Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken

Have you tried Marry Me Chicken? This popular and easy skillet chicken recipe has been all over TikTok and if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out!

So what is Marry Me Chicken, you ask? It’s tender chicken simmered in a parmesan sun-dried tomato cream sauce. It’s easy to make and so delicious they say the person you cook it for will instantly fall in love and propose!

In my version, I use boneless skinless chicken thighs and cook it stove top to cut down on cooking time. This recipe is low carb, a crowd pleaser and will be on your table in 30 minutes!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs – seared on one side and lightly seasoned.
  • Olive oil – to brown the chicken.
  • Garlic – 4 big cloves.
  • Chicken stock and whipping cream – forms the base of the sauce.
  • Parmesan cheese – to thicken this creamy and flavorful sauce.
  • Chili flakes and Italian seasoning
  • Sundried tomatoes and capers
  • Fresh basil leaves – for garnish.

Now let’s get cooking!

Marry Me Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs simmered in a flavourful sun-dried tomato parmesan sauce. Delicious!
Course: Main Course
Keyword: comfort food
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 10 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 shallots finely diced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes chopped
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves chopped, for garnish
  • fresh cracked pepper to finish

Instructions

  • Heat oil to medium high in a large sauce pan. Season chicken thighs lightly with a couple of pinches of salt. Sear chicken in 2 batches: place 5 thighs in saucepan, skin side down and sear until lightly browned on one side. Remove thighs and set aside. Repeat with remaining thighs and set aside.
  • Turn seat down to medium. Add garlic and shallots to saucepan and saute until fragrant.
  • Add chicken stock, cream, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, capers, sundried tomatoes and parmesan and mix well.
  • Add chicken thighs to sauce and simmer until thighs reach an internal temperature of 165°, approximately 20 minutes.
  • Garnish with basil, fresh cracked pepper and additional grated parmesan. Serve with cauliflower mash or mashed potatoes.

 

Pecan Toffee Monkey Bread

Pecan Toffee Monkey Bread

This sweet cinnamon sugary, pull-apart bread is a sharable treat that the whole family will love. Think bite-sized sticky buns with toasted pecans and Skor toffee bits baked right in. This recipe is as easy to make as it is delicious. Perfect for your next Sunday Brunch!

Tips:

  • Frozen dinner roll dough works perfectly here. I use Knead to Bake which can be found at Save-On Foods and Stongs. The dough takes some time to thaw – directions are on the back of the bag. If you are making this recipe for breakfast set the prepared dough on the counter just before you go to bed.

  • You will need a bundt pan to make the bread. Spray generously with cooking spray. You’ll be flipping the bread out onto a plate and this will stop it from sticking to the pan.
  • Toast the pecans first for extra flavour.

Here’s brief overview of the recipe:

  • Thaw the dough overnight on the counter.
  • When the dough has thawed and risen, cut each roll into quarters. Add the pieces to a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
  • Add half of the dough pieces to the bundt pan, sprinkle with pecans.
  • And the second half of dough pieces to the pan and sprinkle with more pecans
  • Melt the butter with the brown sugar, then pour over the dough and bake.
  • Tip the monkey bread upside down onto serving platter or cake stand.
  • Top with toffee bits and serve.
Monkey bread can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days but it won’t last that long!

Pecan Toffee Monkey Bread

Sweet Sticky Pull-Apart Bread topped with Pecans and Toffee. Delicious!
Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Equipment

  • 9 X 11 baking pan
  • bundt pan

Ingredients

  • 15 frozen dough balls i.e. Knead to Bake frozen dinner roll dough
  • olive oil spray
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup Skor toffee bits

Instructions

  • Spray 9 x 11 baking pan with olive oil spray. Place dough balls into pan, spaced evenly apart. Spray tops of buns with a little more oil then cover pan with plastic wrap to prevent dough from drying out. Set on counter. Dough will thaw and rise in 5 hrs to overnight depending on how warm your kitchen is.
  • When dough has thawed and doubled in size, preheat oven to 350°. Add granulated sugar and cinnamon to a plastic zip back or container with lid and shake to combine. Cut dough balls into quarters using a dough scraper or sharp knife. Place dough into sugar mixture and shake until dough balls are coated.
  • Place pecans in a single layer in a non stick frying pan and toast over medium heat, stirring frequently, until nuts are fragrant and lightly browned.
  • Spray bundt pan generously with olive oil spray. Add a third of the pecans in an even layer to the pan. Arrange 1/2 of the dough balls in pan, sprinkle another third of the pecans over the dough. Top with remaining dough and pecans.
  • Melt butter with the brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. simmer for a couple of minutes until sugar has dissolved. Pour over the dough.
  • Place bread in oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes until dough is browned and cooked through. Carefully flip monkey bread onto a plate, top with toffee pieces and serve.

 

Potato Chip Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dip

Potato Chip Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dip

Seasoned chicken tenders breaded in crushed potato chips with honey mustard dipping sauce on the side. Who’s in? Brings me right back to my childhood when my mom used to make this for me and my sister. She used whole chicken breasts – before chicken strips were a thing!

These chicken tenders are perfectly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. They’re baked instead of fried and way tastier that the ones you buy in the freezer section. Easy to make and a crowd pleaser!

Adding the seasoning straight onto the chicken before dipping them in flour lends more flavour to the chicken. The right chip is essential: a thin chip like Lay’s works best here to make the coating light and crispy. I buy the family-size bag because we always eat the extras! You can use your hands to crush the potato chips but I like to add them to a zip lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. This recipe calls for 2 lbs (0.9kg) of chicken tenders which yields approximately 20 tenders. If you can’t find chicken tenders, use chicken breasts and cut them into 1-inch strips.

Bake these on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and you’ll find they brown up beautifully without the need for added oil.

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Potato Chip Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dip

Seasoned chicken tenders breaded in crushed potato chips with honey mustard dipping sauce on the side. So easy to make and kid-approved!
Course: Main Course
Keyword: easy weeknight meal, family friendly

Equipment

  • 1 sheetpan lined with parchment paper

Ingredients

  • 2lb (0.9kg) chicken tenders
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • 4 cups crushed potato chips

Seeded Honey Mustard Sauce

  • 3 tbsp dijon
  • 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/4 tsp onion salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°f.
    Add mustards, honey, mayonnaise and onion salt to a small bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside. Season chicken tenders on both sides with salt, garlic powder and pepper.
  • Place flour, beaten eggs and crushed potato chips into 3 separate bowls. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, place in flour to coat completely. Shake off any excess flour then dip the chicken into the egg mixture and lastly place in the potato chips, pressing the crumbs into the chicken to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken, spacing them an inch apart.
  • Bake for 10 minutes then flip and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until coating is brown and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°f. Serve with honey mustard dip on the side.

 

Turkey, Brie & Cranberry Pockets

Turkey, Brie & Cranberry Pockets

One of my favourite uses for leftover turkey are these puff pastry pockets stuffed with chopped turkey, caramelized onions, cranberry sauce and melty brie. I like to serve these for Boxing Day brunch with a light salad. Just delicious.

I use Tenderflake puff pastry to cut down on time and it works perfectly in this recipe. Working with puff pastry may seem intimidating but it’s really very easy. All you need is a floured work surface and rolling pin and a sharp knife. You can find puff pastry in your freezer section, just remember to thaw it overnight in your fridge.

You can omit the caramelized onions if you are pressed for time but I highly recommend adding them. They add a lovely sweet layer of taste to this recipe!

 

 

Turkey, Brie & Cranberry Pockets

Puff pastry stuffed with savoury turkey, creamy brie and cranberry sauce. Perfect for a light lunch!
Course: Main Course

Equipment

  • sheet pan lined with parchment paper
  • medium sauce pan
  • sharp knife

Ingredients

  • 2 medium yellow onions
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pkg Tenderflake puff pastry
  • all purpose flour for dusting
  • 6 heaping tsp cranberry sauce
  • 2 cups cooked turkey small dice
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 8 oz brie round

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°. Prepare caramelized onions. Slice in half from root to tip. Remove skin and place cut side down on cutting board. Next slice thinly and aim for the slices to be as even as possible so that they will cook at the same rate. Before you add them to the pan, separate the onion layers. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook slowly, stirring often for 20 minutes or longer until onions reach a deep brown colour. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Prepare the puff pastry. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. The pastry will come in two squares - using a sharp knife separate them. Roll out the first square to a size of approximately 10 inches x 10 inches. Cut the dough into 3 even parts vertically and then cut in half horizontally. You will have 6 even rectangles.
  • Add one heaping teaspoon of cranberry sauce to the centre of each pastry piece. Using the back of a spoon spread the sauce making sure to leave an inch border around the edges. Add 1 heaping tbsp of caramelized onion to each tart and spread to cover the cranberry sauce. Add turkey in the same manner. Season with thyme and salt and pepper. Slice brie into 6 pieces. Add 1 slice of brie to each section of turkey.
  • Roll out the second square so that it's a little larger than the first - approximately 10.5 X 10.5. Cut the dough into 3 even parts vertically and then cut in half horizontally as in the previous step. Add this pastry to the top of the filled bottom pieces. Close the pastry edges with the help of a fork. You can brush the edges with a little bit of water so it seals nicely. Trim off any excess pastry.
  • Beat the egg and brush each pastry with it.
  • Place tarts on a baking sheet with parchment paper, Bake for 15-20 minutes on the middle rack until tops are golden brown and pastry is cooked.
Glühwein

Glühwein

Glühwein is a warm spicy mulled wine traditionally served après ski or at Christmas markets across Germany. I first tried it a little closer to home at the Vancouver Christmas market – I remember it was a miserable rainy night and a few sips of this lovely drink warmed us up right away. Glühwein translates to glow-wine which explains exactly how you feel after a glass, warm and glowing.

Typical glühwein contains cinnamon sticks, oranges and cloves. I like to add cardamom, star anise and a little amber rum to notch things up. A few tips:

  • Use a dry full-bodied red wine for this recipe. It doesn’t need to be pricey.
  • Don’t bring the wine to a boil, it will burn the alcohol off. Gently simmer.
  • This recipe will yield 4-6 servings. For a larger crowd, you can easily double the recipe.

 

 

Glühwein

German-style mulled wine that will warm you up on cold winter nights.
Course: Drinks

Ingredients

  • 1 750ml bottle dry red wine cabernet sauvignon or malbec
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 whole star anise
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 whole cardamom pods
  • 12 whole cloves
  • 1 medium navel orange sliced into 4 rounds
  • amber rum, for serving

Instructions

  • Add sugar and water to large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low.
  • Take 3 rounds of orange and stud each one with 4 cloves. Cut the remaining round into 4-6 wedges and set aside. Add wine, clove studded oranges, star anise, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods to pot. Simmer gently for 30 minutes up to an hour or longer. At this point you can strain the spices and oranges out of the wine.
  • To serve add 1/2 oz of rum to small heat proof mugs and pour mulled wine over top. Garnish with reserved orange wedge and a cinnamon stick, if desired.