Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts

Monday, May 5, 2014

Mrs. Scales Southern Chicken Fried Chicken

I know the ingredient list seems long..but this recipe is actually pretty quick and easy.  The beauty of that crazy long list is that you can omit what you don't have on hand.  No onion powder? no biggy..  No creole seasoning?  Just use any seasoning salt..  the bare bones original recipe is simply flour, salt and pepper...so really all this other stuff is just flavor boosting goodness i added to make it a yummy Mrs. Scales-style dish for Mr. Scales.  :)

For the Chicken:
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( or as many you want until your egg and flour mix runs out)
  • 1 teaspoon of Creole or Cajun seasoning
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs
  • 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional if you want extra spice)
  • 1 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • One-half inch of cooking oil 
  • Parsley for topping
For the Gravy:
I went the easy route and used packaged sausage gravy (the dry stuff), followed directions and added a couple pinches of salt.  This also makes the process faster considering i get home late from work.

Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients (except parsley) in a bowl.  Mix it up good and transfer to a plate.  

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. 

Give the chicken a couple pounds with a meat tenderizer if the breasts are thick.  (I didn't, simply because i don't own a meat tenderizer)  

Heat oil in a skillet on medium.  Or you can use a deep fryer (I did).  

Coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then dunk in egg, then coat in flour mixture AGAIN.  Once all pieces are coated, let sit for about 8-10 minutes.  I used this time to get my side dishes ready...this night it was rice and succotash.  Plus i had to wait for my deep fryer to finish heating up.  

Cook each piece in your skillet till golden brown - about 3 min per side.  OR cook in the deep fryer for 10 minutes at 350.

Don't forget to make your gravy per directions on package.  I did this while my chickens were in the deep fryer. 

Plate your chicken, cover with gravy and sprinkle with parsley. 

Yummy.  This was my first go at chicken friend chicken but i was very pleased with the flavor I created.   This flour mix & egg method can be used if your making chicken tenders also!

Enjoy!

~Mrs. Scales



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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Dijon Chicken


So easy and quite tasty.

  • Boneless Skinless chicken thighs- 1 package
  • Dijon mustard- 1/2 cup
  • Maple syrup- 1/4 cup
  • Rice/rice wine vinegar- 1 tablespoon  ( i substitued apple cider vinager+pinch of sugar)
  • Fresh rosemary (or rubbed sage)
  • Salt and pepper
Whisk up the Dijon mustard, maple syrup,  and vinager.


Salt & pepper the chicken thighs and arrange in a heavily foiled casserole dish (if you don't foil you'll be cleaning the dish for days).

Arrange the chicken in the dish - cover the chicken with the sauce.

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes then broil for another 20.

Easy Peasy and QUICK prep.

*note: feel free to double the sauce recipe.  I used the above amounts for just 3 thighs because i was just cooking for me and my husband.  If i was cooking the whole package of chicken - I'd double the recipe because I'm a saucy person.

 Make Sauce
Put in the oven - 450 degrees for 40 min total.  
 num num

adapted from http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/ which was adapted from Trader Joes cook book.

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Saturday, March 29, 2014

Bourbon Chicken / Shoyu Chicken


Bourbon Chicken
aka Shoyu Chicken
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
(optional but good)
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
(optional)
1 teaspoon ground paprika (optional)
5 pounds skinless chicken thighs

Easy and Yummy chicken.  Mix all ingredients together.  Coat chicken well.  Seal in either  a ziploc bag or a tupperware to marinate the chicken for an hour.

Cook with all marinade in a casserole dish at 450 degrees for 40 minutes.  At 20 minutes you can turn to broil if you want.  I did mine in a casserole dish (below) and used the juices to pour over rice. Feel free to double the sauce ingredients to have more to pour over rice.  Alternatively, you can grill the chicken for 15 minutes.



recipe adapted from allrecipes.com



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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Mongolian Chicken



 
 
2 packs (or 2lbs) of boneless skinless chicken tenders (or you can cut up b/s breasts)
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. vegetable oil (for frying/sauteing the chicken)
2/3rd c. corn starch

1/4 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
copped green onions, for garnish
red pepper flakes, for garnish


Slice chicken tenders into slivers about 2-3 inches long. Place cornstarch in a large Ziplock. Add the sliced chicken breasts to the Ziploc and shake bag well to coat the chicken slices. Leave chicken slices in Ziploc for approximately 10 minutes.
 
Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-to-low heat. Add ginger, garlic, onions, soy sauce and water to the pan. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then increase the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.
 
While waiting, heat up oil in pan over medium heat. Add the chicken to the oil and sauté until brown and fully cooked. Remove chicken from oil onto a plate covered in a paper towel (to soak up some of the oil). Add the drained chicken to the sauce. Put meat and sauce back onto the burner at medium-to-low heat. Let chicken sauce simmer until warm. Serve over rice. Garnish with chopped green onions and red pepper flakes.
 
 
 
In a 1 gallon ziploc, coat chicken in 2/3 cup corn starch.  Let sit for 10 min.


 
Heat 2 tsp vegtable oil, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, onions & water to a sauce pan.
Boil for 2-3 minutes.
 
 
In a skillet heat oil and saute the chicken until golden brown.
 
Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover w/ paper towel to rid some of the excess oil. 
 

 
Put the chicken in the sauce and stir.
Go empty the skillet of all oil.
Transfer the chicken and sauce back to the skillet and simmer 'til ready to serve.
 
 


Serve over white rice.


 
 
 


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Monday, September 30, 2013

Hickory Smoked Wings (like Slick Pig's)

 
Oh.My.Word.  Hickory smoked wings.  There is this wing joint in Murfreesboro, TN called Slick Pig.  They are famous for their hickory smoked wings.  But of course their recipe is top secret.   Welp.. I just had to figure out how to make wings like these.  One little problem.. I know NOTHING about smoking.  First I searched for a smoker on Amazon and found this easy enough for a beginner smoker (Stovetop Smoker ) for $43.95 - so it didnt break my account.  This came with Hickory Wood Chips and Alder Wood Chips.. that was great because I would be needing the Hickory for this recipe.  I then set out to re-create that slick pig taste.  I did two test runs.  Both were good.  The second batch however, seemed closest.  The group of people who I tested them on (who have all had slick pig's) said the flavor was very close...but maybe better.  I'll bet Slick Pig doesn't use these ingredients (so I'm not claiming they do) ..maybe some of them.. but this is what I used to create the oh so popular flavor.  


To get your wings the shape you get them at a restaurant cut them in these spots.  Discarding the pointy end - forgive my lack of knowledge of the correct terms for chicken anatomy...  *Note: unless you have a meat cleaver or a very sharp knife, its easier to do this after they are cooked. *orrr you can just go the easier route and buy a bag of precut "chicken wing sections" :)


  
Marinate your wings in the fridge for 24 hours.


 
Get your smoker ready by adding Hickory wood chips to the bottom of your Stovetop Smoker .  Put your drip pan over that and your wire rack over that.  *Note - If you're using a different smoker.. do your wood chips according to instruction for your smoker.

 
Load up your smoker.


Place smoker on the grill or on your stove top at medium heat. Smoke for about an hour or your desired color of wing.. as long as they are done :)


Ingredients

Chicken Wings
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
3/4 cup Teriyaki Marinade
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
3 heaping tblspoons of Hoisin Sauce

Helpful items:
Smoker
Hickory wood chips
  
 
Directions

Combine the last four ingredients in a Gallon size freezer bag; Stir so Hoisin sauce is blended in.  Add the wings to the bag making sure they are coated well.  Put in the fridge to marinate for 24 hours.

Get your smoker* ready by putting about 2 1/2 tablespoons of Hickory woodchips in the bottom layer of the smoker.  Put the drip pan over those woodchips. Put the wire rack in the drip pan... I wrap the wire rack in aluminum foil for easier clean up. 

Load your wings onto the wire rack.  Put the lid on.  Place your smoker on your stove top or your BBQ grill at medium heat.  Smoke for 45 min to 1 hour.  This gives them a YUMMY smoke flavor.

To get a little crispyness I throw them directly on the grill for 1-2 minutes**.  Scrum-didly-umptios.

*Alternatively: if you dont want to use a smoker you may be able to cook these in the oven for 45 min to an hour putting it on broil for the last 10 min.  If you do it this way I would add liquid smoke flavor to the marinade because you will be missing the delicious smoke flavor from the smoker.. I have not tried an oven version yet.  But when I do I will update this recipe.

**If you don't have a grill.. you can toss the smoked wings into a frying pan with just a tad bit of oil for a couple minutes to get that bit of crispyness.


 
 
I found this book on amazon - its a smoking book for this particular smoker!  I havent ordered it .. but I just might.
 




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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi

 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken tenders
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil - divided use
  • 1/2 green bell pepper sliced thin
  • 1/2 red bell pepper sliced thin
  • 1/2 orange bell pepper sliced thin
  • 1/2 medium sized red onion sliced thin
  • 1 clove garlic sliced thin
  • 1 pound Anegel hair pasta cooked according to package directions
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
  • Seasoning salt or Garlic salt

Instructions


Place flour, panko, salt, and pepper into a shallow dish and mix well with a fork. Place milk in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken first in flour/panko, then dip into milk, and then dredge again in the flour/panko. Place breaded chicken on a wrack and allow to rest 10 minutes before cooking. While the chicken is resting, cut peppers, onions, and garlic.

Saute peppers, onions, and garlic in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season peppers, onions, and garlic with a light spinkling of salt. Saute until peppers begin to brown. Remove from skillet.

Place remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in hot skillet or WOK .   Place chicken in skillet. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until the chicken has browned on both sides. Add more olive oil as needed. Sprinkle with a pinch of seasoning salt or garlic salt.  Remove chicken from pan.

Deglaze the pan by adding white wine to the pan and add italian seasoning blend. Scrape the bottom with a spoon scrapping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add heavy cream and mix well. Return cooked vegetables to the pan and stir. Simmer for a minute or two. Add cooked pasta to the skillet. Plate the pasta and sauce, placing a few pieces of cooked chicken with each plate.

Serve with Cheesy Garlic Bread.


  
  


 
 
Recipe adapted and changed from Copykat.com



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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry (Cheap & Easy Dinners)

 

Yes this is a meal using Top Ramen (or any ramen noodle package). Another edition of Mrs. Scales CHEAP & EASY meals. :)   

Ingredients:

1-2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (or meat/seafood of your choice)
1 block of  ramen noodles
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 c frozen veggie mix
1 egg
1 tsp cooking oil (olive, sesame, vegetable)
seasoning salt, to taste
salt/pepper, to taste


First, cut up your boneless skinless chicken breast or whatever meat you use. 

On medium heat, put garlic and the tsp of oil in the frying pan or wok.
                                             

Toss your chicken in the pan with soy sauce, Worcestershire, frozen veggies, a couple dashes of seasoning salt.  Stir with wooden spoon.

While this is cooking and blending flavors, put a bowl of water in the microwave for 3 minutes.  When the 3 minutes is up you'll have boiling water, while still in the microwave add your block of noodles (break in half if you wish).  Turn microwave back on for another 2.5 min. This method makes the perfect consistency of noodles.. not soggy or puffy.

Back over to the pan - Once the veggies are almost cooked crack in the egg.  Stir again with wooden spoon or spatula to scramble the egg.

Back to the microwave - Your noodles should be done at this point.  Drain all the water from the bowl.  Use an oven mitt, the bowl will be HOT. (Note: if you want to save those couple extra minutes, I recommend using this rapid ramen bowl, which will give you the same perfect consistency with only 3 minutes total in the microwave rather than the 3 minutes then extra 2.5 minutes),

Add the noodles and ramen seasoning packet to the pan/wok and stir it all up.  Add a little more oil if you need to and a little water (maybe a table spoon). 




Serve.  


I recommend trying it with mushrooms too if you have them on hand (pic on right). 



Try also









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Monday, March 18, 2013

Deep Fried Whole Chicken (num num)



 
 

This Masterbuilt Butterball Turkey Fryer has been a godsend.  It deep frys, steams, boils. oh, i just love it. I bought it for Thanksgiving to try deep frying a turkey and it turned out WONDERFUL.  And so quick!  I've spent years and hours cooking turkeys in the oven.  This was easy and delicious.  I heard all the horror stories and dangers of deep frying turkeys but then I found this gadget and its SAFE to use INDOORS.  That's right up my ally, because i really didn't want to be wrestling with a turkey and hot oil out in my yard.  I leave it right on my kitchen counter because I use it so often.  If you are interested, get yours here.

 



This is the injectable marinade I used this time.  It comes with an injector and I picked up for like 3 dollars.  Cant beat that.  You can use any marinade you want.  Ok, so I injected my chicken all over the place... pumped it full of flavor.  Then I took some seasoning salt inside and out and some cayenne pepper.  Then I put it in the fryer basket that comes with the deep fryer.  

375 degrees.  about 4 minutes per pound.  This little guy was about 5 pounds.. so he cooked for 20 minutes.


The skin was almost my favorite part.  soo good.  The meat is moist and not at all greasy as you know if you have ever deep fired a turkey or chicken.  mmm.






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Saturday, March 9, 2013

Paella

 Omg, this smelled so good while cooking.  I expected it to be decent but I was pleasantly surprised to REALLY like it.  Hubs liked it too. 

 i used mussels this time instead of shrimp and I didn't use onion..even though i took a picture of it. lol.

First i cooked the pork chorizo because its important chorizo is cooked all the way through.
In a separate bowl i mixed the uncooked Spanish rice, chicken broth, olives and smoked paprika.  I didnt use roasted red peppers this time.. but I'm sure it would have made it look pretty.  While chorizo is cooking cut your chicken thighs to bite size pieces.

 Once the chorizo was done I added the bowl of other ingredients to the pan. Stir. Place chicken and rinsed  shrimp or mussels in the skillet.  Cover with lid or foil and cook for 30 min until rice is done.



Ingredients

1 box Spanish rice mix
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
6 peeled large shrimp (or mussels)
2 skinless chicken thighs
2 oz chorizo
1/4 cup pimento stuffed olives
1/4 cup roasted pepper strips (optional)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Olive oil
pepper

Directions
First cook your Chorizo in a large skillet add a little olive oil if the chorizo isn't producing any.. Combine 1 cup uncooked Spanish rice mix, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 6 peeled large shrimp, 2 skinless chicken thighs, 1/4 cup each pimiento-stuffed olives and roasted pepper strips, and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika cover with lid or seal the pan in foil. Cook over medium-high heat, 30 minutes. 

 Here are pictures of the same dish but made with shrimp instead of mussels


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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Delicious Chicken Strips


Chicken Strips!  Yay.  For this recipe you can use just one cheese if you want but there is a handy Ramano/Parmasean/Asiago mixture in the deli/cheese/salami section of the grocery store.    That is what I use and its TASTY.

6 chicken tenderloins - boneless and skinless
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons water
1 cup Panko
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmasean/Romano/Asiago cheese mix (you can find this in the cheese section of your grocery store pre-shredded)   Alternatiely you can use grated parmesan.

  1. Combine Panko and cheese in a bowl. Put flour into another bowl and mix the egg and water in yet another bowl until well blended.
  2. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add several tablespoons of oil to the pan. Oil that is not hot enough will absorb into the chicken and oil that is too hot will smoke.
  3. Working quickly, coat each piece of chicken in flour - shaking off excess, and then in egg wash and lastly in Panko and cheese coating. Make sure there are no bare spots on each breast.
  4. Fry each coated filet in the heated oil until golden brown, turning once during cooking -- 5 minutes on each side.
  5. Drain well on paper toweling and serve immediately with your choice of sauce



Mix the panko and cheese.


 put flower in one bowl, mix your egg and water in another. Chicken first goes in the flour, then the egg wash, the cheese/panko mix then into your oil.
 Cook in hot oil, about five minutes each side.

These would actually taste really good if used as the chicken for Chicken Scampi (Olive Garden Copycat)



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EASY Crock Pot Pineapple Chicken

Oh, such an easy meal.  I'm not usually a fan of fruit with meat, but I must admit, this has good flavor!   My husband and I both agreed its a nice balance of sweet and salty.  

And who doesn't  love another quick throw-it-in-the-crock pot-and-forget-about-it-dinner?


 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs)
  • 1 can of pineapple in juice (tidbits, chucks, rings, it doesn’t matter)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 TBSP soy sauce
  • ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
  1. Chop onion and place in crock pot.
  2. Place Chicken Breast on top of onion.
  3. Dump the can of pineapple (juice and all) over the chicken.
  4. Dump the soy sauce and the chicken broth on top of everything.
  5. Cover and cook on HIGH in the crockpot for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8
  6. hours.
  7. Serve over rice and with a steamed veggie.
- See more at: http://momswithcrockpots.com/2011/08/crockpot-pineapple-chicken/#sthash.Uzwsppp1.dpuf

Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs)
  • 1 can of pineapple in juice (tidbits, chucks, rings, it doesn’t matter)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 TBSP soy sauce
  • ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
  1. Chop onion and place in crock pot.
  2. Place Chicken Breast on top of onion.
  3. Dump the can of pineapple (juice and all) over the chicken.
  4. Dump the soy sauce and the chicken broth on top of everything.
  5. Cover and cook on HIGH in the crockpot for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8
  6. hours.
  7. Serve over rice and with a steamed veggie.
- See more at: http://momswithcrockpots.com/2011/08/crockpot-pineapple-chicken/#sthash.Uzwsppp1.dpuf
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs)
  • 1 can of pineapple in juice (tidbits, chucks, rings, it doesn’t matter)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 TBSP soy sauce
  • ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
  1. Chop onion and place in crock pot.
  2. Place Chicken Breast on top of onion.
  3. Dump the can of pineapple (juice and all) over the chicken.
  4. Dump the soy sauce and the chicken broth on top of everything.
  5. Cover and cook on HIGH in the crockpot for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8
  6. hours.
  7. Serve over rice and with a steamed veggie.
- See more at: http://momswithcrockpots.com/2011/08/crockpot-pineapple-chicken/#sthash.Uzwsppp1.dpuf
Crock pot Pineapple Chicken 

3-4 Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs) 
 1 can of pineapple in juice (bits, chucks, rings, its up to you) 
1 medium onion 
2 tbsp soy sauce ½ cup chicken broth.

Put it all in the crock pot, chicken first, then onion then pineapple, soy sauce and chicken broth.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours.  Serve whole, shredded or cut up, over white rice.  Although my husband likes it over fried rice


*side note - I usually cut up or pull apart the chicken half or 3/4 way through cooking so all sides of each bit of chicken has flavor.
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs)
  • 1 can of pineapple in juice (tidbits, chucks, rings, it doesn’t matter)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 TBSP soy sauce
  • ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
  1. Chop onion and place in crock pot.
  2. Place Chicken Breast on top of onion.
  3. Dump the can of pineapple (juice and all) over the chicken.
  4. Dump the soy sauce and the chicken broth on top of everything.
  5. Cover and cook on HIGH in the crockpot for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8
  6. hours.
  7. Serve over rice and with a steamed veggie.
- See more at: http://momswithcrockpots.com/2011/08/crockpot-pineapple-chicken/#sthash.Uzwsppp1.dpuf
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs)
  • 1 can of pineapple in juice (tidbits, chucks, rings, it doesn’t matter)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 TBSP soy sauce
  • ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
  1. Chop onion and place in crock pot.
  2. Place Chicken Breast on top of onion.
  3. Dump the can of pineapple (juice and all) over the chicken.
  4. Dump the soy sauce and the chicken broth on top of everything.
  5. Cover and cook on HIGH in the crockpot for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8
  6. hours.
  7. Serve over rice and with a steamed veggie.
- See more at: http://momswithcrockpots.com/2011/08/crockpot-pineapple-chicken/#sthash.Uzwsppp1.dpuf
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs)
  • 1 can of pineapple in juice (tidbits, chucks, rings, it doesn’t matter)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 TBSP soy sauce
  • ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
  1. Chop onion and place in crock pot.
  2. Place Chicken Breast on top of onion.
  3. Dump the can of pineapple (juice and all) over the chicken.
  4. Dump the soy sauce and the chicken broth on top of everything.
  5. Cover and cook on HIGH in the crockpot for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8
  6. hours.
  7. Serve over rice and with a steamed veggie.
- See more at: http://momswithcrockpots.com/2011/08/crockpot-pineapple-chicken/#sthash.Uzwsppp1.dpuf


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