Chicken Tender Melts

Like most people, I have fund memories of late nights/early mornings spent at the local Perkins restaurant. If you're one of the unlucky ones to live in a state without Perkins, you have my sympathies. When I was younger, it was either Saturday morning breakfast with grandma and grandpa, or Sunday morning family breakfast/lunch with friends from church. In high school, it was where we'd gather with groups of friends to hang out (especially when Dairyland wasn't open, either because it was closed for the season, or it was too late at night). In college, it was where we'd gather with groups of friends to hang out or study (often into the wee hours), or satisfy that odd craving for a slice of their amazing French Silk pie and a plate of onion rings (a combination I ordered way more times than I like to admit). 

When I was younger, one of the things they were known for is serving things (noteably, salads) in bread bowls roughly the size of the average human head . I was so intrigued by the concept of the breadbowl that I found myself ordering various breadbowl salads frequently, despite the fact that I didn't start liking salads until I was about 17. Much to my parents probable chagrin, I ended up eating the breadbowl and the rest of the salad accoutrement, but none of the lettuce.

Then, I discovered their chicken tender melt. Crisp chicken tenders, bacon, and melted pepperjack cheese inside grilled sour dough with a ranch dipping sauce. Delicious! Of course, like a large portion of my favorite chain restaurant items, it's since been taken off the menu. So I tried re-creating it at home. And it was a success.

Chicken Tender Melts

Inspired by Perkins Restaurant

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

6-8 chicken tenders (we made our own)

4-6 slices pepperjack cheese

4 slices sourdough bread

4 strips bacon

DIRECTIONS

Cook the chicken tenders until cooked through. I think frying the chicken tenders would produce the best results (and more true to the original), but I think baking them or even using grilled chicken breast strips would  also be really good.

Cook off a few strips of bacon. Drain and set aside until you start making the sandwich.

Assemble the sandwich like you would a grilled cheese: butter the outsides of two slices of sourdough. Place on top of it 1-2 slices of pepperjack, then 3-4 chicken tenders, then 2 strips of bacon, then another 1-2 slices of pepperjack. Top with the remaining slice of buttered bread.

Grill over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides, probably about 4 minutes each.

Fried Chicken

What's not to love about fried chicken? I maintain there is nothing. I'm pretty much always willing to try a new recipe, and considering I had a bunch of buttermilk to use up one day, this Alton Brown recipe fit the bill perfectly. Most of my fall-back recipes don't marinade in buttermilk, so I was curious what the difference would be. 

This was a great chicken recipe, though a bit salty. I would probably cut down the salt if I make it again in the future. I couldn't tell much difference in the flavor of this chicken meat compared to other recipes I've made where the chicken was not soaked in buttermilk, but I'm sure in a side-by-side comparison it would've been more clear. I'm not sure this will be my go-to recipe for the future, but it's certainly something I'll consider the next time I make fried chicken.

Fried Chicken
Recipe by Alton Brown, adapted
Serves 3-4
Prep Time - 20 minutes (plus 12-24 hrs inactive)
Cook Time - 15 min

INGREDIENTS
1 chicken, cut up into 8 pieces
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 TBSP kosher salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TBSP paprika
flour, for dredging
peanut oil, for frying (Alton uses shortening)

DIRECTIONS
Put chicken into a large plastic bowl and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hrs (the longer you let it sit in the buttermilk, the more tender the chicken will be).

Heat the oil to 325 degrees (we used our deep fryer, but if you're using a pan, let the oil come up to about 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch up the side of the pan). Do not let the oil go over 325 degrees.

Drain the chicken in a colander.

Combine the salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Season the chicken with this mixture. Dredge in the flour and then put in the oil. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes per side. We used chicken legs only, so I think our total cook time was about 15 minutes.


Remove from the oil and drain on a cooling rack before serving.

Chicken & Chips

When I was in law school, I did a summer study abroad program in London. I think I survived almost entirely on chicken & chips and sandwiches from Pret-a-Manger. Basically, chicken & chips is the English version of chicken tenders and fries, but with a subtly-flavored, airy, crunchy breading. The secret to a great breading is to use beer as your liquid. If you don't, your breading will take on an entirely different texture. If you've never had chicken & chips before, I urge you to try this recipe straight away. And if you have had them, this recipe is sure to cure any craving you're having.

Chicken & Chips

Recipe by Ann Burrell, adapted

Serves 2-4

Prep Time - 20 min

Cook Time - 20 min

INGREDIENTS

3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch wide sticks

1-2 lbs chicken tenders, or chicken breasts cut into wide strips
2 cups flour
2 tsp Old Bay seafood seasoning
1 tsp baking soda
Kosher salt
1 bottle cold beer

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil to 325 degrees F in a large deep, pot over medium heat. Regulate the temperature with a candy thermometer. (We used our deep fryer for this so there was no need for the thermometer). Keep the potato sticks in a bowl of water to prevent browning before frying. Remove to paper towels and dry well before placing in oil. (Drying is critical to help get the perfect texture). Fry the potatoes until they are cooked through and tender but have no color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Be sure the fries have plenty of room and gently swish them around as they are cooking, so do this in batches, if necessary. Remove them from the oil and put them immediately on a paper towel lined baking sheet to absorb any excess grease.

Raise the temperature of your oil to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, seafood seasoning, baking soda and pinch of salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and gently stir in the cold beer. Mix until just combined.

Dip the chicken tenders in the batter mixture and coat generously. When adding the chicken to the oil, dip about 1/3 to 1/2 of the tender into the oil and swoosh it around for a second to allow the batter to start puffing and then gently slide it into the oil all the way.

Fry the chicken until they are golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes turning the chicken over during the cooking time. Again, do this in batches if necessary to prevent over-crowding.

When the chicken is done, remove from the oil and put immediately on paper towels to blot the excess oil.

Working in batches, fry the fries a second time at 375 degrees F, until they are golden brown and crispy, a couple minutes. Remove them from the oil, immediately put them on paper towels and toss with kosher salt. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with the fries.

Pronto Pups

If you are a Minnesotan, or you know a Minnesotan, or if you've ever been to the Minnesota State Fair, chances are you know what a pronto pup is. And you probably have very strong feelings about them. Basically, a pronto pup is like a corn dog, but with one major difference. It uses a wheat batter instead of a cornmeal batter. This makes it better.

A couple of years ago my husband wrote a nice, long description about the differences between a corn dog and a pronto pup on his blog, which he has apparently decided to no longer update. He wrote: "For those who don’t know (i.e. non-Minnesotans), the pronto-pup is basically a corndog but the hotdog is dipped into a wheat-based batter rather than a corn-based batter. It is far and away better than the corndog, although many a riot has been started at the fairgrounds over just this issue. Naturally corn-dog people are wrong, but they just don’t listen to reason. It’s a similar argument as to which stand has the best mini-donuts. Some people say Tiny Tim, and the right people say Tom Thumb."

We decided to try to re-create them one day and I think we came really close. Of course, this won't alleviate the need to start out the day with a pronto pup every time we go to the state fair. I know it's not feasible for most of my readers to ever get to the Minnesota State Fair (a.k.a. "The Great Minnesota Get-Together") but if you ever find yourself in Minnesota sometime during the 12 days before Labor Day, try to make it out to the Fairgrounds on Snelling Ave. in St. Paul.

Pronto Pups

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

3 TBSP sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup, plus 3 TBSP milk

canola oil, for frying

hot dogs

wooden skewers

DIRECTIONS

Soak your skewers in water for about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients slowly. When finished, it should be about the consistency of pancake batter. Maybe a little thicker.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.

Pour the batter into a cake pan or something else shallow.

Put the hot dogs on the skewers and coat with the batter and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich

I really love Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwiches. In fact, I'm not sure I know a single person that doesn't love them. I do not, however, like the seemingly ever-increasing price tag that comes with them. I'd been toying with the idea of making them at home for a while, but I was a little afraid I'd end up disappointed. However, one day I brought up the idea of making them to my husband, and he was game. So, we tried them.

They were excellent. I wouldn't say they taste exactly like Wendy's, but they're really close. And, since you make them, you have the added bonus of knowing exactly what you put in them.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches

Recipe adapted from various websites

Serves 4

Cook & Prep Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup Frank's hot sauce

2/3 cup water

1 cup flour

2 1/2 tsp salt (I thought this was a bit much so I would probably do 1 1/2 tsp instead)

4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp garlic powder

4 boneless chicken breasts

oil, for frying

4 buns

Mayonnaise

Lettuce

Tomato slices

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oil to 350 degrees F.

Mix together water & hot sauce in one bowl or shallow dish. Mix together the flour, cayenne, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in another bowl or shallow dish.

Pound the chicken just a little bit and dredgein the flour mixture, then dip in the hot sauce mixture, and then back into the flour.

Drop into the hot oil and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 160 degrees F.

Serve on buns and garnish with the tomato, lettuce, and mayonnaise.

Fried Chicken II

I would love to be able to tell you an amusing little story about how I came up with this fried chicken, or how I came to love fried chicken, or even something funny that happened while making this fried chicken. However, there are no stories. My husband I wanted fried chicken, and decided to try a different recipe from the usual, so this fried chicken was born out of an Alton Brown recipe and an Aaron McCargo, Jr. recipe, with a little twist of my own.

It was a great dish to accompany a night of watching Ballykissangel on our Netflix Roku box before series 2 becomes unavailable for instant watch tomorrow.



Fried Chicken
Inspired by Alton Brown & Aaron McCargo, Jr.
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
4-6 pieces chicken (we like legs)
oil, for frying
1/2 TBSP kosher salt
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP paprika (any variety)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
flour, for dredging

DIRECTIONS
Mix together spices. Use about 1/3 to rub on the chicken. Let sit in the fridge for about 2-3 hours.

After chicken is out of the refrigerator, set up a breading station: place the beaten egg in a shallow bowl and mix it with about 1 tsp of the spice mixture. Place the flour in another shallow bowl and mix about 2 TBSP of the spice mixture with that.

Coat the chicken pieces in egg and then dredge in flour till fully coated.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep fryer, dutch oven, or heavy skillet to 350 degrees. Cook the chicken for about 13 minutes. Drain on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

Maple Hot Wings

There is a restaurant in Iowa City called The Vine that makes amazing chicken wings. The best of their 10 flavors is the maple hot - or at least, that's the consensus in my family.

We've wanted to try to re-create these wings for some time, but haven't been sure where to start. Then, I came across a recipe for maple wings in my google reader and became inspired. While the end result didn't really taste much like the Maple Hot wings from The Vine, we both really liked these wings and will be making them again.


Maple Hot Wings
Serves 2
Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
6-7 whole chicken wings, divided
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 TBSP minced garlic
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
2 serrano peppers, sliced
1 1/3 cups maple syrup
Oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil to 375 degrees. (We do this in our deep fryer).

Meanwhile,in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, pepper, maple syrup, barbeque sauce, and serrano peppers. Bring to a low boil and simmer to allow it to thicken.

Fry the wings until cooked through (should be about 10 minutes).

Remove serrano peppers. Pour sauce over wings and shake to coat.

Fried Pork Chops

I confess - I've never made pork chops before. In fact, I never particularly cared for them. My dad made them fairly often when I was growing up, but they were always so dry and flavor-less that I made myself a grilled cheese or mac & cheese when he made them (sorry, dad).

For some reason, I got a bug in my head a few months ago that really wanted pork chops. I got the smell in my nose of these grilled pork chops that the local Lions club always served at ourdoor festivals and the county fair when I was growing up. They always smelled so great. I was convinced pork chops could be moist and flavorful. Then, when I was watching Paula Deen the day Michelle Obama made an appearance, and Paula's son made his fried pork chops. They looked delicious. I knew I had to make them one day. So, finally, I did.

The flavor of these were great and I loved how crispy they were. I liked them more and more with each bite. I still prefer chicken, but these were a nice change.



Fried Pork Chops
Recipe by The Deen Brothers
Serves 2
Cook Time - 20 min

INGREDIENTS
4 cups vegetable oil (we used peanut oil)
2(8-ounce) bone-in pork chops, about 1-inch thick
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil to 350 degrees F.

Arrange the pork chops in a large shallow dish. Season each pork chop, on both sides, with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Pour the buttermilk over the chops and turn to coat.

Place flour into a large shallow dish. Dip each pork chop into the flour mixture and coat well, shaking off the excess.

Using tongs, gently lower the chops into the deep skillet in batches if necessary. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. (We used our deep fryer, so no turning was necessary). Transfer chops to a paper towel-lined pate to drain. Serve hot.

Chimichangas

I know I'm not the only one who randomly craves Mexican. Sometimes I just want a chimichanga. I've heard rumor that chimichangas are a Tex-Mex creation, but I'm skeptical. I had the best chimichanga ever at a little seaside cafe in Barra de Navidad, Mexico 13-ish years ago. I still have dreams about it. That chimichanga is the inspiration for this recipe.



Chicken Chimichangas
Serves 2
Prep Time - 20 minutes
Cook time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 burrito-size tortillas
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
Pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
Paprika
cumin
Chili powder
Cayenne Pepper
salt
1/2 red onion
1 green bell pepper
Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
oil, for frying
Spicy Tomatillo Gravy, recipe follows

DIRECTIONS
Brown chicken over medium heat. Season with any combination of the above-listed spices. I thought my combination gave it a nice smokey Mexican-ish flavor. Set aside.

While chicken is browning, cut the onion and green pepper into thin strips. Cook them in 1 TBSP oil for a few minutes. Add a bit of salt & pepper while sauteeing. When done, they should still be nice and crispy.

To assemble, place a bit of Monterrey Jack in the middle of a tortilla. Place 1/2 of the chicken mixture on top of that, and finish with the onion/green pepper mixture. Fold up like a burrito by tucking in the "short" ends and then securing the "long" ends with toothpicks.

Meanwhile, heat about 1" of oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Once at desired temperature (on my stove, this was after about 4 minutes of heating), drop in the chimichangas. Cook for 2-3 minutes and flip. Cook the other side for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oil, drain excess oil, and smother with Tomatillo gravy (if desired). Garnish with your favorite toppings.


Spicy Tomatillo Gravy (optional)
3/4 cup cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 TBSP flour
1 tomatillo
1 jalapeno pepper
handful diced red onion
1 small can diced green chilis
salt & pepper, to taste

Mix all of the above in a food processor. Pour into saucepan and heat on low while cooking chimichangas. If sauce is too thin, bring to a low boil and add 1 TBSP flour. Once finished, use to smother the chimichangas.

Another Chicken Parmesan

I decided it was maybe time to try an actual recipe for Chicken Parmesan. I love the dish, but usually just kind of throw ingredients together and come up with something Chicken Parmesan-like. While you probably won't ever find Chicken Parmesan on a menu at any restaurant in Italy (and if you do, you probably want to leave that restaurant, because Chicken Parmesan isn't a real Italian dish - Italians use veal or eggplant), you should make it at home. Seriously, you need to make this recipe. It's so delicious I could barely stop eating it.



Chicken Parmesan
Recipe from Foodnetwork.com
Serves 4 (I cut halved)
Cook Time - About 30 min

INGREDIENTS
2 quarts oil, for deep-frying
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP cracked black pepper
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
3 TBSP freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 cups bread crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 quart favorite store-bought marinara sauce (I used homemade)
White sauce, recipe follows
8 slices mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil to 350 degrees F.

Mix all seasonings together then divide into 2 parts. Season chicken breast with half of the seasoning on both sides. Add half of remaining seasoning and 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley to bread crumbs and mix. Dip chicken in flour, then in eggs, then in bread crumbs. Fry chicken until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes). Simmer the marinara sauce in saucepan over medium heat. Place 2 slices of mozzarella cheese on each breast. Pour the warmed marinara sauce over the cheese, drizzle with White Sauce and serve.

White sauce:
1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the garlic and heavy cream in a medium saucepan, until simmering. Turn off heat, add butter, and whisk vigorously until fully incorporated. Add 1 tablespoon fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper

*I served this with a side of spaghetti*

Old Fashioned Cake Doughnuts

The female elders in my family have been making these doughnuts for years. They're light and airy - pretty much everything you would want in a doughnut. I highly recommend them. Unfortunately, even with a doughnut dropper, it's a bit difficult to get the shape. Don't be discouraged if you get a few alien mutant doughnuts at first.


Old Fashioned Cake Doughnuts

Family Recipe

INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
pinch of salt
2 cups sour milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS
Mix all the above together with electric mixer. Add flour 1 cup at a time. You'll probably have to stir in the last cup of flour by hand.

Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Place batter in doughnut dropper and drop batter into hot oil. Fry about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. If desired, coat with cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Fried Chicken

I somehow managed to sprain my big toe. Don't ask... I have no idea.

As such, tonight was the perfect night for some comfort food. Fried chicken was perfect - I had a new recipe I really wanted to try, and my husband is our master deep fryer, so I wouldn't have to be on my feet for too long. We both agreed that the coating needed to be a little thicker, but overall, this was the best fried chicken we'd ever eaten. It was crispy, juicy, flavorful, and had just the right amount of kick. We paired it with some homemade french fries.

Note - this was originally a wing recipe, which we adapted slightly, in cooking time only, for fried chicken.

Recipe from www.foodnetwork.com

Pat’s Spicy Fried Chicken (Wings)
Recipe from Gina & Pat Neely

Rub:
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper

Batter:

2 eggs
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 whole chicken wings, cut in 1/2 at the joint (or chicken legs)
2 cups flour

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl whisk together seasoning salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning, and lemon pepper. Reserve any remaining rub.

Rinse chicken in cold water and place into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the seasoning and lightly rub in, and let them marinate, covered and chilled, for 1 hour.

Whisk eggs, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into a medium size mixing bowl. Reserve. Put the flour into a shallow dish or pie plate.

In a large deep-fryer or large Dutch oven heat oil to 350 degrees F on a deep-fat thermometer.

Dredge chicken into the egg mixture then into the flour. Place chicken into the hot oil and cook for 13-14 minutes (8-10 for wings), turning occasionally, until cooked through and golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray. Make sure oil returns to temperature before adding the next batch. Sprinkle the chicken with the reserved seasoning while piping hot.

Balsamic Wings

I've always liked Giada de Laurentiis's Balsamic Chicken Wings, but I thought they were missing a little something. Then, one night when we were eating them and my husband suggested we try frying the wings to get the skin crunchy. We tried it last night, and man, were they good that way. I can't wait to make them again. We gobbled them up way too quickly to get a picture.

Balsamic Chicken Drumettes
Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, adapted
*Serves 2-4*
Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup honey
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
5 sprigs of rosemary
5 garlic cloves, chopped
10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS
Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a medium pot. Bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve. If sauce is too thin, add a cornstarch/water mixture.

Heat oil to 375 degrees F. (We used our deep fryer).

Meanwhile, place chicken wings in a large re-sealable bag. Shake with flour to coat.

Fry drumsticks until cooked through (Should be about 5-10 minutes).

Place chicken wings in pot with the sauce and shake to coat.