A Month-of-Recipes: Chicken Cupcake Bites

I’ve written about chicken and turkey cupcakes before, so how could I leave them out of this line-up? This variation has some ingredients modifications and is baked in a mini-muffin pan to keep these bite-sized. If you don’t have a mini-muffin pan, you can use a regular one, of course. But a regular-sized chicken cupcake is probably more than you want for an appetizer.

So go buy one of those little pans. I use mine as much as the regular size since we like teeny dessert bites, too.

Chicken Cupcake Bites (makes 24)

Dough:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon tarragon

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

¼ teaspoon salt

Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ medium onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon tarragon

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

1½ cup cooked chicken, finely shredded

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, butter, tarragon, yogurt, and salt to make a soft dough. Set aside to rest while you prepare the chicken filling.

Mix cream cheese, onion, garlic, tarragon, and red pepper flakes together. Reserve ½ cup cheese. Add remainder to cream cheese mixture. Add chicken. Stir thoroughly.

Lightly spray the muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Divide the dough into 24 equal-size balls. Roll or press balls into circles. Press dough into muffin cups bringing some dough up over the top edge.

Divide chicken mixture among the biscuits. Tuck the top edges over the chicken mixture so it is partially covered. Top with reserved cheddar cheese.

Bake for ~20 minutes or until dough is lightly browned.

Lift out of the muffin pan and put on a platter. Serve immediately.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up. He likes these for appetizers, for dinner, or for lunch while hiking. Tasty, filling, and satisfying. What more could you ask for? Oh, and people WILL ask you to share this recipe!

Month-of-Chicken: Chicken Cupcakes

I know, you’re wondering what in the heck a chicken cupcake is. Is it like that bunny cake you made for Easter? Or maybe it’s a disgusting combo like you’ve seen on the Internet around the Super Bowl for cupcakes with a chicken wing stuck in for decoration?

Nope, keep searching the Internet. Turns out there are a whole bunch of recipes for chicken cupcakes, a savory treat that could be an appetizer or dinner. I put three links at the end for other chicken cupcakes (after you try mine!) to see what you like.

This is a recipe kids will probably like more than adults, so maybe it's what you make to let the kids eat while you and your SO have date night. Or not. It's a quick-to-the-table meal for busy nights, too.

And this is easy. You can make your own biscuits or purchase refrigerator case ones if you are pressed for time. But remember, homemade is best! Just sayin’!

Chicken Cupcake (serves 4-6 for dinner; 12 for appetizers)

2 c flour

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

¼ c butter, softened

1 c plain Greek yogurt

¼ t salt

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T tarragon

1½ c pepperjack cheese, shredded, divided

1½ c cooked chicken, shredded

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly Pam the muffin tin.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, butter, yogurt, and salt to make a soft dough. Set aside to rest while you prepare the chicken mixture.

Mix cream cheese, onion, garlic, and tarragon together. Reserve 4 tablespoons cheese. Add remainder to cream cheese mixture. Add chicken. Stir thoroughly.

Spread biscuit dough on a flour surface. Roll or press to ½” thickness. Cut 12 three-inch circles. Press into muffin cups bringing some dough up over the top edge.

Divide chicken mixture among the biscuits. Tuck the top edges over the chicken mixture so it is partially covered. Top with reserved pepper jack cheese.

Bake for ~30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes so they don’t burn.

Lift out of the muffin pan and put on a platter. Serve immediately with a fruit salad.

Lift out of the muffin pan and put on a platter. Serve immediately with a fruit salad.

DH’s Rating: 3.5 Tongues Up for dinner; 5 Tongues Up for appetizer. He didn’t think there was enough there there to make it an entrée. He liked the taste, just not what he wants. You eat dinner with a fork. You don’t pick it up.

http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/chicken-pot-pie-cupcakes-recipe/1/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=recipe-embed

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2012/12/buffalo-chicken-cupcakes.html

http://quick-dish.tablespoon.com/2012/05/29/tex-mex-mini-chicken-and-cheese-pies/

Month-of-Chicken: Popeye Chicken Casserole

Okay, I’ll grant that most of you are too young to remember Popeye the Sailor Man (toot, toot). Still that icon of a spinach-eating sweet-but-tough guy made its way into the popular culture, popularizing what I would guess is not a popular veggie.

Now, I happen to love spinach--now. But as a child, when all I ever was served was home-canned spinach--not so much. It was slimy and slick and an odd green. We grew spinach, but never ate it fresh. It was for canning for the cold winter months.

As an adult, I had spinach fresh in a salad. Whoa! This was spinach? Then I lightly steamed it, and I not only loved the fresh green color, but the taste was amazing. Same with a light sauté.

These days we eat a lot of spinach. Served under a slab of salmon, in my quiche, on pizza, tossed in a salad, tucked in a casserole. Love it! Today I share an easy busy-day recipe that is beautiful with its colors and its flavors.

Popeye Chicken Casserole (serves 6)

½ c mayo

½ c Greek yogurt, plain

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 grinds of the pepper mill

½ c Asiago cheese, grated

¼ c Fontina cheese, shredded

2 c chicken, leftovers, diced

2 c fresh spinach (or 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained)

Preheat oven to 350º. Pam an 8” or 9” baking dish.

Mix mayo, yogurt, garlic, pepper, Asiago, and Fontina in a small bowl.

In a larger bowl, combine 1/3 of the sauce with the chicken and spinach. Spread in the baking dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over the mixture and smooth across the surface evenly.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up. This man loves casseroles, especially casseroles that feel and look health-conscious. And as casseroles go, you get a filling meal with relatively few calories.