In this episode of Hungry Hungry Longhorns, audio reporter Aislyn Gaddis breaks down what to look for when shopping for chicken, the easiest ways to prepare this staple ingredient and how to avoid chicken-induced food poisoning. She’s joined by dietician Jennifer Barnoud from University Health Services.

Reported and edited by Aislyn Gaddis. Additional reporting by Leni Steinhardt. Episode art by Emma George. Chicken recipes and corresponding shopping lists can be found below:

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

A classic! You can use store-bought sauce or make your own. This recipe provides instructions for both.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta (fettuccine is preferred, but any pasta you have will work.)
• 1 chicken breast
• Chicken seasoning to taste
• Olive oil
• 1 jar of alfredo sauce per pound of pasta (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • 1 ½ cups of freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Minced garlic to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Begin boiling water in a large pot.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, cut your chicken into cubes and season with your preferred seasoning. I like Bolner’s seasoning.
3. Put a saute pan over medium-high heat with about a tablespoon of olive oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and put in your chopped chicken. Cook thoroughly, around seven to eight minutes.
4. Once the water is boiling, heavily salt the water and add in the dry pasta.
5. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve about a cup of the water if you are making your sauce. If you are using store-bought, add in your sauce and go to step seven.
6. Put all of the sauce ingredients and about one-fourth cup of the pasta water into the pot with pasta and stir quickly. Add more pasta water as needed if the sauce is too thick.
7. Add in your chicken and combine.
8. Serve.

Chicken Quesadillas

This one’s super easy. You can also make it in the microwave instead of a pan if you’re really short on time or motivation!

Ingredients

• Shredded cheese
• Tortillas
• Chicken breast or a rotisserie chicken
• Chicken seasoning
• Olive oil
• Sour cream (optional)
• Guacamole (optional)

Steps

1. Butterfly and season your chicken breast. I like Bolner’s seasoning. If you are using a rotisserie chicken, go to step three.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat with about a tablespoon of olive oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and cook the chicken thoroughly, about ten minutes.
3. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the heat and shred it.
4. Put the shredded chicken and cheese on one half of each tortilla and fold over.
5. Using the same skillet you cooked the chicken in, fry each tortilla in a splash of olive oil on medium heat until the tortilla is brown and crispy and the cheese is melted.
6. Serve with sour cream and guacamole.

Baked Chicken Wings

This recipe is for when you’re craving some Tex-Mex! It’s super simple and can be combined with beans for a complete protein.

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken wings
• Butter
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• ½ tablespoon baking powder
• Buffalo sauce (or other wing sauce of your choice)

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. If your wings are whole, remove the wing tips and cut at the joints. The wing tip is the pointy end, and the joint is between the drumstick and the flat. In simpler terms, cut at the two places the wing changes directions. Here is a good visual tutorial.
3. Dry the chicken wings with a paper towel for the crispiest result.
4. Toss the wings in melted butter.
5. Toss the wings in the baking powder and seasonings to taste, about one-third to one-fourth teaspoon of each seasoning per pound of wings
6. Place evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes to one hour, flipping them halfway through.
7. Let cool, and serve with your favorite sauce. You can toss the wings in it or dip them.

White Chicken Chili

This is one of my favorites! It’s a great soup for when it’s cold outside to warm you up. My family also makes white turkey chili every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving. So this soup, chicken or turkey, always reminds me of home.

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken
• Minced garlic
• 1 diced yellow onion
• 4 cups of chicken stock (around two cans or one box)
• 1 to 2 cans of green chiles
• 2 to 3 cans of cannellini or great northern beans
• 1½ cups canned or frozen corn
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Cayenne (optional) 
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Sour cream (optional)
• Shredded cheese (optional)
• Tortilla chips (optional)
• Limes (optional)

Steps

1. Add about one tablespoon of olive oil into a large pot or dutch oven, just enough to cover the bottom of the pot, and saute the onion until translucent
2. Add in minced garlic to taste and saute for around three more minutes. I love garlic so I use about one head.
3. Add in the chicken stock and seasonings and chiles to taste. I use two cans of green chiles and around a teaspoon of cumin and oregano and a half teaspoon of cayenne.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes. As a general rule, you can’t simmer the soup too long. The longer you let it simmer, the more the flavors will develop and meld together. Some people will let their soups simmer for hours before eating!
5. Drain and rinse the beans. Mash or blend about half of them. This will thicken the soup and give it the right texture. A potato masher or blender works best, but you can also just use a fork.
6. Add both the whole beans, mashed beans and corn to the pot and let simmer for at least 10 more minutes. There’s no need to defrost the corn beforehand if you’re using frozen.
7. Remove the skin on the rotisserie chicken and then shred.
8. Add the shredded chicken and let simmer for at least 10 more minutes.
9. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges and tortilla chips to taste.

Shopping List

When it comes to the optional ingredients, I listed what I would include. Prices are from H-E-B as of Oct. 26, 2022. You’ll also have unused chicken breast and wings to freeze and use later.

*Items with asterisks are “pantry staples” that you might already have in your kitchen. I still included them on the list and in the total, but you might not be buying them every week. 

Produce

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast ($5.76)
• 8 oz block monterey jack cheese ($2.05)
• H-E-B bakery flour tortillas ($2.55)
• Sour cream ($1.16)
• 1 package chicken wings (average size of 2.23 lbs) ($6.85)
• 1 2-count package of salted butter ($2.25)*
• H-E-B rotisserie chicken ($7.20)
• 1 head of garlic ($0.62)
• 1 yellow onion ($0.67)

Dry Goods

• 1 lb dry fettuccine or any other dry pasta ($1.42)*
• Chicken seasoning ($2.86)*
• Extra virgin olive oil ($5.63)*
• Alfredo sauce ($2.14)
• Iodized salt and pepper ($1.73)*
• Garlic powder ($1.54)*
• Paprika ($2.58)*
• Baking powder ($1.67)*
• Buffalo sauce ($2.63)*
• Chicken broth ($1.98)*
• 2 cans of green chiles (each $1.28)
• 2 cans of great northern beans (each $1.32)
• 1 can of whole-kernel corn ($0.84)
• Cumin (might be labeled Comino) ($1.29)*
• Oregano ($2.05)*
• Cayenne ($2.05)*

Total Omitting “Pantry Staples:” $35.04

Total: $64.72