chicken.

Samantha - Hi Meg! I have a couple of tweaks for your chicken and it will be totally rock star chicken. Your family will love it. Switch those breadcrumbs out for Panko breadcrumbs. My family prefers the Italian seasoned ones just because they have more flavor. And try egg instead of oil for your dipping. I also pound out my chicken a bit to get it to be a uniform thickness and cook a little faster, but you may or may not want that. It should cook exactly like this that you did, but the crust will be crunchier. Love love love! 🙂

Happygirl02 - I’ve made this. It is SOOOOOO good!!!! And it’s so easy. I was having my parents over for dinner one night and was looking for something easy. It was a huge hit. If I could just find beef roast on sale more often, I’d make it a regular in our meal line up.

Daisy D - Our family loves Quesadilla Pizza Night. You need:
Flour tortillas (I use the 8″ ones)
Shredded Mozzarella
Pepperoni (or whatever pizza toppings you like…I usually put out a variety)
Pizza Sauce
Heat a skillet and fry the pepperoni until crisp. Let drain & cool on a paper towel.
Brush tortillas with a very thin layer of pizza sauce.
Layer cheese and toppings.
Layer more cheese on top.
Cook quesadilla 3-5 minutes on each side in a cast iron skillet. (I have a panini maker and I use it, it makes the tortillas nice and crisp)
Slice up and serve with dipping sauce.
Everyone loves this and I also do it for sleepovers. If you really want to make it easy, I found pre-made pizza toppings in the grocer deli area…..pepperoni, bacon, sausage, hamburger (etc) and it makes it really simple! Just line up little bowls and let everyone make their own. Then cook them up.

lelu - My favorite quick meal for summertime is to put a pork loin in the crock pot with a can of Herdez green salsa and a can of diced green chilis. I cook it for 5 or 6 hours then shred it right it the crock pot. Then I plug in the electric griddle, put out tortillas, cheese, salsa, open a can of black beans and let the kids make their own quesidillas. And there is always lots leftover that I can freeze for another day. I also make enchiladas and taco salad with the leftover pork.
Another super easy meal at our house we call Chicken Louise. I just put chicken breast in a casserole dish and pour a jar of spaghetti sauce over the top. It’s really good if you do that in the morning and put it in the fridge to marinate all day, but it’s not necessary. I top it with several slices of provolone cover it with foil and bake it 30 minutes or so. Then serve it over angel hair with a salad. (I’ve also done this in the crock pot on days I teach piano and it’s great that way too.)
I’m loving all these ideas. I have five kids too and most days if dinner takes me longer than 30 minutes from start to finish it’s just not happening.

Sheila P. - Kate S., “The cheap chicken sold in grocery stores here in the US is no more nutritious than the average donut.” Just where do you get your awesome nutrition facts?

Tanya - This sounds yummy and I love spinach!

Jenn - I like your idea of serving it over salad! All these years of making Loose Meat Sandwiches for my family and not once have I thought of serving them on something other than a bun. I think I will be mixing it up a bit and trying it over salad one of these nights! 🙂
I don’t know about anyone else, but I love how we can read all these yummy recipes then adapt them to work within each of our families.

Erica - Your recipe reminded me of something that my family called Western Chicken Chunks (Chicken chunks is such a strange thing to say.) You crush some corn flakes and put them in a bowl. Squeeze some ranch dressing into another bowl. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Coat the chicken a few pieces at a time in the dressing then the corn flake crumbs. Place on a foil lined greased baking sheet (makes clean up so much easier.) Sprinkle with salt if desired. Bake at 400 until cooked through (10-20 minutes depending on the size of your chunks.) I usually cut up some sweet potatoes into “fries” and roast them at the same time as the chicken. Kids love it.

Peggy - The easiest meal that I make is Enchilada Soup. Put 2 or 3 chicken breasts in a crockpot whole. Add 1 diced onion, I can black beans, 1 can diced tomatoes. In a large bowl whisk together1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can of enchilada sauce and 1 cup milk. (You can add a little extra cumin and chopped garlic. But we like spicy food.) Let it cook 5-7 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high. Take out the chicken breasts and chop them up then add them back to the soup with 2 cups of frozen corn(You can add this at the beginning, but I can’t stand mushy corn). Let that cook another 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with shredded cheese and some tortilla chips. My kids say this is the best soup I make. Not bad for a total of about 15 minutes of actual work.

Stacy - Hi! Nope, uncovered. It never seems to dry out.

Brittney M - our go to simple simple meal that is delicous we could eat it 3 times a week is what we call salsa chicken burritos
so simple
– 4-6 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins or breasts
– packet of taco seasoning
– can of cream of chicken soup
– 1 cup of salsa
– 1/2 cup of sour cream
-place chicken on the bottom of your crockpot and pour packet of taco seasoning over the chicken
-in a seperate bowl mix cream of chicken soup and your cup of salsa then pour over the chicken and taco seasoning.
-cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours
about 10 minutes before you eat shred the chicken in the crock pot and stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream put the mixture in a tortilla add cheese, lettuce whatever you like!! it is seriously super easy and amazingly delicious!!

Barbara - BBQ Chicken Thighs
Slice an onion and put the rounds in a greased baking dish.
Put bone-in chicken thighs on top.
Spoon some BBQ sauce over the top of the chicken.
Top each piece of chicken with 1/2 slice of bacon.
Grind some pepper on top.
Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Tiffany - What a great suggestion! It’s funny how a post pops up right as you are have similar feelings. My son is 16 and cooking dinner is really becoming my nemesis this year. I’m thankful for pinterest because I plan on trying a lot of crockpot recipes this Fall/Winter. Including that 3 envelope roast someone mentioned above. Not sure how your fam feels about Asian inspired food, but we love Chinese & Thai, yumm. This recipe is our newest fav: http://lakelurecottagekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/crock-pot-teriyaki-chicken.html
Also, if the fam likes buffalo wings/chicken tenders, here is a sweet and spicy sauce that gives them a new twist.
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/12/wingers-sticky-fingers-copycat-recipe.html

Wendy - Cheap and easy dinner for my family is Black Beans and Rice (from a Brazilian friend). Saute a chopped onion in olive oil, add 2 heaping tbs. of chopped garlic (I buy it chopped already) To this add 2 smoked sausages, sliced into rounds (this is for my family of 6). Saute for a while then dump in 2 large cans of black beans and a good shake or two of Adobo seasoning. Add a small handful of chopped fresh cilantro. Simmer until cilantro is wilted. Serve over rice. You could make it before afternoon errands and just reheat it before dinner time. I like mine served in a bowl and top it with sour cream, salsa and lettuce… yum. I’m reading through all of the posts to get inspired!!

Kim Barlow - I just double checked the recipe. Bake @ 400 for 20.

Jen - Meg, I make chicken breasts very similar to this, but with a little bit of a healthier twist. 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic warmed in microwave instead of your veg oil. Then I use 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup parm cheese. It’s one of our favs!

Kim Barlow - Love this recipe. It’s also great for those on the Paleo diet. Serve over salad instead of on bun. It’s on my list girl! Thanks!

הנהלת חשבונות בתל אביב - i didn’t think about it. certainly seems a great idea, i’m going to try it.
thanks for the tip.

jennea - : ) wow – i feel like it’s famous, now! have to give credit where credit is due….karen farrell (lives in newton) who was our elementary school librarian @ h-town when i first started there. and yes. it is yum-o!

Kori - 1 med. to large onion diced and 1 Tbsp. of minced garlic sauteed in enough olive oil coat the middle of your pan. While that is happening, slice up 6 (or more depending on your family’s like of sausage) Andouille sausage (I buy mine at Costco) and add to the pan. Add 1/4 tsp. each salt and cajun seasoning. Add 2 cans of drained and rinsed kidney beans, 3 cups of instant rice and 4 cups of chicken broth and let it come to a boil. Then cover and set to simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is done.
I love this dinner because:
1. Everyone eats it with no questions
2. It takes one pan, one cutting board and one knife
3. Clean up is a cinch because of #2.
Throw in a roll or two and a veggie and voila! Dinner! 🙂

Lori Myers - Forgot to add- dip in warmef Beef consommé (found in soup aisle). Makes a great French Dip sandwich!

Penny Smith - (why did that post 3 times??)

Penny Smith - Ok-that is the best easy idea EVER!! Duh! Why didn’t I think of that!!

Penny Smith - Our go-to meal is pretty similar… Because I am a food weirdo, I do “bare” chicken (not injected, no hormones, etc…) then make “famouse butter chicken”. Eggs instead of oil to dip (yep. I do organic or at least to hormone, free rangers) then a tube or 2 of butter crackers (ritz-or I use “full circle” organic) and some garlic salt or just a Mrs. dash type garlic seasoning… So dip in egg, coat with crackers, and lay out on (forget metal cookie sheets!! The one Pampered Chef thing I DO swear by us the “bar pan”!!! First time ya cook on it, do bacon. It seasons it perfectly, and ya never have to deal with unevenly cook or stuck foods again! ) bar pan/cookie sheet… THIS is the “butter” part. Place little pats of butter around all the pieces. (oh yeah-do tenders-never tried full breasts!!) preheated oven 375, for ~45 minutes!! My kids LOVE it! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/famous-butter-chicken/

Kelli - 2 major go-to recipes…. 1- chicken quesadilla- chicken breast/ jar of salsa + crockpot… = happy family
2- italian chicken- chicken breast / jar of italian dressing…. 400 for an hour. Side of rice. Yum

Jenn - Our favorite go-to meal is Loose Meat Sandwiches. Toss a pound of ground beef, a packet of onion soup mix and 3/4 to 1 cup of water into the crockpot, cook on low 7-9 hours then serve on buns. Easy peasy and oh so yummy!

michelle - I make this too!! The only difference is that instead of dipping the chicken in oil, I dip it in ranch dressing!! Or I put and envelope of dry ranch dressing mix in with the bread crumbs. SO GOOD! Right now my go-to “quickie” recipes are just pasta with marina…but my twist is that I add a jar of alfredo to the marinara. Really good and the kids gobble it up. The other one is Poppyseed chicken…which I never put the poppyseeds into because they’re expensive and add no real flavor…plus they can make one test positive for a drug test. Not that I do any drug tests..I’m just sayin. 🙂

Carol S. - What are the odds…I got real domestic yesterday and made this from a WW recipe, but instead of oil used some light mayo and there was some oregano and basil in the crumb mix. Just had it again tonight on buns for sandwiches! Love the visual, and especially the pan. I have a few of those too.

Nicole Q. - Funny you posted this because I just went on a rampage last week not knowing what to cook anymore; I posted it on facebook and asked what eveyrone’s simple go to meals are …. I got some good ones. Last night and tonight i made new recipes and they were both simple and a hit. I thoguth i’d post a bunch of them on my blog soon ….. here’s the one yesterday … crock pot burritos; ( put a pork loin in the crock pot, a can of refried beans or more if you have a big pork loin and half a jar of salsa, cook all day …. shred it up with a fork and put it on tortillas with shredded cheese and sour cream …. easy and we all loved it.)

flowerpowermomma - another version of your easy chicken. we dip chicken in italian dressing, then coat it in parmesan cheese and cook.
also super easy, one pork roast in slow cooker over nite, add a few seasonings, makes great pulled pork.

Bec - These are two of my favorite go to don’t have to think about it recipes. The chicken nuggets, you can make a huge batch of the coating and just keep it in the fridge in between uses. The soup takes all of 15 minutes to throw together and everyone loves it!
Chicken nuggets:
http://www.theiheartblog.com/2010/03/homeade-chicken-nuggets/
Pepperoni Pizza Soup:
http://www.theiheartblog.com/2011/01/pepperoni-pizza-soup/

Brittany - Here are a few of our family faves…
Easy Sweet & Sour Chicken: http://bebealamodedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/06/easy-sweet-sour-chicken.html
One Skillet Tater Tot Casserole: http://bebealamodedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/03/one-skillet-tater-tot-casserole.html
Crockpot Beef Sandwiches. I use a recipe similar to this: http://www.thecountrycook.net/2011/05/beef-dip-sandwiches.html
Brinner is another easy dinner I do often. Sometimes breakfast burritos, egg muffin sandwiches, bacon and eggs, egg casserole, etc.

MaryAnn - That Chicken sounds great I will have to try that… One of my favorites is “Hamburger Cups” just brown a pound of hamburger (drain) and add about half a bottle of bbq sauce or enough to cover it. Then take pop biscuts and put them into muffin tins, mashing them up the sides like a cup. Fill with the hamburger and add chunk of cheddar cheese to the top and bake them as the biscut label reads, so easy and everyone loves them 😉

amber - can i just say that i love you for this? thank you. my kids (5, 2, & too little to eat people food) are waaaay picky these days. makes me nuts. i am so tired of my usuals…thank you. also, i hit your recipes up a lot, because they are quick & family friendly.
a recipe my friend passed on to me that’s super easy:
package of frozen tortellini, cooked & drained
pasta sauce, mix with tortellini
add one package frozen meatballs
pour into 9×13 pan
sprinkle mozzarella & parmesan on top (or just mozzarella)
bake at 350 about 20- 30 minutes, till cheese is melted.
But. my kids won’t eat it…sigh.

Northern Cottage - I’m with you – do the kids really have to eat EVERYDAY. – um yeah!!! So many great quick easy recipes shared to make all of our busy nights just a little easier! Thanks to all of y’all!

Emily Zimmerman - Baked “Fried” Chicken I marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts in italian dressing. I crunch up one sleeve of salted saltine crackers. I pour them in a bowl and add a little flour 1/4-1/2c. and some pepper. I pour olive oil on the bottom of a baking sheet and spread it over the entire sheet. Then coat the chicken in the bread crumb mixture and lay them on the baking sheet. Then I spray the top of each piece of chicken with olive oil. Bake at 400 for about 20min. and they turn out yummy! Everyone thinks it’s fried chicken but it’s not. And it takes a lot less work than the fried chicken but tastes just as good.

Lee Ann - “Our Best Bites” guiltless alfredo.
Taco soup.
And our new favorite is this yummy Pad Thai. So fast, and love the flavors! http://browniesfordinner.com/2010/05/11/easy-pad-thai/

Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - I am all about yummy recipes that don’t require a ton of ingredients, let alone stuff I don’t already have in my pantry. I actually have a binder of 5 ingredient recipes that are TO DIE FOR. Crock pot mac-n-cheese, chicken salad cups(made in baked pie crusts in muffin tin wells), lasagna(using no-cook noodles), there are so many…
I will refer to this comments section in the months to come for some fresh dinner ideas:)

amy cornwell - We love chicken “enchiladas”
put 2-3 (frozen) chicken breasts in the crock pot with a can of Rotel, black beans, corn. Cook on low all day. Then shred the chicken and add 1/2 can enchilada sauce & 1c shredded cheese. Mix it up and put it in soft tortillas. Spread a bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a pan, fill the pan with the rolled tortillas, cover with the remaining enchilada sauce & cheese. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. YUMMY!

Kelly - I make chicken nuggets pretty much the same way, just smaller pieces obviously. If your kids are feeling adventurous, add some Panko to the parmesan and bread crumbs for a little extra crunch.
Here’s a recipe for easy lettuce wraps I recently discovered that everyone in my house LOVES! Even my picky eater who would live off pb& j if I let him.
http://kellymonkeybusiness.blogspot.com/2012/06/may-i-suggest-something.html

Jen - Hot roast beef sandwiches are always a hit here and they couldn’t be EASIER!
Toss a 3-5 pound CHUCK roast in the crockpot. (I always spray my crockpot with Pam!)
Cover the roast with two (small size) jars of Heinz savory beef grave (or similar)
Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred with fork and serve on buns.
Easy and delicious! (and the leftovers are yummy too!)
Enjoy!

Robyn Farmer - These are some of my favorite recipes and best of all they are for the crock pot.
http://www.thefarmersnest.com/2011/08/beating-heat-with-crock-pot.html

Candice - Thanks for the recipe! I’m all about easy peasy meals. A couple meals we do in the crock pot are:
1) Chicken marinara: cover your chicken with marinara sauce in the crock pot, cook on low for 5-6 hours (or longer depending on how much chicken you fix) and serve over pasta;
2) Crock pot chicken-pot-pie: cook chicken in cream of chicken or cream of celery soup (use a couple cans if you’re cooking a lot of chicken) in the crock pot on low for 5-6 hours. Add a bag of frozen veggies (we use peas and carrots) 30 min to an hour before you’re ready to serve (just long enough to heat them through). Pull the chicken apart and mix back into the soup. Serve over warm biscuits.
Hope those help. =)

Carolyn - This is not actually going to help you at all, but I thought you might enjoy hearing it. A long time ago you posted about a meal that you make as you go and kind of briefly described it. Well, it sounded good to me so I stole it from you! I don’t know if you actually gave it a name or not, but we call it Polynesian Chicken (maybe you do too…). It’s shredded chicken with rice and cream of chicken soup (as sauce) and coconut, cheddar cheese, pineapple and chow mein noodles. We love it! My daughter even requested it for her birthday dinner! 🙂 It’s a good one! Everyone gets what they like, too. 🙂 We often have this when we have guests who might be picky eaters! Thanks!

Jen - I love Breakfast for Dinner! Scrambled eggs, waffles, and cut up apples for the “vegetable.” We had it last night!
But I have to say, MEG. BUY SOME NEW COOKIE SHEETS. I was a pastry chef for 16 years and swear by these babies, which can be found at any restaurant supply store and usually cost less than $5. They last forever and you never have black-bottomed cookies.
http://www.therestaurantstore.com/18-x-13-18-Gauge-Half-Size-Aluminum-Bun-Sheet-Pan/407BUNHALF++.html

Sara G. - My family likes boneless skinless chicken breast dipped in butter, coated with crushed Rice Krispies and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Put in a greased 9×13 pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour (or until done). It would be great with the Parmesan noodles – we LOVE them too!

jackie grandy - Hi Meg! I have tons of easy go-to recipes that my kids love. I hate linking because I feel its lame, but I don’t think there is enough room to jot down the recipes, and it just easier to link to my blog as I show step-by-step instructions. Here are 4 of my kid’s favorite easy dinners.
Broccoli lemon pasta. This is rated a 10 by my kids and all their friends. It makes eating broccoli easy.
http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2011/10/broccoli-lemon-pasta-kid-rated-10.html
These turkey burgers are so good and the name says it all.
http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2012/06/favorite-turkey-burgers.html
These cilantro lime chicken tacos are the bomb! You don’t have to use the chicken for tacos either, you can serve it over rice or a salad.
http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2012/08/cilantro-lime-chicken-tacos-with-mango.html
We love these refried bean tacos and they are so easy to whip up.
http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2012/06/paul-mccartneys-refried-bean-tacos.html
I have so many more favorite recipes that are easy to whip up last minute or make the day ahead. I believe in two-nighter meals as well as make ahead meals. Maybe I can come to one of your craft weekends and cook with Kimberlee 🙂 I need to make her cheesecake! It looks so darn good!
Your chicken dish looks awesome and is something I am definitely going to make up for the kiddos!
xoxo,
Jackie

Alicia @ La Famille - looks yummy! i’m fresh out of fun dinner ideas…but i did roast a whole chicken last night and that was good. with acorn squash and a salad. tonight that same chicken’s gonna be chicken noodle soup. see me doubling up there? ya, smart…i know 😉

Heather - EZ peel shrimp marinated in Berenstein’s Italian Salad Dressing for the day and then quickly grilled on the BBQ. Serve with white rice and a green salad. Easy peasy.

sara @ it's good to be queen - this looks perfect! it’s similar to something i make….i just cut mine into pieces so they’re like chicken nuggets. and i don’t dip it in oil, but i pan fry them in a little oil. and i add some paprika…i have no idea why? my mom did so i do. 😉
i also love to do easy chicken tacos. put chicken breasts in the crock pot around lunch time. pour in a jar o’ salsa. about an hour before dinner, shred up the chicken with two forks. it will absorb all of the salsa and then you have nice flavorful, moist chicken at dinner time. serve with hard or soft shells and whatever toppings you want. easy and a crowd pleaser. 🙂

Tiffany B - I’m with you Meg! Cooking dinner e v e r y night is not my thing, however I do have one quick and easy meal that my family likes (my kids are 14, 15 and 16). Night before: cut up chicken breasts and put in big zip lock bag with fajita seasonings, about 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup oil. Mix it around and put in fridge. Next cut up some green/red/orange peppers and onions, put in bag and throw in fridge. Next morning put chicken in bottom of crock pot, then put veggies on top. Make some mexican rice OR just throw the chicken/veggies in a tortilla with some sour cream and salsa and be done. easy. good. Hope you try it! I’m trying the baked chicken this week for sure, thanks!

Kym - Our easy, kid approved, quick dinner.
Frozen italian meatballs from Costco and whatever spaghetti sauce I have in the cupboard. Heat together till meatballs are done.
You can turn these into meatball subs with a little melted parm on top. Or serve with noodles. Have a bagged salad and some garlic bread ready to go and you are done! (Especially nice when the 16yr old son heats these up for us while I’m at the younger sons football practice!)

sara @ it's good to be queen - this looks so yum! i’m writing this down! also i make that beer bread, it’s awesome!

Trysha - Shrimp fried rice. I always thought it was super hard/laborious but when I have the rice already made from the rice cooker (you have one, right? the two most used appliances in our house is the rice cooker and the crock-pot) it’s just basically a lot of chopping, which I don’t mind.

Liz - My kids eat this up every single time. They call it “the meat and potatoes”
1 turkey kielbasa
1 jar of Bubbies sauerkraut
Put the kraut in a casserole dish, put the keilbasa on top
Bake at 350 for 30-40 mins till hot
I usually serve it with baked potatoes and cottage cheese.

Beth - oops.. try this link: http://www.honeybeevintage.com/2011/08/spinach-and-mozzarella-manicotti.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Honeyscrap+%28honeyscrap%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Beth - This: http://www.honeybeevintage.com/2011/08/spinach-and-mozzarella-manicotti
I make this Manicotti multiple times a month since she first posted it. I’d never ever made manicotti before that, but it’s SO GOOD and really easy and doesn’t cost very much at all. We have it with garlic bread and a salad. 🙂

Cori - Taco chili. 1.5 lbs lean ground beef (or turkey since my family can’t taste the difference), one can of black beans, one can of kidney beans, both rinsed (or use dry beans, much better for you), one can of corn, one large can of tomato product (Rotel, stewed tomatoes, salsa or just tomato sauce since my kids don’t like “chunks”) and an envelope of taco seasoning. Brown the meat, dump everything else in the pot and let simmer. Works great in a crockpot for sports nights and we serve it with cornbread or corn chips with cheese, sour cream and olives on top. Makes a great walking taco too.

Alice H - RAGU NO FRYING CHICKEN PARMESAN
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz.)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dip chicken in egg, then bread crumbs.
2. In 13 x 9 x 2 pan, arrange chicken. Bake uncovered 20 minutes.
3. Pour pasta sauce over chicken; top with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with hot cooked pasta. Makes aboout 4 servings.
I WOULD PROBABLY POUND THE CHICKEN BREAST BEFORE ROLLING IN THE BREAD CRUMBS.

Trish - we heart taco salad or nachos yum!