Browsing Tag

chicken

Food, Savory

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

It turns out that all you have to say to get a guy to put together a new clothing rack for you is to say “bacon wrapped chicken.”

Let me back up. Two years ago one of my roommates decided he didn’t want the $20 clothing rack that was holding his button-ups and sweatshirts. So I took it. It was free and there was nothing really wrong with it. Sure, it swayed a little to the left, but if you put the heavy clothes on the right, it stayed up. And it worked… until the other day.

Over the weekend, I went out for the day, came back and had to hold a funeral. I don’t know if the Earth shifted or if a fly landed on it and it was too much weight, but either way it went down. And it went down hard. Nothing left to it. Gluing it together was not an option and Duct Tape wasn’t gonna do it.

So, I went to Target, got a new clothing rack and figured spending a little extra cash was totally worth it. Considering I made it two years on a free clothing rack, it was worth it. Then I got it home and realized I had to put it together. Total IKEA moment. So I pulled out the big guns and started cooking. Seemed a whole lot less effort than attempting to read the directions and put it all together. Word to all the women out there, learn to cook and you’ll never have to build anything ever again.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Gather:
3 chicken breasts
9 strips of bacon
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Preheat the oven to 375.

Slice each chicken breast into three pieces, slicing it lengthwise. Place piece of bacon on top of chicken, then roll up the chicken, creating a spiral. Lay down in a glass dish. Repeat for each piece, so you end up with 9 pieces of chicken.

Sprinkle top of chicken with black pepper and garlic powder. Place dish in oven. Back for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and bacon is crispy. Remove and let cool. Serve.

March 24, 2014 by Roni

Food

Winning Spicy Chicken Sub

I got hungry again. And thank goodness I made those chicken parm sandwiches the other night or else I would just be eyeing the boxes of rice and pasta on my shelf as potential dinner. I also found (after a not so lengthy hunt of my fridge) that I had some leftover fresh salsa I had made the other day. Yippee!

I also had leftover rolls and some Mexican blend cheese, something I almost always have on hand. You never know when it’s time for nachos. Plus it goes on just about anything. I’d melt the cheese on an old shoe if I thought it would taste good.

So I cut the chicken breast in half and started to season it. Maybe a little liberally. What can I say? I’ve always loved spicy food. Dashed a bit of sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder on the chicken and then placed it in some hot olive oil in the pan to cook it through.

On the side I was slicing open that roll and placed a healthy (that’s a word for A LOT) of fresh salsa on the top part of the open roll. Dressed that with some cheese and then placed the spicy chicken on the other side.

And then to the oven on low broil. I have to say that I almost burned it, because one of my friends stopped by to drop off some jewelry I had bought. I got a little distracted and then remembered I had the oven on. Let’s just say that I probably gave those Olympic gold medalists a run for their money. But, alas, I ended up with this. A perfect toast!

August 14, 2012 by Roni

Food, Savory

Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

The intent was not to be impressive. But impress I did. Let me back up a bit. I love chicken Parmesan. I love it so much that I’ve been making it since I was old enough to reach the stove (the first few times were under the skilled eye of my mother until she realized I wouldn’t burn the house down). So when I was watching television with a friend recently and they were showing some dive that sells chicken parm sandwiches, I was like, “hey, I could totally do that.” I mean really, you’re swapping out pasta for bread.

My friend, however, has this notion that making chicken parm is some sort of old secret that takes days to make. Like it’s some labored over meal that only 4-foot tall Italian grandmothers wearing sauce stained aprons can make. Let me set the record straight. I may not be the aforementioned cook, but I can still cook up a food coma worthy meal – and all with half the time. Believe me, you can make this. I’ll even share my secrets.

Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

The basics:
Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Fresh Mozzarella
Homemade pasta sauce or your favorite brand (I like to grab Prego’s Roasted Garlic and Herb)
4C bread crumbs (seasoned)
one egg
your spice rack
Olive Oil
Hearty hoagie (sub, whatever you want to call them) rolls

Cut the chicken in half length ways so you end up with four pieces. Dredge in a beaten egg and then coat with the 4C bread crumbs (I tend to toss a bit of cayenne pepper, black pepper, and garlic powder in as well).

Fry in a skillet with a thin layer of olive oil until cooked through. Remove from the heat and place on paper towels to get rid of some of the grease. Believe me, you’ll thank me later. I love olive oil, but there is something about a soggy, oil-infused chicken breast that I just can’t stand. And here comes my favorite part: the mozzarella.

I don’t know if it was that I was bread on mozzarella sticks, or that I have a secret crush on pizza. Either way, every time I buy mozzarella, I know I should expect about half of it to be eaten (by me) before it ever touches the food I’m cooking. It’s delicious. As an appetizer with a bit of fresh Roma tomato and some herbs. I die, it’s so good.

But back to dinner. Cut the mozzarella into thin (maybe quarter inch thick) pieces.

Cut the rolls open, lay them on the cooking sheet and spread a layer of pasta sauce on the bread. Place your chicken on top, another dabble of sauce, and then two piece of that mozzarella on top. You should have something that looks like this:I broil it on low for about six minutes (but it depends on your stove). Just so that the cheese gets a little brown and the bread is toasted. Pull it out, let it cool, and serve it up. I think it took longer for us to go to the grocery store and get everything than to make it. I have successfully convinced my friend that yes, in fact, you can make a fabulous meal in less than an hour. (Total was probably about 45 minutes, including time to open beers, put on the A/C, and find the baking sheet.)

I know this isn’t some miraculous dish that I just served up, but it’s one of the most crowd pleasing things to make, and it’s quite easy to make everyone feel like you spent hours slaving over the stove to make it. Just tell them you made the sauce yourself. How will they ever know?

August 13, 2012 by Roni

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