So Simple...

I had thought about making crunchy onion chicken earlier today, and wished I would have stuck with it when my glass pan full of a different chicken recipe exploded on me.  After an extensive cleaning-up session, we ended up having pancakes for dinner.  Here's the recipe that I should have made!

Crunchy Onion Chicken

2 cups french fried onions, crushed
1 egg, beaten
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

You can probably guess what happens next.  Put the beaten egg in a shallow pan, and the french fried onions in another shallow pan.  Dip each chicken breast into the egg, coating both sides, then coat each side with the onions.

Place chicken breasts in a greased baking dish and bake 20-30 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Enjoy!

Worth the Wait

I'm still here!  My family just got back from a wonderful vacation and things are settling down again.  So it's back to the grind for us, and back to the blog for me!

This meal is absolutely mouth-watering in my opinion.  My very favorite part is the aroma that's created while you're cooking it.  It tastes pretty awesome, too, but I can honestly say that it's the savory-sweet smell of cooking it that brings me back to it over and over again.

Golden Raisin and Almond Chicken
courtesy Rachael Ray


3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (substitute about 1/2 tsp. dried thyme if needed)
Salt and Pepper
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 cup dry white wine (may substitute white cooking wine or chicken stock)
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
4 ounces sliced or slivered almonds
1 additional tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives


Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.  Season chicken liberally with half of thyme and salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet.  Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.


Return the skillet to the burner over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and add the onions, celery, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the celery and onions are tender.  Add the white wine and cook until the pan is almost dry, 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock, raisins, and remaining thyme and continue to cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until there is only about 1/4 cup liquid left in the pan.  Turn the heat off under the pan.  Add the butter and whisk until it has completely melted.


Toast the almonds in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon butter to the toasted nuts; melt and toss to coat.  Add the chives and toss to combine.


Top the whole or sliced chicken breasts with the raisin sauce and the buttered, toasted, almonds, then serve with salad and potatoes or bread.


4 Servings

*This recipe can be simplified in several ways, I've discovered.  Don't get stumped if you don't have the exact ingredients.  When I made this dish right after we got home, ingredients were scarce and time was short.  I cut up my chicken to help it cook a little faster, substituted dried thyme and dried onions, used the ground nutmeg, substituted chicken stock for the white wine and used Craisins instead of the golden raisins.  It still turned out super yummy!
Also, because I was short on time, I cheated and just kind of threw everything in after the chicken was browned on both sides, leaving the Craisins on top of the chicken so they didn't get too bloated from the chicken stock.  Guess what?  It tastes the same.  Just remove the chicken before you stir in the cold butter.  

Let me know what you think!

More Italian…

This recipe is a big hit at my house.  It’s one of those meals that there are never any leftovers of.  This recipe came from necessity—I could never find a recipe for Parmesan Chicken that I really loved.  Either the flavor wasn’t quite up to par or the chicken wasn’t crispy enough.  This recipe more than compensates for both.  Enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into about 2-inch pieces (chicken tenders work well also)

Preheat oven to 450°F.
In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter. In another bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into crumb mixture to coat.
Place coated chicken pieces on to a 9x13 baking dish. Try to leave a little room between each piece. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and bake uncovered 10 minutes, flip chicken when browned on the bottom; bake until cooked through.
Serves 4-6

*Note:  the last time I made this I used my countertop skillet and it worked wonderfully.  If you choose to pan-fry the chicken, be patient!  Allow the chicken to become a dark-brown color on the bottom before turning it over.  You want it crispy, don’t you?!  Also, be sure to resist any temptation to put a lid on while cooking—the breading will go soft and mushy.

Welcome Home

Gosh, it’s been a while!  We’ve been doing a lot of crazy at our house and I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted. 
Today, I have a super yummy recipe that I’m sharing in honor of one of my favorite soldiers.  I love him because he loves my food :) and because he’s a great uncle to my kids.  He just finished his tour in Afghanistan and arrived home just this week!  We’re so proud of his service and dedication and wish him the best of luck in the future.  This one’s for you, Andy!

Chicken Florentine

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or cubed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Flour for dredging
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons shallots, sliced (onion may be substituted)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine (or chicken stock)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 10 oz. fresh spinach, washed (comes in a bag)

Directions

Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off any excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, salt and pepper and cook until brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.  Add the spinach and stir until wilted.  Serve over cooked pasta of your choice. 
As always, let me know how it turns out!

Easy and Tasty

Cranberry Chicken

Ingredients:
4 to 6 boneless chicken breast halves, skin removed
1 can whole cranberry sauce
2/3 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 package dry onion soup mix (like Lipton)

Preparation:
Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients; add to the slow cooker, coating chicken well. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
Serves 4 to 6.

Thank you, Mr. McCargo

These tasty appetizers are our traditional fare for large gatherings focused around sports (they qualify as “Man Food”).  They are tiny bundles of joy that some of the toughest critics have not been able to resist.  They are a crowd favorite at our house.
One last note:  Yes, it says Blue Cheese Dip.  Even if you’ve declared yourself a non-blue cheese eater, don’t discount this dip until you’ve tried it…meaning that you actually make it and then dip the BCC balls in it and take a bite.  If you still don’t like it?  Well, you’ve built some character by surviving the journey with your taste-buds.

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Balls

Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo Jr.

Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive Prep Time: --

Cook Time: 10 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 15 to 20 balls

Ingredients

• 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups sharp Cheddar
• 1/4 cup freshly sliced scallions
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Blue Cheese Dip:

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup packed blue cheese, broken up
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Directions

Have oil heated to 350 degrees F.
Pick the meat from the chicken and discard the skin. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the hot sauce, pepper, cheese, and scallions, and toss to combine. Roll the chicken into 2-ounce balls, about the size of a golf ball.
Place the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Roll each ball in the flour, then the egg and then the bread crumbs. Set aside.
When the oil is hot fry the chicken balls in batches. Cook for about 2 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken to paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil.
To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the chicken alongside the dipping sauce.