Chicken Fixin' Vixen (Chicken, Broccoli & Rice and Chicken Paprikash Recipes)

This week I recevied a request from a Reader for recipes for "comfort food" for folks who just don't have the time to cook like Mom used to (or some Moms, anyway). So, here are a couple of quick and easy recipes using Tyson “IFF” (means, “individually fresh frozen”) Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts, to make the preparation time short and the enjoyment time long.

Both of these easy, family-friendly recipes use the breasts straight out of the freezer – fully frozen – so you don’t even have to defrost them!


Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole:

4 Tyson® IFF Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat
1 box Uncle Ben's® Country Inn® Broccoli Rice Au Gratin
2 cups water, boiling
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine rice and contents of seasoning packet in 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Add boiling water; mix well. Lay frozen chicken breasts on top of rice, sprinkle with garlic powder, cover and bake 30 minutes. (You can cover your baking dish with foil as a cover).

2. Add broccoli, cover and bake 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is done (internal temp 170°F).

3. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese and bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to brown.

Total Prep time, 5 minutes; total cooking time, 40 minutes. Serves 4, with 572 calories per serving (remember, this is a complete meal), 17 grams of fat, 71 grams of protein and 35 grams of carbohydrate. Serve with fresh hot rolls, to maximize your enjoyment.

Auntie’s Note: I suspect this dish could be easily adapted for your slow-cooker, but I’ve not tried it yet. I would put the rice and water on the bottom, followed by the frozen chicken breasts, followed by the frozen broccoli florets, covered with the cheddar, and put on LOW. If you try this in a slow-cooker, please let me know how it comes out!


Chicken Paprika

4 Tyson® IFF Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chicken broth (I use Swanson, but broth made from a bouillon cube is fine)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons paprika
1 container sour cream, 8 oz.

1. Rinse frozen chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken, covered and turning once, 6 minutes or until golden. Transfer to plate.

3. Cook onion in same pan over medium heat 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle with paprika; cook, stirring onions and paprika together, 1 minute. Return chicken to skillet; add broth. Cover; cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes or until chicken is done (internal temp 170°F). Reduce heat to low; stir in sour cream. Cook 2 minutes or until heated through (do not let boil).

Serving Suggestion: Serve chicken and sauce over cooked egg noodles (I like to add dill to my cooked egg noodles for this dish) and steamed asparagus spears…don’t forget lovely crusty French bread to really set the stage for this meal!! Cook’s Note: after making this dish, you may decide you prefer more paprika; increase it as you will, but make sure you add it at the onion-saute stage, otherwise the paprika never really blends with the sauce.

Prep time 5 minutes, total cooking time 25-30 minutes; Serves 4, with (per serving) 225 calories, 11 grams of fat, 27 grams of protein and 5 grams of carbohydrate (without the noodles).

Both of these recipes will replicate that "comfort food taste" that you're seeking with a minimal amount of work. (Many thanks to the folks at Tyson for the images).