Avoiding Onion Soup Packets {Plus a Tangy Baked Chicken Recipe}

Avoiding Onion Soup Packets

Avoiding onion soup packets CAN be done.   This flavorful chicken dish has sweet and tangy taste and the leftovers were delicious too, as a matter of fact.  It's a simple main dish chicken recipe is from our friends, Jim & Maureen.  We had it at the dinner party that I showed you a few pictures of in this post.   (We also had these Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts that night, yum!)  Maureen's recipe called for onion soup mix, but this variation was just as easy.  Unfortunately our picky kids didn't go for it, but what do they know?  It has sweet and tangy taste that they didn't care for, but we thought it was awesome.  

The best part is that you don't have to use any of the MSG and preservative-laden onion soup packets that most similar recipes call for.

Here's what's in the onion soup packet that I always used to buy:

Dehydrated Onions, Salt, Corn Flour, Hydrolyzed Soy and Wheat Protein, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Caramel Color, Maltodextrin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Phosphate, Arabic Gum, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate.

YUCK.  Soy, transfats, MSG, preservatives… all kinds of disgusting stuff!  Ingredients in this recipe with a real food version of an “onion packet”:

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Tangy Baked Chicken Recipe

Author Maureen via Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken (about 6-8 chicken breasts OR you can use bone-in chicken as well)
• Sea salt for sprinkling on the chicken
• 4 Tablespoons butter, ghee (where to buy ghee), or coconut oil (where to buy coconut oil)
• 3 organic onions, chopped
• 8 Tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (more to your taste)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder (use more if you like a stronger taste)
• 10 ounces apricot jam (I found some with no icky ingredients) or raspberry jam is good too.
• 1 cup mayonnaise (Use homemade mayo if possible to avoid the soybean oil and preservatives in store-bought, OR if you just don't think you would make this mayo recipe, or sometimes need a quicker option, here's the only jar of mayo I buy in a pinch.  You may have to keep checking back, they've been out of stock, sorry!)  I've also made it without the mayo and it was still really good!

Instructions

Place the chicken into a buttered 11×14 baking dish.  (Here's where to buy stainless steel bakeware to avoid the dangerous non-stick pans.)  Sprinkle generously with sea salt.

In a medium sized frying pan (we like cast iron), cook the onions in butter or coconut oiluntil they're caramelized and golden brown. Stir in the salt, garlic powder, mayo, and jam, then spoon the mixture over the chicken.

Bake 30-45 minutes at *350 or 'til it's no longer pink in the middle of the thickest piece.  Don't overcook or it'll be dry.  It should be tender enough to cut with your fork.  It gets a bit watery on the bottom, but just scoop it out with a slatted spatula.

That's it!  We usually serve it with herbed rice and a stir-fried veggie.  Or try it with Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts!  The recipe serves 6 adults, but if you're feeding kids, they can usually only eat about a half of a chicken breast each.

• Check out more side dish ideas
• Read this article to learn more about the dangers of CAFO-raised meat
• Learn the key to frying your foods–without the guilt!

Meal Planning Help!

Sick of planning meals and answering the question, “What am I going to feed these people?” No matter what kind of eater you are (traditional, GF, paleo, vegetarian)… Check out these affordable interactive easy-to-use meal plans where the work is done for you.  NOW recipes also available from Nom Nom Paleo, The Paleo Mom, and Wellness Mama all in one spot!  You can read over my review here.

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