Chicken Cheese Delite

from my grandmother's restaurant

A classic from my grandmother's famous catering business and an entree perfect for family and guests!

 This was last night's dinner. And the centerpiece of this meal is a recipe I've known about since I was 10 years old, but hadn't made in too long. You see, my late grandmother was one of those rare people whose life force was palpable in every gesture she made. When she was 60 years old, she decided it was high time she worked for herself. And even though she suffered several major heart attacks during the decade plus she ran her successful wedding and catering business....she wasn't about to let her age keep her from a lifelong dream of being a self-made business owner. 

One of the numerous books by my grandmother. This recipe is inside!

What You Need (serves 4)

4 chicken breast cutlets

1 cup croutons, ground

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 egg

1 1/2 t minced garlic

1 1/2 T parmesan

2 T vegetable oil

How To Prepare

Beat egg. Grind croutons in a blender or by hand (we like Ranch or Cheesy Garlic flavor). Heat oil in skillet on medium high. Place croutons, garlic, parmesan and cheddar cheese in bowl and mix. Coat chicken in egg and then crouton/cheese mixture. Place in skillet and on cook each side for about 8 minutes or until done. May need to add a bit more oil when you flip chicken, as the coating will absorb oil. THE CHEESE COATING THAT STICKS TO THE PAN IS THE BEST PART. DON'T THROW IT AWAY. ADD THE CRUNCHY TOPPING TO THE ENTREE.

At Gazebo 1, we served this over rice topped with a white wine sauce and accompanied by vegetables and bread. THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ENTREES WE SERVED!

Truly, that's how good it is.

Let's Connect

Please help me reach 100 Likes on FB by visiting me here https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot?ref=aymt_homepage_panel and sharing with family and friends.

You can also still purchase my beloved grandmother's cookbooks  here http://www.amazon.com/Gazebo-Christmas-Cookbook-Rex-Barrington/dp/0933095023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447012978&sr=8-1&keywords=rex+barrington+cookbook

Would make a great holiday gift!

Until next time...

Porn Potatoes?

Crispy Italian Potatoes

aka Porn Potatoes???

Baked with fresh garlic, parmesan, italian seasoning and olive oil. Healthy alternative to fries.

 So many alternatives for this recipe...Kid friendly, gluten-free, healthier than fries, quick and easy!

The note with "porn, corn, and oven baked potatoes." Let me explain!

As you see above, I'm a list maker. I'm a visual person, have made lists as long as I can remember and they usually resemble something like the one above. The lists give me a mental prep for the next day. And even though I'm pretty sure I would still get my kids fed and their lunches made, I like the reminder...it's reassurance for a tired mama. One less thing I have to think about before my head hits the pillow. 

Now, this particular note has an interesting story behind it. I'll start at the beginning, because the beginning is always a good place to start. I've been watching a lot of "Sex and the City" re-runs. It just happened the Friday before Halloween. I was waiting downstairs for my daughter to be picked up to go to a friend's house and I was too tired to do anything. The channel just happened to be on "E" and there were Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha. After one episode turned into 5, I remembered how great this show is and the time in my life it invoked. Given that I write my notes right before I go upstairs to bed (I magnet them to the stove top so they are eye level...everything is up there...drives my husband CRAZY) I'm already half asleep. And on this night, probably because of my recent obsession with S and the C, my mind was altered and instead of writing "pork, corn and oven baked potatoes, I wrote, "porn, corn and oven baked potatoes." The even funnier thing, to me, is that I awoke that night in the wee hours and came down for a snack. I just happened to see my list and chuckled...however, I quickly edited it because my high school son would have had a field day with that Freudian slip..whew.

So, after my long-winded spiel, that's how Crispy Italian Potatoes also became known as Porn Potatoes!

Would you like the recipe, now?

What You Need (enough for 4)

2 regular potatoes, medium size

italian seasoning

minced garlic, fresh

parmesan cheese

olive oil

garlic salt

How To Prepare

Preheat oven to 350. Wash, dry and slice potatoes between 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Add a few dashes of italian seasoning (roughly 2 T); a few dashes of garlic salt (roughly 1/2 t); 1/2 t of minced garlic and roughly 3 T olive oil to a mixing bowl. Stir together until blended. Add potatoes and coat well. Spread out potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until most are getting golden. Shake vigorously parmesan cheese over potatoes and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. 

Serve with porn (ha, ha ha). No seriously, makes a wonderful side. I served with bbq pork and corn but next time I will serve with a marinara chicken. The potatoes are a nice alternative to pasta.

Let's Connect

1. First, this recipe was inspired by my dear childhood friend Stephanie Parker and her fabulous blog, Plain Chicken. I adapted her recipe for Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes. You can find her recipe here http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/04/easy-oven-roasted-potatoes.html
2. Secondly, I want to know how you liked these and how you made them. Please SHARE with friends and visit me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
3. You can also follow me on Google+ under "Monica Resa"

Until next time...keep on keepin' on

Kid Friendly, Quick and Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Scratchless Chicken Pot Pie

Y'all know my favorite place to be is NOT IN THE KITCHEN! However, I have to be, often enough, so I might as well cook something that BOTH of the kids like and is relatively healthy, easy, and budget-friendly. Scratchless Chicken Pot Pie is just that. Scatchless simply means, NOT FROM SCRATCH! However, if you have a family recipe for pie crust that you want to use, please feel free.

Here it is! Hot out of the oven. My 14 year old son has already eaten 2/3 in 10 minutes. Mom success!

What You Will Need:

How To Prepare:

Open your frozen pie crusts and separate the two, letting them thaw for about 15 minutes.
Take five of the chicken breast tenderloins and boil them for about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375.
Put your frozen vegetables (I used about 3/4 of the bag) in a bowl with water and microwave for about 8 minutes. Drain water.
Cut up chicken and add to bowl.
Add vegetables, cream of chicken soup, a dash of milk and stir together.
Pour the mix into one of the pie crusts and top with parmesan cheese.

Here's what you have so far:

Almost ready for the oven!

Take second pie crust and lie on top of this one. Cut off the excess. Put slits in top of crust.

Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Final Step:

Let cool and settle or feed immediately to the ravenous kids. This literally is one of the few meals my kids are waiting to eat. I feel so good about myself on these days...I feel like a productive and nurturing mom. It's a nice balance to the frequent complaints and comparisons I get to moms who "supposedly" cook better. 

Enjoy with a crisp, cool salad! Let me know how it turns out. And, of course, you can adapt this hundreds of ways...but here's a yummy place to start.