If you are a vegetarian, I applaud you! Just make sure to share this with your meat eating friends! ;)
In college, being able to feed yourself is not as easy as helping your mom or dad set the table then eating whatever they have made. You are finally an adult, and there is so much to learn! Cooking for some people can be as easy as 1, 2, 3. However, for some people, being able to cook can be a little tricky or a learning process. HOW DO OUR PARENTS DO IT?
Well, I am here to save the day with the easiest ingredient I know. CHICKEN! The possibilities with chicken are endless, and when you do it right, you never have to worry about getting sick from it!
Here are three easy recipes that can make cooking your ‘winner-winner chicken dinner’ a breeze.
Easy Baked Chicken – THE EASIEST!
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons of pepper
1 table spoon of Lowry’s seasoning
Preheat convection oven to 400 degrees F.
Rub chicken breast(s) with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and Lawry seasoned salt. Place chicken in a broiler pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip chicken and cook for about 15 minutes more.
VERY IMPORTANT! Cut into the THICKEST part of your chicken and make sure it is no longer pink in the center. If it is still pink, put the chicken back in the oven and repeat in a different section.
All done! Get ready to dig into the easiest chicken you will ever make.
Cheez-Itz Chicken – SO EASY, BUT A LITTLE MESSY
8 chicken tenders or 2 breasts
1 cup sour cream
3 cups Cheez-Its
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Crush a bag of Cheez-Its by placing them in a large ziploc bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin (or just use your hands)!
Take your chicken breast or tenders and roll them in 1 Cup of Sour Cream, then into your new Cheez-Itz crumbs.
Place them in a baking dish and bake at 375 for 40 minutes.
There you go! A delicious comfort food that will make you feel like a kid again.
Fajita-Stuffed Chicken – A little more tricky, but DELICIOUS
2 Tablespoons canola oil (for veggies)
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup diced pepper jack cheese
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 Tablespoons canola oil (for chicken)
Heat the canola oil in a pan over high heat.
Cook the peppers, onion, salt, and pepper until soft and slightly caramelized.
Transfer the cooked veggies to a bowl. In the same bowl, mix in the cream cheese, cheddar, and pepper jack, stirring until evenly incorporated. Set aside (for now!).
In a separate bowl, combine the chicken with the salt, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder, evenly distributing the spices over the chicken. Mix is ALL together!
On a cutting board, slice a pocket in the chicken horizontally (to make a pocket) and fill the pocket with a heaping spoonful of the veggie mixture. Press the edges of the chicken together to seal in the filling. Repeat with the remaining chicken!
Heat the canola oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the stuffed chicken for five minutes on each side, until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through (AGAIN, NO PINK!).
For a video tutorial, check out https://www.buzzfeed.com/alvinzhou/fajita-bajita?utm_term=.uyoqdWzj3#.ee8oL7XBp
Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole and be amazed at how delicious this recipe is!