My Mothers Chicken Spaghetti Food

CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH MY MOTHER'S MARINARA SAUCE AND BUCATINI

Steps:

• For the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes until the onions are softened slightly but not brown. Stir in the garlic, sugar and red pepper flakes. (If the onions begin to brown, add a splash of water.)
• Stir in the grated carrots and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and continue to cook until the carrots soften, about 2 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and use a wooden spoon to break up some of the whole tomatoes. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes are fairly broken down and the sauce has thickened, at least 30 minutes. Season to taste and add water as necessary. Stir in the basil leaves. Keep the sauce warm.
• For the chicken: Lay a piece of chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and use the smooth side of a meat mallet to pound into a 1/4-inch-thick cutlet. Repeat with remaining cutlet then slice both pieces in half.
• Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Combine the breadcrumbs and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Crack the eggs in a second shallow dish and whisk to blend. Sprinkle the chicken pieces on both sides with salt and dip each thoroughly in the eggs; transfer to the breadcrumbs to thoroughly coat. Place the chicken on the paper towels.
• For the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt. (The pasta water should taste like seawater.) Add the pasta to the pot and stir so it doesn't stick. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente (chewy but not hard or raw tasting). Drain well and set aside.
• To finish the chicken: Fill a medium cast-iron skillet with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup canola oil (to come about 1/4 of the way up the sides) and heat over medium until the oil is just barely starting to smoke. Sprinkle the top of each cutlet with salt and gently place in the oil, salted-side down. Add the butter to the pan and as it begins to foam, shake the pan gently. Cook on the first side until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently flip to the second side, sprinkle with salt and carefully spoon some of the hot oil mixture on top. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, an additional 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the pan with a slotted spatula to clean paper towels to drain slightly.
• Preheat the broiler with the rack in the highest position. Divide the sauce between 2 medium bowls, one for the pasta and one for the chicken Parmesan.
• To assemble the chicken Parmesan, add some tomato sauce to a small cast-iron skillet or baking dish. Layer with a couple mozzarella slices and the basil. Put one of the fried chicken cutlets on top of the basil, followed by another spoonful of sauce, then a second layer of mozzarella. Place the second chicken cutlet next, followed by a third layer of sauce, more mozzarella and a large sprinkle of Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken and other ingredients in a second small cast-iron skillet. Place the skillets on a sheet tray and broil until the cheese is melted and slightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Top with more freshly grated Parmesan.
• Toss the pasta and sauce together in a large bowl and taste for seasoning. Top with grated Parmesan. Serve with the skillets of chicken parm.

MY MOTHER'S CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Place the chicken with neck, gizzard, heart and liver in a kettle and add chicken broth to cover and salt to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer until the chicken is tender without being dry, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool.
• Remove the chicken and take the meat from the bones. Shred the meat, cover and set aside. Return the skin and bones to the kettle and cook the stock down 30 minutes or longer. There should be four to six cups of broth. Strain and reserve the broth. Discard the skin and bones.
• Meanwhile, put the tomatoes in a saucepan and cook down to half the original volume, stirring. There should be one and one‐half cups.
• Melt three tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring to blend with a wire whisk. When blended and smooth, add one cup of the reserved hot broth and the cream, stirring rapidly with the whisk. When thickened and smooth, add the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• If the mushrooms are very small or button mushrooms, leave them whole. Otherwise, cut them in half or quarter them. Heat one tablespoon of butter in a small skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally and stirring the mushrooms until they are golden brown. Set aside.
• Heat three tablespoons of butter in a deep skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the celery and green pepper and cook, stirring, about five minutes. Do not overcook. The vegetables should remain crisp‐tender.
• Add the garlic, beef and pork and cook, stirring and chopping down with the edge of a large metal spoon to break up the meat. Cook just until the meat loses its red color. Add the bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Add the tomatoes and the white sauce made with the chicken broth. Add the mushrooms.
• Cook the spaghetti or spaghettini in boiling salted water until it is just tender. Do not overcook. Remember that it will cook again when blended with the chicken and meat sauce. Drain the spaghetti and run under cold running water.
• Spoon enough of the meat sauce over the bottom of a five‐ or six‐quart casserole to cover it lightly. Add about one‐third of the spaghetti. Add about one‐third of the shredded chicken, a layer of meat sauce, a layer of grated Cheddar cheese and another layer of spaghetti. Continue making layers, ending with a layer of spaghetti topped with a thin layer of meat sauce and grated Cheddar cheese.
• Pour in up to two cups of the reserved chicken broth or enough to almost but not quite cover the top layer of spaghetti. Cover and let the spaghetti stand for four hours or longer. If the liquid is absorbed as the dish stands, add a little more chicken broth. Remember that when this dish is baked and served, the sauce will be just a bit soupy rather than thick and clinging.
• When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. (One of the stipulations in the original recipe for this dish is that the spaghetti including all the ingredients be combined at least four hours before baking, but it's not necessary.)
• Place the spaghetti casserole on top of the stove and bring it just to the boil. Cover and place it in the oven. Bake 15 minutes and uncover. Bake 15 minutes longer or until the casserole is hot and bubbling throughout and starting to brown on top. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese on the side.

MY MOTHER'S TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Open the can of tomatoes and pour the juice into a bowl. Use the lid to press against the tomatoes to extract as much juice as possible. In the can, avoiding cutting yourself with the rim, use your hand to squeeze the tomatoes to a pulp. Re-strain out the new juices, and reserve the juice and pulp separately. Fill the empty can half full with water and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook with a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the tomato juices and bring to a boil. Simmer rapidly until the juice thickens, then add the crushed tomato pulp, oregano, the half can of water, bay leaf, and salt and pepper, to taste. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the mixture thickens and reduces to about 3 1/2 cups, about 30 to 45 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

MAMA'S CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Turn crock-pot on to High heat. Dice up small onion and place into crock-pot. Cube both Velveeta blocks and place in crock-pot. Pour cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, and Ro*Tel into crock-pot.
• While the cheese and soup mix is cooking in the crock-pot, start boiling a pot for you spaghetti noodles. Cook as directed on package of noodles. Continue to stir off and on the cheese and soup mixture.
• Once all of the cheese has melted, add the chicken to the mixture in the crock-pot. Let cook with chicken for about 10-15 minutes. Turn the crock-pot to medium heat, and then add cooked noodles. Let stand in crock-pot for another 15 minutes, and then ready to serve.

MY MOTHER'S CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH SPECIAL TOUCHES

Steps:

• Recommended Equipment:.
• A 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet with 3-inch-high sides or deeper, with a cover.
• Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off excess skin and all visible fat. Cut the drumsticks from the thighs. If using breast halves, cut into two small pieces.
• Make the bacon roll-ups: Cut the bacon slices in half crosswise and roll each strip into a neat, tight cylinder. Stick a toothpick through the roll to secure it; cut or break the toothpick so only a tiny bit sticks out (allowing the bacon to roll around and cook evenly).
• Pour the canola oil into the skillet and set over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt on all sides. When the oil is very hot, lay the pieces in it, skin side down, an inch or so apart - watch out for oil spatters. Don't crowd the chicken: if necessary, fry it in batches, with similar pieces (like drumsticks) together.
• Drop the bacon rolls into the oil around the chicken, turning and shifting them often. Let the chicken pieces fry in place for several minutes to brown on the underside, then turn and continue frying until they're golden brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes or more. Fry breast pieces only for 5 minutes or so, taking them out of the oil as soon as they are golden. Let the bacon rolls cook and get lightly crisp, but not dark. Adjust the heat to maintain steady sizzling and coloring; remove the crisped chicken pieces with tongs to a bowl.
• Meanwhile, rinse and dry the potatoes; slice each one through the middle on the axis that gives the largest cut surface, then toss them with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• When all the chicken and bacon is cooked and out of the skillet, pour off the frying oil. Return the skillet to medium heat and put in all the potatoes, cut side down in a single layer, into the hot pan. With a spatula, scrape all the olive oil out of the mixing bowl into the skillet; drizzle over it a bit more oil if the pan seems dry. Fry and crisp the potatoes for about 4 minutes to form a crust, then move them around the pan, still cut side down, until they're all brown and crisp, 7 minutes or more. Turn them over, and fry another 2 minutes to cook and crisp on their rounded skin sides.
• If cooking everything together:.
• Still over medium heat, toss the onion wedges and rosemary branches around the pan, in with the potatoes. If using cherry peppers (either hot or sweet), cut the seeded halves into 1/2-inch-wide pieces and scatter them in the pan too.
• Return the chicken pieces - except breast pieces - to the pan, along with the bacon rolls; pour in any chicken juices that have accumulated. Raise the heat slightly, and carefully turn and tumble the chicken, potatoes, and onion (and bacon and/or pepper pieces), so they're heating and getting coated with pan juices  but take care not to break the potato pieces. Spread everything out in the pan  potatoes on the bottom as much as possible, to keep crisping up  and cover.
• Return the heat to medium, and cook for about 7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, then uncover, and tumble the pieces and potatoes (and bacon rolls) again. Cover, and cook another 7 minutes or so, adding the breast pieces at this point. Give everything another tumble. Now cook covered for 10 minutes more.
• Remove the cover, turn the pieces again, and cook in the open skillet for about 10 minutes, to evaporate the moisture and caramelize everything. Taste a bit of the potato (or chicken) for salt, and sprinkle on more as needed. Turn the pieces now and then; when they are all glistening and golden, and the potatoes are cooked through, remove the skillet from the stove and - as I do at home - bring it right to the table. Serve portions of chicken and potatoes, or let people help themselves. Serves 4 or more.