My Big Fat Fried Chicken Dinner!

I have to admit growing up in south I have had my share of fried chicken, an after church KFC run was fairly common at the Slayden house hold.  But now that I'm all grown up, it's not something I have on a regular basis.  I actually make baked "fried" chicken quite regularly, good crunch without the work and the fat.  However, the other day I decided I needed to make a full out fried chicken dinner...with mash tators, greens, gravy, and all!  I have fried catfish, hush puppies, and french fries before but never have I fried chicken, there, I said it.  So I went to the store with my mama to get the all the supplies for this undertaking.  The whole chicken which the butcher cut up for me (thank goodness) buttermilk, collards greens, potatoes, and you get the idea.

 Every now and then and it's fun to have a free night as I like to call them.  No calorie counting, sugar counting, carb couting, or any other counting...just eating some good cookin' and lovin it!  Oh and did I mention I also made a homemade Caramel Pie...it was a long process for a pie, but well worth the effort!  I must tell you that for this southern sampler I did not use my own recipes, I figured I'd go with some classic southern recipes I found that turned out absolutely perfect!

Fried Chicken
Recipe courtesy of Katie Lee' "The Comfort Table"
Serves 4-6

• 1 FRYER CHICKEN, CUT INTO 10 PIECES
• 1 TABLESPOON KOSHER SALT
• 2 TEASPOONS FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
• 1 TEASPOON GARLIC POWDER
• 3 LARGE EGGS
• 1∕2 CUP HOT SAUCE
• 1∕2 CUP BUTTERMILK
• PEANUT OIL
• 2 1∕2 CUPS SELF-RISING FLOUR
• Season chicken on all sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
• In a big bowl whisk eggs, hot sauce, and buttermilk
• Add chicken and toss to combine, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours
• In a large Dutch oven heat a couple inches of peanut oil (I used canola) to 350 degrees and preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Dredge chicken in flour (Easier for to use a brown paper sack and shake until all chicken pieces are coated)
• Transfer in batches to the hot oil, cover and let cook 5 minutes
• Uncover and turn chicken over to cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.
• Place chicken on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 10 minutes (I fried all of mine, then used two baking sheets to hold all the chicken and baked all of the chicken at the same time)  

As I was making this meal with my mom and grandmother, I really learned how much hard work old southern cooking really is!  I never realized how much work grandma put in to make a special full out feast for all the family when we would go for a visit.  But I can tell you, I only made four full out dishes (with some help), and I was exhausted.  Now, I can truly appreciate a good home cooked southern meal, because I know it's not just some food thrown in hot oil.  It is process, and it can't be rushed or thrown together at the last minute.   I probably won't make a meal like this again for a long time, but it was fun and worth the work!

We finished off the meal with a Traditional Caramel, I stood over the stove for about an hour caramelizing sugar and making the custard.  It turned out fabulous, but the recipe is in an old Martha White cookbook at my mom's house.  I will send it to you if interested.  I was so proud of this dessert, homemade and tasted AMAZING!

Patty Melts Sandwich Thin Style!

As many of you know I turned out to be the Grand Prize winner of the "Spin on Thin" Sandwich Thin contest!  I have to thank all of you for voting, and being so supportive throughout the long voting period, that was awesome!  I will be on TN Mornings around 8am on Thursday to demo my winning sandwich!
So anyway I decided to make another Sandwich in honor of my win, using the THINS of course :)  These patty melts are very simple, but I definitely could have eaten more than one!  Lots of flavor, and a little better for you than your typical diner patty melt.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb Lean Ground Beef
• 1 Tbls BBQ Sauce
• 1 Tbls Dijon Mustard
• 2 tsp Worcestershire
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbls each of olive oil and butter
• 1 Large onion, sliced
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 Sandwich Thin Rolls

Directions:

• Place sliced onion in a skillet with olive oil and butter over medium low heat, season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of brown sugar to enhance the sweetness.  

• Let these cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes.  They will get gooey, sweet, and even if you hate onions you'll like these babies!

• Meanwhile, Combine the meat with sauce, Dijon, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Form very thin patties, remember they will shrink up when they cook, so form them flat and thin.
• Heat a skillet over medium high heat and a little cooking spray, oil, or butter and when the skillet is hot put the patties in, let them sizzle!

You want that browned sort of crust, shown above, sorry it 's not the greatest picture!

• Cook patties 3 minutes on each side and top with slices of cheese during the last minute of cooking
• Place cheese topped patties on bun, and top with onions.  Place entire sandwich back in the hot skillet about a minute on each to crisp up.  

And there you have it, yummy patty melts at home!

WINNER!

So I know it's a few days late but the winner of the $15 Gift certificate is....

Tonya McCrary!

She also has an awesome blog called Have Scrappy Days

Congrats to Tonya, and thank you to everyone who participated!

My First Giveaway!

Alright everyone, I am so excited to host my first giveaway on my blog!!  It is a $15 gift certificate to CSN Stores!  CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be wall art and decor, fitness equipment, or even cute cookware!  They really have so many great things, so   You could be the lucky winner if you just follow a few simple steps...

•  Become a follower of my blog if you aren't one already
• Post a comment on this post telling me a recipe or type of dish you would like me to post about

I will have a random drawing for the winner on Friday!!

GOOD LUCK!

PB and Oat Snack Bars

I have had a few people ask me if I had a recipe for homemade granola bars/healthy snack bars.  This is one I have tweaked from a recipe on allrecipes.com.  It's simple to put together, it has protein and fiber, and you can change the "mix-ins" to whatever you and your family like.  I used raisins and sunflower seeds, but craisins, coconut, dried fruit, or any kind of chip (chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate) would be yummy!  I have always liked preparing my own snacks, and packing them with me when I know I'll be gone for a while.  If I don't have something with me it's much harder to resist the processed "stuff" at the grocery or convenience store...plus it's cheaper!

PB and Oat Snack Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Peanut butter
• 1/2 stick or 4 tbs butter, melted
• 1/2 Cup honey
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 raisins
• 1/3 Cup Sunflower seeds

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix first 6 ingredients together until smooth.
• Add in oats and "mix ins" of your choice.
• Bake for 20-25 in a 13x9in baking dish, cool, cut and ENJOY!

TIP: Bars will be a little crumbly when warm, but as they cool they will get more firm.

Hot Sausage and Potato Stew

So we got about 4 inches of powdery snow in good ol Murfreesboro today...and I didn't even see it coming!  I was ready to get some food orders and get in gear this Monday...not happening.  I was stuck at the house...with our puppy and my parent's dog and let me just say they make quite a pair.  Shooter (German Shephard mix, my parent's) is somehwat of an "only child" and we call him the smart brat and our American bulldog puppy, Bruce is sort of a stubborn bully...winning combo! ha  

This is the calmest they have ever been...

This is our little baby, Bruce, by the way!

Anway I decided I would make some spicey, comforting stew to have for dinner.  I love stew because you can really put any veggies and meat that you have on hand and it just works.  For this particular stew I used venison hot sausage, but you could use pork or turkey what ever you have.  My dad hunts so they always have deer meat, and I must say I love it.  It's actually really lean, almost like a healthy red meat!

This is a yummy stew, and perfect for a cold snowy day...

Hot Sausage and Potato Stew

Ingredients:

•  1 lb Hot Deer sausage (or whatever kind you want)
• 1 Cup chopped onion
• 1 chopped bell pepper (I used green)
• 1 Cup chopped Carrot

• 5-6 medium red potatoes (or whatever kind you have)
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tbs Chili seasoning
• 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

TIP: I also added the rind of a Parmesan cheese wedge while the stew simmered, I have always heard it gives soups/stews lots of flavor and it really does, but you can skip that part if you don't have one.

Directions:

• Brown sausage in a large pot over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes
• Add onion, pepper, carrots, and seasonings and cook another 5-6 minutes until veggies are softened

• Add tomatoes, fill the empty can with water and add as well.  
• Add potatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes or however long you have.  The longer it sits the more flavor it will have!

I added some grated Parmesan cheese on top...whynot?!

Talk of the Town and A Cooking Creme Video!

I was lucky enough to be sent a BRAND NEW product from Kraft called "Philadelpiha Cooking Creme." We were challenged to make a "restaurant style" dish using Philly cooking creme. The winner of this competition wins $2500 and their recipe will be on the back of the cooking creme tubs once they hit the stores! This was my entry for the Italian Cheese and Herb variety, this stuff is wonderful! This is the first of 4 differnt flavors and weeks of the contest. Wish me luck!!

Also be sure to watch me on Friday for my segment on Talk of the Town, I will be making my yummy Gorgonzola B-A-T that many of you have been faithfully voting for! Thanks again for all of your support and keep those votes coming!!

You may vote here http://apps.facebook.com/spinonthin/?page=VoteNow

10 Minute Tenders!

Contrary to what you might think, I don't actually attempt to make fancy, gourmet meals every night.  Actually many nights I just make one main dish and throw together a salad and that's dinner.  However, even if I am in a hurry or I don't want make a mess in the kitchen, I still try to make dinner just a little special.  One thing I do is never buy prepared foods.  You won't find frozen, breaded chicken nuggets, frozen dinners, or meals in a box at our house.  I feel that those things can be crutch, and somethings tells me they aren't all that good for you.  I would rather take a little time to prepare a meal with fresh ingredients, then mindlessly scarf down something that comes from a mix or package.  I always make sure I have a few things on hand that allow me to throw a quick healthy meal together in no time!

 Here are my must haves:

• Frozen Chicken Breast
• Italian seasoned Bread Crumbs
• Basic fruit for snacking or to top salads (apples, grapes, oranges)
• Spinach or Mixed Greens
• Marinara, one without High Frustose Corn Syurp and very little sugar
• Fresh Parmesan
• Nuts, usually Walnuts or Almonds
• Whole Wheat Spaghetti

I have more, but those are my absolute must haves!  When I have these ingredients I find I can make so many different yummy, simple dishes in a flash.  Just think if I only have baby spinach, grapes, walnuts, and Parmesan, there is a tasty and healthy salad that takes no time.

So the other night I didn't want to get the kitchen in a mess, but I had thawed out 2 large chicken breasts overnight.  I didn't have many ingredients, but I did have my must haves!  So I made these EASY, QUICK, and YUMMY Chicken Tenders!  The actual prep time takes AT THE MOST 10 minutes, and you just can't beat that...

10 Minute Tenders

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Chicken Breasts, cut into strips
• 1/2 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
• 1/3 C Parmesan (freshly grated if possible)
• 3/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
• Cooking Spray

Directions

• Preheat over to 375 degrees 
• Cut breast into strips (tender size), and spray with cooking spray to coat
• Mix crumbs, Parm, garlic powder, salt, and pepper with a fork or whisk in a shallow plate until combined
• Place tenders in crumb mixture to coat, press in to make sure coating sticks
• Place coated tenders on a sprayed baking sheet (cover baking sheet with foil for easy clean up), and spray again with cooking spray

• Bake for 15 minutes, depending on how thick your tenders are, or until golden.  Enjoy!!  

We dip ours in ketchup of course, but Marinara would also be good!  You could also serve these atop a simple salad for an easy meal ;)

P.S.  Please keep those votes coming for my Sandwich!!  The contest ends on the 17th, and I need all I can get by them.  My Sandwich is a the top, called Gorgonzola B-A-T.  You must allow the Spin on Thin Application to vote.  You may vote HERE.   Thank You!!!!