Baked Chicken or Turkey Legs

(Pictured:  Turkey Legs)

For once, I left work on time (early even) and came waltzing in the door at 5:58PM. My mood was a little deflated when no one was there to greet me. I can honestly say, that loving, excited "Mom!"--usually followed by a big hug--when I walk through the door makes my heart melt...every time.

Nonetheless, this gave me a little time to get stuff done before the boys came home and demanded my attention. Thankfully, the hubby remembered to pull out meat to thaw. Chicken. I, for one, love fried chicken. However, I hate cooking it. It's time consuming and messy and you just might get grease splattered in your face or start a fire (yeah, I did that once).

Thanks to a little guessing and, possibly, a few random recipes via the Internet, I found an alternative way to cook chicken that I like almost as much; bake it.

Now I don't remember how I used to do it. I only remember that I didn't like it so I didn't really bake chicken unless it was drowning in barbecue. This way is sans barbecue (and the time/mess that comes with it). You can also cook turkey legs like this and probably other stuff I haven't tried. Either way, meat should be falling off the bone by the end.

Ingredients:

Chicken or turkey
Spices of choice

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (You can choose a higher temp if you are impatient like me. I wouldn't go over 400.)
2.  Place chicken in baking dish with about 1 inch of water.
3.  Season the crap out of one side with desired seasonings. (See my favorite seasonings in a later post.)
4.  Either cover dish with lid or, if no lid, use aluminum foil. Place in oven.
5.  When I looks pretty done on the one side, flip it over and season the other side.
6.  I don't like my skin on my chicken all flabby/soft, so I like to remove the aluminum foil (and, if necessary, all/most of the water) and brown each side.
7.  Remove when cooked thoroughly. Chicken falls off the bone.

I hope you enjoyed it! How do you like to cook your chicken?