Savory chunks of chicken mingle with sweet grapes, crunchy walnuts, and crisp apples in this easy Chicken Waldorf Salad. This is a lunch you will put on repeat!

Chicken Waldorf Salad

This chicken salad recipe is so ridiculously good. It balances so many different things all at once. It has savory and sweet flavors. It’s got crunchy, crisp, and tender ingredients. And, it’s so easy to make!

There is a reason that Waldorf salad has retained its popularity for over a hundred years. Adding chicken to the classic salad and turning it into a heartier meal, makes it a guaranteed win.

Give it a go and you’ll likely find yourself like me, making it on repeat for two weeks. It’s perfect for a quick lunch or picnic, or make a big bowl for your next potluck.

What is a Waldorf Salad?

The Waldorf salad originated in New York City, specifically at the Waldorf Hotel, which eventually became the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. It was created by the hotel’s maître d, Oscar Tschirky in the late 1800s, using just celery and apples.

Over time, the recipe evolved to include nuts, grapes, and various proteins. This chicken Waldorf salad recipe was inspired by my friend Gina’s Tuna Waldorf Salad. I used canned chicken, but you can use a rotisserie chicken, too.

For what it is worth, I have made this with both types of chicken and it turns out that I prefer it with canned chicken. (Making it about as easy as can be!)

Read more

Honey Roasted Chicken

Juicy, golden honey roasted chicken with crispy glazed skin that is pure comfort! This roasted whole chicken recipe is made for Sunday dinner!

Growing up my favorite meal was honey roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy (actually I ate it plain with butter most times) fresh corn and jello. Yup, I said jello. I requested this dinner every year for my birthday dinner. It was perfection.

Then I grew up and forgot all about roasted chicken. Why? Because buying boneless skinless chicken took over my life. It was easy to buy, easy to freeze and defrost and easy to cook up. But, then I remembered my long ago love for roasted chicken and found this recipe.

I mean hello! Just look at the beautiful golden, delicious skin! I love bringing back old favorites. Don’t you? So many memories.

Ingredients for Honey Roasted Chicken

For the Chicken

• Whole Chicken: You want a chicken that weighs 3-4 lbs. This is good healthy protein!
• Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, and Smoked Paprika
• Aromatics: Onion, Lemon, Garlic, Thyme Sprigs, and Parsley
• Butter: Gets mixed with the seasonings to rub all over the chicken under the skin.
• Egg: Brushed on the skin and helps the skin get crispy.

For the Honey Glaze

• Cornstarch: helps thicken the glaze
• Water: combines with the cornstarch to thicken the glaze
• Honey: adds natural sweetness, flavor and thickness to the glaze
• Apple Cider Vinegar: adds flavor and acidity
• Chicken Broth: adds flavor and is the bulk of the base for the glaze
• White Wine: you can use real wine, cooking wine or just double the chicken broth
• Thyme: adds flavor and freshness to the glaze
• Butter: adds richness

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below. Keep scrolling for all the details!

Why Put Lemon in a Roast Chicken?

Lemon is a great aromatic that releases its flavor into the chicken as it roasts. It adds a delicious flavor to the meat along with the herbs, onions, garlic, etc.

Is Roasting Different Than Baking?

Roasting is done at a higher temperature (400°F and above) to create a browned, flavorful “crust” on the outside of the food.

Baking is done at a lower temperature.

Roasting is usually done in an opened, uncovered pan, and foods that are baked are usually covered.

How Do You Keep Chicken from Drying Out When Roasting?

My top tip for keeping chicken moist while roasting is to truss the chicken. Getting the wings

Teriyaki Chicken Casserole [+ Video]

This classic baked teriyaki chicken casserole recipe is easy to make and the perfect crowd pleasing recipe for a busy weeknight dinner or potluck.

It’s everything you love about takeout without leaving your house! Casseroles are great for dinner because they’re easy to throw together and comforting to come home to. This casserole combines chicken with a sweet savory glaze mixed with tasty fried rice and loads of healthy vegetables!

Before You Begin…

I know, this is kind of like a souped up fried rice, but I’m still calling it a casserole since we are adding in a few extras. We start with our ham fried rice recipe for the base of this casserole. If you haven’t already, you’re going to want to read that post because there’s a secret to making perfect fried rice. Both the fried rice and the teriyaki sauce can be made a day or two ahead of time.

How This Recipe Came to Be

One night after we made a huge batch of the fried rice, our fridge died. And I mean, died. We went just over two weeks without the dang thing while we waited for parts to come in. That first day I knew I needed to throw together a casserole because we didn’t have anything for dinner that night, so the teriyaki chicken casserole was born and what a blessing in disguise because it turned out awesome-sauce!

Well, there were a few months that were bitterly cold and we were feeling so grateful for a warm house. Because almost two weeks after the fridge died our furnace went out. Yaaaaaay. (Can you hear my sarcasm?). What a blessing it was that it was winter so we were able to keep condiments, butter, and such outside.

We learned that we can survive without the fridge. It changed our eating habits and was quite hard, especially for a food blogger, but it just took creativity for meals and helped us to remember to be grateful for our modern day conveniences.

And in the end we made a killer rice casserole recipe with teriyaki chicken, broccoli, fried rice and extra sauce. So maybe in the end the whole fridge debacle was worth it. Because this teriyaki chicken casserole is that delicious. 

Where Does Teriyaki Chicken Come From?

Teriyaki is a cooking technique where foods are grilled or broiled in a glaze of soy sauce, mirin and sugar. It is usually associated with Japanese cuisine, but the technique is used in many Asian cuisines. Teriyaki chicken is a Japanese-American cuisine.

What’s in Teriyaki Chicken Casserole? 

For this easy chicken casserole, you’ll need fried rice, a chicken breast, a packag

Flavorful and tender marinated boneless skinless chicken thighs can be cooked on the grill or baked in the oven. We eat a great deal of chicken in this house and this is one of my favorite ways to cook boneless skinless thighs in the oven.

With just a little pre-planning, this makes a great weeknight meal. My oldest son compares the taste of this chicken to his favorite restaurant chicken dish, which makes this “fancy” tasting enough for a special occasion meal too, in my book!

Marinated Chicken Thighs

Boneless skinless chicken thighs soak up all the flavor of this tangy, savory marinade. The marinade itself is a simple blend of soy sauce, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices.

After whisking all the ingredients together, just pour the marinade over the chicken thighs and let it marinate.

The more time you can devote to marinating the chicken thighs, the better the flavor will be.

How Long to Marinate Chicken Thighs

I’ve made this chicken many different times now and marinating the chicken for the full 24 hours makes a big difference in the flavor for this recipe. 

While the chicken technically takes 24 hours to prepare, nearly all of that time is completely hands-off.

Start the chicken marinating on a Sunday afternoon and you’ll have yourself a delicious Monday night dinner!

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this chicken marinade:

• olive oil
• soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• red wine vinegar
• lemon juice
• dry mustard
• black pepper

Baking Boneless Chicken Thighs

Boneless chicken thighs are often easier to prepare and

Easy Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Save this recipe for easy baked boneless skinless chicken thighs for a quick chicken dinner recipe ready in just 30 minutes!

This easy chicken thighs recipe is for those busy evenings when dinner would just be far too much work and the whole family is pacing the kitchen for food.

Chicken thighs are affordable, full of flavor, foolproof, and always end up juicy! And this recipe is so versatile, it can be served with just about anything! We will give you some suggestions down below.

Easy Dinners

I remember as a kid my mom would occasionally bust out a very easy dinner, which looking back now I know that meant she was probably exhausted from being our mom, but back then I thought she was just being awesome. Easy dinners would range from sausage links and Grandma’s Czech fried potatoes (you MUST make them), or baked bbq chicken to things as easy as hot dogs and mac n cheese in that big silver pot, chicken nuggets or even fruit and toast. Yes, this easy baked chicken thighs post is actually going to be all about the fruit and toast thing.

You see, fruit and toast was actually a favorite Saturday night dinner at our house growing up. Our family had 5 kids, 2 bunnies, a cat, and later a dog. Which is hilarious if you know me now. Anyway, Mom would be so busy and by the time Saturday hit dinner was the last thing she wanted to worry about.

All summer she had worked hard to bottle (can) fruit for us and we loved busting out a can of raspberries and some hot, buttered toast. Now that I’m the mom I’ve tried to do the same, but Cade will not have it. “Fruit and a piece of toast is not dinner. I’ll be starving!” has been heard coming from Cade’s mouth. He would much rather go out to eat, but I grew up in a home where we NEVER went out to eat. Or at least rarely. So I would rather stay in.

I’ve given up on fruit and toast but I still keep things simple like baking a few chicken thighs and serving them with a side of fruit or fresh cut veggies, which Cade does because heaven knows that’s just far too much work for a Saturday. Am I right?

Ingredients for Baked Chicken Thighs

• Chicken Thighs: boneless, skinless
• Olive Oil: helps stick the dry rub to the chicken and keeps the chicken from sticking to the pan
• Dry Rub: Kosher Salt, Smoked Paprika, Ground Mustard, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Ground Cumin, Italian Seasoning
• Red Onion: adds a little pop of flavor and texture

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Are Chicken Thighs Considered Lean Meat?

Some people prefer the taste of dark meat over white meat and consider it to be more tender and flavorful. They are considered to be a good source of lean protein.