Post by noblecause on Apr 30, 2013 13:54:16 GMT -5
This happens to be something of a specialty of mine over here (read: I make this twice a week) so I thought I'd share.
This is relatively simple comfort food, and can be done in under an hour.
What you'll need:
- Two chicken breasts (bigger is better, since you can split them in half and still have a substantial meal. I'm fond of Mountaire brand.)
- One package mashed potatoes (make your own if you desire, but instant is fine)
- One package rice (pilaf is good, but anything will do. Plain or brown rice is best, if you're really eyeing caloric intake)
- Bread crumbs (plain is fine, panko or italian work too)
- Milk or a few eggs for a wash
- 2 tablespoons butter per breast for frying.
- One Pyrex bowl
- One Pyrex baking dish (used both for breading and baking)
- Salt and pepper
- Tongs
Modifications:
- Mashed potatoes: Cut the milk from a half-cup to a third. It's not much, but it does trim off a few calories, and it's negligible for creaminess.
- Rice: Cut the butter out if you're making pilaf or any other rice that it's optional for. You really don't need it. If you're making one that does call for it, cut half out of it.
- I use seasoning like lemon pepper or garlic and parsley blends along with the standard salt and pepper. Experiment! You might enjoy a new flavor. Most spices are cheap, particularly store brands.
What to do:
First things first, grab at least a medium Pyrex bowl, and pour your milk in (or crack your eggs in and blend them with a fork). In the Pyrex baking dish, you'll be tossing in your salt and pepper (to taste) and enough breadcrumbs to line the bottom of the dish. Make sure that it's blended together and don't be shy about using your hoof to do so. While you're doing this, set out a pan and throw in enough butter to account for all your chicken breasts on low heat. You want to melt the butter, but not brown it. Try for a three or four on your stovetop. Pre-heat your oven for 350 F.
Dredge (that is, soak) your chicken breasts one at a time in whatever you're using for your wash. Take it out, let the excess run off, and then put it down on your breadcrumb and seasoning mix. The intent here is to coat your chicken on all sides. This will give it a nice, light breading. You're not going for KFC here, that defeats the purpose. Once you've got your breasts coated, put them in the now-melted butter to fry. I know, it seems counter-productive to try eating healthier and using butter like this. The idea here is that you want to crisp up the breading preemptively. Go for a golden-brown, about three or four minutes on one side. Don't worry about the other edges.
While those are frying, clean out the Pyrex dish you were using to bread the chicken. You're going to re-use it for the chicken to bake in. If you have a cooling rack like you use for cookies, now's the time to break it out and place it in/on top of the Pyrex. Either way, your chicken should be done by this point on both sides, or fairly close. Take the chicken out of the pan and place it on the rack or in the dish, and then put it in the oven. Set a timer for thirty minutes, and go kill a little time.
At the fifteen minute mark, you can get going on your mashed potatoes and rice. All you're mostly doing is boiling water, so crank the heat to high on your stovetop and get that going in the pots you're using. By the time the rice and potatoes are done, or close, your timer should be going off for the chicken. Pull it out, and cut each breast in half at the thickest point. If it's still (somehow) pink in the middle, throw it back in the oven for another five minutes.
Is the chicken done all the way through? Fantastic. Dish up. Use a little pepper on the mashed potatoes if you like, and enjoy. Want to cut back on your portion sizes? take half of everything on your plate and put it in a storage container for lunch tomorrow. It reheats well.
Hope this inspires a few folks to try!
This is relatively simple comfort food, and can be done in under an hour.
What you'll need:
- Two chicken breasts (bigger is better, since you can split them in half and still have a substantial meal. I'm fond of Mountaire brand.)
- One package mashed potatoes (make your own if you desire, but instant is fine)
- One package rice (pilaf is good, but anything will do. Plain or brown rice is best, if you're really eyeing caloric intake)
- Bread crumbs (plain is fine, panko or italian work too)
- Milk or a few eggs for a wash
- 2 tablespoons butter per breast for frying.
- One Pyrex bowl
- One Pyrex baking dish (used both for breading and baking)
- Salt and pepper
- Tongs
Modifications:
- Mashed potatoes: Cut the milk from a half-cup to a third. It's not much, but it does trim off a few calories, and it's negligible for creaminess.
- Rice: Cut the butter out if you're making pilaf or any other rice that it's optional for. You really don't need it. If you're making one that does call for it, cut half out of it.
- I use seasoning like lemon pepper or garlic and parsley blends along with the standard salt and pepper. Experiment! You might enjoy a new flavor. Most spices are cheap, particularly store brands.
What to do:
First things first, grab at least a medium Pyrex bowl, and pour your milk in (or crack your eggs in and blend them with a fork). In the Pyrex baking dish, you'll be tossing in your salt and pepper (to taste) and enough breadcrumbs to line the bottom of the dish. Make sure that it's blended together and don't be shy about using your hoof to do so. While you're doing this, set out a pan and throw in enough butter to account for all your chicken breasts on low heat. You want to melt the butter, but not brown it. Try for a three or four on your stovetop. Pre-heat your oven for 350 F.
Dredge (that is, soak) your chicken breasts one at a time in whatever you're using for your wash. Take it out, let the excess run off, and then put it down on your breadcrumb and seasoning mix. The intent here is to coat your chicken on all sides. This will give it a nice, light breading. You're not going for KFC here, that defeats the purpose. Once you've got your breasts coated, put them in the now-melted butter to fry. I know, it seems counter-productive to try eating healthier and using butter like this. The idea here is that you want to crisp up the breading preemptively. Go for a golden-brown, about three or four minutes on one side. Don't worry about the other edges.
While those are frying, clean out the Pyrex dish you were using to bread the chicken. You're going to re-use it for the chicken to bake in. If you have a cooling rack like you use for cookies, now's the time to break it out and place it in/on top of the Pyrex. Either way, your chicken should be done by this point on both sides, or fairly close. Take the chicken out of the pan and place it on the rack or in the dish, and then put it in the oven. Set a timer for thirty minutes, and go kill a little time.
At the fifteen minute mark, you can get going on your mashed potatoes and rice. All you're mostly doing is boiling water, so crank the heat to high on your stovetop and get that going in the pots you're using. By the time the rice and potatoes are done, or close, your timer should be going off for the chicken. Pull it out, and cut each breast in half at the thickest point. If it's still (somehow) pink in the middle, throw it back in the oven for another five minutes.
Is the chicken done all the way through? Fantastic. Dish up. Use a little pepper on the mashed potatoes if you like, and enjoy. Want to cut back on your portion sizes? take half of everything on your plate and put it in a storage container for lunch tomorrow. It reheats well.
Hope this inspires a few folks to try!