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Anything Goes Chicken Dinner


Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 451 Feedbacks
February 28, 2018

Anything Goes
Chicken Dinner plateI'll tell you the story how this chicken dinner came about 40 years ago, when we rented a motorhome. Before the trip, I froze all the meats we were going to bring along so they'd last a few days longer in the RV's refrigerator and freezer.

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One of the nights we had a nice little campfire going in the fire pit at the campground. The fire burned so well that we had beautiful red glowing coals emitting so much heat. All the meats I'd brought along were still frozen. It was getting close to dinner time, I thought I should try wrapping up the frozen chicken with some veggies in the foil, and I placed all that on top of all of the red hot coals that we'd scraped into a pile in our fire-pit.

A couple of hours later when I opened up that foil wrapped chicken and veggies, the steam and the wonderful aroma of cooked chicken and veggies escaped It was the most wonderful thing to smell on that brisk cold evening. A hot wonderful complete chicken dinner all in one wrapping, and it was easier than any meal I'd ever cooked, at home or camping!

So, to this day, every blue moon I will make this exact same dinner, but in the oven at home, and still have those memories of the first time I got adventurous in cooking using campfire coals to cook with on that trip.

It's so easy to do, no bakeware to wash, no checking on it... nothing. Just throw it in the oven and eat and enjoy, then throw away the foil. It's inexpensive, and it's super convenient.

And, it's a great way to get my hubby to eat carrots, because any veggies cooked this way, seems to make them even more yummy. I've also used turnips with the white potatoes. Sweet potatoes and parsley work well too.

If you want to use zucchini, don't slice it, it's great in there too, keep it whole so they don't get overcooked. Onions cooked this way with the butter, spices, and chicken juices; you'll love them. Just keep those veggies chunky or whole, because "anything goes".

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Prep Time: Prep time about 20 min

Cook Time: 2 hrs to 2.5 hrs

Total Time: Prep time is all that's needed.

Yield: This particular dinner is for 2

Ingredients:

  • 1 or 2 frozen chicken breasts, thighs or a whole chicken
  • 2-4 stalks celery
  • 3-5 potatoes, cut in half
  • 2-3 large onions, cut in half
  • 1/2 stick butter, cut in pats
  • 1/2 tsp garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/8 tsp paprika
  • 1/8-1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/8 tsp celery salt
ingredients
 

Steps:

  1. First wash and cut vegetables, keeping them whole or chunky.
  2. cut vegetables
     
  3. Wash *frozen* chicken parts or whole chicken, and pat dry.
    Remember, this chicken must be rock hard FROZEN solid to cook correctly.
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  5. Tear out a good long piece of foil. Spray the underside (the side that's going to be touching the chicken) with Pam Spray so nothing sticks as it's cooking.
  6. piece of tin foil
     
  7. Place your frozen chicken and the cut vegetables in the middle of the Pam sprayed foil.
  8. veggies and chicken on foil
     
  9. Add your pats of butter randomly.
  10. Pats of butter on veggies
     
  11. Add your seasonings generously. No water, nothing else. Seal up your foil real well.

    Important: When closing up the foil with your frozen chicken and veggies, you must be very careful not to puncture the foil or the "moisture" will escape and the dinner will dry out as it cooks. Loosely close the foil around the "works", making sure all the ends of the foil are pinched and sealed, and closed tightly where no air can get in, or out. Very important. Place your "foil packed Anything Goes Chicken" on a cookie sheet, as it will be heavy to lift from the counter to the oven.
  12. seasoning added to chicken and veggies
     
    securely closed foil
     
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  13. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.
  14. When opening up the foil when the cooking time is done, be careful as it's extremely hot and the steam will come barreling out along with the wonderful aromas, yummy! Enjoy!
  15. cooked Chicken Dinner
     

Note* if you want to make the juices into a gravy (which there's about a cup worth) you can take a baster and suck that up and put into a separate pan and make a gravy. We just like the 'juices' from the food and seasonings, so a plate with a curved brim works for this so it doesn't spill off.

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Comments


Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 451 Feedbacks
February 28, 20180 found this helpful
Top Comment

That's fantastic!

Gosh I went to G.Scouts too, but we never learned to cook anything, even in the outdoors.

I also use this method when we're cooking baby back ribs in the oven, and not on the grill if it's raining.

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It works so well, I don't know which I like best, the grill or the "foil".

The best advantage of this "tip" is that (frozen) meats, even ribs (frozen solid) can be wrapped up too with foil, put in the oven for a few hours, then opened up with the foil bent back- then slather on the BBQ sauce, and then turn on the oven broiler to get the charred yummies all over them. And...there's no mess.

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Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 451 Feedbacks
March 2, 20180 found this helpful
Top Comment

Yes, it's really different, it's actually "cooking with steam" in the sealed up foil, because as the frozen meat thaws basically, it makes the nice steam that cooks it all. That's why it's so important that the foil has no air 'leaks' or everything will dry out.

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It's also like a nice surprise too when you open it up after the couple of hours it's been in the oven - and the aroma and tender meat and veggies, and not having to stir it, or check on it is also what will seem odd, but...a nice odd way to cook.

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