Five ingredients. One slow cooker. And a jar of pickled peppers I swore I would never let near my chicken. Then Silas came home, lifted the lid, and went quiet. He ate two plates before he said a single word. That never happens. That is the power of Mississippi chicken. It looks a little odd … Read more
The first time I made teriyaki chicken from scratch, I stood at the stove and felt a little betrayed. Not by the recipe. By every bottle of store-bought sauce I had ever trusted. Silas and I have cooked in more tiny rental kitchens than I can count, and bottled teriyaki was always our “safe” dinner. … Read more
Dinner can be finished before 9 a.m. I know that sounds fake. But last week I dumped chicken, salsa, and a handful of spices into my slow cooker before my coffee even cooled down. Hours later, Silas walked in, sniffed the air like a golden retriever, and asked which restaurant I had ordered from. Nope. … Read more
Silas took one bite of this cake and went completely quiet. Then he asked if I had hidden a bakery in the pantry. I hadn’t. It was a box of yellow cake mix, a block of cream cheese, and a few things already sitting in my fridge. That’s the whole story behind the Neiman Marcus … Read more
Crockpot Marry Me Chicken: Most dinners with a dramatic name are all talk. This one actually earns it. Tender chicken, a creamy sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and a little garlic, all done while your slow cooker does the hard work. I’m not saying it will land you a proposal, but I’m also not saying it won’t. … Read more
Silas went back for thirds of this casserole, and he is not a thirds kind of guy. Then he asked what was in it. I told him: chicken, bacon, pasta, cheese, and ranch. He gave me a look like I was hiding something. I was not. It really is that simple. But there is one … Read more
Why does every potluck have one sad bowl of chicken salad with a single polite scoop missing? Because most versions are bland, wet, or both. This cranberry chicken salad is the opposite. It’s creamy, a little sweet, tangy, and crunchy in every bite. And it’s the bowl people actually go back to. It takes about … Read more
Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad: Chicken salad has a reputation problem, and honestly, most of it is deserved. You know the one. A pale, gloopy scoop that tastes like mayo and not much else. I used to skip it at every potluck. Then I added toasted pecans and chewy cranberries, and I’ve been making it on … Read more
Canned Chicken Salad has a reputation problem, and I think it’s completely unfair. I used to walk right past it at the store. It felt like something you only buy during a snowstorm or a very sad week. Then one day I had zero energy and zero fresh chicken, so I gave it a shot. … Read more
Why does slow cooker chicken breast turn out dry so often? You put it in, walk away for 8 hours like the old recipes say, and come back to something that tastes like a sad, stringy sponge. I’ve been there. More than once. The fix is way simpler than you’d think, and it comes down … Read more