles or it can be used for a tasty chicken sandwich.

I hope you enjoy these easy to make chicken recipes, including dumplings, pot pie, southern fried, oven roasted, baked, corn bread dressing, barbecued, cacciatore and much more.

Southern Fried Chicken

Is a specialty that appears frequently in Southern menus. A certain brand of shortening, a particular spice, a method of cooking - each southern cook has his or her own secret.

  • 1 fryer chicken cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • vegetable oil

Place chicken into bowl. Cover with buttermilk; Let marinate for about an hour.

In another bowl, mix flour, salt, and pepper. Remove chicken from buttermilk.

Cover each piece with flour. Pour 1" oil in skillet.

Cook until one side is browned, then turn and brown other side, about 20 minutes total.

Place chicken on paper towels to drain oil.

TIP:To keep hot oil from splattering, sprinkle a little salt or flour in pan before frying!

Great served with potato salad, baked beans, a glass of iced sweet tea and lemon pie for dessert.

Chicken & Dumplings

This is a true southern favorite. Your family will love this dish served with cream style corn, purple hull peas, cornbread and sweet tea.

  • A 5-6 lb. chicken or hen
  • 1 quart of water
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon of shortening
  • 3 cups of flour
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Put water into a large pot and bring to a boil.

Cut the hen/chicken into pieces. Place the pieces into the pot of boiling water.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours or until chicken is tender. While the hen/chicken is cooking, make the dumplings.

Dumplings

Combine the milk, salt, eggs, shortening, and flour in a bowl. Stir ingredients until a ball forms (add more flour if needed)

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a very thin sheet. Cut the dough into 1- inch strips. Then cut the dough into inch squares.

Once the chicken or hen has completely cooked, separate the meat from the bone. Drop the bones back into the pot and put the meat aside.

Tip: Leaving the chicken bones in the pot keeps the dumplings from sticking to the bottom and burning.

Then add the dumpling squares into the pot a few squares at a time until all the dumpling squares have been added. Cook the dumplings until they are done.

(Dumplings should float when they are completely cooked.)

Next put the chicken or hen back into the pot with the dumplings. Let simmer just long enough to heat the chicken/hen. Add salt. Serve this soul food and enjoy.

Chicken Pot Pie

A cold winters night and chicken pot pie. The aroma of this baking in your oven will be a perfect end to a dreary day. This is a southern favorite one dish comfort food.

  • 1 can carrots
  • 1 can potatoes
  • 1 can peas
  • 1 can mushrooms
  • 1 c. celery
  • 1/2 c. onions
  • 1 can mushroom soup
  • 1 can chicken broth
  • 1 pie crust (13x9x2 in)

Using pie crust, line 13x9x2 inch dish. Add cut up chicken, carrots, potatoes, peas and mushrooms.

Saute celery and onions and pour over the preceding. Spoon mushroom soup over that.

Salt and pepper and pour chicken broth over.

Top with crust and bake at 350*.

Chicken Spaghetti

You can't go wrong with a pot of chicken spaghetti. Just fix some hot buttery rolls and sweet tea. It's sure to be a family favorite.

  • 1 (3 1/2 lb) chicken
  • 1 (10-oz.) package thin spaghetti
  • 1 c. chopped celery
  • 1 c. chopped onion
  • 1 c. chopped green onion
  • 1/2 c. cooking oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 stick margarine
  • 3 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 8 oz. can mushrooms, stems and pieces (reserve liquid)
  • 1 (3 or 4-oz.) pimientos, diced
  • 1/2 lb. processed cheese, grated

Cook chicken in salted water until tender.

Remove chicken from broth and debone; dice meat.

Strain chicken broth and measure; add water to make 3 qts, if needed. Heat to boiling. Add spaghetti to broth and cook 15 minutes.

Cook celery, onion and green peppers in oil until tender, but not brown; add to spaghetti.

Make thick white sauce, using margarine, flour and the liquid drained from mushrooms.

Add white sauce to spaghetti; mix in chicken, pimiento, mushrooms and parsley.

Fill individual casseroles or large casserole and top with grated cheese.

Heat in oven until hot and bubbly, or freeze and use at a later time.

Herbed Chicken

This Herbed Chicken is quick and easy to prepare, delicious served with green bean casserole, candied yams, buttery corn on the cob and hot buttery rolls.

  • 6 onion slices (1/4 inch thick)
  • 1 (2 1/2 to 3 lb.) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
  • Kitchen Bouquet seasoning
  • 3 tsp. chopped parsley
  • 1 can creamed condensed mushroom soup
  • 2 tsp. mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • Dash of pepper

Line 7 x 10 x 11/2 inch pan with foil. Place onion slices in pan.

Arrange chicken, skin side up in pan. Brush chicken lightly with Kitchen Bouquet.

Mix remaining ingredients. Spoon over chicken. Cover tightly with foil.

Bake in 450* oven for 40 minutes or until done.

Chicken Cacciatore

This Chicken Cacciatore recipe is perfectly seasoned with onions, crushed garlic, oregano and is best served over a bed of rice.

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 chicken, cut up
  • 2 onions, sliced thin
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

In a Dutch oven or other covered pot, heat the olive oil and brown the chicken parts on all sides.

Add the onions and garlic and stir around and cook for a few minutes

Then add the tomato sauce, oregano, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.

Cover it up tightly and turn the heat real low and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

Don't forget to take the bay leaf out before you serve.

Oven Fried Chicken

This Oven Fried Chicken is great served with cream style corn, green beans, squash and cornbread. Pecan Pie for dessert, makes this a perfect meal.

  • 1 broiler-fryer-chicken
  • 1/2 c. fine bread crumbs
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 c. corn oil

Cut fryer into 8 pieces. Combine crumbs, salt, pepper and paprika. Brush each piece of chicken with corn oil; roll in crumb mixture.

Place in shallow baking dish, skin side up. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Barbecue Chicken

Barbecue Chicken can be served any time of the year. It's baked in oven and can be served with potato salad, corn and garlic bread. Fresh fruit for dessert would be a family hit.

  • 1 quartered chicken
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 stick oleo
  • 1/4 c. vinegar
  • 1 (5 oz.) bottle Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper the chicken to taste. Place in baking pan and dot with oleo. Add vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.

Cook in oven at 450 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting often.

Chicken will be very brown and sauce thick.

Chicken Dressing

Chicken dressing is a true southern favorite, you can serve this with potato salad, corn casserole, butter beans and sweet tea.

  • 1 (4-lb.) hen
  • water to cover hen
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. salt
  • 4 c. crumbled cornbread
  • 4 biscuits or 4 slices bread
  • 3-4 c. hot chicken broth
  • 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
  • 2 raw eggs
  • 1 c. finely chopped celery
  • 2 boiled eggs, chopped
  • 1 tsp. sage
  • 3 Tbsp. minced onions
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 c. butter
  • 1/4 c. flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 gizzard
  • 1 liver
  • 1 hard boiled egg

Bring hen to a boil and cook slowly until almost tender. Remove from broth and bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees until well browned and tender.

Crumble bread and biscuits into large mixing bowl. Add butter and boiling broth to cover. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add next 6 ingredients in order given. Pour into greased baking dish and bake 1 hour at 400 degrees.

Giblet Gravy

To make giblet gravy, melt butter, add flour and salt. Blend well and add 2 cups of chicken broth. Add gizzard, liver, and hard boiled egg. Cook gravy until thick, stirring constantly. Serve the chicken and dressing with giblet gravy.

Slow Baked Chicken Wings

Simple recipe for slow cooked chicken wings, that's a great hit at teen-agers parties, family game nights or anytime.

  • 5 lb frozen chicken wings
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 10 oz. soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled

In a blender, combine soy sauce, sugar, molasses or honey and garlic.

In a 10x12 inch aluminum pan, pour blended mixture over the still-frozen chicken wings.

Place on center oven rack and bake at 250 degrees for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, baste and turn every 30-40 minutes.

Remove from sauce and serve immediately.

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