Oven Fried Chicken

So the first time I made this for Justin, I had not planned on it becoming his most favorite meal.  I was convinced it would be something more glamorous or labor intensive, but during a weekend visit while we were still in college, I threw this together for a date-night in.  Since that time, I have made it more times than I can count and Justin frequently tells people that it’s because of this meal that he married me.  Since this is one of our favorite recipes, I like to make a double batch for leftovers and work lunches.  I purchased two packages of tenders and ended up with 24.  And for the crunchy coating mix, double the recipe and you will have plenty leftover for the next time you make it and trust me, you definitely won’t want to wait too long to make it again.  It is best served with mashed potatoes, green beans, and gravy.  I hope that you and yours enjoy this recipe as much as we have J

Marinade

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 ½ teaspoons salt

*** Marinate chicken in this mix overnight

Coating mix

2 tablespoons flour

2 ¼ cup crushed corn flakes

1 cup Panko crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

½ to 1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1.) Line baking sheet with foil, spray Pam on rack to hold chicken

2.) Mix coatings in a large plastic bag, add chicken, then shake (Alternate method: Place coating in a bowl and dredge chicken in coating to cover well)

 3.) Bake a 400° for 15 minutes, leaving ½ inch space between each piece

Saturday Morning Breakfast

Good Sunday morning everyone!  I hope you are enjoying this sunny day as much as we are.  It was a bit of a late start today, making it a perfect morning for Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with Strawberry Syrup.  You can tweak the recipe any way you want based off what you have on hand, half-and-half, blackberries, Neufchatel, etc.  The sky is the limit.

Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

2 (8 oz) cream cheese loaf

2 cups sugar

8 eggs

2 cups whole milk

½ t Nutmeg

½ t Cinnamon

24 slices of French bread

1 container of frozen strawberries

1.) Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature and mix with sugar in mixer;  mix until creamy

2.) Crack eggs into large bowl, add milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon; Wisk until thoroughly incorporated

3.) Cut French bread 1 ½ to 2 inches and cut a slit almost all the way through

4.) Fill each French toast with cream cheese mixture

5.) Once all French toast pockets are filled, dip in egg mixture until thoroughly covered

6.) Refrigerate or freeze until future use

7.) Puree strawberries