by Anthony Stemke

Created on: January 14, 2009   Last Updated: January 04, 2012

Busy people today clamor for fast, tasty, economical dinners when they get home at night, and they don't want the hassle of numerous ingredients that require a lot of extra work. Well, what if dinner could be easy, and at your whim interchangeable, depending on your mood? Yes, it can be simple without being boring. Here are some examples of chicken dinners you will surely love. Using the same cut boneless skinless chicken breasts, you can make a myriad of wonderful meals for your family. Each recipe assumes 4 servings; you can adjust accordingly.

To guarantee tender chicken, perform this one extra step. You will be glad you did. Put the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle a teaspoon of cornstarch on it. Rub it into the meat with your hands. When you cook it this way, you will be amazed at how much better it makes the chicken.

Chicken Cacciatore:

4 chicken breasts, uncut

1 large green pepper, chopped

2 T pimentos

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups stewed tomatoes with garlic (15-16oz.can)

Simmer all in saucepan for 45 minutes. Can prepare spaghetti, rice or noodles while waiting, if desired.

Chicken Primavera

4 chicken breasts, cut crosswise into strips

2 cups broccoli and carrot mix

2 tsp garlic, minced

4 T grated Parmesan

4 T creamy ranch dressing

Place chicken, broccoli, carrot and garlic in a microwavable casserole. Cover tightly and microwave 5 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, toss with Pparmesan cheese and ranch dressing.  Microwave for 1 minute uncovered. Serve over fettucine.

Chicken and noodles

4 chicken breasts,cut crosswise into strips

Fettucine for 4 servings

16 oz package frozen vegetables, such as chop suey or stir fry

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Cook the fettucine. Spray wok or big skillet with nonstick cooking spray, or instead place a tablespoon of oil in wok. Stir- fry chicken 3-4 minutes until cooked. Add vegetables. Add mushrooms and cook, covered , for 3 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in hoisin sauce, heat a moment and add the drained fettucine. Toss till coated and heated.

Cashew Chicken

4 chicken breasts, cut crosswise into strips

1 16 oz package frozen broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts

1 cup chopped red peppers

1/3 cup bottled stir-fry sauce

1/4 cup cashew halves

Heat a wok or skillet, add oil. Add chicken and stir- fry 1 minute. Add vegetables, cover, and cook about 4 minutes. Remove cover and stir in stir-fry sauce. Stir a few moments and add the cashews.

These are some delicious, but simple five ingredient chicken dinners. 

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