Tired of our routine chicken entrée

[FluffyAngel]

My dilemma is as follows: I am tired of our routine chicken entrees and assumed since we've had it so much (4 days out of six) that hubby would be too. I was WRoNG. I asked him to pick out the meat for supper tomorrow - he brings me a huge pack of chicken drumsticks. I don't want to fry them (unhealthy and all that). I'm thinking of baking them. I'd like to keep them intact. Now for help with some flavor. I love chicken, but I need help before my chicken love turns to chicken loathing. So here is the regular routine flavors I'm trying to avoid: hot wings, Italian marinades, teriyaki. Also would like to avoid marinara sauce. Ok, ready for suggestions.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Baking pan, layered with sliced onions and garlic. Drumsticks on top, lots of coarse ground pepper and lemon juice, sea salt sprinkled on. Cover with foil, Bake, remove foil last 10 minutes for chicken to brown. Serve on white rice, spooning the pan juices over with the onions.

 

[Alix]

Shake n Bake (or your homemade version).

Brush drumsticks with mustard and then sprinkle seasoned salt on them liberally and grill or bake in oven.

Lemon pepper, some zest and onion powder then baked.

Coq au vin.

Lightly fried with gravy and buttermilk biscuits.

Sweet and tangy (1 cup ketchup, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup salsa and 1 Tbsp oregano) poured over drumsticks and baked in oven. Serve with rice.

Cacciatore.

Brushed with BBQ sauce?

 

[Aunt Bea]

I do them with a molasses/tomato barbeque sauce and then use the pan drippings to coat cooked rice for a sort of sticky rice. Not healthy but, tasty.

I also do an oven fry sort of shake and bake made with flour, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper and various spices. I just wet the chicken and coat it then bake in an oiled pan.

Toss in some lemon juice and bake them on a cookie sheet with some melted butter.

Finally the old smother it with cream of something soup and use the gravy over noodles, potatoes etc.

Lately I have been buying a whole chicken and stuffing it with odds and ends for an old fashioned Sunday dinner type meal. The leftovers give me a little more variety for about the same price as the legs.

 

[Aunt Bea]

It looks like we all need some inspiration!

 

[babetoo]

i don't buy legs. thighs however are very good in crock pot with salsa. shred up to put on a tortilla, then add what ever you like, cheese, onions, lettuce etc.

 

[PolishedTopaz]

I had leftover chimichurri sauce, put it under the skin of bone-on chicken breasts and baked it. It was awesome!

 

[Kayelle]

My dilemma is as follows: I am tired of our routine chicken entrees and assumed since we've had it so much (4 days out of six) that hubby would be too. I was WRoNG. I asked him to pick out the meat for supper tomorrow - he brings me a huge pack of chicken drumsticks. I don't want to fry them (unhealthy and all that). I'm thinking of baking them. I'd like to keep them intact. Now for help with some flavor. I love chicken, but I need help before my chicken love turns to chicken loathing. So here is the regular routine flavors I'm trying to avoid: hot wings, Italian marinades, teriyaki. Also would like to avoid marinara sauce. Ok, ready for suggestions.

Here's one of my favorite out of the ordinary chicken recipes. http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f15/kayelles-chicken-paprikash-70254.html I use cut up chicken thighs but whole drumsticks could be adapted. I would brown them first.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I think drumsticks are the least desirable and most difficult chicken part to cook on a repeated basis. Think chicken wings. If you don't enjoy those recipes then at least switch to chicken thighs.

 

[Kayelle]

I think drumsticks are the least desirable and most difficult chicken part to cook on a repeated basis. Think chicken wings. If you don't enjoy those recipes then at least switch to chicken thighs.

I must agree with you Greg. I don't like drumsticks ever, and personally won't eat them, however the question was how to use drumsticks.

 

[Alix]

Greg, her husband brought these to her to prepare. Telling her they are inedible is less than helpful. What she's looking for are ways to prepare them that are not on her list of "ways to avoid". Lordy, I'd happily choose different pieces as well, but you have to make do with what you've got right?

 

[FluffyAngel]

Thanks you guys.

 

[FluffyAngel]

Baking pan, layered with sliced onions and garlic. Drumsticks on top, lots of coarse ground pepper and lemon juice, sea salt sprinkled on. Cover with foil, Bake, remove foil last 10 minutes for chicken to brown. Serve on white rice, spooning the pan juices over with the onions.

This one I will try first since we both love onions & garlic and haven't had the lemon pepper flavor in some time now. Thanks.

 

[FluffyAngel]

Shake n Bake (or your homemade version).

Brush drumsticks with mustard and then sprinkle seasoned salt on them liberally and grill or bake in oven.

Lemon pepper, some zest and onion powder then baked.

Coq au vin.

Lightly fried with gravy and buttermilk biscuits.

Sweet and tangy (1 cup ketchup, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup salsa and 1 Tbsp oregano) poured over drumsticks and baked in oven. Serve with rice.

Cacciatore.

Brushed with BBQ sauce?

I like the sweet and tangy idea, I will try this one pretty soon. We actually had fried chicken with gravy and buttermilk biscuits a couple of days ago. Thanks.

 

[FluffyAngel]

I do them with a molasses/tomato barbeque sauce and then use the pan drippings to coat cooked rice for a sort of sticky rice. Not healthy but, tasty.

I also do an oven fry sort of shake and bake made with flour, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper and various spices. I just wet the chicken and coat it then bake in an oiled pan.

Toss in some lemon juice and bake them on a cookie sheet with some melted butter.

Finally the old smother it with cream of something soup and use the gravy over noodles, potatoes etc.

Lately I have been buying a whole chicken and stuffing it with odds and ends for an old fashioned Sunday dinner type meal. The leftovers give me a little more variety for about the same price as the legs.

The molasses/tomato BBQ sauce suggestion sounds pretty good. I will definitely save this one for my arsenal. I also do an oven sort of shake n bake thing much like yours. And funny you should mention whole chicken. My husband's uncle owns a small Restuarant and we are given umm... peculiar gifts of food from time to time (not complaining at all). Well our most recent gift is a whole frozen chicken. There comes another thread.LOL. Thanks.

 

[Addie]

I always French my legs or thighs. Or I debone them completely. Then treat and cook like cutlets. When they are Frenched, you can pick up the legs and gnaw on them easier.

 

[FluffyAngel]

I think drumsticks are the least desirable and most difficult chicken part to cook on a repeated basis. Think chicken wings. If you don't enjoy those recipes then at least switch to chicken thighs.

We don't have drumsticks on a repeated basis, just chicken in general. Thanks anyway.

 

[FluffyAngel]

i don't buy legs. thighs however are very good in crock pot with salsa. shred up to put on a tortilla, then add what ever you like, cheese, onions, lettuce etc.

Have done this a time or ten. Good one. We love Mexican.

 

[FluffyAngel]

I had leftover chimichurri sauce, put it under the skin of bone-on chicken breasts and baked it. It was awesome!

Ok, this would probably be embarrassing if you guys knew me personally but what's chimichurri sauce? I'm betting that I've had it, & just didn't known what it was called.

 

[CWS4322]

I caught a Rachel Ray Meals/Food for 5 days (?) show this morning. She took homemade salsa (but jarred would work), added some EVOO and marinated chicken breasts in the salsa (she cooked them on a stovetop grill--I'll probably end up cooking them in the oven when I'm at my folks). She also used some of the salsa (without the EVOO) to make a Spanish-style rice. It was super easy re: the time and the ingredients, and looked as if it would be very good. I suspect the recipe is on the Food Network web site. I'd probably serve green beans instead of the black beans and a fresh tossed salad with this. I'm making this for my folks when I'm in MN. It is something my dad could make easily and they always have jarred salsa in the fridge/pantry, chicken breasts in the freezer, and they love spanish rice.