One-Pot Chicken Pad Thai

I am a noodle fanatic. I love all types. And if you take a look around my blog, you’ll find several noodle recipes. I prefer noodles to rice with Asian dishes. There’s something so satisfying about every saucy bite. Richard bought me a pasta attachment for my mixer a couple of years ago. I made homemade egg noodles for soup and beef & noodles in no time flat. Before that, I had a Marcato pasta maker and I’d hand crank them out or make sheets of pasta for ravioli. There’s nothing like homemade noodles. And there are so many shapes of dried pasta available at the store, too. I’ve been known to loiter in the pasta aisle at the grocery just to look and see what’s new. It’s my favorite grocery aisle.

One noodle I’ve not served before were Asian rice noodles. No, I did not make them – some things are worth paying for. I’ve made dishes with udon, eaten my fair share of lo mein, and everyone’s had ramen at some point in life. But rice noodles didn’t appeal to me for some reason. They looked wimpy. They’re translucent. They looked brittle and fragile. I just wasn’t sure if rice noodles would have the same toothy bite as pasta and egg noodles. Well, I was wrong. They do. As an added bonus, rice noodles are gluten-free.

One day I was perusing one of my favorite food blogs Half Baked Harvest. Tieghan posted her recipe for Saucy Garlic Butter Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Rice NoodlesI was smitten. There was something about her rice noodles swimming in a garlicky, coconut milk, butter sauce surrounded by perfectly cooked shrimp that pushed me over the edge. I had to try rice noodles.

at mimi's table chicken pad thai rice noodlesBefore I dived into Tieghan’s recipe, I wanted to cook something simple with rice noodles first just to get the hang of preparing them and to test the texture. I hopped over to my favorite Asian market where they have the best noodle aisles. Not just one aisle, but two. Yeah, I was there for a while.

A simple pad thai recipe was the way to go for my experiment. I found this great bag of pad thai noodles that were the perfect width – not too wide and not too skinny. And I found a quick and easy chicken pad thai recipe over at Tasty – One-Pot Pad Thai. Believe it or not, I have a good supply of Asian cooking ingredients in my pantry. Really, the noodles were the only ingredient I needed to buy.

at mimi's table bowl of noodlesLet’s talk a minute about cooking rice noodles.
The package instructions were worthless for someone who’s taking the rice noodle maiden voyage. Something like “cook in boiling water until done.” Hmmm.

And I wasn’t quite sure about Tasty’s boiling instructions. Again, “cook noodles in boiling water following package directions.” Hmmm.

I finally landed on very simple instructions on the Internet. “Put noodles in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the noodles. Stir until they’re done.” Hmmm – but that’s the way I went. I figured I could check for noodle doneness without overcooking, which the instructions said would ruin any pad thai dish. The process took about 8 minutes for the width of my noodles, just a little short of al dente.

at mimi's table chicken pad thai rice noodles 2

 

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One-Pot Chicken Pad Thai is categorized as “gluten-free.” Soy sauce is made with fermented wheat. Be sure to use tamari or soy labeled as “gluten-free in this recipe if you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity

Any stir fry dish comes together quickly. Once you begin the cooking process, plan to be committed until the dish is finished. I don’t think the cooking part took more than 20 minutes. I get all my slicing and dicing and make the pad thai noodle sauce in advance of going to the stove.

First, boil four quarts of water. Place dry noodles in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the noodles and stir around with tongs to make sure the noodles are submerged. Every once in a while, stir the noodles to make sure they aren’t sticking together. After 6 minutes, start checking for doneness. Finished noodles for pad thai should be slightly short of al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse with cold tap water to stop the cooking, and run your fingers through the noodles to make sure it’s all cooled down nicely. Shake the colander to remove as much water as you can. Pour one Tablespoon toasted sesame oil over the noodles. And using tongs, toss them until they’re coated with oil so they don’t stick together. Set aside.

  • PREP: 
  • Cut one large chicken breast in half horizontally, slice into strips and dice into 1″ cubes. Set aside.
  • Crack two eggs into a small bowl and lightly whisk. Set aside.
  • Slice 1/3 cup of shallots or one large shallot into thin rounds. Set aside. (In a pinch, I’d sub red or sweet yellow onion.)
  • Seed one medium fresh red chile. Cut into thin slivers. Set aside.
  • Slice 3-4 green onions into 1″ pieces. Set aside.
  • Rough chop 1/2 cup fresh cilantro. Set aside.
  • In a 2-cup measure mix 3 Tablespoons each fish sauce, rice vinegar, gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, brown sugar, lime juice, sriracha. Mix and set aside.

OK – you’re ready – let’s go! Time to tell your people to wash their hands, set the table, and get a beverage. Your saucy hot pad thai will be ready in minutes. In my beloved family, that process takes at least 20 minutes – just enough time to pull everything together.

at mimi's table one pot pad thai egg trio

Heat a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with 1/2 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil. Add lightly beaten eggs to the skillet. Scramble until very lightly browned. Remove to a bowl. Return skillet to the cooktop.

at mimi's tab;e one pot pad thai chicken trio

One large chicken breast will make four servings. I sliced the breast in half and cubed it into 1″ pieces. Over medium-high heat, brush the skillet with 1/2 Tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil. Add the chicken cubes, stir, and saute until there’s no more pink in the middle. Remove cooked chicken to a bowl with the cooked eggs. Return skillet to the cooktop.

at mimi's table one pot pad thai skillet due

Right now your skillet is pretty hot. You can see the beautiful brown bits of flavor leftover from browning the chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Add the shallots and peppers. Quickly saute for 1-2 minutes. Add to bowl with chicken and egg. Set aside.

at mimi's table one pot pad thai veggie bowl

Here’s what your lovely reserve bowl should look like after all that quick stir-frying. Time to move on to the star of the show.

at mimi's table one pot pad thai noodles in skillet 1

Add cooked rice noodles to skillet. Remember – your noodles are coated with toasted sesame oil – don’t worry immediately about sticking to the bottom of your pan. Using tongs, toss noodles in the skillet.

at mimi's table one pot pad thai rice noodles and veggies

Return the chicken, veggies, and scrambled egg to the skillet. Continue to toss with tongs until all is incorporated.
Pour sauce into the skillet and toss to coat

at mimi's table one pot chicken pad thai noodles with cilantro and onions

Add cilantro, green onions, crushed peanuts, and bean sprouts. Toss to combine. Divide onto individual plates or bowls and garnish with crushed peanuts, green onions, and cilantro. Enjoy!

at mimi's table one pot chicken pad thai

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One-Pot Chicken Pad Thai

at mimi's table one pot chicken pad thai

One-Pot Chicken Pad Thai is an easy and quick stir fry recipe with favorite Asian flavors and a nice sauce with a bite of heat. Crushed peanuts add a nice crunch.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 SERVINGS
  • 8 oz pad thai rice noodles
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 large chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks
  • 1/3 cup or 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 1 red chili, stem and seeds removed and cut into slivers
  • 1-15oz can bean sprouts, drained OR 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
  • 1/2 cup peanuts, crushed
  • 3-4 green onions, cut into 1" pieces
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • For the Sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons each fish sauce, rice vinegar, gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, brown sugar, lime juice, sriracha

Instructions

  1. Prepare rice noodles Place uncooked noodles in a large bowl. Pour 3-4 quarts of boiling water over the noodles. Toss lightly with tongs to make sure noodles are submerged. Let steep for 6 minutes, tossing occasionally to keep noodles from sticking together. Check for doneness - noodles should be just short of al dente - maybe 1-2 minutes more. Drain in a colander. Rinse noodles with cold water to stop cooking and shake to remove excess water. Return to bowl and add 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil. Toss until noodles are coated. Set aside.
  2. Over medium-high heat, brush the inside of a 12" skillet with 1/2 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil. Add beaten eggs. Scramble until set. Remove to a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Brush the skillet again with 1/2 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil. Add peppers and shallots. Stir fry for 1 minute. Remove to bowl with eggs. Set aside.
  4. Brush the skillet with 1/2 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil. Add chicken and stir fry until the meat is no longer pink in the middle. Remove to bowl with eggs, peppers, and shallots. Set aside.
  5. Reduce heat to medium. Add noodles and toss just to warm.
  6. Add reserved chicken, eggs, peppers, and shallots. Toss to combine.
  7. Add sauce. Toss to coat.
  8. Add bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, green onions, and cilantro. Toss to combine.
  9. Divide into individual servings. Garnish with extra crushed peanuts, green onions, and cilantro.

Notes

One-Pot Chicken Pad Thai is categorized as "gluten-free." If you have gluten allergy or sensitivity, please be sure to use "gluten-free" soy sauce or tamari.


 

Mimi’s Fried Chicken Wings and Deep Frying Tips

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Richard and I love chicken wings. I mean, who doesn’t? Hot, crispy, juicy and slathered in your favorite hot sauce or dipped in any variety of dressings and sauces on-the-side, chicken wings are the perfect finger food. And Mimi’s Fried Chicken Wings deliver just that!

I’ve had the good fortune over the last few shopping trips finding chicken pieces of all types at great prices. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, delis at my local grocery store have had to purge the chicken parts they normally use for deli fried and barbecued chicken. As the story goes, they’ve not sold nearly as many ready-to-eat meals as they did before the virus struck. The result – I got a large 5-pound package of chicken wing drummies and flats for the unheard price of 59 cents/pound! And there were several packages available. I resisted the urge to buy 2-3 packages. My freezer, both of them, are already filled with other packages of chicken I purchased earlier at unheard of prices. And I did not want to deny others this great deal. During the lockdown days of the coronavirus, wings are a fabulous and novel treat for families to enjoy and Mimi’s Fried Chicken Wings are easy to make.

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I’m going to digress a bit. For a moment, step into the “Wayback Machine.” In the good old days, chicken wings weren’t the big culinary deal they are now. If we didn’t fry them with Sunday’s chicken, we’d freeze them to make stock. You could find chicken wings at the grocery for 19-29 cents/pound. Then along came Hooters in 1983 and the national wing frenzy was born. Why? Because wings are delicious and, at that time, cheap. Wings were eaten long before then in Buffalo, NY, a frugal community that knows good food and a good bargain and boasts to be “The Chicken Wing Capital of the World.” Who would have believed wings would become so coveted and come to cost more than boneless, skinless chicken breasts or whole chickens for that matter? Not me. So finding wings at a great price made my heart leap!

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at mimi's table retro woman iconA Word About Deep Frying

I’ve learned a couple of things about deep frying food over the years.

      • Make sure you use a large heavy skillet, like a cast-iron skillet or an enameled cast-iron skillet. Your skillet should be large enough to submerge food into the hot oil so the food can swim around – don’t overcrowd the pan. I’ve got this great 12″ Cuisinart skillet that I use for lots and lots of food prep, including deep frying. It’s perfect for the job.

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      • Use an oil with a high smoke point like peanut or canola oil. I prefer peanut oil. My mother used Crisco exclusively and I did for many years, too – then switched to peanut oil because of its high smoke point.
      • Make sure whatever you decide to fry is patted dry before putting it in buttermilk, as in this recipe, or any other pre-fry prep like breading. There’s so much liquid in a tray or bag full of thawed chicken parts. So I line a half-sheet pan with paper towels, put the food on the toweling, and put another layer of paper towels on top and gently pat it all dry. I do this for fish, shrimp, and pork, too.
      • Invest in a good thermometer. You can use a candy thermometer, but I find they’re too tall. It sticks out of a skillet like the Statue of Liberty. I found this CIA one, I don’t know where many years ago. It clips onto the edge of the pan and is easy to read. It reads to only 400° but for most deep frying, you won’t need to go higher than that.at mimi's table fried chicken wings 5 thermometer

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        • Put the wings into a deep bowl and pour over 1½ cups of buttermilk. Let stand for at least 30 minutes and not more than 8 hours in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to fry, bring the wings out and allow them to come to room temperature.
        • Pour 3″ of oil into your skillet. Skillets come in lots of different sizes so rather than give a liquid measure amount, you’ll want to pour until you reach a 3″ depth of oil. Clip your thermometer to the lip of the skillet and over medium-high heat, warm the oil to 350°. I don’t like to rush this step. It takes some time for the oil to come to temperature. I like to give it 20 minutes or so.
        • Essential to any breaded deep fry cooking is a pair of plastic gloves. They help your hands from getting gummy from removing wet wings into the flour dredge. I leave my gloves on for the whole frying process washing my gloved hands after I’ve dropped each batch into the oil. My manicure stays perfect.
        • In a separate bowl, make a dredge with flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and baking powder.
        • There’s no need to drain buttermilk from the wings. Simply take one piece of chicken, dredge it in flour mixture, and drop in the skillet. I start with a small batch to keep the oil temp from dropping too much. Keep your eye on the temperature to try to maintain a steady 350° by adjusting the heat as needed. I wouldn’t put in more than 6-8 pieces per batch.
        • Fry the wings on one side for 3-4 minutes. Turn and continue to fry for another 3-4 minutes. They should be golden brown.
        • Remove to a half-sheet pan fitted with a rack and keep them warm in a 250°F oven until ready to serve.
        • If you want to serve your wings tossed in sauce, get a large, preferably stainless steel bowl because they’re lightweight. Pour sauce into the pan and toss the wings until they’re coated.

Here’s the sound of heaven in the deep fry world.

And here’s the finished product! This recipe is so simple – no muss, no fuss. Extremely crispy, golden brown, and delicious.at mimis table chicken

at mimi's table fried chicken wings 6

 

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This is the way we’ve always eaten our wings. I figure the carrots and celery are the healthy part of this meal. Who can resist bleu cheese dressing with extra bleu cheese! Richard got out Frank’s Hot Sauce to dunk his along with the dressing.

Remember, the deep fry technique can be used with any fried food – chicken, fish, shrimp or breaded green beans, carrots, onion rings – go for it!

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Yield: 6-8

Mimi's Fried Chicken Wings

at mimi's table fried chicken wings 7

We love chicken wings. I mean, who doesn't? Hot, crispy, juicy and slathered in your favorite hot sauce or dipped in any variety of dressings and sauces on-the-side, chicken wings are the perfect finger food. And Mimi's Fried Chicken Wings deliver all that you'd expect.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds of chicken wings cut into drumettes and flats
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

[u]For The Flour Dredge[/u]

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, not garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, not onion salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • Peanut or Canola Oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Place wings and buttermilk in a large bowl. Stir to coat all pieces. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
  2. In another bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powders, cayenne, and baking powder. Mix until combined. Set aside.
  3. When ready to deep fry, pour oil into a heavy skillet to the depth of 3". Heat oil over medium-high heat. Using a thermometer, heat oil to 350F degrees.
  4. One piece at a time, lift a wing part out of the buttermilk and dredge in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and immediately drop chicken in hot oil.
  5. Fry wings for 3-4 minutes. Turn to brown the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Cook 6-8 wings in one batch.
  6. Remove cooked wings to a sheet pan fitted with a rack. Keep warm in a 250F degree oven while finishing the remainder.

Notes

5 pounds of chicken wings is a lot but great for a party. Half the recipe if you wish.
Cooked wings can be tossed with your favorite sauce at service OR serve wings with dipping sauces on the side - bleu cheese or ranch dressing, hot sauce or whatever you prefer.


 

 

 

Mimi’s One-Skillet Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Cheesy Casserole

at mimi's table skillet chicken rice broccoli cheese casserole

This is such an easy, quick and economical meal! In 30 minutes, you’ll have dinner on the table – no kidding. Mimi’s One-Skillet Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Cheesy Casserole is flavorful and satisfying. All the cooking is done in one skillet – as you would expect from the title. Ha!

I like this recipe for a couple of reasons. You don’t need to use any canned cream soups. As the rice and chicken cook, the liquid becomes creamy from the starch in the rice. The chicken and rice cook together in the skillet, so there’s no need to cook the rice separately. You could add a handful of toasted, slivered almonds or toasted pine nuts. Or how about some browned sliced mushrooms – that would be delicious, too.

Once the onions and chicken are browned, you’ll add the uncooked rice to the skillet and saute until the grains become translucent. Then add chicken stock. The brown bits in the bottom of the skillet dissolve in the liquid and give the cooked rice such an appealing light brown color.

The picture above doesn’t have the melted, cheesy topping. I wanted you to see how beautifully green the broccoli turned out. That’s because you add it halfway through the chicken/rice cooking process, so it steams perfectly and is tender-crisp. I used fresh broccoli, but you could substitute frozen if that’s what you have on hand.

at mimi's table mimi's chicken rice broccoli cheesy casserole 2

Yep, nice and cheesy, too! Now I’m hungry! Time to reheat leftovers for lunch. Another perk.

Yield: 4-6

Mimi's One-Skillet Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Cheesy Casserole

Mimi's One-Skillet Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Cheesy Casserole

This is such an easy, quick and economical meal! In 30 minutes, you'll have dinner on the table - no kidding. Mimi's One-Skillet Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Cheesy Casserole is flavorful and satisfying. All the cooking is done in one skillet

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup long-grained rice
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
  • 2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar or Monterey Jack or a combination of the two

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onion and quickly saute until translucent. Push the cooked onions to one side of the skillet. Put the minced garlic on top of the onions.
  3. Add chicken to skillet. Saute until the chicken is browned - 5-7 minutes.
  4. Push the cooked chicken to one side of the skillet. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and rice. Stir and saute rice until the grains become translucent.
  5. Add chicken stock. Lower heat to a simmer. Stir until ingredients are evenly distributed and the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet are dissolved in the liquid. Put a lid on the skillet and cook for 12 minutes.
  6. Remove lid and distribute broccoli florets evenly over the top. Put the lid back on and cook for another 8 minutes.
  7. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Replace lid and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Notes

Optional Additions: handful of toasted, slivered almonds or handful of toasted pinenuts, sliced and browned mushrooms.


 

Pollo Contadino, Italian Roasted Chicken Farmer Style

at mimis table pollo contadino chicken farmer style 1


Pollo Contadino is an outstanding casserole of Italian comfort food. I’ve made this dish several times over many years. Each time I lift a forkful to my mouth, I wonder why I don’t make it more often. Such an arousing smell of tender, juicy chicken thighs roasted with onions, carrots, sweet red bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, capers, and rosemary served with its juices over a fluffy bed of hot rice.

Yep, Pollo Contadino is a perfect meal for cozy cold weather days. You know those rainy cold days that make you want to curl up under a blanket to get all snuggly and warm? And if you want to smell the casserole cooking all day, put the ingredients in a crockpot and let it simmer until you can’t stand it anymore.

This recipe was published in “The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian” in 1993. I bought Jeff Smith’s cookbook a few weeks ago just for this recipe. ($6 used from Amazon). Money well spent. I can’t wait to sift through the pages for other Italian treats.

Here’s how it works

Pollo Contadino takes a little time to put together but is well worth the effort. I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs because we like dark meat and skin helps to keep the meat moist. Drumsticks would be a good substitute. But it can also be made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts if that’s what you prefer. There’s no hard and fast rule.

Don’t leave out any of the vegetables. They all play well together. And be sure to add the capers that add a nice vinegary taste and smell to the finished dish. I can’t imagine the casserole without capers!

The last time I made Pollo Contadino, I didn’t have rosemary in my spice pantry. So, I used a few shakes of pasta sprinkle which is a combination of rosemary, basil, parsley. It worked just fine!

at mimis table chicken


Let’s make some, shall we?

 

 

Pollo Contadino, Italian Roasted Chicken Farmer Style
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Tender and juicy chicken roasted with onions, carrots, tomatoes, and capers served over a bed of hot fluffy rice. Cibo di comodità - true Italian comfort food.
Author:
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 large chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in 1-1/2 pounds OR 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned OR use 1 cup of julienned carrots from the store
  • 1 - 2 large sweet red bell peppers, julienned
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and julienned
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 large baby portobello mushrooms, cut into thick slices OR 1-8oz package of sliced mushrooms from the store
  • 1-2 teaspoons capers
  • 6 ripe plum tomatoes, diced, OR 1-15oz can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary OR 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400F degrees.
  2. Remove chicken pieces to paper towels and pat dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  3. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Put flour in a medium-sized bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces one-at-a-time, shake off any excess flour and place in the oil in the skillet.
  5. Brown the chicken on all sides. Remove to a 2-3 quart roasting pan, like Pyrex, a cast iron skillet, or an enameled cast iron pan or pot
  6. Drain off the oil in the frying pan. Return to the stove. Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil over medium-high heat.
  7. Add the carrots and sautee for 3 minutes.
  8. Add the red pepper and onion. Sautee until the onions are barely translucent.
  9. Add the garlic, stir. Sautee just until you can smell garlic. Be sure not to let it burn.
  10. Place the vegetables over the chicken in the roasting pan.
  11. Return the frying pan to the stove. Over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms, capers and tomatoes, rosemary and wine. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes. Pour over the chicken and vegetables in the roasting pan.
  12. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
  13. Remove the foil and return to oven for 15 minutes.
  14. Serve over fluffy hot cooked rice or spaghetti.
Notes
Pollo Contadino is a comfort food best served on colder days. You can also put ingredients, in order on the recipe, in a crockpot on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2-3 hours. You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or drumsticks or any combination of chicken pieces.

Jeff Smith included 12 medium black Italian or Greek olives, and one green pepper and one red pepper to compliment the colors of the Italian flag. I changed it up just a wee bit.


Here’s an image to PIN!

at mimis table pollo contadino pinterest


Copyright, At Mimi’s Table 2013-2018, All Rights Reserved

 

Easy Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

at mimi's table simple chicken and biscuits casserole

It can’t get easier than this. Use leftover turkey or roasted chicken and transform it
into a creamy, steamy biscuit-topped casserole.

AMT Here's a tip iconWait – It gets easier! I cheated when I prepared this dish. I had some chicken breasts in the freezer and poached them. And then I used frozen peas & carrots, country-style diced frozen hash browns, frozen chopped onions, and a box of commercial biscuit mix for the luscious dumpling-like topping. This is not my normal style, but what the heck. I wasn’t looking forward to chopping a bunch of vegetables this particular day. It was an easy way out. It was so easy in fact that I’m sure I’ll utilize more frozen prepared vegetables in the future, for sure! And it tasted just as good as if I’d made it from scratch, even the biscuits.

I still like to make my own white sauce rather than canned cream soups. My husband and I need to watch our salt intake, and it’s one way I can control the amount I use in a recipe.

  Here we go!

Easy Chicken & Biscuits
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Transform leftover chicken or turkey into a creamy, steamy casserole topped with biscuit-like dumpling topping.
Author:
Recipe type: Casserole
Cuisine: American
Serves: 9 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup frozen diced onions
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 bag frozen peas & carrots
  • 1 cup frozen corn (optional)
  • 2 cups frozen country-style hash browns, diced not shredded
  • 2 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken stock
  • 1 cup half-n-half OR 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded or cut into cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil (optional)
  • For the biscuits
  • 2½ cups baking mix (I used Kroger's, but you can use Bisquick or Jiffy)
  • 1 cup of cold whole milk
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. On the stove, melt the olive oil and butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
  3. Add onions and cook until soft. Add minced garlic, stir and cook for one minute.
  4. Add 3 Tablespoons flour. Stir until you can no longer see any white flour. Cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the chicken stock. Whisk until incorporated. Cook until sauce begins to simmer and thickens a bit.
  6. Add milk. Stir and bring back up to a simmer.
  7. Reduce heat to medium. Add peas & carrots and potatoes and stir. Bring back up to a simmer.
  8. Add chicken. Stir until everything is mixed together.
  9. If the sauce is too thick, you can add more chicken stock.
  10. Check for seasoning.
  11. Pour into a 9"x13" rectangular baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
  12. Mix the baking mix and milk together.
  13. Drop by heaping Tablespoons all over the chicken mixture.
  14. Bake in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes or until the biscuits have risen, turned a nice golden brown, and the sauce is bubbling.
  15. Remove from oven to a cooling rack and let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving.