Ranch Oven Fried Chicken

Evening friends!  I hope you are all well, or at least well fed, and happy!

This recipe was an experiment with myself.  I was at dinner with some of my sisters and brothers in law, and one of my sisters ordered this off of the menu.  I was skeptical.  I still don't get how baking chicken in the oven can make it crispy.  I mean it is obvious I think it isn't possible because, I have never done it.  Everyone else always says it works so I thought I would recreate these babies at home and find out for sure!  They were perfect, in fact they are far better than the restaurant where they were originally ordered!

For the seasoning, just use a dry packet or you can find my recipe for Ranch Seasoning mix here. or just buy it.  Mix it in with the melted butter for just an extra kick or ranch.  I found that the wavy Lays are the best, as they are a wee bit thicker.  You can make your crumbs almost dust or leave them a tiny bit chunky.  If they are TO chunky though, they won't stick to the chicken.   I am so bossy, aren't I??

I love these dipped in ketchup.  I felt like dipping them in ranch was kind of like eating a poached egg on a chicken cutlet.  I couldn't do it.  It seems to....I don't know, cruel?  HA!

Enjoy these as much as we did.  Remember, nobody said these were healthy, but if you figure that butter covers 9-12 chicken strips, it doesn't feel so bad in your mind.  I promise!

For this recipe, you will need:
3 large bones skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 3 or 4 strips each
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp dry ranch dressing mix
9 1/2 ounce bag of Lays Wavy Ranch Potato Chip. (made into crumbs)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.
Melt your butter in a bowl and then add the dry ranch seasoning to the butter.  Get your potato chip crumbs into a large Ziploc bag.  Place your chicken strips into the bowl and using tongs or a fork, make sure they are ALL COATED in the butter.  One at a time, place them into your potato chip bag and press the coating into the chicken.  When it is all coated,  lay on to the baking sheet and continue with the rest of your chicken.

Yes, that is a mess on the counter, because YES, I do make messes when I cook!

Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of your strips, mine took approx. 30 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan, and serve.  My favorite way is with ketchup.  I love ranch with ketchup!

Your "officially a believer" Chefwannabe

Creamy Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

I have made it a point to open my mind up to salads.  You may or may not know, because I MAY or may not have made it clear how I feel about salads and casseroles.  Don't give me any flack, I know, I know, most of you love them both.  But if you read the first sentence, you will see, I SAAAAIID, I am opening my mind.  Albeit, slowly, I AM opening it. 

This is another summer salad.  In my mind, some salads are for winter and some are for summer.   Remember the heinous cabbage, carrot, jello salad I mentioned before?  Yea, that graces the table at Thanksgiving only, so, a winter salad.  This is one that I think would be great for your garden produce and has some nice crunch and texture.  This is a bit of a "take" off of a recipe I have seen at many a potluck, many a funeral dinner, and many a family get together.   As I have mentioned before,  I come from a family of salad lovers.  I mean, REAL salad loving peeps.  I sometimes shutter at what the next salad might consist of.  Dramatic?  Maybe.  But, true. 

This salad needs to chill an hour.  More is fine, less is probably fine, but, an hour seems to make it perfect to me. 

Some people add raisins or craisins.  I won't even go any further into it, I loathe both, and thus, did not write them in, because this is MY version and NOTHING in my life, includes either raisins or craisins.

You will need:
1 medium head of fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
3/4 cup good quality bacon bits or fry your own
3/4 cup sunflower seed kernels
small red onion, finely minced

Combine all ingredient in a large bowl.  Set aside to prepare dressing.

Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups salad dressing
1 envelope of ranch dressing mix

Mix in a small bowl until all ingredients are well combined.  Pour over the veggies and toss. 

Chill 1 hour. 

 

Your "do you tell your kids broccoli is little trees?" Chefwannabe

Recipe Swap- Buffalo Chicken Dip

*knock knock*  

Anyone home?  

It seems a little empty around here as of late, eh?  I apologize for my absence.  As most of you know, I got sick, starting the night of my birthday.  It has been 3 days short of 2 solid weeks, coughing, hacking, sleeping, hacking, finally urgent care, then hacking and sleeping some more.  I was sure I had pneumonia or bronchitis but it seems as though it is the mother of all colds.  Really?  I felt like a complete moron going to Urgent Care for a "cold".   At least if I had gone to the ER, I would have been entertained by the wackjobs in there.  Ya know?  Anyway, I am sure I am not dying now, so I claim that as a victory!

So, a new friend, Krista, aka "The Not So Desperate Chef Wife" approached me about doing a recipe swap a few weeks ago.  We would each pick one of each others recipes and make them, and blog them.  What a GREAT idea!!  Oh but wait Krista, you go ahead and make your choice, I am going to sleep, hack and cough for 2 weeks before I finally can muster the energy just to stand up in the kitchen longer than 10 minutes, K?  I am so sorry!!   If you haven't checked Krista out, please do so!   Find her at "The Not So Desperate Chef Wife".  She is so funny, has great recipes, and for you gardener and crafty types, you will find plenty there as well!  

So, here is how I decided what recipe to choose.  I was going through my blog history and noticing what items I felt like I had alot of or not enough of.  I decided I needed some party foods, some appetizers and dips.  Nothing has rattled my bell lately in the way of ideas for new recipes so I thought I would choose one of Krista's and share it with my readers!!  This is such an EASY dip, and you wanna talk about FLAVOR??  Just incredible!  If I were making it for a party, I would likely put it in a small dip crockpotty, thingy mabobber.  Can you believe I even mentioned the "C" word here?!  You all know how I feel about "those" things!  I served this dip with a few different kinds of crackers, but she suggests, and I second the suggestion, of serving it with carrots or celery as well.  My husband was dying for some hot breadsticks to dip in!

Without further delay, here is what you are going to need for this awesome dip!

1 12.5oz can of chunk chicken breast

1 8oz pkg light cream cheese

1/2 cup fat free ranch dressing  (I used regular, and yes mine is upside down so I could use up that bottle!)

1/2 cup wing sauce of your choice (any heat level)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Open your can of chicken and drain!  I broke the chunks up with a fork a bit as well to make them smaller.
 

 

In a small saucepan combine, all ingredients.  On low-medium heat, continue mixing until all ingredients are melted, and smooth.  Turn into a small crockpot to keep warm for a party or put into a bowl and serve with your choice of crackers, veggies, or chips!!  Mine turned out with quite a little kick, so I would serve celery along with it as well!!  You can can top it with bacon, diced tomatoes, green onions, etc.  The options are endless!!

Now, get yourself over to Krista's place, and make sure to click that "FOLLOW" button.  Find her on Facebook and click her LIKE button and she likely has a twitter, OK I just looked and don't see one.  Just ask her.  Try this recipe and the plethra of other awesome recipes she has on her site!!  

Thanks for doing this with me Krista, it was SO fun, but the damn dip is gone already.  Are you KIDDING me?!?!  

Your "good thing she tried it before she blogged it" chefwannabe

Chris

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

That is the question for you ranch dressing lovers!  My husband and I love ranch dressing.  We dip in it, use it for salad sometimes, and I have even marinated in it.  You can use the dry packets of seasoning to mix in with breading, spice up chicken or roast or use to just make great dressing, now you can stop buying those packets and make your own!

Again, on my "make it myself" spree.  I decided to find a great dry mix recipe for ranch dressing.  Well I found one.  I usually like to write my own recipes.   I found one and decided to just try it, but to me it needed more of some things and less of some things.  I went to my local Dollar Tree and got a medium sized jar with a pop on lid to store it in.  You could use a regular jar but, what fun is that?!?!  Again, utilize your dollar store for SO many of these ingredients.  It may seem pricey but I am still working on the original batch I made 3 months ago.  Its not even half gone and for the first week after I made it my husband made ranch dip or dressing every single night!
I use this to sprinkle on chicken, I sprinkle it in breadcrumbs if I am breading something.  I have used it in turkey meatloaf, and dip for sour cream and onion chips!

Ranch Dressing Dry Mix Recipe

15 saltine crackers (squares)

2 1/2 cups dried parsley flakes

1/2 cup dried minced onions

3 tbsp dill weed

1/4 cup onion salt

1/4 cup garlic salt

1/4 cup onion powder

1/4 cup garlic powder

2 tbsp black pepper

Put crackers in your food processor or blender and process until they are dust!  Add the rest of the ingredients in and give just a quick process or blend (about 5 seconds worth) and place mixture into an airtight container.

For salad dressing, combine, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup sour cream and 1-2 tbsp of the mixture. 

For dip, combine, 1 1/2 tbsp of mix in 1 cup sour cream.

FOR LOWER SODIUM: replace "salts" with "powders"! 

Remember, it is up to you how much you put in. Start with some and add more if you like! Make it how YOU like it!

You can't see in the photo but I have the directions written right on the jar with a sharpie marker.  

Your "dip it, drizzle it,dipping queen" Chefwannabe

Chris