Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

My Venture into Barbecued Pork
This recipe is perfect to make during the winter when access to a smoker or grill is limited. You have to plan ahead to make it but it's painfully easy to make. You could serve this at football parties, New Year's Eve get-togethers, or even during the summer for the 4th of July.

Barbecue recipes vary from region to region in the U.S. Where I'm from, we prefer our barbecue sweet and slightly acidic. If you don't like sweet barbecue, this recipe is not for you. I actually served this for Christmas and several family members raved about it – including teenagers! Sometimes, I like to prepare this without adding any barbecue sauce at all. Sometimes, I take the easy way out and buy some barbecue sauce at the store instead of making my own. However, most of the time, I make this dish by taking the extra time and effort to make my own sauce.

Don't be put off by the long instructions. The ingredients are simple. The preparation is simple. In short, you make a wet rub and let the pork marinate overnight. Then you put it in a slow cooker for 11 to 12 hours. Then you make a sauce and bake the pulled pork with the homemade sauce for an hour. Trust me – it's well worth the time. Best of all, I got nearly all of the ingredients for this on sale! This dish can be very budget-friendly. I got a well-trimmed pork shoulder for only US$1.19 per pound – an inexpensive protein that served a crowd. Leftovers are to die for.

If you have a big family or are planning a party, this is a great choice for an entrée. It is so good! Enjoy – and happy barbecuing!

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Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork
(Printable Version)

1 6 lb pork shoulder (Boston butt)
2 medium onions, diced
1 head garlic, chopped
Hamburger buns

Wet Rub:
1/4 cup white sugar
2 TBSP paprika
4 tsp table salt
1 1/2 TBSP garlic powder
2 TBSP onion powder
2 TBSP chili seasoning
1 TBSP black pepper
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Sweet Barbecue Sauce (Optional)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
3 cups ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 TBSP liquid smoke
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

The Day Before Cooking:
Make the wet rub by whisking all of the ingredients together. Set aside while you prepare the pork shoulder. The wet rub will thicken slightly as it sits.

Trim as much exterior fat from the pork shoulder as possible. Cut the shoulder into 3 pieces of roughly equal size. One side will likely have a bone so it may be a little bigger than the other 2 pieces – which is no big deal. Add 1/3 of the wet rub to each piece and rub it in on all sides. Add the pieces of pork to a large dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Early on the Day of Serving:
The shoulder needs to cook for 11 to 12 hours so plan accordingly. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, chop the onions and garlic. After the pork has rested for 1 hour, add about 3/4 of the chopped onions and about 3/4 of the chopped garlic to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the pork then top with the remaining onions and garlic. If any liquids have come out of the pork while it was marinating, tilt the pan and spoon the liquid on top of the meat. Cook on low for 11 to 12 hours (or high for 6 to 7 hours).

You will be shocked by the amount of liquid that comes out of the shoulder even though you did not add any extra water or broth to the slow cooker. When the pork is done, it will pull apart without any effort. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork and onions/garlic from the juices in the slow cooker. Place the meat and onion mixture on a sided sheet pan and cover with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. Discard the juices. The pork will taste great at this point and will be slightly sweet. You may serve the pulled pork after it has rested with (or without) a store-bought barbecue sauce.

I, however, like to go one extra step when making this pork. When the pork is almost done, start making the barbecue sauce by adding the roughly chopped onion and garlic to a food processor. Puree the onions and garlic and transfer the mixture to a medium sauce pan. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and stir to combine.

When the pork is resting after it has been removed from the slower cooker, preheat the oven to 350F. In addition, start heating the sauce ingredients over medium heat. Stir the sauce often as it heats so that it does not burn on the bottom of the sauce pan. It may splatter when it begins to simmer so feel free to use a splatter screen or a lid that is kept slightly ajar to allow excess moisture to escape. Simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes (about the length of time you are resting the pork). The sauce will darken considerably as it cooks.

Remove the foil from the pork. Use a couple of forks to shred the meat into smaller pieces. Add about 1/3 of the sauce to the pork and stir to combine. Then, spoon another third of the sauce on top of the meat but do not stir it in. Add the sheet pan to the oven and cook for about 1 hour or until the sauce is very thickened on top and beginning to char in a few places. After I add the pork to the oven, I continue to slowly cook the remaining third of the sauce over medium-low to medium heat until it has thickened (about 10 minutes longer or so). Transfer the extra sauce to a serving bowl.

When you take the pork out of the oven, stir it and serve immediately on hamburger buns. Pass around the extra sauce for those who prefer a wetter/sweeter barbecue sandwich.

Notes:
1) Don't be tempted to buy a pork shoulder that is significantly bigger than 6 lbs. A 7 lb pork shoulder is a very tight fit in most slow cookers so 6 to 6 1/2 lbs is a better choice.
2) This tastes even better as leftovers. In fact, I rarely serve it on the day I make it. I prefer to make it a day or two in advance then just heat it up in the microwave. In this respect, it's perfect party food.

Two-Ply Strawberry Pie

My Venture into Bad Poetry
Today's recipe is really easy-to-make and tastes great, too. It's got two things I really love…cream cheese and strawberries. This is actually a combination of two recipes (slightly adapted) that I found in my mother's recipe box many years ago. I last made this pie when I was a teenager and forgot all about it. It's so good, I need to start making it more often.

For those of you who regularly read my blog, you might recall that I have an annoying neighbor whom I affectionately call Fitch. You can read my earlier rant about Fitch in my Nacho Cheesy Chili posting a few weeks ago. I continue to run into her every now and then. I decided to write about a recent run-in I had with Fitch but I wanted to give it a little Christmas flair. I'm so busy right now with Christmas baking, I wasn't sure I would have time to write something creative. I decided to go for it and wrote a poem ala "Twas the Night Before Christmas." This was hard because I don't normally write poetry! Given how busy I am right now, you're lucky I didn't take the easy way out and just write a Christmas haiku. Anyway, this is my first attempt at blog poetry. Enjoy – and have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever special holiday you might be celebrating in the coming weeks!

Twas the Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

With the cookies baked and my pantry now bare,
I slouched on my sofa with my feet in the air

While watching the news, a book spread on my lap,
Exhausted from cooking, I wanted to nap

When out in the hallway there arose such a clatter,
I heard high heels clapping and loud, angry chatter

Away to the door I flew like a flash,
I slipped on my book and almost fell on my ash

I peered through the peephole for someone I knew,
It was Fitch and her dog – a feisty shih tzu

It's tail in the air, my eyes could not believe,
It was pooing in the hallway on Christmas Eve

Swallowing hard and getting really sick,
I covered my mouth and wished it was St. Nick

That clueless blond! No, that half-witted vixen!
Oh, what kind of drugs had she been mixin'?

Throwing the door open, I stood there appalled,
Assured my ankles would soon to be mauled

Seeing my nemesis, my anger now grew,
As I stood there staring at freshly laid poo

Flustered and uneasy and not knowing what to say,
She wished me Merry Christmas and a glorious day

She picked up her dog when assured he was through,
Saying "Would you get that Sweetie?" as she bid me adieu.

She offered me advice as she went down the hall,
You best clean that up fast, lest someone might fall.

Merry Christmas!

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Two-Ply Strawberry Pie
(Printable Version)

1 prepared Graham Cracker Crust (the large one -- 10")

Bottom Layer:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 3 3/4 oz box of pudding (I prefer coconut but vanilla, lemon, or cheesecake all work well)

Top Layer:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup of frozen strawberries in sugar, thawed in the refrigerator
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups whipped topping (about 1/2 of an 8 oz container)

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, lemon juice, and pudding. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Slowly add about 1/3 of the mixture to the cream cheese and beat until smooth – scraping the bowl as needed. Slowly add the remaining pudding mixture. Spoon the mixture into the graham cracker crust and smooth out the top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before preparing the top layer.

To prepare the top layer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth (preferably using the whisk attachment on your mixer). The mixture must be absolutely smooth. Slowly add the thawed strawberries and their juice, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and continue mixing until combined. Finally, add the whipped topping until just combined. Spoon the mixture on top of the bottom layer and decoratively swirl the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until the pie has set up completely.

Walnut Frosties

My Venture into Cookies
This is my all-time favorite cookie. When I was growing up, my mother used to make these every Christmas. In a way, they're like jam thumbprint cookies in that you make a well in each cookie and fill it with a yummy filling. They are more labor intensive than a regular cookies because you have to make a divot in each one but, trust me, they are WELL worth it. You should take the time to really make the well in the cookie as big as possible so that you can fit in more filling. They are so good!

My mother uses margarine in this cookie and I use butter but, aside from that, I kept the ingredients the same. I make mine larger than my mother's for a simple reason – they're faster to fill because you're not making as many wells. There is no reason you can't make these cookies all year round. It was a tradition in my family to eat them only at Christmas but you certainly do not have to do that.

When I was young, I had no idea what the ingredients were . I just knew they tasted great. I'm not a big sour cream fan so I was shocked to see the filling had sour cream in it when I made these the first time. Trust me – you can't taste the sour cream or I wouldn't be eating them. The brown sugar perfectly balances out the acidic tang of the sour cream. The filling is truly to die for.

Like I mentioned earlier, you can make these with a "normal" amount of filling or really pile it on. The picture at the top of this page has extra filling in each of the cookies. The picture on the right has a normal amount of filling. Both are great so you can't go wrong with either. It's just a matter of preference. Click on either picture for a larger, better-quality image.

Christmas baking is using up a lot of my time so I apologize for the less-than-creative posts as of late. I hope you try these cookies and make them part of your normal repertoire. They are SO good! You'll love 'em. Enjoy – and happy baking!

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Walnut Frosties
(Printable Version)

Cookie Dough:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Filling:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sour cream (not reduced-fat)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using a mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is fluffy – about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined – scraping down the bowl as needed. Slowly add the flour mixture until just incorporated. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

While the dough is chilling, preparing the filling by mixing together the brown sugar and sour cream in a small bowl. Add the walnuts and stir until incorporated. Refrigerate the filling until needed.

Preheat the oven to 350F. After the dough has chilled, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to put 6 to 7 mounds of dough on the sheet pan. I prefer to use a large cookie scoop (2 TBSP), which makes large cookies. You will get about 16 cookies when using a large cookie scoop. You may certainly use a smaller cookies scoop or roll the dough into 1" balls. If you make the cookies smaller, you will get a larger number of cookies out of each batch.

Refrigerate the remaining dough to keep it chilled. These cookies do spread when baking so be sure to leave PLENTY of room between the cookies or they'll run together. Poke your thumb into each mound of dough – leaving about 1/8" thickness of dough on the bottom. Take the effort to make the well as large as possible while keeping a sturdy wall around the perimeter. Fill each well with some filling. I prefer to really mound the filling in the well because I think the filling is the best part of the cookie. Some people prefer less filling because it makes the cookies too sweet. When making these cookies for the first time, I recommend that you put only two cookies on your sheet pan – one with a moderate amount of filling and one with a lot. When the cookies come out of the oven, taste them and decide which one appeals to you better. Note: If you plan to use a lot of filling in each cookie, you may need to make a little extra so you have enough to fill all of the cookies. The filling only takes a minute to make so, if you need to make more, it can be made at a moment's notice.

Bake the cookies for about 9 to 10 minutes or until they are lightly brown. For smaller cookies, decrease the baking time appropriately. Don't over bake. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. While the first sheet pan is in the oven, prepare another one with 6 to 7 cookies. Keep the dough refrigerated until it is ready to go in the oven or the cookies will spread too much. When storing, don't stack the cookies on top of each other or they may stick together.

Potato Boats

My Venture into Elegant Side Dishes
The holidays are coming up! Many of you may host a dinner party during the coming weeks. If so, this is the perfect recipe to try. It's easy to make and makes a beautiful presentation. What's really nice is that you can make the mashed potatoes the day before and assemble the boats a few hours before your guests arrive. This way, you can throw them in the oven and forget about them while you're preparing the rest of the meal. Most important, they're really good!

I know this recipe might seem long and complicated. It's not! Essentially, you plop some cold mashed potatoes on a little piece of pie dough and bring up the sides – leaving some of the potatoes exposed at the top. You bake them a little while, top them with some cheese and bacon, and then bake them a little longer. That's it! You certainly do not have to use my mashed potato recipe. Feel free to use your own! In fact, plain' ol mashed potatoes work just fine in this dish.

My inspiration for this recipe comes from a common Finnish food called Karjalan Piirakat. With those, you use rye dough instead of pie dough. They don’t have any cheese or fancy stuff in them. I love them! My recipe is a very Americanized version of those delicious pastries. Karjalan Piirakat are sometimes eaten with something called munavoi – a spread made of hard-boiled eggs and softened butter. For whatever reason, many Americans are grossed out at the thought of eating hard-boiled eggs and butter but it's really tasty. The next time you're in Finland, make sure you try the real thing.

My holiday baking is not going well! There is just not enough hours in the day. I'm sure you can all relate. I hope you try this recipe sometime whether it's for an intimate dinner party or Sunday dinner with the family. They're really good and simple to make. Enjoy – and happy eating!

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Potato Boats
(Printable Version)

1 box (2 sheets) of refrigerated pie dough

Seasoned Mashed Potatoes:
3 1/2 lbs Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
Salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened – divided use
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 bunch) scallions, chopped (white and light green parts only)
4 cloves garlic, minced
About 1/2 cup milk, half and half, or cream
3 TBSP sour cream
Salt to taste
Black Pepper (optional)

Toppings:
sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
3 oz package of real bacon bits (sold in the salad dressing aisle)
Chopped Scallions (the dark green parts)
Chives (the oars of the boat)
Sour Cream or Ranch Dip

I know this recipe might seem long and daunting. It's not! Essentially, you plop some cold mashed potatoes on a little pie dough and bring up the sides – leaving the potatoes exposed at the top. You bake them a little while, top them with some cheese and bacon, and then bake them a little longer. That's it!

To make the mashed potatoes (the day before serving):
You, of course, do not need to make my version of these mashed potatoes. Feel free to substitute your own favorite mashed potato recipe. Plain, 'ol mashed potatoes work great. If you want to try a new mashed potato recipe, I think you will like this one.

In a large pot, add the peeled and cut potatoes. Cover with cold water by 1". Bring to a boil and add about a tablespoon of kosher salt or 1/2 tablespoon of table salt. Cover and reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes until fork tender – about 12 to 14 minutes. Turn off the heat and drain the potatoes. Immediately return the hot potatoes to the hot pan and allow the excess water to evaporate.

While the potatoes are simmering, heat a small skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the scallions and cook about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Set aside until needed.

Add the cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat a few seconds.

Use a ricer or potato masher to mash the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to the mixing bowl with the cream cheese. Add the scallion/garlic mixture as well as the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. Beat the potatoes until everything is incorporated – scraping the bowl as needed. Add about 1/2 cup of milk (or half and half or cream), the sour cream, and some salt. Beat until incorporated. If desired, add additional milk – but don't get the potatoes too thin. Add pepper if desired. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Place the potatoes in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

To assemble the boats:
Unwrap one sheet of the dough and unroll it. Use a rolling pin to smooth out the dough and roll it out just a tad thinner. Cut three 5-inch circles out of the dough (I use the lid of a 42 oz oatmeal container as a guide). You may reroll the scraps and make additional circles.

Add 1/3 cup of the cold mashed potatoes to each of the centers of the dough. Lightly brush some water (not too much!) around the outer edge of the dough. Slide your index finger and thumb about 3/4" under the dough on the right side of the circle. Lift up slightly and allow a little of the dough to drop between your index finger and thumb. Squeeze together to form the bow of the boat. Repeat using your left hand on the left side of the circle to form the stern of the boat.

Decoratively pleat the sides of the boat. When finished, the boat should be an oval shape. If desired, you may add some additional mashed potatoes to the top. NOTE: The more potatoes you add, the more likely the boats will spread out (or the pleats will open) during baking. When using extra potatoes, take extra time to make sure your pleats are well sealed. The recipe for my mashed potatoes makes more than you will need for the boats so you should have plenty of extra mashed potatoes left to mound more on the top, if desired.

Repeat this process for the other boats. You may also roll out the second sheet of dough and cut out more boats – making a total of six. After all of the boats have been made, you may place them in a deep dish, cover with plastic wrap, and keep refrigerated until ready to bake. I often do this a couple of hours before my guests arrive for dinner. This way, I only need to throw the boats in the oven when everybody shows up for dinner. This is why this recipe is perfect for small dinner parties.

To bake the boats, preheat the oven to 350F. When the oven is hot, place the boats on a sheet pan (uncovered) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the boats from the oven and top with a small mound of sharp cheddar cheese. Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake 4 minutes longer. Remove the sheet pan one additional time and add some bacon bits to the top. Return to the oven and bake about 3 minutes longer.

When fully cooked, add a small dollop of sour cream or ranch dip on top (if desired) and sprinkle with some chopped scallions. Crisscross a couple of chives on top (to look like oars for the boat). Feel free to warm up any extra mashed potatoes in case people want a second helping of the potatoes.

Butter Chicken

My Venture into Butter Chicken
The holidays are coming up and it's getting harder to find time to make a decent dinner and keep up with my blog. This dish is perfect because it is 1) FAST to make, 2) EASY to make, and 3) CHEAP to make. This recipe is perfect for 1 to 3 people. Leftovers are great the next day. You can easily double it for a larger family.

I always buy chicken when it's on sale. It got the chicken for this recipe at half price so it was particularly inexpensive. I got the crackers for 50% off, too. I had the butter and eggs on-hand already. I spent a total of about $3.50 for three large breasts and the crackers. I'm a big believer in making dishes using what's in season and what's on sale. I see nothing wrong with pinching a few pennies at the store! Even better – I had this on the table in less than 15 minutes!

I call this "Butter Chicken" because I use buttery crackers and real butter when sautéing the breasts. I used reduced-fat crackers so I wouldn't feel as guilty eating them. Why not save a few calories here and there?!

After I pan fry these, I like to eat them plain (or dip them in ranch dressing) or add them to the top of a salad. However, my absolute favorite way is to eat them in a sandwich with some toasted bread, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. It's so good!

During the next couple of weeks, I may not be able to spend as much time as I would like on my blog since I will be doing a lot of holiday baking. Therefore, I apologize in advance if my posts are not as entertaining and long-winded as usual. I hope to post a few of my family's favorite holiday recipes! Enjoy – and happy eating!

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Butter Chicken
(Printable Version)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Seasoning salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp water
1 sleeve of buttery crackers (such as Club Crackers), very finely crushed
2 to 3 TBSP butter

Pound the chicken breasts until they are about 1/4" thick. Thoroughly dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel. The coating sticks better to dry chicken breasts. Generously sprinkle the breasts with seasoning salt and pepper. Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a shallow dish and add 2 teaspoons of water. Beat the eggs.

Add one sleeve of buttery crackers to a large resealable bag. I prefer Club Crackers for this dish but you can certainly use your favorite brand. Use a rolling pin to crush the crackers into very fine crumbs.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan as it is heating.

When the butter has melted and the foaming has subsided, you are ready to add the chicken. To coat the chicken, dip each piece (separately) into the eggs and then into the crushed crackers. Make sure the chicken is well coated on all sides. Add to the skillet and repeat with the remaining breasts. Fry the breasts until golden brown on the first side – about 3 minutes. If the breasts are browning too fast, reduce the heat. When golden brown, flip the breasts. If the pan is pretty dry, go ahead and add another 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of butter. It's called "Butter Chicken" for a reason! Fry until brown – another 2 to 3 minutes.

I like to dip the chicken in a little ranch dressing with some sautéed vegetables on the side. However, my absolute favorite way to eat them is in a sandwich made with some toasted bread, mayo, lettuce, and tomato – particularly yummy. I've also used chicken tenderloins before and added them to the top a big salad. The options are endless.

Oven-Baked Curried Chicken

My Venture into Oven-Baked Curried Chicken
I love curry! I know what you're thinking. This recipe sounds spicy. It's not! In fact, I normally use mild curry when I make this chicken (even though I love spicy food) and it was not spicy-hot AT ALL.

I've been experimenting with this recipe for years. I've even tried frying the chicken in oil in a skillet on the stove top – and that was a culinary disaster! The spices in the curry burned very easily so it turned out to be a blacked chicken mess – with very little curry flavor. When baked in the oven, it may not get as crispy as deep frying but the flavor is a thousand times better. On top of that, it's healthier and much easier to clean up.

I've done this recipe with chicken wings, breasts, and thighs. However, I don't like to mix those cuts and bake them all at one time because they cook at different rates. I usually buy a pack of, for example, chicken breasts so I don't have to worry about the varying cooking times of white and dark pieces (or big and small pieces). If you decide to bake a mixture of different cuts all at one time, you'll have to watch them carefully to make sure that they are all cooked to the proper internal temperature (170F for dark meat and 160F for white meat).

This recipe is incredibly easy to make, requires very few ingredients, can be inexpensive to prepare, and is on the table with very little effort. You will love the smell of the chicken as it bakes but you will like it even more when you taste it. Your taste buds will thank you. This recipe is perfect for curry lovers who want to try something a little different – without burning your mouth on that spicy curry at your favorite Indian restaurant. Enjoy – and happy eating!

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(Printable Version)

8 - 10 pieces of chicken (skin-on and bone-in)
Salt and pepper
Oil for spritzing or brushing

Mixture for Dredging:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup curry powder (mild or spicy)
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

About six hours before baking the chicken, liberally salt and pepper the pieces of chicken. Place the chicken on a sheet pan in a single layer and place the pan in the refrigerator.

After about six hours, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sided sheet pan with some heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spray the foil with some cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, curry powder, 3/4 tsp of table salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and cayenne (if using). Thoroughly dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and place the chicken on the sprayed sheet pan – skin-side up. Spritz just enough oil on the top of each piece of chicken to slightly moisten the flour.

Alternatively, you could lightly brush or dab on some oil on the top of each piece of chicken. Once the oven has preheated, bake the chicken for about 50 minutes for thighs (less for breasts and even less for wings).

Special Notes:
I prefer to use the same cut of chicken when making this recipe. For example, I prepared this recipe using all chicken thighs (as pictured here) and they cooked in 50 minutes (to an internal temperature of 170F). If you use all chicken breasts, they will take about 40 minutes (to an internal temperature of 160F). Chicken wings taste GREAT but only need about 30 minutes. I do not like using mixed pieces of chicken (breasts, thighs, wings, etc) because they cook at different rates and that makes it harder to not overcook or undercook some of the pieces.

If you are thinking of frying the chicken in a skillet, don't! The curry powder will burn in the oil and you'll have blackened chicken before it is cooked through. This recipe was not designed for shallow or deep frying.