The Chicken and Apple Challenge

[cannongal]

So, thanks to a really good sale, my deep freeze is full of boneless chicken breast. Also, some really enthusiastic apple picking has left me with more apples than I can think of uses for.


I was going to try grinding up cooked chicken with apples, and either making some sort of pie out of it, or maybe stuffed (Sweet) peppers.

Anyone want to guess on what spices I should try with it, or even if apples and chicken would go well together?

Also any other ideas for use of chicken or apples would be appreciated.

[Harvest Moon]

My husband works for a major chicken producer. We get great deals on chicken so my freezer is always stocked. I'm always looking for more ways to cook chicken.

As for combining chicken and apples, the first thing that comes to mind is to make a basic bread stuffing/dressing, (cubed bread, onions, celery, butter, sage, parsley, poultry seasoning, etc.) and add some cubed apples. Serve that along side grilled or baked chicken breasts. Let me know if you want a recipe for a stuffing/dressing.

The big thing about cooking with apples is that dryer apples, such as Granny Smith, work best. What kind of apples do you have?

[aileen]

I just recently seen in the grocery store, chicken and apple sausage...maybe google some recipes

[cannongal]

What kind of apples do you have?

Umm...I think the kids picked one apple from every damn tree in the orchard.
I've already seperated out the softer ones and put up enough apple sauce to feed an army of constipated grumpy old men.

We've had baked apples, caramel apples, apples dipped in chocolate, apple pies, apple pancakes....the kids are getting sick of having apple something or other for desert every night, I told them not to pick so many, but they never listen. They are now promising to clean their rooms everyday for 6 months if I promise to forget we have apples to use up!


P.s....please post that stuffing recipe, I'll try it for Thanksgiving...Maybe even buy fresh apples for it!

[QueenBee]

Two words...apple sauce. You can can it or freeze it. As for the chicken...there is a lot of things. Casseroles, baked, fried...grilling all year if you have a grill set up in a spot that is snow free (assuming you live in the snowy climate.

[Harvest Moon]

This is the traditional bread stuffing/dressing that my mother and grandmother used. There are no measurements, just sort of put together to taste. So I'll try to give measurements as best I can.

I like to use Italian or French bread, but really any day old bread will work. I often mix a combination of a white bread with a whole grain bread. If the bread seems too moist try cutting it earlier in the day and let the cubes air dry a bit before you use them.

Traditional bread stuffing/dressing:
Ingredients:
1 or 2 loaves day-old Italian or French bread, remove most of the crust, slice and cut slices into ³⁄₄ inch cubes. (makes 8 to 10 cups of cubes).
1 stick of butter
1 large white or yellow onion, diced
3 or 4 stalks of celery, diced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
3 or 4 fresh sage leaves
a few sprigs of thyme
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley (also called Italian parsley)
about a teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
fresh black pepper
2 - 4 cups of turkey or chicken stock. (Either homemade or the ones sold in cartons).

Put bread cubes in large bowl or pot. (I use the pot that I use to cook pasta in.)

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent, but not browned. Add the diced apples, to the pan, stir for a minute or so. Add chopped sage, a strip the thyme leaves off the stem, chopped parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and several grinds of black pepper. Stir for a minute to blend flavors. Add about ³⁄₄ cups of the stock. Stir well, taste to make sure it has enough salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.

Pour the veggie and herb mixture over the bread cubes and mix well. Continue adding more stock until the mixture comes the to consistency you like. Place in a buttered casserole pan, add a few more pats of butter to the top, cover and bake for 25 minutes at about 350 degrees. Remove cover and bake for 5 more minutes.

Or cool the stuffing and use to stuff inside the bird. (That's how my mother and grandmother always did it.)

With that basic recipe, adjust to your taste. You might want more or less onion or celery. If you don't like some of the herbs or don't have them on hand, leave them out.

Now...a quick trick to making a fast "pan" stuffing for a weeknight meal, using any packaged sliced bread that you have on hand.

Toast bread slices in toaster, using one slice for each person you plan to serve, plus one or two extra slices. Butter both sides of the toast and cut into cubes.

Use the same ingredients as above, but you probably don't need as much of each.
As in the recipe above, saute the onions and celery, but cut back the amount of butter to 2 or 3 tablespoons. Add the apples, herbs and seasonings, add about a cup of stock and let reduce slightly. Add the toasted bread cubes and mix well. Add more stock if it seem too dry. Let cook until all warmed through and serve.

[IMaDick]

Get yourself some "Mother" and make some hard cider.

The rest can be made into kid cider after you have canned,dried made into sauce or apple butter or otherwise exhausted your options with apples.

Beer batter deep fried chicken strips will always be a hit with the kids or adults for that matter. there is not much that can be done with the worst piece of chicken there is ( breasts) other than that.

[Duchess]

the worst piece of chicken there is ( breasts)

It's the only chicken meat that doesn't have veins & other nasties. Ugh. Thinking that made the back of my throat close up. *ick*

[IMaDick]

It's also the driest easiest to overcook and most flavorless piece of chicken you can buy.

If I cook brests I inject them with seasoned butter to help keep them from drying out and add some flavor to them.

or else it's breaded strips so that the moisture is held in by the breading.

[WolfHouse]

Regarding the dressing.....I make that same recipe but add a few dried currents.

[BlueTiki]

Consider empanadas.

Plenty of recipes.

Use a combination of both the apples and chicken OR each mainstay, individually, accented with other ingredients.

[Harvest Moon]

Tiki, I like the empanada idea. What do you use for the pastry/dough?

Wolfhouse, Yes, it also works with raisins or dried cranberries.

cannongal, There are also some other side dish items that you can make with apples added. I've added apples to a pans of roasted vegetables, things like butternut or acorn squash, onions, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, etc. Those flavors go well with herbs like sage, rosemary or thyme and always garlic. You could used one or all depending on the flavor profile you want.

I generally just peel, rough chop so all the veggies are the same size (1 x 1 ¹⁄₂ inch size is good). Spread on a baking sheet, add a few cloves of garlic, roughly chopped. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs. Toss together and roast at 425 degrees for about ¹⁄₂ hour.

Do a quick google search for squash and apples and you will come up with all kinds of recipes.

http://www.google.com/search?q=squash+an...=firefox-a

[BlueTiki]

I like the empanada idea. What do you use for the pastry/dough?

I make my own.

However . . . I know of some who use frozen Puff Pastry because it's quick (and the little bastards, they call children, have no taste or appreciation with quality food).

[Harvest Moon]

I like the empanada idea. What do you use for the pastry/dough?

I make my own.
However . . . I know of some who use frozen Puff Pastry because it's quick (and the little bastards, they call children, have no taste or appreciation with quality food).

Tiki, I am totally willing to make my own. I make my own corn tortillas, because the packaged ones just don't cut it. I just haven't found a recipe for an empanada dough that really works right. Do you care to share?

[cannongal]

Apples do not work well in a meat grinder. It (meat grinder) literally shot the apple across the room and into my wall. The food processor worked much better. Ground up chicken and apples don't taste that bad~a little on the bland side, but I can fix that.

[BlueTiki]

I just haven't found a recipe for an empanada dough that really works right. Do you care to share?

Here's a couple that I have used. One is for Fried and the other is for baked.

Fried - http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/authenti...adough.htm

Baked - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler...index.html

I also make a non-masa verison using butter and cream cheese instead of lard/shortening. Baked version.

Lemme know if you if you'd like it if the other two don't work.

My brother uses one from America's Test Kitchen (Masa version) and it is outstanding! His falls into the category of Baked, not fried.

I'll try and scrounge it, from him.

[Harvest Moon]

Apples do not work well in a meat grinder. It (meat grinder) literally shot the apple across the room and into my wall. The food processor worked much better. Ground up chicken and apples don't taste that bad~a little on the bland side, but I can fix that.

My first suggestion is always garlic to fix a bland taste. What kind of taste are you going for? Classic/traditional, try sage, rosemary, thyme. Middle Eastern, add some curry powder, cumin, turmeric. Southwest, try chili powder, cumin, oregano. I really like chipotle peppers or powder for the smoky heat.

[Harvest Moon]

Here's a couple that I have used. One is for Fried and the other is for baked.
My brother uses one from America's Test Kitchen (Masa version) and it is outstanding! His falls into the category of Baked, not fried.

I'll try and scrounge it, from him.

Thanks Tiki! I know what I'm making tomorrow! I'll try out the recipes you suggested. It is cold here and my hubby will be out hunting, so it is a perfect time to try out some new recipes.

I actually have an America's Test Kitchen cookbook somewhere around here. I'll see if it has the recipe.

I tried to post some pictures for you, but I think they disappeared.

[BlueTiki]

Southwest, try chili powder, cumin, oregano. I really like chipotle peppers or powder for the smoky heat.

Don't forget cilantro!

[Harvest Moon]

Don't forget cilantro!

What would life be like without fresh cilantro?? I always keep it on hand.