Recipe: Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken

Estimated Cost:  $13.50

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Marination Time:  2 hours

Cooking  Time:  45 minutes

Serves:  4

An Outback Steakhouse, non-beef specialty.  Alice Springs Chicken is grilled chicken breast and bacon smothered in mushrooms, melted Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, with a delicious honey mustard sauce.  As much fun as it is to head down-under to your local Outback (they are always down-under, regardless of direction) this restaurant copy-cat will allow you to prepare them at home.

Honey Mustard Marinade
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs. butter
salt
pepper
paprika
8 slices of bacon
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
parsley flakes

1. Use an electric mixer to combine the Dijon mustard, honey, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and lemon juice. Mix for about 30 seconds.

2. Place the chicken and 2/3 cup of the honey mustard mixture into a resealable plastic bag or sealed container; toss to cover chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Chill the remaining 1/3 cup (approximately) honey mustard sauce in a separate container, in fridge.

3. In a saute pan, over medium heat, fry the bacon. Remove crisp bacon and place on paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in saute pan, discarding the rest.

4. After the chicken has marinated, preheat oven to 375°F.

5. Reheat the saute pan with the bacon drippings over medium heat. Remove the chicken breasts from resealable bag and discard marinade (not the reserved 1/3 cup). Sear the chicken breasts in the saute pan for 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer breasts to a 13×9-inch baking dish.

6. Add the mushrooms and butter to the saute pan. Saute mushrooms for 6-8 minutes or until they start to turn a dark-reddish brown.

7. Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika. Space evenly in baking dish. Top each breast, crosswise, with 2 pieces of bacon. Spoon the sauteed mushrooms over the chicken breasts evenly.

8. Spread 1/4 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese evenly over each breast, followed by 1/4 cup of the Cheddar cheese.

9. Bake at 375°F for 7 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle each breast with parsley flakes before serving. Divide the extra chilled honey mustard marinade and use as a dipping sauce with each serving.

Mike’s comments:

Coming from a family of non-shroom types, we substitute the 2 cups of mushrooms with 1 large, sliced, onion. It won’t take quite as long to saute the substituted onions in step #6, probably 4-5 minutes.

This recipe takes a little longer then most of the recipes on Kitchen Survival, but trust me, the results are worth the extra effort – and then some!

Big thanks to Outback Steakhouse and Todd Wilbur’s “Top Secret Recipes” for the original recipe hack, a cookbook which I highly recommend.

Recipe: Grilled Garlic Chicken

Estimated Cost: $8.00

Prep Time:  5 minutes

Marination Time:  15+ minutes

Grilling Time:  15 minutes

Serves:  4

It took me quite sometime to finally test out this recipe. I ran into a culinary mental trap as it seemed to easy.  I learned an important lesson when I finally did: simple can still be delicious.  With five minutes prep time, 3 ingredients, a short marination, and 15 minutes on the grill this recipe rates as a yummy super-time-saver dish.

1 3/4 cups chicken broth OR stock
2 cloves garlic, minced (how to)
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Stir the broth and garlic in a shallow, nonmetallic dish or gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for 15 minutes to an hour. Remove the chicken from the marinade.

2. Lightly oil the grill rack and prepare the grill for medium heat. Grill the chicken for 15 minutes or until cooked through, turning and brushing often with the marinade. Discard the remaining marinade.

Mike’s comments:

I like to serve this with Easy Cheese and Onion Potaotes and a nice Caesar Salad.

Recipe: Weeknight Chicken Fajitas

Estimated Cost:  $10.00

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cooking Time:  20 minutes

Serves:  4

I love chicken fajitas, but often times I don’t have the time to put together my traditional fajita meal.  On nights like that, I pull this recipe out, and am eating in under an hour for under 10 bucks.  This is good chow.

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 pkg. (1.25 oz.) taco seasoning mix
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1 pkg. (16 oz.) pepper stir fry frozen vegetable mix
8 flour tortillas (6 inch), heated (how-to)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
chunky salsa
sour cream

1. In a medium-bowl combine the sliced chicken and taco seasoning and vegetable oil; mix to coat.

2. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken mixture; cook and stir 5 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in dressing, frozen vegetables; cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Spoon down centers of heated tortillas; top with cheese, salsa, and sour cream.

Mike’s comments:

Substitute frozen Asian mixed vegetables, or your favorite blend, in place of the pepper stir fry veggies.

Recipe: Chicken Croquettes with Creamy Gravy

Estimated Cost:  $12.00

Prep Time:  30 minutes

Chilling Time:  1 hour

Cooking Time:  40 minutes

Serves:  4

A popular food from our grandmother’s era. Originally croquettes were fried.  This recipe conversion replaces the fry pan with the oven, and serves them with a yummy, basil-seasoned gravy.

3 Tbs. butter
1 med. yellow onion, finely chopped
2 Tbs. minced parsley OR 2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs. milk
I lb. ground chicken breast, cooked
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
Creamy Gravy (recipe below)

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in the parsley. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and red pepper. Stir into onion mixture; cook for 1 minute or until bubbly. Add the chicken broth and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to thicken. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more or until thickened.

2. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Stir in cooked ground chicken and the 1/3 cup bread crumbs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Using your hands, shape 1/4 cup of the mixture into a 3/4-inch patty. Repeat with remaining mixture.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F.

4. Place beaten egg in a shallow dish. Place the 1/2 cup bread crumbs on a sheet of wax paper or large dish. Coat the patties with bread crumbs, then dip in the egg and coat again with the crumbs. Arrange the patties in a lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until patties are golden and heated through. Serve with Creamy Gravy.

Creamy Gravy Recipe:

1 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup milk

1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until bubbly.

2. Add the milk. Whish constantly until mixture starts to thicken. Cook and whisk for 2 minutes longer until thickened. Yields 1 cup.

Mike’s comments:

Ground chicken is not always readily available in the meat department of the grocery store. If you can’t find it simply ask the butcher to grind up 1 pound of chicken breast filets.

Tip & Recipe: Marinade Magic on the Grill

I love marinades, in fact I collect the magic formulas that create wonderful culinary goodness.

Wikipedia tells us that marination is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking.  It is commonly used to flavor foods and to tenderize tougher cuts of meat.   The process may last seconds or days. Different marinades are used in different cuisines.

That does not mean you can’t use a marinade on a tender cut of meat.  Keep in mind marinades BOTH tenderize the meat and infuse flavor.  Since the acidic levels in the marination process actually break down the tissue in the meat, the tenderizing part, it’s important to not let tender cuts marinate too long, or they will get mushy and icky.

In today’s post, I tried to share all the information you need to get on the road to becoming a marinade master (or mistress). First I share some tips, then some recipes, and finally a grilling chart to give you an idea how to cook just about anything you might want to marinate. The recipes mention the meats they work best with. The grilling chart shares marination and grilling times for specific meats.

A few tips to help with happy marination:

• Marinate in a covered nonmetal dish or sealed plastic bag.  I love using those gallon-size Ziploc bags.
• Turn the meat (or turn the bag) occasionally so all sides are covered with the marinade.
• Refrigerate the marinating meat for the time specified.  Marinating at room temperature allows bacteria to grow.
• Baste the meat marinade during grilling to keep the meat moist and add extra flavor.
• Don’t marinate longer then 24 hours.
• If you are going to use the leftover marinade for a dipping sauce be sure to bring it to a boil before doing so.  This ensures a safe, bacteria free, dipping sauce – which is a good thing!

The marinade recipes:

Asian Marinade
Delicious marinade for pork chops, fish, or chicken.

1 jar (9.5 oz.) kumquats, drained w/ 2 Tbs. syrup reserved
1 Tbs. grated orange peel
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Mix reserved kumquat syrup and remaining ingredients except kumquats. Garnish meat with kumquats. Yields 3/4 cup of marinade.

Herb Marinade
A flavorful addition to fish, chicken, pork chops or steak. I LOVE this one.

1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 med. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed

Simple mix all ingredients. Yields 1 cup marinade.

Sweet and Sour Marinade
Use with pork chops or steak for wonderful marination induced Nirvana!

1 can (8.25 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained (that’s UN)
1 medium onion, cut into slices and separated into rings
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. hot sauce (red pepper sauce)

Mix all the ingredients, I like to have Lake of Fire resonating through the kitchen for best results. Yields 2 1/2 cups marinade.

Provocative Lemon Marinade
Works beautifully with chicken, fish and chops.

1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup white or red wine
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Shake all ingredients in a tightly covered container or Ziploc bag. Yields 1 1/3 cups marinade.

Need more marinade recipes? Visit: Marinade Magic Revisited

Grilling Chart:

Chicken, boneless breast halves – marinate at least 1 hour. Cover and grill 10 to 20 minutes; turn. Cover and grill an additional 10 to 20 minutes, turning and brushing with marinade until done.

Chicken, broiler-fryer, cut up – marinate at least 1 hour. Cover and grill bone sides down 15 to 30 minutes; turn. Cover and grill 20 to 30 minutes longer, turning and brushing with marinade, until done.

Chicken, thighs and drumsticks – marinate at least 1 hour. Cover and grill bone sides down 15 to 20 minutes; turn. Cover and grill an additional 20 to 30 minutes, turning and brushing with marinade, until done.

Beef steaks – marinate at least 4 hours. Slash outer edges of fat diagonally at 1-inch intervals to prevent curling (do not cut into the lean). Grill 20 to 30 minutes, turning and brushing with marinade 2 or 3 times, until desired doneness.

Pork loin or chops – marinate at least 4 hours. Cover and grill 20 to 30 minutes, turning and brushing with marinade 3 or 4 times, until desired doneness.

Fish, fresh or frozen (thawed) – marinate at least 1 hour. Cover and grill about 10 minutes per inch of thickness, turning once and brushing occasionally with marinade, until fish flakes easily with fork.

Mike’s comments:

With this marination lore you can come up with countless wonderful combinations for the grill. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Have a favorite marinade? I’d love to hear about it.

Need even more marinade recipes? Visit: Marinade Magic Revisited

Recipe: Weeknight Chicken Cordon Bleu

Estimated Cost:  $9.00

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cooking Time:  20 minutes

Serves:  4

Perfect for those nights after a long workday when you want something with a high yum factor but low amount of preparation required!

1 Tbs. butter
1 1/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
2 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. white wine OR chicken, beef or vegetable stock
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup diced cooked ham
6 oz. medium egg noodles, cooked and drained (about 4 cups after cooked)

1. Prepare egg noodles per their package; drain and set aside.

2. Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

3. Stir the soup, water, wine, cheese and ham in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken and sauce with the noodles.

Mike’s comments:

I’ve been preparing this quick and easy recipe for more years then I can recall. I remember stumbling across this great recipe in a small cookbook put out by Campbell’s Soup. It was that cookbook and my Doors Greatest Hits CD that I missed most after my divorce.

Recipe: Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Estimated Cost:  $10.00

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Pasta Cooking Time:  10 minutes

Serves:  6

An elegant salad that comes together in a jiffy.  I keep a few bags of diced oven roasted chicken breast in the fridge so I can whip this salad up on short notice.

6 oz. dry fettuccine pasta, uncooked
2 pkgs. (6 oz. each) refrigerated diced oven roasted chicken breast
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
2/3 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 pkg. (9 oz. each) chopped romaine salad
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Break pasta strands in half. Cook according to pasta package directions. Rinse with cold water to cook quickly; set aside.

2. In a large-bowl, stir together chicken, drained tomatoes, dressing, and onion. Add cooked pasta.

3. Add lettuce to pasta mixture; toss to coat ingredients evenly with dressing. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

Mike’s comments:

This recipe is easily adaptable. Try substituting a different kind of pasta or lettuce.

Recipe: Carol’s Easy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Estimated Cost:  $9.00

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  90 minutes

Serves:  8

A yummy and easy to prepare chicken veggie soup from my friend Carol.  Look to Carol’s comments, below, for some awesome variations!

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (how to)
1 whole roasted chicken
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 bags (12 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. When heated to medium, add the onion and garlic powder and cook until onion is tender and translucent.

2. Skin and debone the chicken. Put the skin and bones into a large stock pot with the sautéed onions. Over medium heat, bring the water to a boil; lower heat to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Shred or cube 3 cups of chicken while the stock simmers.

4. Strain the stock to remove the skin and bones. Add the frozen vegetables, celery, and chicken. Return to a simmer for 20 minutes. Stir and Enjoy!

Carol’s comments:

You can add ingredients like beans, canned tomatoes, etc.

One variation is to add a big jar of salsa and a can of black beans to the broth along with the vegetables and put some tortilla strips or chips on top when serving – BAM! Tortilla soup.

Recipe: Easy Chicken Stock

Estimated Cost:  $2.00

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time:  4 hours

Serves:  4 – 6 cups stock

Having refrigerated (or frozen) chicken stock on hand can jump start so many recipes.  Not only does it speed up preparation time, homemade chicken stock just adds extra love into whatever you are cooking.  
I use a lot of precooked rotisserie chickens in my recipes, many of which are already available here at Kitchen Survival.  I NEVER throw away the carcass of the bird before making up a batch of chicken stock.

Leftover bones and skin from a cooked or raw chicken carcass
1 lg. onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped (include some leaves)
1 large carrot, chopped
1 tsp. parsley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Put chicken carcass (including skin) into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add onion, celery, carrot, parsley, salt, and pepper.

2. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to a simmer. Simmer uncovered at least 4 hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.

3. Remove the bones and strain the stock.

4. Stock may be refrigerated (for up to 10 days) or frozen for future use.

Mike’s comments:

I always freeze my chicken stock in 1 cup portions using Ziploc containers. You can thaw it in minutes, either on the stove or microwave. In this way you don’t risk letting your hard work spoil in the fridge.

Recipe: Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie Squares

Estimated Cost:  $10.00

Thaw Time:  40 minutes

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook/Bake Time:  35 minutes

Cool Time:  10 minutes

Serves:  6

I love puff pastry.  I love chicken pot pies.  And I can assure YOU will love this recipe.

“No Kitty, this is MY pot pie!”  – Eric Cartmen

1/2 pkg. (17.3 oz.) puff pastry sheets (1 sheet), thawed (approx. 40 min.)
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.), cubed
2 cups chicken gravy
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 3 strips along the fold marks. Cut each strip in half crosswise, making 6 pastry rectangles in all. Place the pastry rectangles onto an ungreased baking sheet. REMEMBER: the puff pastry should be packaged with two multi-layered “sheets” per box. You are using only one of those two “sheets”. For puff pastry to be thawed, let stand at room temperature about 40 minutes before beginning this step.

3. Bake for 10 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Split each pastry into 2 layers, making 12 layers in all.

4. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it’s well browned, stirring often.

5. Stir the gravy, thyme, onion powder and vegetables in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender.

6. Spoon about 2/3 cup chicken mixture on each bottom pastry layer. Top with the top pastry layers.

Mike’s comments:

You can speed this already quick recipe up even more by substituting a jar of chicken gravy for the homemade gravy. You’ll want a jar with at least 16 ounces if you go this route.

Making your own chicken gravy is actually very affordable, easy and yields a wonderful product. You don’t even have to roast a chicken! Here is my recipe for doing just that:

Quick and Easy Chicken Gravy