Maple Hot Chicken Tenders

Maple Hot Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

Oil to fry

Buttermilk marinade

1 lb chicken breasts (butterfly in half and cut into 1 in strips)

1 cup buttermilk (sub 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice

Splash Frank’s red hot

Breading

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Sauce

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot

2-3 tbsp maple syrup (can sub honey)

1 packet true lime (can sub 1 tsp lime juice)

1. Place chicken breast in buttermilk with splash of Frank’s red Hot. Let sit in fridge for 4-12 hours.

2. Butterfly chicken breast in half then into 1 in strips.

3. Place in breading, then back into buttermilk.

4. Place back into breading, shake off and let rest on wire rack.

5. Rest for 15-30 mins. 30 mins is ideal.

6. Heat oil to 350. I use a popcorn kernal, when it pops my oil is ready.

7. Fry 4 strips at a time, dont over crowd for 5 minutes till golden. Remove and rest. Fry up the rest.

8. Turn up heat 1-2 notches on oven, so it can get to 375. Drop chicken back in for 1 min. Keeps it crispy after you sauce them.

9. To make sauce, microwave 4 tbsp butter, add in Frank’s Red Hot & lime. Use a coffee whisker to emulsify it, or you can blend it if you don’t have a coffee whisk.

10. Coat chicken with sauce and toss. Serve with ranch or blue cheese.

Crab Rangoons

Ingredients

1 block 8 oz cream cheese

3 oz imitation crab

1/2 tbsp chives

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Wonton wrappers

Oil for frying or spray for air fry

1. Finely dice crab, I chopped then put in my food processor.

2. add softened cream cheese, chives, garlic powder, soy sauce & powdered sugar. Blend it well together so it’s evenly combined.

3. Wet sides of wonton wrappers and fill with about 1 tbsp filling and either make a triangle or put all sides together for traditional shape.

4. Fry at 350 for 4-5 mins till golden.

5. Spray with oil & Airfry at 350 for 5-6 mins.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 eggs (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 sticks butter (browned, instructions below)
2 1/4 cup flour (all purpose is fine)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt if not using salted butter
1-2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

1. Turn heat to medium in a pan. Add 1 stick of butter at a time, slice into tbsp so it melts evenly. Whisk the butter the entire time the whole process takes about 10 minutes. Towards the last 3 to 5 minutes it will start to get golden and color and once the aroma is nutty, and the butter is golden, remove it from the pan. You’re gonna want it cool for the recipe, so stick it in the freezer or fridge or you can also use the stove if it’s winter in the middle of Iowa.
2. Repeat with second stick of butter.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes until well creamed. you can’t mix this part but you can under mix it. Add in the eggs and vanilla until just incorporated. Hand mix in the flour, the flour is incorporated. You don’t want to overmix the flour, this will toughen the gluten in the cookie and you will end up with tough cookies.
4. Add in your chocolate chips of choice.
5. Preheat oven to 375° and bake for 9 to 12 minutes till golden. Let cool and store an airtight container. Hide it because your kids will eat it.

Mexican Red Rice with Chicken & Queso

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rice (extra long grain) (I use Mahatma)
• 4 oz tomato sauce (1/2 can)
• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon
• 1 tbsp tomato bouillon
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 white onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp lime juice (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp veggie or canola oil (for frying rice)
• 1 bay leaf (optional)

Directions 

1. Wash and rinse rice for 5 minutes. This helps to remove excess starch, prevents rice from getting mushy.
2. In a pan with a lid, add 2-3 tbsp of oil. Fry rice in oil for 10-15 minutes till starts to turn golden brown. Add in whole cloves of garlic the last 3-5 minutes. Stir the rice occasionally during this step.
3. Add in tomato sauce and cook for a few minutes till the rice absorbs the liquid. Important not to skip, we don’t want the tomato to interfere with our liquid ratio. Continuously stir during this step, we don’t want to burn the tomato or rice.
4. Add in bouillons (if you only have chicken that’s fine, the tomato adds a bit more tomato taste). Add in onion, water and bay leaf.
5. Bring the rice to a simmer, I have mine set at 5/6 on my stove. Keep it below a boil, but very much evaporating the water. Cook for 15 minutes till most of the water is evaporated and absorbed.
6. Cover and continue to cook on low for 20 minutes. Don’t peak!!!!!!! Let it cook, or your rice wont be done.
7. Take off heat & serve.

Queso Blanco

Ingredients

6 oz evaporated milk

2 oz chiles or 1/2 jalapeño

6 slices white American

4 oz pepperjack

1/2 tsp cumin

Directions. Add in pot or crockpot on low till melty. Double recipe to use entire cans. I just like to make half a batch at once.

Chicken

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1 lb chicken breasts cubed

Directions

1. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil on medium to medium high heat.

2. Add in chicken & seasonings. You can coat the chicken ahead in the seasonings. Cook for 7-10 minutes (till 165 degrees internally, like all chicken).

Crockpot Swedish Meatballs with Campbell’s Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

1 bag beef meatballs

1 can Campbell’s cream of Mushroom soup

10 oz of beef stock

1/4 tsp all spice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup sour cream

1 package of wide egg noodles

Directions:

1. In a medium to large crockpot add meatballs, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, Beef Stock, all spice and nutmeg. Mix well.

2. Set Crockpot to Low for 6-8 hours or High for 4 hours.

3. Before serving add sour cream and salt & pepper to taste.

4. Serve over prepared wide egg noodles.

Mississippi Pot Roast

2-3 lb chuck roast

1 packet Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning

1 packet Kinder Stew Seasoning Packet

6-8 peppercini’s

1 Stick Butter

Baby carrots

3 russet potatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

3-5 tbsp butter

2 tsp garlic

Salt & pepper

Nutmeg

1 tbsp corn starch

1 tsbp water

1. Salt & pepper chuck roast, then sear on all sides.

2. Add to crockpot, sprinkle on ranch packet, Kinders Stew Seasoning, peppercini’s and butter stick. Set at low for the work day.

3. Add baby carrots to crockpot when you get home for an hour.

4. peel Potatoes & slide horizontal as even as possible.

5. Boil for 15 minutes in water with some salt till fork tender.

6. Remove & let dry for 10 mins.

7. Mash potatoes well with masher or ricer.

8. In microwave add cream, butter garlic and warm for 40 seconds or so till warm.

9. Add to mashed potatoes and mix well. Season with salt & pepper, nutmeg optional.

10. Remove roast and shred, then add 1 tbsp of corn starch with 1 tbsp water to sauce in pot to make a gravy.

11. Plate & serve

Low Prep Chicken Hibachi

Chicken hibachi

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken thighs (cubed)

Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & glaze (only one I use)

Salt

White pepper

Pepper

Veggie or canola oil (neutral oil)

Garlic butter

Soy sauce

Sliced Zucchini

Sliced mushrooms

1 yellow onion (slices)

2-3 packets microwavable Ben’s original Jasmine Rice

2 eggs

Terrytto’s Yum Yum Sauce

Prep earlier in the day:

1. Cube up chicken & marinade in the Teriyaki glaze, just enough to cover chicken (I don’t measure for any of this recipe). I use a plastic bag for easy cleanup.

2. Slice up onion, and cut up zucchini. We bought pre cut mushrooms, baby bellas, but any mushrooms will work)

Directions

1. Cook chicken first over some veggie oil, like 1-2 tbsp. Salt & pepper on the griddle. Add a 1 tbsp garlic butter.

2. Add some oil, cook up onions, if you have a cover cover them to speed it up. Add a little salt, salt helps to draw out the moisture & help them cook quicker as well. Pepper for taste.

3. Continue to move chicken around on griddle so all parts of it get cooked.

4. Once onions are starting to brown on edges, separate into 2 piles, one is for the rice, one for the veggies. This brings flavor to both.

5. Add veggies, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp garlic butter, soy sauce and a little teriyaki glaze. Cover & cook. Watch closely or can burn.

6. Remove chicken when done. Takes 10-12 mins approximately? I didn’t time it, but it cooks pretty quick.

7. Follow rice packet instructions. Add microwaved rice, soy sauce, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp garlic butter and mix with onions

8. Crack 2 eggs, scramble till 2/3 cooked & add to rice. Remove rice & serve to your family.

Chipotle chicken Taquitos

2 chicken breasts

Salt & pepper

3-5 chipotle peppers with adobo

2 tsp chicken boullion

2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup corn starch

1 bag Colby jack cheese

Crumbly Mexican Cheese

White Corn Taco Shells

2-3 inches of oil (neutral oil examples: veggie, canola, corn)

Directions:

1. Salt & pepper outside of chicken breast and place into crockpot.

2. In a blender or deep cup add Chipotle peppers, chicken bouillon, lime juice, onion powder, oregano, salt, garlic & water. Blend in blender or use an immersion blender to blend well.

3. Add mixture to crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours for low for 6-8 hours.

4. Shred chicken by had or use a mixer while the chicken is still hot.

5. Pour chicken back into crockpot with 1/4 cup of corn starch, mix well. Corn starch helps to thicken sauce to create your taquito filling.

6. Warm corn tortillas in microwave for 20 seconds so they are easier to work with.

7. Heat oil for a medium heat on stove top. 350 is free temp, I find that 5-6 is the perfect temperature on my electric stove.

8. Fill taco shells with filling and cheese, don’t over fill, maybe 1-2 tbsp of filling and a healthy sprinkle of cheese. I found that they don’t break if you roll them right before you put them in the oil. If you roll ahead they will start to break before frying them. Fry for 3-5 minutes, mine only needed 3 minutes (I rolled them over after 1.5 minutes and finished other side in 1.5 minutes. )

9. Serve with crumbly cheese and sour cream or Crema is you have some. I had none in my home, they were still delicious & not too spicy even without the sour cream.

Air fried Buffalo Wings (the best)

The key is the baking powder, it makes them crispy in the Air Fryer! Traditional frying still is the most crispy, but for a healthy alternative these hit!

Ingredients

2 lbs party wings

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp baking powder

Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp honey

1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp-1 tsp lemon pepper (optional) or lime juice

Directions:

1. Take thawed, dried party wings and season with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper and baking powder.

2. Preheat air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 400.

3. Place wings into air fryer for 20 minutes at 400. Flip wings at 10 minutes in to get both sides of the wing.

4. Melt butter, honey and Frank’s red hot over medium heat with garlic powder. Emulsify the sauce, I use my electric coffee whisk. You can also blend it, or whisk by hand. Add in lemon pepper or lime juice and toss your wings in sauce.

Healthy Peanut Sauce Chicken Skewers

_Ingredients

^{PB FIT 1/2 cup}

^{2 tbsp soy sauce}

^{2 tbsp rice vinegar}

^{1/2 tsp sriracha sauce}

^{2 cloves minced garlic}

^{2 cloves ginger}

^{1/2 tbsp honey}

^{1/4 cup water}

^{Lime juice}

^{2 lbs chicken thighs}

^Skewers

^{1/4 oil}

Directions

^{Start by cutting chicken into bite size pieces.}

^{For sauce, PB Fit (can use peanut butter) but this save calories, soy sauce, vinegar, sriracha, honey, garlic, ginger, and lime juice. Add in water to thin it out.}

^{Marinate chicken with 1/4 oil, 1/4 cup sauce for an hour. reserve other sauce to dip.}

^{Soak skewers in water for 15 minutes so they don’t burn in air fryer. Put on skewers and air fry at 400 for 12 mintues, flip and finish for 5-7 minutes.}

^{Serve with peanut sauce, and}