Baked Chicken and Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
by Jes Mostek
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If you're short on time, simply pick up one of those great cooked chickens that are available at many grocery stores. Just be sure that you buy enough that you'll still have left-overs for a recipe later in the week, if the calendar calls for that.
Heat the broccoli, either by steaming it in a pan or by "nuking" it in the microwave, and top it with your home-made cheese sauce.
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In addition to the recipes, you will also need the following for this meal:
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1/2 (1 lb.) bag
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frozen broccoli
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Recipes:
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Baked Whole Chicken
by Jes Mostek
serves: 4
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 Your whole house will have a comfortable feel from the aroma of home-made baked chicken. Crisp, golden brown skin and moist, lean meat makes for a perfect fall or winter meal.
This recipe is for a 2-3 lb. "fryer" chicken, and you can easily adjust the portion size to accomodate a 5-8 lb. "roaster" chicken.
When baking chicken, whether whole or cut-up, it's best to leave the skin on; it keeps the moisture in. If you have cut your chicken into pieces, cook chicken skin side up. You can always remove the skin after baking, if you're looking to save on calories.
It is never safe to eat chicken that is not totally done. Bone-in chicken is done when juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 170°F in the breast (or 180°F if you are measuring the temperature of the thigh). |
| Ingredients: |
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2 T. |
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olive oil |
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1 2 lb. |
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chicken |
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1 T. |
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parsley |
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2 tsp. |
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seasoned salt |
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1/2 tsp. |
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black pepper |
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1/2 tsp. |
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rubbed sage or tarragon |
| Directions: |
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
Rinse and pat dry chicken. Remove and discard any giblets.
Place whole chicken, breast-side-down, in a large casserole dish or baking pan.
Brush chicken with oil (or rub it on with your fingers).
In a small bown, combine parsley, salt, pepper, sage, oregano and paprika. Sprinkle seasoning mix over chicken.
Bake uncovered for about an hour, until meat is done and skin is golden-brown and crispy.
If you are cooking a 5-8 lb. "roaster" chicken, increase the cook time to 2 - 2 1/2 hours.
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Cheese Sauce
by Jes Mostek
serves: 4
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You won't believe how incredibly easy this recipe is! It'll take you about 10 seconds more than mixing a packet of artificial cheese-flavored powder with milk & butter in macaroni.
Feel free to mix it up with other varieties of cheese.
4 servings yeilds 1 1/2 c. |
| Ingredients: |
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2 T. |
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butter |
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1 T. |
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corn starch |
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1 c. |
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milk |
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3/4 c. |
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grated Cheddar cheese |
| Directions: |
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In a small to medium, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat, stirring occasionally and being careful not to scorch.
Remove from heat. Whisk in corn starch. Gradually add milk, stirring until well mixed.
Return pan to the burner. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Cook for another good minute.
Remove from heat (if mixture is boiling, stir and wait until it cools to a smooth surface) and add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth and well blended.
Serve with pasta or vegetables.
Just a note about flour: you can use flour in the place of the corn starch, but you'll need to double the about (i.e. for 4 servings, you'll need 2 T. flour in the place of the 1 T. corn starch). Also, you'll need to cook the white sauce for an additional 4 minutes after the sauce thickens (5 minutes rather than 1) before adding the cheese, to cook off the starchy taste.
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