email this pageAs recipe contests go, the National Chicken Cooking Contest is the mother of all events. It probably doesn’t hurt that the prize is a check for $100,000. An astounding 20,000 recipes, presumably each one different, were submitted to the May 2007 contest. The winner, Thai-Inspired Stuffed Chicken Breast and Slaw by Michelle Anderson of Eagle, Idaho, was a clever play on culinary matchmaking. But the mountain of contestants in the event in Birmingham, Ala., clearly showed how home cooks have risen to the challenge of preparing the barnyard favorite.
Without lifting the lid of every pot, we know that most cooks choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts for their recipes. At last count, two-thirds of all the chicken sold in the nation was boneless, skinless breasts, says Bill Roenigk, vice-president of the National Chicken Council (whole birds are number two). To satisfy consumer preference for white meat, breeders have developed birds with bigger, plumper breasts, but even big-breasted chickens have some dark meat. Almost half the thighs and drumsticks are exported to other countries, including Russia and China. What stays here is mostly turned into boneless, skinless thighs or Chinese stir-frys.
The other thing we learned about chicken is that it’s the second most popular food Americans eat for dinner (sandwiches are number one). According to the NPD Group, a market research firm that tracks the nation’s eating habits, the number of times we eat poultry every year keeps going up. Like any good cooks, when faced with the question of what to eat for supper, we have a few favorite chicken recipes that never let us down. We think they’re priceless.
Skillet Chicken and Rice Casserole
Printer Friendly Version
Do you like to print recipes and add them to your collection? You're in luck. Use our printer friendly version of this recipe.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
1 (6- to 7-ounce) package rice pilaf mix
1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) chopped rotisserie chicken
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds
2. Gently stir in cheese, green onions, peas, parsley and almonds; heat thoroughly. Serves 4.
By Jean Kressy, "Good Food Fast," February 2006
Related Stories
If you enjoyed reading this story, Rising to the Chicken Challenge, then you might enjoy these other stories.- Orient Express
- Little Legume / Big Celebration
- Lights, Camera, Cook!
- Cornbread Country
- Falling Cloudberries
Share This Story With Others:
There are no current discussions for this article. Why not be the first?
