Tangy Lesson Learned Chicken

The guild and I have cleared current content and are still running the last tiers raid weekly.  Oh yeah I know your reaction and believe me I'm feeling the grind.  So is my team.  The legendary weapon/guild achievement/pet we are trying for are quickly becoming less and less magical.  The raid is turning into something we dread and coast through half asleep.  So why are we doing it?  Because we're living up to our word.  This has definitely taught me a lesson in guild leading.  NEVER again will the guild sponsor 2 legendaries being built.  It's definitely a painful lesson learned and a wakeup call on legendary building 101.  Much like the wake up call you'll need when you're mid raid for the 39th kill on the same boss.  Good thing this recipe is tangy and might keep you awake on farm nights!

This one also comes with a lesson to learn for yourself.  Currently the house is divided on is it's too tangy.  The 53 year old swears it's perfect while the 17 year old says it needs less vinegar.  So you might want to judge your fondness and try a little less the first go around. Serve this with some rice or pasta, biscuits with chive butter, butter peas, vidalia onion, ect...  you might get that 39th kill.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 6 - 8 hours
Skill Needed: Apprentice

Ingredients:

• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 2/3 c Vinegar 
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 c packed Brown Sugar
• 1/4 c Lemon-Lime Soda
• 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Pepper  
  

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in Crockpot.
2. Mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl.
3. Pour mixture over chicken.
4. Cook on low 6 - 8 hours.  In my 5 qt it took 6 and a half hours but it can vary.

Pi Week - BRB Chicken Pot Pie

 

Pi day has passed for the year but Pi Week continues for us.  Today we have something savory since I'm still sugared up from yesterdays Lemonade Pie.  This one is quick and insanely easy to make, toss in the oven, and let it bake while you're doing dailies.  Even with an hour till raid time, you can easily bake it up and eat before first pull.  I call it BRB Chicken Pot Pie...

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Skill Needed: Apprentice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Cooked Chicken 
• 1  2/3 cups Frozen Vegetable, thawed 
• 1  can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 cup Bisquick
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 Egg 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Chop chicken into bite size pieces.
3. Mix chicken, vegetables, and cream of chicken soup and spread into bottom of a non-greased 9in round glass pie pan.
4. Mix Bisquick, milk, and Egg and pour over chicken mixture.
5. Bake 30 minutes until top is golden brown.

Pi Week - Spicy Chicken Pie

It's almost 3.14, you know what that means?  It's PI WEEK here at the Hungry Gamer!  We are celebrating by conjuring some fantastic, quick and easy Pies.  To avoid the awful sugar high I'd be on from eating 5 sweet pies, I'm throwing in some savory ones too. 

Our first pie is a Spicy Chicken Pie.  No cooking a Boomkin for the Chicken!  This is super easy to make and is great as left overs too.


Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 45min
Skill Needed: Apprentice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Chicken, cooked
• 1/2 cup Onion, chopped
• 1 pkg Taco Seasoning
• 1 cup Bisquick
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease bottom and sides of a 9 x 1 1/4 in pie pan.
2. Chop your cooked chicken.  Mix Chicken, Onions and Taco Seasoning.  Sprinkle into pie pan.
3. Stir Bisquick, Milk and Eggs until Blended.  Pour into pie pan.
4. Bake 30 - 35 minutes.  Add Cheddar Cheese  to top.  Bake another 1 to 2 minutes until cheese is melted.  Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes, or sour cream if desired.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

I am not a spaghetti fan.  At 33 I still have nightmares of big plates full from my childhood.  The spaghetti sauce getting everywhere, the fat hunks of onions & peppers lurking in this mesh of slippery noodles that would never stay on my fork, and the infamous words "Spaghetti sauce is like ketchup!  You eat ketchup right?"  My 4yr old self would've gladly ate noodles covered in ketchup but not spaghetti.  Then my Mom finally triumphed by making "white spaghetti" and, while I'm still not a fan of any type of spaghetti, I can atleast live peacefully with it now.

"That's great April but has nothing to do with gaming!"  I know but I make that point to make this one.  Sometimes you just have to try to coexist with things you aren't a fan of.  I discovered something this week that bothers be...  the Looking For Raid system in WoW.  My guild killed the end boss from Cataclysm this week, Hooray!  Everyone was happy but the whole week seem to be missing the energy and excitement of past expansions.  I fear killing Deathwing weekly in pugs has taken away from the magic.  To me it's a tragedy but I'll coexist since the system does help my lowbies gear.  I do wish they would've left last boss inaccessible until all nerfs were over.  I think it would let the end boss stay a more satisfying kill.

For now Looking For Raid and Spaghetti will remain on equal ground with me.  Looking for raid isn't my favorite addition to WoW but could definitely be worse.  Spaghetti is bad to me but can be made better for the anti-spaghetti crowd.  If you're in that crowd, this is for you!  This isn't my Mom's White Spaghetti but it's an easy Crock-pot recipe you can meet the Spaghetti lovers halfway on. 


Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 3hrs
Skill Needed: Apprentice

Ingredients:

• 16 oz Dry Spaghetti
• 1lb Velveeta Light Cheese
• 2 c Shredded Chicken, Cooked
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 10 oz can Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 Small Onion. Diced
• 1 Medium Green Pepper, Diced
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil your Spaghetti Noodles as directed on package.  Drain excess water.
2. Spray Crock-Pot with non-stick spray.
3. Combine cooked Spaghetti & all other ingredients in Crock-Pot.  Stir until mixed thoroughly.
4. Cook on Low for 2-3 hours.
5. Stir before serving

Parmesan Anzu Chicken

Ok Warcrafters, time to 'fess up.  How many times have you farmed Sethekk Halls to get that swanky Raven Lord mount?  Once?  Twice?  100 times?  /pat I understand how frustrating that bird is.  Everyday you head out to a ghostland of a zone, kill rooms full of baddies, then kill that bird yet get nothing to show for it.  I say it's time to get a taste of revenge.  While we can't cook Anzu himself, this Parmesan Chicken will make even the most frustrated farmers feel a bit better.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 7 Hours
Serves: 4
Skill Needed: Apprentice

Ingredients: 

• 1/2c Breadcrumbs 
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves 
• 1/4c Parmesan Cheese 
• 1/2t Italian Seasoning 
• 1/4t Black Pepper 
• 1/4t Kosher Salt
• 1 T Olive Oil
• 8-12 Slices of Mozzarella Cheese 
• 1 Jar of your favorite Marinara Sauce 

Directions:

1. Spread olive oil into bottom of CrockPot.
2. Grab 2 dishes.  In the first dish, whip the egg with a fork.  In the other dish, mix breadcrumbs, parmesan, seasoning, salt & pepper.
3. A piece at a time, take your chicken and dip it into egg to cover it.  Now dip it into seasoning bowl to coat.
4. Place coated chicken in the bottom of your crock.
5. Put 2-3 slices of mozzarella onto each piece of chicken.
6. Pour marinara sauce over chicken.
7. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4.

Ranch /Chicken

Us Warcraft nuts understand the importance of a well timed /chicken.  Opposing faction interupts your fishing, you flag but they won't...  /chicken.  You challenge someone to a duel, they decline...  /chicken.  You are 1 pet short of an achievement & realize you never completed the quest !Cluck to get the Westfall Chicken... /chicken /chicken /chicken.  A well timed chicken doesn't have to end in Azeroth my gamers.  This recipe is like most all masterpieces from a Crockpot.  It's easy, fairly low maintenance...  except this is a weekender. 

A weekender needs a little attention.  These are slow cooker meals you can't leave unattended from assembly till time to eat.  I call these weekenders because you can start it and do your normal weekend chores... laundry, mow, clean, farm gold, whatever you generally do as long as you are back in the kitchen on and off as needed.  Let's look at this baby' maintenance...

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 6 hours
Serves: 4

Skill Needed: Artisan

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 dash paprika
• 1 package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in bottom of your slow cooker.

2. Sprinkle paprika and dressing onto chicken.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

3. Cover with lid and let it cook 4 hours.

4. After 4 hours, in a large skillet mince your garlic and saute it in 1 tablespoon of butter. Add broth, soup, cream cheese, oregano and parsley.  Stir on medium heat until smooth.

5. Pour into slowly into cooker to cover chicken.

6. Cover with lid and let it cook 2 more hours.

   
   

   Really good with noodles!

Jacked Up Peach Chicken

Ahhh Jack Daniels has always been a sweet friend. Mostly after a horrible raid night to take the edge off but today we're hitting the sauce early! No not to drink (although if you do get a shot, I won't tell if you don't... my lips are sealed!). Today Jack is literally the sauce, atleast part of the sauce. Add some peach preserves and barbecue sauce and your chicken will thank you. Let's get cooking:

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 5 hours
Serves: 4

Skill Needed: Apprentice

Ingredients:

• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1 Bottle Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce
• 1/2 an Onion Diced
• 1/2c Jack Daniels Whiskey
• 12oz Peach Preserves
• 4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast
  

Directions:

1. In a bowl mix barbecue sauce, Jack Daniels whiskey, and peach preserves.
2. Dice 1/2 of a medium onion and crush a clove of garlic then add to sauce bowl.
3. Stir well
4. Cover bottom of crock pot with half the sauce, lay chicken in bottom, then cover chicken with remaining sauce.
5. Cook on High 5 hours.

Fiesta Chicken

Every gamer has seen it... You see that huge baddie in your path, prepare yourself for a Battle of Epic Proportion, charge in with weapons drawn, but then 5 seconds later you're staring at a screen saying "That was it??" Well gamers meet "That was it????" cooking that have you ready for your next Epic Battle.


Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 7-8hrs
Skill Needed: Apprentice

Ingredients:

• 3 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Chicken Soup
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Corn, Drained
• 1 can (15.5 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Undrained
• 1 cup Mild Chunky Salsa (Use your favorite!)
  
• 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
• 2 cups Cooked Mexican Rice
  
• Shredded Cheese, Lettuce, Tortilla Chips, Sour Cream, Tomatoes, ect to serve as sides

Directions:

1. Take a Deep Breathe, this may be a challenge to make.
2. Put Chicken in bottom of a 6qt Crock-Pot.
3. Pour Cream of Chicken soup over the Chicken.
4. On top of soup, pour Corn, Black Beans, and Salsa. Just dump them in!
   
5. Sprinkle Taco Seasoning in.
6. Stir Lightly.
7. Now put the Lid on & let Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
   
8. Try not to go crazy from the heavenly smell coming from your kitchen.
9. About 30 minutes before time to serve, Cook your Mexican Rice as directed on the package. When it's done, dump it in your Crock-Pot and stir lightly.
   
10. Serve plain or dress it up with Lettuce, Cheese, Tomatoes, Tortillas, Sour Cream or any Combo of toppings you like.

Salsa Chicken

Another super simple recipe for the Apprentice Cook. This time we are spicing up some plain Chicken with some south of the border flavor. Add some Easy Spanish Rice and enjoy!

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 55 Minutes
Skill Needed: Apprentice

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 4 -5 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 -1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear.
5. Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Top with sour cream if desired, and serve.