Peachy chicken putting smiles on everyone's face

Are you sick of the same menu week after week? Are you one of those families that never stray from the same old boring foods. Now is the time to change that.

While people like the quality selection and choices of eating out in a restaurant, eating at home is more preferable on the budget. Yet, if you thought it was impossible to create restaurant quality entrées in your home, than it is time to rethink. With the right recipe, and just a touch of patience, you can create a delicious menu at home that your family will love.

Often times I struggle trying to find a whole meal that the entire family can enjoy. While making my weekly grocery list, I often times find myself flipping through recipe book after recipe book. Usually, I come back to my tried and true favorites, always a recipe from Taste of Home.

My latest creation was from the Taste of Home Annual Recipes 2006 edition.

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts (about 4 oz each)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp butter

1 can sliced peaches, undrained

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1 envelope onion soup mix

Hot cooked rice (optional)

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil and butter; remove and keep warm. Add peaches with juice, brown sugar, orange juice and soup mix to skillet; stir until combined. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for about 2 minutes

Reduce heat; return chicken to pan. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice if desired. Yeild: 4 servings

 At first I was a little skeptical about this meal. After all, unless warm fruit is in a pie, I typically shy away from those types of recipes. In all honesty, I didn't really know what to expect with this meal, but, because I already had the chicken defrosting and all the ingredients on hand, I thought it wouldn't hurt to try.

Overall, while the recipe says the total time is only 25 minutes, don't try it when your short on time. I found it took me a little longer (but that could have been because we had some pretty thick chicken breasts). I also doubled the recipe to make sure there was enough for everybody. Otherwise, the meal was fairly simple and easy to prepare. Definately something anybody can do.

As for the taste, I felt like I was eating a chinese cuisine made from my very own hands. The Peachy Chicken was placed on top of a bed of white rice and eaten with a side of green beans. Add a glass of milk and it is a complete and healthy meal. Everyone in the family enjoyed this recipe, especially my particularly picky 1 year old, who couldnt' get enough of the peaches.

So, if you are looking for a quick and easy meal for the family, this is a good one to try. Although if you plan on using it on company, I would definately do a pre-trial. Since some people don't enjoy the mixture of meat and fruit, it might not be a hit with everyone.