Weeknight Meal #3: Oven-Fried Chicken

In my family, we had the tradition of everyone picking their favorite meal on their birthday, and my mom would make it especially for that day (or the following weekend). I'm a meat and potatoes type of girl (that loves veggies, too), so my dad always had a hand in cooking my meal. But, my brothers? They always requested my mom's famous fried chicken. And I have to say, she makes the best fried chicken of anyone I know. I've tried to replicate it a few times, and I've failed miserably. It's one of those, "I'm just going to ask her to teach me how to do that," kinda things because I keep trying, but it doesn't taste like hers.

The downside to having good 'ole fried chicken are those horrible calories that are quadruple the amount that you should have, right? So, I decided to try this recipe that my friend recommended: Oven-Fried Chicken. Almost the same, great taste (even as my mom's!) with a lot less calories. Plus, less work! It's become a staple meal at our house, and after trying it, I'm sure you'll add it to your rotation, too.

OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cut in strips

4-5 tbsp butter

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp seasoning salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place butter on a large baking sheet and place in the oven to melt.

2. Combine all ingredients besides chicken in a large ziploc bag. Add the chicken and shake to coat.

3. Take your baking sheet out of the oven once the butter has melted (should only take about 3-5 minutes at most), and place you chicken on it, leaving spaces between each strip.

4. Bake 10-12 minutes, flip with a pair of tongs, and bake another 10-12 minutes.

5. Check to make sure chicken is cooked entire way through either with meat thermometer or by cutting into middle. If not completely cooked through, bake another 5-10 minutes, turning over half way.

6. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel, and soak up any excess grease. 

7. Serve and devour! :) 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Adapted from here!

We usually serve it with green beans and mashed potatoes, but the possibilities are endless with this meal. With this dish, you'll forget all about making real fried chicken!


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Weeknight Meal #1: Chicken Spaghetti

How many of you wonder day after day what you are going to make for dinner that night? You go to work and spend hours trying to find a recipe that requires ingredients you have and isn't going to take hours. I've been there. That's why I had to be a little more organized. I love using this Meal Planner & Couponing Tracker. It's simplified life more than I can even explain. With our 30+ rotating meals and always adding Pinterest finds, I never run out of things to make. Today's featured Chicken Spaghetti is adapted from the Pioneer Woman's recipe, and it's truly delicious. And EASY! My husband was skeptical when I first told him what I was making (and when I told him it didn't contain tomato-based sauce), but we both loved it, and leftovers for lunch the next day were just as good.

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

Ingredients:

chicken (any cut), around 1 1/2 cups

1/2 box thin spaghetti

2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack & Cheddar)

1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1 tsp season salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 finely diced medium onion

salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook chicken either by boiling (if using whole chicken pieces) and removing off the bones, or by cooking by method of your choosing. 

Note: I used chicken breasts, cooked by steaming them (technique to come later on the blog, but baking would be another option!), and then cut up into 1/2 inch cubes. Save the chicken broth. It adds flavor when cooking the spaghetti!

3. Cook the spaghetti in the chicken cooking broth, if you'd like, or in boiling water until it is cooked firm to the bite. Don't overcook!

4. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with chicken, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, green pepper, red pepper, season salt, cayenne pepper, mushroom soup, and onions. Sprinkle with salt and pper.

5. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth (or as much as you have from cooking your chicken). If you do not have any, that is fine, too. It just adds to the flavor.

6. Place the mixture in a casserole dish and top with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake until bubbly, around 45 minutes.

This meal makes around 4-6 servings, so it's perfect for a family, or for a couple with plenty for lunch the next day! Enjoy!

More delicious weeknight meal recipes to come!