Day Before Chicken Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to broil.
• Brush the chicken all over with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil for 10 minutes; flip the pieces and broil until cooked a little less than medium well, another 10 minutes.
• When ready to finish the chicken, prepare a grill for high heat.
• Grill the chicken until the skin is crispy and has a good char, no more than 5 minutes per side (the center of the breasts should register 165 degrees F).

FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine first four ingredients. With paper towels, pat chicken dry; add to bag, a few pieces at a time. Seal bag and shake to coat. , In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 in. of oil; fry chicken until browned on all sides. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 30-35 minutes or until juices run clear, turning occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes longer. Drain on paper towels.,

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN DIVAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a bowl and set aside.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cover, and steam until tender, 2 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; saute until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Whisk condensed soup, sour cream, milk, and mayonnaise together in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved Cheddar-Parmesan mixture and season with salt and pepper. Add the sauteed vegetables and stir to combine the sauce.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Add cooked rice as the bottom layer. Add cooked broccoli as the next layer, and then layer on the cooked chicken. Cover with remaining sauce. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar-Parmesan mixture, plus extra Parmesan if desired, and continue to bake until browned, about 15 minutes more.

EASIEST CHICKEN MARSALA (MAKE THE NIGHT BEFORE)

Steps:

• Scramble egg in small bowl.
• Dip chicken breasts into egg and dredge into bread crumbs on both sides.
• Saute breasts in a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan; set aside.
• Saute mushrooms and garlic in a small amount of olive oil.
• Add broth and wine and bring to a boil.
• Lay chicken breasts side by side in baking dish.
• Pour mushrooms and wine sauce over chicken.
• Marinate overnight in fridge.
• Bake chicken at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes uncovered until hot.
• Serve with rice or noodles.
• **The sauce absorbs into the chicken so you want alot of sauce to begin with.
• Also realize the alcohol burns off during the cooking.
• If you choose to have less sauce, broth and wine should be of equal proportions.

BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients and heat the oven to 300 F.
• Dry the chicken well with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until it's crispy and the fat has rendered out. Remove and set aside.
• Add 1 breast (skin-side down), 1 thigh (skin-side down), 1 drumstick, and 1 wing. Brown the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, then remove to a platter and repeat with the other 4 pieces. Finally, brown the backbone, skin-side down, and remove.
• Add the onion, leek , and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and boil, scraping any roasted bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato paste.
• Return the chicken and bacon to the pot. Add the chicken stock or water. Season with salt (if needed). Add the rosemary and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for one hour, or until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 165 F . Remove the lid and let the chicken cool in the pot for 15 minutes before serving.

DAY BEFORE PAY DAY FRIED RICE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the eggs; cook and stir until scrambled and firm. Remove from wok, and set aside.
• Put remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok and turn heat up to high. Stir in rice until each grain is coated with oil. Stir in chicken, celery, carrot, peas and green onions. Reduce heat to medium, cover and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Stir in scrambled eggs and soy sauce, and cook until eggs are heated through.

DAY BEFORE CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large greased baking or roasting pan, place the chicken breasts and top with all of the vegetables.
• Sprinkle with the seasonings and cheese.
• Top with the spaghetti sauce mixed with the wine.
• Cover tightly with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours.
• Refrigerate overnight to meld and deepen flavors.
• Reheat uncovered at 350 until hot and bubbly.
• If you're not counting carbs, serve this over pasta, but it's just as great on its own.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN MARSALA RECIPE - (3.8/5)

Steps:

• On a cutting board, fillet each chicken breast and trim off any fat. Place two pieces of chicken at a time between two pieces of parchment paper as seen in photo below. Pound with a flat mallet, until the cutlets are about 1/4-inch thick. Set aside and repeat until all the chicken is pounded thin. Put some flour in a shallow dish. Season each side of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet lightly on each side with flour. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is nice and hot, brown a few cutlets at a time for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden. Once the chicken is brown, place the pieces in a single layer on a cookie sheet with a rim, or a glass casserole dish. Continue until all the chicken is browned. Lower the heat to medium and add the prosciutto to the drippings in the pan, sauté for a minute or two until browned. Add the mushrooms, season with a little salt and pepper and sauté until they are nicely browned on each side. Turn up the heat and pour the Marsala in the pan and boil down for a minute so the alcohol cooks off. Then add the chicken stock and the butter. Allow it to cook for a minute or two. Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover with foil and place in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Remove chicken and sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving. Cook's Notes: Entertaining a large crowd: I love to make chicken Marsala for large parties or family dinner parties. It's such a yummy treat and everyone seems to love it. You can easily double or triple the recipe. If I'm having a large dinner party I will usually make things ahead of time and refrigerate them. You can sauté the chicken, place it in a baking dish or cookie sheet and cover it with foil. Then cook the sauce separately and set aside in a separate bowl. Refrigerate everything and take it out 20 minutes before company arrives. Then preheat your oven, pour sauce over chicken and cook for 20-30 minutes before serving.