Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Longhorn Steak House is one of my favorite restaurants and I was so excited to re-create one of their recipes at home. If you like ranch dressing then you will love this dish. There are a lot of ingredients with this dish but it really is a very simple recipe. The marinade is packed with flavor and is best if you can marinade the chicken overnight. If you don't have a grill the chicken can be cooked on the stove but the flavor is definitely better off the grill. I served the chicken with Rice Pilaf and Oven Roasted Asparagus .

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 3/4 inch thickness

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup ranch dressing

3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp pepper

Ranch Spread
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Parmesan Crumb Topping
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoons garlic salt,
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
2 tablespoons melted butter

4 slices of provolone cheese

Directions:

Combine ingredients for marinade and pour over chicken.  Let marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.  Grill 12-15 minutes, until chicken is done.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the ranch spread and parmesan crumb topping.

For the ranch spread, mix 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup ranch dressing. Set aside.

For Parmesan crumb topping, mix bread crumbs, garlic salt, shredded Parmesan and butter.  The crumbs should be evenly moistened.

Pre heat broiler

Transfer cooked chicken to oven-safe dish. Spread 2 tablespoons ranch spread on each breast, then top with provolone and Parmesan crumb topping. Place chicken under broiler and cook until cheese melts and crumb topping begins to turn light brown.  

Source: Plain Chicken

Eclair Cake

If you aren't much of a baker this dessert is for you. No stand mixers or ovens required. It is by far the easiest dessert I have ever made and it is definitely a crowd pleaser. Make sure you prepare this the day before you plan to serve it because the cake needs to sit in the refrigerator overnight in order for the graham crackers to soften.

Ingredients:

2 (3.5 oz) packages of instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip
3 cups of milk
1 box of honey graham cracker squares
1 tub chocolate frosting


Ingredients:

In a medium bowl, mix together the pudding mix, milk, and Cool Whip. In a 9x13 dish arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares on the bottom. You might have to break the squares into smaller pieces to cover the bottom of the dish.

Spread half of the pudding mixture on top of the crackers. Layer another layer of graham crackers over the pudding mixture. Then layer the other half of the pudding mixture on top of crackers. Top with a final layer of graham crackers. Cover dish and place in the refrigerator for an hour until pudding is set.

When pudding has set, put the of chocolate frosting in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften (remove lid and aluminum foil before microwaving). Take out and stir frosting.

Take dish out of the refrigerator and evenly spread the chocolate frosting all over the top layer of graham crackers. Cover dish again and place back in the refrigerator. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, slice in squares and enjoy cold.

Source: The Country Cook

Alice Springs Chicken

This is my first attempt at a 'copy cat' recipe and it was a success. I don't go to Outback often but when I do I always get the Alice Springs Chicken. I really don't see the point of going back to Outback now because this 'copy cat' recipe taste just like the restaurant version! If you aren't a fan of mushrooms you can leave them out but don't leave out the seasoned salt marinade, it gives it great flavor. I am on a mission to copy cat other restaurant favorites so if any of you have any suggestions please feel free to comment on here.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast, pounded to an even thickness
1 bottle Lawry's Original Seasoned Salt marinade
4 slices bacon
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups cheddar jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup honey mustard dressing

Directions:

Marinate the chicken in the Lawry's Original Seasoned Salt marinade for at least 30 minutes. I recommend marinating it for 2 hours if you have the time.

While the chicken is marinating, cook the bacon in a large skillet.  Set aside.  Reserve 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat.  Sauté mushrooms in bacon fat until softened.  Set aside.

Grill the chicken 12-15, minutes until done. You can cook the chicken on the stove but for this recipe I think it taste better if grilled.

Preheat the broiler on your oven.  Place cooked chicken on baking sheet.  Spread 1-2 Tbsp honey mustard on cooked chicken.  Top with bacon, mushrooms and cheese.  Broil until cheese is melted.

Source: Plain Chicken

Oatmeal Pancakes

I typically don't cook breakfast. During the week I don't have time before work and on the weekends I like to take advantage of sleeping before babies come in the picture. So in our house we typically do breakfast for dinner. My husband would always rave about these pancakes his aunt and uncle would make when he would visit them in Massachusetts. When she gave me the recipe I was shocked to see that they were made with oatmeal and wasn't too sure on how they would taste. They are awesome! Now if only I could master the skill of cooking pancakes...yes I admit my husband is the one who cooks the pancakes...but....I make the batter so I say that counts for something. :)

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

1 3/4 cup flour

1 3/4 cup oatmeal

5 tbsp oil

3 tbsp sugar

9 tsp baking powder

2 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Beat eggs till fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients until smooth. If the batter is too thick add 1/4 cup of milk to thin.

Heat skillet over medium heat. Spoon batter 1/4 cup at a time onto heated grill and cook until bubbles form on top, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for a minute or two more.

Lighter Chicken Parmesan

This was definitely a home run at our house. I have tried many new dishes since I made this for the first time a month or so ago and I keep striving for the "oh my god this is amazing" response from my husband and so far (according to him) nothing has compared to this recipe. I think I have made this three times within the past month. Yes its THAT good. After having my mother in-laws homemade spaghetti sauce I have a hard time eating the stuff from the jar but due to lack of time during the week I did use a jar of garlic marinara sauce from Trader Joes and surprisingly it was really good.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper
3 large egg whites
1 tbsp. water
vegetable cooking spray
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut into halves (4 pieces total)
2 cups marinara sauce, warmed
about 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. minced fresh basil



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.  Combine the breadcrumbs and oil in a 12-inch skillet and toast over medium heat until golden, stirring often, about 10 minutes.  Spread the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and allow to cool slightly; when cool, stir in the Parmesan.

In a second shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper together.

In a third shallow dish whisk together the egg whites and water.

Cover a 9x13 pan with foil and spray the foil with vegetable oil spray.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.  Lightly dredge each chicken piece in the flour to coat completely, shaking off the excess.  Then dip into the egg whites and finally coat with the breadcrumb mixture.  Press on the breadcrumbs to make sure they adhere. Place the chicken pieces in the prepared pan. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink and feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce over the top of each piece of chicken and top with 2 tablespoons of the shredded mozzarella.  Return the chicken to the oven and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with the fresh basil and serve as desired, with extra Parmesan and marinara sauce.


Source: Annie's Eats, originally from Cook’s Illustrated, October 2006

Chocolate-Cherry Martini

Valentines Day is just around the corner and  whether you are planning a romantic evening or a celebration of your single life this is the perfect martini. Its a simple chocolate martini with a Valentines Day twist and trust me the sugared rim is not just for decoration, in fact I thought it was the best part. No matter how you choose to celebrate or not celebrate, please do indulge in this glass of chocolate heaven.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

1 1/2 cups chocolate liqueur, Godiva

1 1/2 cups whole milk

12 maraschino cherries

2 tablespoons grated semi-sweet chocolate

Red Decorative Sugar

Directions:

Use your finger to coat the rim of the martini class with the chocolate syrup.

Sprinkle the red sugar on a plate and press the glass rim of the glass into the sugar, pressing to adhere.

Spoon 2 teaspoons chocolate syrup into each of the 6 martini glasses .

In a shaker or a small bowl mix together the Godiva liqueur and milk. Pour about 1/2 cup of the liqueur mixture into each glass.

Drop 2 maraschino cherries into each drink and top with grated chocolate.

Honey Mustard Kielbasa

This dish is so simple and with only four ingredients it takes no time at all to pop it in the oven. The mustard sauce this makes is savory and full of flavor. To be honest I was making this with just the plain grey poupon for the longest time until I accidentally grabbed the honey mustard flavor. I am glad I grabbed the wrong one because the honey mustard made this dish even more delicious.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup Grey Poupon Honey Mustard

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 pound kielbasa, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the first 3 ingredients in a medium size bowl until well blended. 

Place the kielbasa in a 8x8 glass dish and drizzle the wine mixture over the meat. Toss to coat.

Bake for 50 minutes, stirring once half way through. Serve with potatoes or rice.

Spicy Bean Burritos

First let me start off by saying the above photo does NOT do this burrito justice. I am by no means a photographer not to mention burritos normally don't look "pretty" so getting a decent picture was a challenge. These bean burritos were AMAZING! This was a quick, easy, and healthy meal. I am not one for left overs but the left over filling tasted great re-heated the net day which makes this meal even more outstanding. Don't let the "spicy" keep you away from trying this because the base recipe really isn't spicy at all. If you like a little more heat like myself you can add diced jalapenos, hot sauce, or more cayenne.

Ingredients:

For the bean filling:
2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1/3 cup water
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
6 tbsp. fresh salsa

For serving:
6 burrito size flour tortillas, warmed
Shredded Cheese
Diced tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Chopped green onions
Low-fat sour cream
Salsa

Directions:

To make the bean filling, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne; stir for about 30-60 seconds.  Add the beans and the water to the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salsa and mash the mixture with a spoon or fork. (It shouldn't be completely smashed, just slightly)

Spoon about a third of a cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Top each serving with a pinch of shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, green onions and sour cream.  Roll the tortilla up tightly, burrito style, and serve immediately.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from Cooking Light