Boneless, skinless chicken breast is a great staple to keep in the freezer for adding to sandwiches, soups, pastas and countless other dishes. We especially love it on top of a big salad for a healthy lunch or dinner. The only problem is that plain chicken can taste rather……um……plain. The remedy? A marinade, of course. Unfortunately, I usually don’t get the chicken thawed out ahead of time. Or I thaw it out, but forget to marinate it. Lucky for me, I have an easy solution that’s just as good as a marinade. Maybe even better. And all it requires is a bottle of Italian salad dressing and a frying pan.
My secret? I cook the chicken in the Italian dressing. To help the chicken cook more evenly, I’ll often place the pieces in a plastic zipper bag and beat them until they are of an even thickness. This step isn’t necessary, but it is fun (oh yeah, it also makes for nicely cooked and seasoned meat). Then, simply pour enough dressing into the skillet to coat the bottom. Heat your pan just like you normally would. Add the chicken, and pour a bit more Italian dressing onto the top each piece. Brown it lightly on each side, then cover and cook, as usual, until no longer pink. That’s it. Yummy and quick chick.
That’s what works for me. Find more helpful ideas over on Works for Me Wednesday. And if you’re new to GOSPEL HOMEMAKING, I hope you’ll stay and have a look around. Thanks for visiting! You may want to subscribe to have free updates and To Do reminders sent directly to your inbox!
Photo credit: ms. lume
My parents used to cook chicken in italian all the time! So yummy!
What a great idea! I will have to try this because I never get to thaw ahead either!
Brilliant idea! I bet you could do that with almost any marinade, and it’s a lot faster than breading the chicken and cooking it that way. This is definitely one I’ll try soon!
This is great idea! You can also freeze them with the marinade to start off with. I buy the big (10 lb.) bags of boneless chicken breasts at Sams Club. When I get them home I divide them into portions that I will use at a time into zip lock freezer bags. Put the marinade in, press as much air out as I can and freeze until I am ready to use. When ready I thaw in the refrigerator overnight ( or microwave if last minute) By the time it is thawed the meat is marinated as well