Cooking Chicken The Way Mama Does

Cooking chicken is easy as long as you remember some basic cooking tips.

* When you buy fresh chicken, give the package a little squeeze. If you see ice along the wings, backs or edges, it's probably been frozen and the protein is beginning to break down. When that happens the bird is losing its natural juices so it's not going to be as tender as a fresh bird.

* Notice the sell by date. Most stores are good about removing chicken before the sell by date expires but they may miss one or two.

* Look at the ends of the bones. Are they pink or are they turning gray? As a good rule of thumb, the pinker the bone ends, the fresher the chicken.

* Never keep chicken refrigerated more than 3 days or frozen chicken more than 6 months. Cooked chicken should not be kept in the freezer more than 3 months.

* When freezing chicken, always seal it in an airtight container, heavy plastic bag, plastic wrap, aluminum foil or freezer wrap. You need to make sure that the wrapping is kept tight against the chicken because if you don’t, ice crystals will form on the meat and cause it to be tough.

* The best way to check to see if your chicken is done, is to use an instant read thermometer. Just make sure that the end of the thermometer isn’t touching the bone.

Cooking Chicken - temperatures on an instant read thermometer

Whole Chicken - Thigh 175° - 180°F

Whole Chicken - Breast 170° - 175°F

Chicken Breast and Wings 170° - 175°F

Chicken Parts - Dark Meat 180°F

Ground Chicken 170°F

Stuffing Inside Whole Chicken 165°F

** You can also check for doneness by pricking the chicken with a fork or the tip of a knife to see if the juices run clear. If the juices have any pinkish coloring at all, you'll need to cook it some more.

**As far as the brand of chicken, I personally like

Perdue Chicken because it's free from hormones and antibiotics and the skin is a nice yellow, healthy color.

*****REMEMBER TO ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS AND ALL UTENSILS ALONG WITH ALL OF YOUR WORK AREAS WITH HOT SOAPY WATER AFTER HANDLING ANY KIND OF POULTRY!*****

If you follow these simple tips, and check out some of these recipes, you'll be well on your way to learning how to cook chicken like you've never put your lips around before!

Check out these great recipes for cooking chicken:

Mama's Fried Chicken

Poppy Seed Chicken

Chicken and Dumplin's

Easy Chicken Stew and Drop Dumplings

Baked Chicken

Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Gravy

Oven Barbecued Chicken

Chicken Pot Pie

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Italian Chicken Breast Stuffed with Spinach

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Whole Grilled Chicken

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken (this can also be baked)

Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Oven Fried Chicken

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Hot Brown Casserole

Chicken with Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Manicotti with a Bacon Alfredo Sauce

Roast Turkey

Root Beer Can Chicken Recipe

Chicken and Mashed Potato Casserole

Chicken Croquettes

Grilled Chicken Hot Wings

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Ala King

White Chicken Chili