I spent more than ten years as a vegetarian. During that time, I learned quite a bit about common agricultural practices, and I was not thrilled. Pigs unable to lie down in their stalls, chickens stacked 5 cages high, animals that never see sunshine or grass. I can’t support that.
I’ll eat meat, but I don’t want to eat that meat.
A couple years ago, we discovered a local family who raises chickens and sells their extra eggs. We were giddy to find them; they even gave us a tour of the animals, enclosures, and feeding methods. We left knowing exactly how the birds spent their days, and we were pleased with their treatment.
We bought eggs from this family until they stopped selling eggs. (That part is still a mystery to me. They still have all their chickens, but they don’t sell eggs any more.)
We no longer buy their eggs, but this family set the standard for my family’s food supply.
I’m happy to say that NatureRaised Foods meets it. They work with dedicated family farmers who raise only cage-free chickens with no antibiotics, no added hormones, and no steroids. The chickens eat a 100% vegetarian diet, including no animal protein and no bakery by-products, and their treatment is certified by the USDA Process Verified Program, Global Animal Partnership, and American Humane Association.
Are you asking what happens if the chickens get sick and require antibiotics? I was. They do receive veterinary care including antibiotics if needed, but those chickens are removed from NatureRaised Foods’ growing program.
I have confidence in NatureRaised Farms® brand chicken, and I’m feel confident serving it to my kids.
Who won’t eat the recipe that follows, but that’s besides the point. We scrape the sauce off of Grace’s and make her eat a few bites of the chicken underneath.
Despite her pickiness, this Easy Swiss Cheese Chicken has become one of our (I mean, Joe’s and mine) favorite recipes because it has a rich sauce and lots of flavor. It also reheats perfectly for lunch the next day.
There’s not much to the preparation, and that makes this a great weeknight recipe.
Joe throws it together when he gets home from work, lets it bake while he plays with the girls or waters the garden, and then we eat.
It’s easy but tastes like it took all day.
Easy Swiss Cheese Chicken (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 cup butter divided
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts NatureRaised Farms® Thin Sliced
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup sherry
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt plain
- 1 cup corn flakes crushed, gluten-free
- 1/8 teaspoon dried dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Sauté garlic, onion, and mushrooms in a medium skillet until soft. Remove the vegetables and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the cornstarch and cook 1-2 minutes. Add milk and broth.
- Add vegetables back to the pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down a little and simmer the mixture (that means cook it just below boiling) until it is thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Place the chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish in a single layer. Cover each breast with a slice of Swiss cheese.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cooling mushroom mixture with the sherry and yogurt. Carefully spread over top of the chicken breasts without displacing the cheese slices.
- Melt remaining 1/4 cup of butter. Add in the dill and crushed corn flakes. Lightly toast the corn flakes, then sprinkle the mixture onto the chicken breasts.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
NatureRaised Farms® chicken is available in well-known grocers throughout the US including Super Target, Wal-Mart, Publix, Food City, HEB, and Marsh. You can find it in both the fresh and frozen sections of the meat department.
Thank you NatureRaised Foods and Technorati for being sponsors of this article. All opinions expressed here are my own.
© 2013 – 2020, Tara Ziegmont. All rights reserved.
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