Recipe: Yummy Chicken Stuff

Once upon a time I tried the Atkins/Protein Power/Low-Carb dieting. I wasn't very good at it and the best thing I got out of the whole adventure was a recipe that lead me down a path to make the yummy chicken stuff below. This is, like everything I cook, amazingly easy. I don't usually like baked chicken because it tends to be very dry. This recipe is guaranteed to result in nice juicy chicken, even when starting with the driest chicken breasts on the block! Adjust the ingredients as needed for your personal dieting i.e. substitute low fat ingredients.

6 large chicken breasts (I buy the boneless, skinless frozen kind but I am sure any chicken pieces would work)

1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dip dry mix (you can substitute other powders like a french onion soup mix, etc. but this is my favorite)

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/4 cup of dry Parmesan cheese

mushrooms (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the chicken in a large glass casserole/baking dish. Cover the chicken with a modest number of sliced mushrooms (you want the yummy stuff to be able to get to the chicken.) In a small mixing bowl mix together the ranch dip powder, milk, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Also, keep in mind that the measures above are estimates, sometimes I used more mayo and less sour cream or vice versa, just depends on how much of what I have on hand. The bottom line is you are looking to create enough of this mixture to cover all your chicken.

Glop the yummy mix over the chicken and mushrooms. Try to cover all the chicken pieces thoroughly. Sprinkle a layer of grated Parmesan over the top. This will make a kind of crust later. Don't use the shredded Parmesan or Romano that you can get in the same green cans, it doesn't work and you will end up with mean little dry spikes in your mouth.

Bake uncovered in oven at 400ºF for 30-45 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken and whether you used frozen or thawed breasts. Be sure to either use a thermometer to check the temperature of the meat or at least cut into the thickest part of a few of the breasts to see if they are cooked thoroughly.

Serve and enjoy!