Traditional Coq au Vin is a centuries old dish and a staple in French cuisine. It's an incredibly hearty and comforting dish built with a bit of time and layer upon layer of flavor.

The foundational ingredients are all browned in batches first, then red wine and seasoned broth are added while scraping up that flavorful fond (the browned bits at the bottom of the pan), then it's all slowly braised over a low heat until everything is tender and infused with rich flavor. From there the sauce is thickened with a roux (flour and butter mixture), and the bacon is added back at the end to maintain its crispness.

It's such a memorable dish with full bodied flavor. There's a reason it's become a world renowned dish!

Serve it with one of the many options listed below. I would say you can never go wrong with mashed potatoes to complement its rustic, homestyle goodness.

What is Spatchcock Chicken?

Spatchcock chicken is a whole chicken that has had the backbone removed and it's butterflied, then it is turned to the opposite side and breastbone is cracked to flatten the chicken. Then benefit of spatchcock chicken is that since it's splayed flat it cooks quicker and more evenly than a chicken left whole in its more natural rounded form.

Another great thing about this method is that no special ingredients are needed and no roasting pan is required. Just a simple ingredients and a standard baking sheet are used. You could even swap out the fresh herbs for dried if that's what you have on hand (just use 1/3 the amounts).

When roasting a whole chicken I've found I prefer to include vegetables alongside it for two reasons. An obvious reason is that you get a side dish cooked at the same time, and the other benefit is there's far less smoking in the oven. Win win.

This recipe yields tender juicy chicken with highlighting complementary flavors of lemon and herbs. And paired alongside are those golden brown, garlicky roasted vegetables to round it out. It's such a cozy meal in one, and if you want an extra upgrade pair it with simple 1-Hour Dinner Rolls.

Want to make the best fajitas ever? Then be sure to serve with my homemade flour tortillas if time allows (prep while the chicken marinates). Easily worth the extra bit of effort!

Easy Homemade Chicken Fajitas

Chicken fajitas are most commonly made with chicken breasts but chicken thighs are the best, and this is my tested and perfected recipe I'm so happy to share with you!

Chicken is soaked in a seasoned, lime and oil based marinade then pan seared in a hot cast iron skillet to achieve a flavorful charred exterior with crisped edges, and juicy, tender interior.

After which fresh multi-color bell peppers, and boldly flavored onions and garlic are sautéed to a perfect tender crisp texture in the same piping hot skillet.

Then to assemble fajitas chicken is sliced, and mounded over flour tortillas along with those flavorful veggies.

It's a restaurant favorite, classic Tex-Mex recipe you'll never want to lose!

Can’t get enough of these flavors? Try my creamy spinach artichoke tortellini and this spinach artichoke pizza. You might also love this grilled cheese!

Creamy spinach artichoke chicken has all the flavors of spinach artichoke dip, wrapped up in a delicious and easy chicken dinner. Juicy pan-seared chicken breasts are nestled in a mouthwatering cream sauce with heaps of cheese, briny artichokes, and savory spinach. It’s a quick comfort food dinner that you’ll be craving until the next time you make it. The cherry on top? Everything cooks in the same pan, so clean-up is extra easy. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is made with tender penne pasta, lightly charred grilled chicken breasts, crisp romaine lettuce, sweet grape tomatoes, crunchy croutons, rich parmesan and it's all covered in a creamy, lemony caesar salad dressing.

It's a dish so filling and delicious that is could easily pasta for the main entree of a meal.

Plus it's easy to make and there's even a few shortcuts if you want to save some time, such as using rotisserie chicken, store-bought croutons, and even a store-bought caesar dressing (though I'd add some fresh lemon to it).

Or if you love to impress and go all out like I did here, which will create the very best pasta salad, then make the croutons from scratch, go for the grilled chicken option, and make the simple dressing fresh. This pasta salad is a dream and I think you'll absolutely love it!

Filling Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are everything you'd want them be and then some! They have well rounded flavor, you'll find them easy to make, and they have the perfect crunch factor thanks to the tender crisp veggies, lettuce, and peanuts.

The chicken (or turkey) keeps them nice and filling but if you want an even heartier meal you can serve these with a side of rice.

You can adjust the sauces here to suite your taste. If you like the flavor of fish sauce you can add more. If you love heat load them up with the Sambal Oelek or Sriracha. And for more peanut flavor be sure to try them finished with a creamy peanut sauce (it so delicious and worth the extra bit of effort).

I know it's a fairly lengthy list of ingredients here but I don't recommend leaving any out. Everything comes together beautifully to create a truly tasty, veggie and chicken-filled lettuce wrap that you'll want to make on repeat.

Fast and Easy Blackened Chicken

Smoky, spicy, highly flavorful seasoned chicken kissed with a blackened exterior that envelops a juicy tender interior. It's a tastebud tantalizing recipe to make any day of the year!

It's so simple to make and cooks quickly. It's just a brisk mixing of spices, then generously seasoning the chicken and from there cooking in a super hot skillet for that beautiful finish.

There's a plethora of delicious sides to pair with it (lots of ideas below), and there's also so much you can do with this chicken. My personal favorites for serving are pairing with coconut rice, corn, and mango avocado salsa (for a bit of that sweet + heat) but there's endless options.

And it doesn't just need to be served solo. Try it in tacos, add it to pasta (like creamy alfredo), or toss into a salad.

Summery Grilled Chicken Salad

This ultimate grilled chicken salad is piled high with all the best ingredients, each one adding to it's well balanced fusion of flavors and satisfying variety of textures.

And I think you'll appreciate that the dressing also doubles as a chicken marinade so you won't need to make a separate seasoning for the grilled chicken.

This salad is a perfectly filling, ideal entree for a lunch get together but it also makes for an exceptional dinner salad as well.

You can also easily adjust it to use up what you have by substituting different vegetables or create a new flavor profile by using different fresh herbs in the dressing (basil or cilantro would be welcomed options).

If you are looking for a salad people will remember this is it! It includes that trio people just can't get enough of - chicken, bacon and avocado.

And here everything is highlighted by an unapologetically lemony dressing to really make it sing. It will get compliments all around!

A Vibrant Grilled Breast Chicken Recipe

Here you get lightly charred chicken breasts with gorgeous grill marks blanketed with melty mozzarella, vibrantly green basil pesto, and it's highlighted with glistening crowning finish of fresh tomatoes atop. This Italian style recipe is the ultimate upgrade to plain chicken!

Inspired by margherita pizza, chicken margherita is made including those same flavors while being more heavy with the fresh basil (thanks to the plentitude of homemade pesto).

This is a summery chicken dish with gourmet flavor that will undoubtedly impress, yet it doesn't require a whole lot of effort. And if you don't own a grill or if it's too chilly out you can also pan sear the chicken (see note below).

It's fair to say this is most definitely a chicken recipe you don't want to pass by, especially with grilling season upon us. What better way to welcome the warm weather than celebrating it with this flawless chicken margherita?

Healthy Chicken Salad with No Mayo

Avocado chicken salad is an excellent go-to lunch option. It can be made with leftover cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken, and just includes a quick mashup of dressing.

You can pile it high between slices of whole grain bread or serve it low carb as lettuce wraps.

It's incredibly easy to make and it's so supremely good it could even pass as a refreshing simple dinner.

The flavor of this version is almost like guacamole met chicken salad and it will leave you craving it time and time again! It's so good you would be happy to eat it plain on it's own no bread required.

Possible Variations

• A simple swap for some textural variation, that contrasting satisfying crunch is to use celery in place of tomatoes.
• You could garnish this option with sliced almonds, sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds for a light layer of nutty flavor and a fine, flaky crunch.
• For some indulgence serve with crumbled bacon atop.
• If it's grilling season try this with chopped grilled chicken in place of shredded chicken for a hint of charred smoky flavor.