October 29, 2010

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

Ever since I started blogging, I have wanted to try different meats besides my usual chicken with an occasional pork or steak. A couple of months back, I came across this burger recipe at Thyme for Wine (clever name!) and it uses ground turkey rather than the usual ground beef. Perfect way to try a different kind of meat, I thought. Of course, like always, I had to make a few changes to suit our likings as well as cut the recipe down because it originally yields 6 servings but we were making enough just for the two of us. We ended up making four burgers total, but I should have known that there is NO way I could eat two of these! They are plump! So really I only had one burger, and didn't really need to make four total... I don't remember the exact measurements, so I will just supply the original recipe from Rebecca in regards to the ingredient amounts.

















Buffalo Turkey Burgers adapted from Thyme for Wine

*Yields: 6 servings
  •  1.2 lbs lean ground turkey
  • 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/3 cup hot sauce/buffalo sauce
  • 6 slices of mozzarella cheese (I used pepper jack cheese)
  • 6 hamburger buns
  • lettuce for serving
  • celery sticks for serving
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, chopped onion, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Once incorporated, form into 6 equally sized patties. 

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the turkey burger patties to the skillet. Cook on each side for at least 7 minutes (depending on the thickness of the burgers). 

Once the burgers are done, toss them in a bowl of buffalo sauce. Set the burgers on a baking sheet lined with foil, place a piece of cheese on top and put in the oven to broil for two minutes (I put it on 'bake' at 200° just enough to melt the cheese). At this time, you can toast the buns in the oven if you like. 

When serving, place a small piece of lettuce on each bun, then the burger, and then any toppings of your choice like blue cheese crumbles or dressing on top. 

Note: You can serve them with celery sticks too for a real buffalo feel.

Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy this meal. Dipping them in the hot sauce makes them very spicy, so just brush some on top if you don't want too much heat. And I found I didn't really like the ground turkey texture or flavor. It's probably a personal preference. Ok so maybe I'm not a ground turkey kinda gurl? Not 100% sure, but I don't think I will be making this recipe again. Maybe I will give ground turkey another try in another recipe, like chili or some other kind of burger.

October 28, 2010

Three Cheese and Chicken Stuffed Shells

















I feel like I haven't been posting many recipes lately. Not as many as I want to, I guess. Hey, it's a busy life. I have been trying to work out more after work, and also have had many errands and things that need to be done lately, so I haven't had much time for blogging about recipes. It takes time to upload the pictures and edit them and write the posts! But I hope to get on it!

This here is a recipe that I found over at Deborah's Taste and Tell blog. Her blog is so nicely laid out, with a recipe archive for easy access to all of her recipes. Her pictures are beautiful, which I always look for! And she has an abundance of recipes to offer! This is just one of her many recipes which I have either tried or plan to try in the future.

I boiled a pot of water and cooked the large pasta shells according to the package instructions. While that was cooking, I combined the diced chicken, all of the ricotta cheese, only 2 ounces of the mozzarella cheese, all of the Monterey cheese, sour cream, bread crumbs, parsley, and salt and pepper - all in a large bowl. I mixed them all together well. I took this picture before I added the diced chicken... oops! But add that in too and mix it!
















Then I sprayed my beloved casserole dish with some non-stick cooking spray and then  spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce covering the bottom of the dish.  I stuffed that wonderful filling inside all of the cooked pasta shells and then placed the shells inside of the dish. You will need to stack them on top of each other because obviously just one layer isn't going to be enough! 













Then pour some of that spaghetti sauce over top of all of the stuffed pasta shells. And don't forget to top with the remaining mozzarella!


















Then bake that bad boy at 350° F for 40 minutes. Try it, you won't be sorry.

Three Cheese and Chicken Stuffed Shells adapted from Taste and Tell

*Serves 4
  • 6 ounces large shell pasta
  • 1 chicken breast half, cooked and diced (we used chicken thighs with the skin-on because that's what we had)
  • 8 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 3 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 3 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs (I used Progresso's Italian style)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350° F. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water, then add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside

In a large bowl, combine chicken, ricotta cheese, 2 ounces of mozzarella cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, bread crumbs, parsley and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce. Fill each large shell with the chicken/cheese mixture and place in the dish. Cover with the remaining sauce and then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake at 350° F uncovered for 40 minutes. Serve warm.


I am linking this recipe to Foodie Friday.

October 26, 2010

Menu Planning - Week of 10/25/10

I am hopping on the meal-planning bangwagon. It can only be a good thing for our lives. We need order! So yesterday PJ went to Kroger and got everything on the list for the week. We planned out about 6 meals and sides, and some lunch ideas for me so I don't always have to eat out. I wanted to post this yesterday, you know, like a Monday kind of thing. But I didn't have the list with me. So here it is a day late. It would be nice if I could post a weekly meal plan every Monday! We will see how it goes...

Monday 10/25:  Baked Cod with Parmesan Sauce, and Lemon Butter Broccoli

Tuesday 10/26:  Chicken Tenders w/ Spicy Avocado Sauce, and Velveeta rotini  (or we may just order take-out because I have a grad school info session from 6 PM til 8 PM).

Wednesday 10/27:  Chili for two, and texas toast garlic bread

Thursday 10/28:   White Chicken Enchiladas w/ Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce, and horseradish parmesan potatoes adapted from this recipe

Friday 10/29:  Sole fillets in lemon butter, and asparagus

Saturday 10/30:   Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes, and Texas toast

Sunday 10/31:  HALLOWEEN! Anything goes!


I am linking up to I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.


October 22, 2010

Nacho Chicken Bake















I have already shared with you my love of a particular seasoning, and this recipe was a great place to use it. Well really, any recipe is a good one to use it if you ask me. Yes you guessed it, that delicious Grippo's seasoning! I wanted to use it in this Nacho Chicken Bake recipe that I discovered from my fellow blogging friend (and inspiration!) Krista

I made some modifications to Krista's original recipe. One of those was that I didn't use canned chicken. Instead, I had three bone-in chicken thighs with the skin on, so I seasoned them with the Grippo's seasoning before cooking.















Then I baked them at 350° until fully cooked and then diced them into smaller pieces. You can remove the skin if you would like, or use canned chicken or even boneless skinless chicken breasts. This is just what I had on hand. I probably would prefer the boneless skinless chicken breasts because the skin is useless in this recipe.

Another modification I made was that I halved the recipe, since I was making it just for the two of us. So I spread out 4 or 5 cups of cheesy Doritos on the bottom of a greased casserole dish instead of the 8 cups of Doritos that the original recipe calls for. You can grease the dish with butter or cooking spray. I'm pretty sure I used butter because I didn't have cooking spray at the time. I feel like I should have a picture for this step, but I don't. But you get the gist.  Doritos spread on bottom of dish.

Then in a large bowl, I combined a 10 3/4 oz. can of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup of salsa, 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (I didn't half the cheese amount), 1/2 of a diced onion, 2 oz. diced jalapenos, and the cooked diced chicken. I mixed well and then poured it over the chips and spread evenly to cover the entire casserole dish.















Then I sprinkled some additional cheese on top of the uncooked casserole and then baked at 350° for 35 minutes. The finished product was delicious! You can eat it as is, or like PJ who ate it in a tortilla. 


















He is a creative one, that man! I just ate mine as is, with a fork and a smile  :)


Nacho Chicken Bake adapted from Krista
  • 4-5 cups cheesy Doritos
  • 3 bone-in chicken thighs with the skin on
  • Grippo's Seasoning
  • 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
  • 1/2 an onion, diced
  • 2 oz. diced jalapenos
  • additional cheese for topping
Preheat oven to 350°. Season chickens with Grippo's seasoning, and then bake at 350° until fully cooked. Then dice chicken into small pieces.

Spread Doritos evenly onto the bottom of a greased casserole dish.

Combine soup, salsa, cheese, onion, jalapenos, and cooked chicken in a large bowl and mix together. Then spread the mixture over top of the chips, spreading evenly throughout to cover everywhere. Sprinkle the top with additional cheese.

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.











**I am linking this one to Foodie Fridays.


Enjoy!

October 20, 2010

Restaurant Review : Arby's in Ft. Wright

I have a love/hate relationship with fast food. Sometimes I feel like I am in an abusive relationship with it. It beats me up, hurts my body, makes me feel horrible about myself. Sometimes I want to pack my bags and never visit another fast food joint ever again, other times I keep going back and giving it another chance. Seriously, it is like an unhealthy relationship... and I am the abused.

I really don't want to give in to the easiness of going back. I know it will mean disgust and regret, but I still do it anyways. I let these awful places lure me back in with their convenience and cheap prices. And then, once it is all over, like a battered wife who knows she can't go on like this, I am upset at myself for giving in to the temptation to return to such a hell. Maybe one day I will be strong and finally say "NO! I will not let you back in my life!"  Alot easier said than done. Obviously, because I ended up at Arby's the other day for lunch. Unfortunately.

I ordered my usual - Arby's cheddar melt, a small fry and a side of cheese. With a Dr. Pepper of course. Is it just me or have the Arby's melts gone up in price but gotten smaller in size? They just seem so much smaller than they used to, with alot less roast beef on it. The roast beef at Arby's, for me, is always a hit or miss kind of thing. Probably 80 times out of 100, it is a miss in my opinion. So why do I keep going back? I don't know. I just don't know.

To top it off, many times the fries are soggy and not cooked enough. I like my curly fries crispy. I think these were pretty crispy, but not hot. So I either get soggy, or I get cold. It's a lose-lose. You think I would learn my lesson. But I still haven't.

When Arby's is good, it's really good. But when it is bad, I am so turned off by the thought of eating there again. I have had some great Arby's food in the nicer areas of town. Where the workers care more about their job and the food they are serving their customers. Seems like all fast food places down by where I live could care less about what should be served. They don't care if food is cold, fries are soggy, anything. So.... I'm gonna finally put my foot down and stop going back to this one-sided relationship! They aren't fulfilling their part of the bargain, so neither will I. Time to stop wasting my time (and money) and move on to the better foods in life!



Arby's on Urbanspoon

October 17, 2010

A SteakNPotatoes Kinda Meal


My name says it all - I am a steak and potatoes kinda girl. Put them together and that could just be the best meal I could ever ask for. The topic for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs was "served-family style" with one of Giada's recipes. I saw this one on the Food Network website (that originally came from her cookbook Giada's Family Dinners) and thought it fit the theme perfectly, since it came from her family cookbook, AND I had wanted to make it so badly! It twas her Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs recipe. Mashed potatoes are lovely by themselves, and add some cheese and bread crumbs (which I hadn't thought to do before!)... well that just seems genius! So I knew I had to make these potatoes for this week's theme at IHCC. But I just didn't know what to make as the main course. Then I asked PJ to skim my lonnnng list of recipes to try, and he chose a delightful steak recipe. We hadn't had steak in awhile, and like I said before, I will never pass up an opportunity to eat steak and potatoes. Good thinking, Peej!

I modified Giada's recipe slightly. I made half of what the recipe originally called for, since I was making it only for the two of us.  I did not peel the russet potatoes, which was totally fine with us. I also used vitamin D milk instead of whole milk. I also used Progresso Italian bread crumbs rather than the plain kind it called for. And lastly, I waited to preheat the oven until after the potatoes were cooked. No big changes, just minor ones. Here is my modified recipe of Giada's delightful version.


Giada's Baked Mashed Potatoes w/ Parmesan Cheese & Bread Crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup vitamin D milk
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Progresso Italian bread crumbs
Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, return potatoes to the same pot and mash well. Mix in the milk and melted butter. Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 of the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat oven to 400°. Coat a 13x9 inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Stir the bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes.

Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

*Note: This recipe can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead of time, up to the point right before you bake it. Cover and chill.



I am linking this potato recipe to IHCC for "served family style" week of Giada's recipes.
IHCC

My favorite cut of steak is the filet - it is always so tender and juicy and doesn't have much fat on it. And I love an easy steak recipe, such as the one I saw over at Ashley's blog. She is a New York girl and she cooks fancy food and takes beautiful photos. I knew I had to try her recipe for steak with parmesan herb butter, but with our own modifications. Boy, am I glad we did! Um, steak... delicious. Parmesan... delicious. Herbs... always tasty. And butter... again, delicious! There was no way we weren't making this recipe! So we served Giada's potatoes with some filet mignon steaks with Parmesan Herb Butter. We just cooked the steaks in oil on a skillet, letting them get nice and brown on the outside, and cooking until steaks were medium temperature. I always have trouble with overcooking my steaks, or not cooking them enough. I used to have to cut into them with a knife. Now, I try to guess based on the touch. But I do also have to use a thermometer just to make sure that it is at an acceptable temperature. This is a skill I need to perfect... knowing how to cook a steak without cutting into it or using a thermometer. I'll let you know when I perfect it  :) Below is the recipe for the Parmesan Herb Butter that we used over top of the steaks.




















Parmesan Herb Butter from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
  • 4-5 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped (can use scissors)
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Mix all ingredients together and serve over top of steaks. 

This was absolutely divine! We will make both of these recipes again! Filet is not something we can have very often, but we are blessed when we can  :) These potatoes were good heated up the next day too for leftovers!

October 15, 2010

Monterey BBQ Chicken

I find a lot of my inspiration from Reeni over at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice. Her photos are amazing, her food is equally so, and her posts are just so organized and appealing to the eye. Many of her recipes are on my list to try. Well, I can scratch one off the list... Monterey Chicken, which Reeni says was inspired by the Chili's restaurant version. I have never tried that one, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I do know that it was delicious! As soon as I saw the ingredients, I knew there was no way that we wouldn't enjoy it!


Monterey BBQ Chicken adapted from Reeni
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ Sauce
  • 2 slices of bacon
  • 1/2 of a large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • about 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • olive oil
  • 2 oz. diced jalapenos
  • 3/4 cup monterey jack shredded cheese
  • 1/4 cup hot pepper shredded cheese
  • salt and pepper

Season chickens with salt and pepper, as much as you like. Then marinate in a bowl with bbq sauce fully covering the chickens.

Preheat oven to 400°. You will bake the chicken until cooked through, about 20 minutes or a little more. But while chicken is baking, cook the bacon in a large skillet. Crumble bacon when done. Once bacon is finished cooking, add a bit of olive oil to the same skillet that the bacon was cooked in, and then add the onions and mushrooms and cook until tender. Then add the jalapenos and saute for a few more minutes. 

Once chicken is cooked, remove and sprinkle the cheeses on top. Then place them back in the oven to melt the cheese.

Top the chickens with the mushroom, onion, and jalapeno mixture and crumbled bacon.


****Thanks for sharing your goodness, Reeni!

October 14, 2010

Restaurant Review : Westside Grill in Western Hills (NOW CLOSED)

When I moved over to the westside of town, I knew I had to find some good restaurants that I could count on. Westside Grill has become one of those places. It is within walking distance of my house, so very convenient, especially in the winter when we are snowed in! I have tried quite a few items on their menu! They offer breakfast anytime of the day, as well as burgers, double deckers, pretzel sandwiches, and other platters. Their double deckers are delish! Like any double decker, I guess (can you go wrong with a double decker?!). I like to get the turkey and hard boiled egg, with mayo, lettuce and tomato. Sometimes I do bacon instead of turkey. But it is always yum-o! They come with a side of chips.
turkey and hard boiled egg double decker



close-up

They recently have been voted best burger on the westside (or at least the sign outside their building says that!), and I can see why! It packs alot of flavor! You can get just a plain hamburger (but why would you?!) or a cheeseburger (deluxe style is best!) or even a double cheeseburger. It is so yummy, the only downside is that the bun gets soggy sometimes by the time it gets back to our house. Maybe if they only put mayo on the top bun it would be better.


cheeseburger deluxe with a side of fries
close-up

We order a side of crinkly thick-cut fries when we order burgers and cheesesteak melts. They are good when fresh and hot. Sometimes I ask for them well done. I also enjoyed their sweet potato fries (an additional charge) but they were missing a dipping sauce. That would have made them even better. 

My main regular is the Philly Cheesesteak Melt, with mushrooms and onions. I'm sure the grade of "steak" isn't the best, but it is pretty good for a Philly cheesesteak. Of course this thing is super greasy, but that's how I eat. Please don't make me feel bad for it.

















For me, the breakfast wasn't too great, which is a shame because I love breakfast food! I just wasn't very impressed. I have ordered their home fries with breakfast, which were decent but nothing special. Not much flavor to them. Even if you order them with onions and cheese like I have, I still had to add alot of seasoning. Plus I would probably want them cooked more, to be more crispy like hashbrowns. I think I also ordered their biscuits and gravy (or maybe it was french toast?! I can't remember, it has been awhile) but whichever it was, I didn't like it too much either. So basically I have given up on ordering breakfast from there. Which is a damn shame because I absolutely love breakfast when it is cooked right. 

Once in the past, I tried a pretzel sandwich because I was really excited about the options that come with it. I was particularly drawn to the Hot Roast Beef & Pepperjack Cheese pretzel sandwich, but I didn't like the pretzel bun unfortunately.

We used to order there seriously like every other day. When we would call in for a pickup order, they would ask "Is this PJ?" They knew him well. He was usually the one going to pick up the food, and I guess they recognized his voice when he did call in. Even if I called in the order, they knew it was for PJ because I would get my usual Philly Cheesesteak melt and he would get his usual cheeseburger deluxe. Some of the cooks/cashiers/waitresses weren't too friendly in the beginning though. They never really smiled. They sounded annoyed sometimes when we called. And at one point there was a young cashier who had a horrible attitude and was very unprofessional! But we have slowed down going there. Eventually we just get tired of places because we have exhausted their menu items and grown bored. But we do randomly still order from there, and recently there does seem to be new employees, who seem kind and happier to be serving us.

Westside Grill used to be our go-to restaurant. But as usual, I began to tire myself out on it. We do go back here and there, but nothing like we used to. But you should definitely try it! They have some good options, many of which are tasty, and they are reasonably priced. A westside gem  :)




Westside Grill on Urbanspoon

October 13, 2010

Horseradish Ranch Sauce


Who likes horseradish? I do, I do! And the fiancee does too. So he came up with a super simple concoction for dipping. Are you ready for the steps? Brace yourself...


Combine horseradish sauce, ranch dressing, and sour cream in a bowl. 

Were you waiting for more instructions? Well, that's it! Just combine the three ingredients together and you are all done. No cooking involved. The measurements depend on how much of the bold horseradish flavor you want. If you like it spicy, add a lot of horseradish and just enough ranch and sour cream to balance it out. If you just want to add a small kick to something, add a little bit of horseradish sauce. I'm sure this would be equally good with actual prepared horseradish too, rather than horseradish sauce.

We needed something to dip our little crispy potatoes bites in. We thought, hmm horseradish could work, but so could ranch. And sour cream goes well on baked and mashed potatoes.... and thus PJ's invention was born. This may not even be his creation for all we know. Of course someone could have already come up with a recipe like this, but not that I have heard.

So for now, until we are proven wrong, we will let him boast of his creation. Though very simple.  :)

October 12, 2010

Crispy Panko-Coated Ranch Chicken















Panko bread crumbs are pretty awesome. They add a crunchiness and crispiness that is hard to come by with baked foods. If you aren't familiar with Panko, it is a Japanese bread crumb. It can be used for coating all sorts of meats and veggies, as well as casseroles and appetizers that need a crunchy topping.

Besides panko, we have always been a ranch-loving pair. At one point, PJ was known for putting ranch on everything! His family would tease him, prompting every food comment with "Are you going to put ranch on that?" Even when it was something outrageous like ice cream or cookies. Really though, he used to put it on nearly everything. And obviously salads. Now, however, his love of ranch has died down and now I would say it is just a like. He prefers it to blue cheese, but his salads now consist of Italian dressing, and he no longer smothers sandwiches (and everything else for that matter!) in ranch. Maybe we are getting a little healthier? Possibly growing to be a health-conscious duo? Hmm.... I probably wouldn't take it that far. But yes, ranch has been less of a staple in our household recently. But that doesn't mean we dislike it and won't ever use it. We will save the ranch for recipes that actually call for it as an ingredient and not just something we (didn't need to) add in.

I borrowed this recipe from Deep South Dish and modified it to fit just the two of us. Boy, she sure does supply tons of delish southern recipes! Check her out :) I do all the time!


*Note to self: STOP, PLEASE STOP,  photographing food on yellow plates. Better yet, just get rid of the yellow plates all together! Yuck!


First I measured out 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs... or at least I tried to! As you can see, some got away from me and spilled on the kitchen counter. Those little crumbs didn't want to be cooked! Apparently they think they have a better life on the shelf in my pantry. After cleaning off the counter, I measured a full 1/3 cup of panko.

Put the panko bread crumbs on a plate along with 1/2 a packet of ranch dressing and seasoning mix.

Then mix the panko bread crumbs and ranch mix together. Next time I will use the whole packet of ranch, because this time there wasn't enough ranch flavor. Maybe more would do the trick?

Next, spread 1/12 cup of mayonnaise onto the chicken breasts, on both sides. (I know, I know, how the heck are you supposed to measure that? very carefully... I suggest).  I just cut the original recipe in thirds, so instead of 1/4 cup I used 1/12 cup mayo. Or, you don't even really need to measure it if you don't want to. You can just spoon some onto the chicken breasts, spread, and add more mayo when needed. Don't make it harder than it needs to be! This is supposed to be simple!


Once chicken breasts are brushed with mayo on all sides, dredge them in the panko and ranch mixture. Press them down into the panko bread crumbs and evenly coat all sides.














Preheat the oven to 375° and coat a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Or you can spray the baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, but I didn't have any at the time. I know, that's like a cooking criminal offense! I have some now, I swear! Place the chicken on the pan and bake until juices run clear, possibly 45 minutes. Really I would check on it after 30 minutes and just put it back in if needed.

















Crispy Panko-Coated Ranch Chicken
adapted from Deep South Dish
  • 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 packet of ranch dressing & seasoning mix (or 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/12 cup of mayonnaise (or enough to spread on chickens)
Preheat oven to 375°. Spread vegetable oil on a baking sheet, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

On a plate or shallow dish, mix together the panko crumbs and ranch seasoning mix. Brush the chicken breasts with mayo on all sides. Then dredge them in the panko mixture. Place them on the prepared pan and bake at 375° for 30 minutes, and possibly another 15 minutes or so if needed (until juices run clear).

*Note: Use more ranch seasoning mix if desired. As mine did not have much of a ranch flavor. 


I am linking this recipe to Foodie Fridays.


To be honest, I wasn't blown away by the recipe. I wanted more of a ranch flavor. I do love the panko addition, but just wish there was more flavor. I am not too sure how to make that happen either. Maybe more ranch mix, but would that really do the trick? Maybe the addition of mushrooms or onions? But then would I even taste the ranch... would the additions take the center stage? I am not sure, but I will keep trying to perfect this recipe to our likings. It is definitely a good simple, basic "fried" but baked chicken. It just isn't screaming FLAVOR! But definitely worth trying, especially if you are going to try to make it your own!

What suggestions do you guys have to make this recipe pop more? 



Crispy Panko-Coated Ranch Chicken on Foodista

WWDB? Grippo's Seasoning

Welcome to another edition of WWDB?

What is WWDB? you ask?

WWDB? = What would Desi buy?

and I'm Desi!!!


I am letting you know about good products that I test out that I love!

So what would Desi buy, you ask?

Today I just wanted to tell you about a delish seasoning I found at the grocery store on a whim. I wasn't looking for it! I was just in the snack aisle looking for junk food, and happened to notice a bottle of Grippo's seasoning. Um... YUM! I didn't even know they made this stuff! I love Grippo's, especially when they have so much seasoning on them. And those are hard to find. Sometimes the small bags are the ones with alot of seasoning, but then other times I am disappointed. It's too hard to guess! So.... what better idea than to sell that famous, irresistible goodness in a bottle for people like me to put on whatever we like?! Now if I have a bag of Grippo's, I can drown them in my own seasoning. I have also used it on chicken. And it can be used on any meat! Or veggies! Or potatoes! Pretty much on anything if you ask me.





















*Note: I was a little surprised at how expensive it was when I got to the cash register. But, like with many good spices and seasonings, sometimes you gotta pay for greatness  :)

October 8, 2010

Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents
















Have I told you how much I love bacon? Well if I haven't... I love bacon. And if I have, well I LOVE BACON! I could eat it on a sandwich, I can eat it by itself, I can eat it as a topping, on a salad, with other meats, for breakfast lunch OR dinner. Basically, there is always an occasion for makin bacon {that rhymed}

:)

And this right here is another reason for makin some bacon! These delicious Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents are perfect for a snack or appetizer. I could seriously eat so many of these! I love the blend of the bacon and chive cream cheese. And of course all in a fluffy yet crispy crescent roll.

First you will need to cook your bacon. The recipe calls for 3 slices of bacon, but more doesn't hurt (except for maybe your arteries). I made 2 extra slices just for me to chow down on while cooking. Another use for bacon - snacktime!
before











after


















Then crumble that bacon. I just wrap mine up in that paper towel used for ridding extra grease and crumble away. Then go back in and make smaller pieces if need be. Then in a small bowl, mix half of an 8 oz. tub of the chive and onion cream cheese with the crumbled bacon. I haven't tried it with regular cream cheese, but seriously the chive and onion add such a nice flavor. I don't think I would want to try it with regular! But if you don't like chives or onions then do most definitely make it with regular cream cheese.
 














The original recipe says to split one can of dough into 8 triangles, and then cut those triangles in half lengthwise, creating 16 triangles. I just like to cut mine up into different sized triangles. That way, we have some smaller regular-sized ones, and some jumbo ones. The jumbo ones are sort of like a treat. Anyways, so you are supposed to cut the can of dough into 8 triangles, and then half those, making 16 triangles. But whatever floats your boat. As many as you would like. As you can see, I have problems with the spreading technique because the dough is soft and hard to spread the mixture on. So this part doesn't look too pretty....












Then you just roll those bad boys up, with sides facing down on the pan. It can get sticky!



Then off to the oven they go, on 375°F for about 14 minutes or so, depending on how crisp you want them.

Then they come out like this....














.....















... and they are gone like that (*snaps finger)!

Quite possibly heaven on earth?! (Taking it a little too far?)

Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents adapted from Kraft Foods

*Yields 16 total crescents
  • 4 oz. Philadelphia Chive & Onion cream cheese (1/2 of an 8 oz. tub)
  • 3 slices (or more!) Oscar Mayer thick sliced center cut bacon, cooked & crumbled
  • 1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Cook bacon on skillet until done. Then crumble.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix cream cheese and crumbled bacon in a small bowl until well blended.

Separate the can of dough into 8 triangles each. Cut each triangle in half lengthwise. Spread each dough triangle with generous amount of cream cheese mixture. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point. Place, point sides down, on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake approximately 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

*Note: I made some of my triangles larger than others, as to have a few really big crescents! You may want to cook them a little longer if you like them more crisp. I bake mine for about 14 minutes.


I am linking this recipe to Foodie Friday.

Now make it! You know you wanna!Cheesy Bbq Sloppy Joes on Foodista