The Chicken Cook-Up

I like chicken. Unlike many who sing the praises of chicken thighs, I actually prefer white meat.

I like to buy a large package of breasts at cheap prices at the warehouse club and save some bucks. Then on prep day--you all do know what that is, right? On the day I prep foods for the week, I have a plan. This morning I prepped the entire package in almost no time. Today, I will share the new flavoring combinations I came up with following my Saturday shopping spree.  Large batch cooking is not a new concept in the Diner kitchen. It is the kind of thing that keeps us eating healthy food when life gets crazier during the week. One mess to clean up, a little time invested, and loads of easy to fix meals later on. Not only low carb, but low calorie too.

Hubby happened to offer to grill burgers today, so I prepped two breasts for the grill. Those were easy with my latest spice purchase. Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute" blend. I am ashamed to be writing about this since this simple technique is such a no brainer. Just sprinkle and grill. But then simple doesn't describe this blend. No salt--but a terrific combination of onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato granules, lemon juice powder, oil of lemon and citric acid. I would not want to pull all of these ingredients out of my pantry! Thankfully Joe did it for us. The whole jar was under $2 also. Bargain! I especially love the brightness of the lemon.

I made a batch of ground chicken patties with this spice blend as well. They taste very much like a mild sausage. These patties would go with just about any side dishes. To make the patties, I grind 2-3 breasts in my Ninja Master Prep. To that, I add 1 1/2 - 2 tsp of the seasoning blend and a good sprinkle of salt. These patties, I chose to bake in the oven. I don't mess with trying to hand form patties. I just spoon the chicken onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets and smooth them out with a silicon spatula. Then, bake about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. These are the patties in the center of the plate.

With those in the oven, I am ready for the second flavor. I don't bother washing the blender. Any little bits of seasoning will work fine for the next batch. This is also a Trader Joe's special. To two breasts, I added 3 tbsp of their Green Dragon Hot Sauce. This is a dandy addition to the patties. Just a slight heat infused into the meat to make it interesting. That is why I love adding flavors to ground chicken. The whole entree has that ramped up flavor, not just a sauce on the outside. Green Dragon is much like Sriracha, with that bit of sweetness. Not too much to worry about the carbs, at least for me. This sauce is made with jalapenos and tomatillos, habanero, cilantro and lime. So good!  These made 4 nice patties which I fried in a non-stick skillet. I like a little more heat, so I may add a bit more sauce on top. Hubby can do them plain, but I am betting these will be lunch salads for me at school. In the photo, these are the browned patties at the bottom of the plate.


Lastly, I ground the remaining 3 breasts of chicken with about 1/4 cup of Buffalo Chicken Sauce. You can use Frank's brand, but I admittedly use the brand from the Dollar Tree. Zero carbs and I love it. Louisiana Supreme Chicken Wing Sauce. A dollar well spent. Again, I don't bother to wash the blender pitcher. This mixture is a little bit wetter. It spoons really easily onto the cookie sheet. I would never try my ground chicken on the outdoor grill, as it would certainly fall through the grates. But an oven bake or pan fry is excellent. Less browning in the oven, but easy peasy on the cook. These take a little longer in the oven-- go for 25 -30 minutes for 6. Add a drizzle of blue cheese dressing when you reheat, and you have great flavor! In the photos, the Buffalo patties are the highest stack with the orange tint.

So there you have it. From nearly 6 pounds of raw chicken, I got 18 servings. All cooked and ready to eat or reheat. Four completely different meals to rotate. And just about an hour in the kitchen. It pays to invest some time on prep day. I find it pays to grind my own chicken as well. This was $1.79 per pound. Hard to beat! If you would like more chicken patty recipes, check these out!  Thai Spiced Chicken Patties, Chicken and Green Chili Volcanoes, Chicken Rollatini, Smoked Paprika Chicken Burgers, Coconut Curry Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Pizzoli, Mesquite Chicken Burgers, Homemade Chicken Chorizo

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