Donny Mac's Chicken Sandwhich

I have never been to a Donny Mac's, and for that matter, I don't even know what they are... but I did find a knock off Donny Mac Chicken Sandwhich online HERE, and thought it sounded tasty.  And it was.  So I now share it with you! 


The Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, halved and pounded to ¼” thickness
3-4 c. buttermilk (enough to cover the chicken)
oil for frying


Breading:
8 oz pkg. Panko bread crumbs
2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cayenne
2 Tbsp. Garlic powder
1 Tbsp. paprika
½ Tbsp. Thyme


Sauce:
1/2 c. corn
1 c. buttermilk
½ c. ranch dressing
salt & pepper to taste
2 -3 Tbsp. chopped green onion
2 c. chopped cabbage
4 Cibatta buns


The Instructions:
Place chicken breasts in medium-sized bowl and pour buttermilk over until chicken is pretty much swimming buttermilk. Refrigerate overnight.
For the sauce: Sauté corn until a little caramelized and blend in a food processor. Add buttermilk and ranch to food processor and pulse 1-2 times until well mixed. Stir in green onion and set aside.
Combine breading ingredients until all ingredients are mixed in really well and pour in a shallow dish. Place chicken in bread crumbs. Press it down then let it sit for a few seconds so the break crumbs really stick on there.
Heat oil in a deep pan, or deep fryer and add breaded chicken. Fry until golden brown and cooked through.
Combine cabbage and about ¼ c.- ½ c. of the sauce to make the slaw (you just want the cabbage covered in the sauce, not drowning in it). Do this right before putting on the sandwich so it doesn’t get soggy.
To serve: Toast Cibatta in toaster or oven until slightly toasted. Add a little of the remaining sauce to the bottom bun. Place fried chicken on bun, slap on some “slaw” and top with remaining bun.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I found this recipe online and fell in love with the simplicity of this dish.  So good, so simple, and easy to make!

The Ingredients:

6 cups water
4 chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
1 onion
1 cup of thinly sliced carrots
2 TBS. Better than Bouillon (Chicken Flavor, of course)
1/2 cup finely diced celery-(I don't always add celery) it's good either way
2/3's bag of Homestyle Egg Pasta (or homemade noodles)


The Instructions:
In a large stock pot combine water, chicken and salt. Boil until chicken is cooked completely through. Remove the cooked chicken into your kitchen aid and (with the cookie paddle) shred your chicken (30 seconds on the lowest speed). Keep the broth. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. Strain the broth to get a nice clear broth for the soup and put it back into the stock pot.

Peel onion and dice. Combine 1/2 c. of water and onion in a food processor. Puree for 30 seconds, add to the chicken broth. Add carrots, bouillon and celery. Bring to a boil, then add noodles. Cook the noodles until done, 15-20 minutes. Add the chicken. If you need to add more liquid to the soup, either add a can of Swanson's chicken broth or water and season with more of the chicken bouillon to taste. Add bouillon granules and pepper to taste. 

Ranchiladas

Now THIS recipe is a real winner with my kids. They don't really like the whole "spicy" part of mexican food (ah- who am I kidding? Neither do I). So when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try it. Not only is it fantastically tasty, but it isn't too spicy at all and can easily be "spiced up" for those who prefer a little heat!

The ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or diced)
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream
8 oz. Ranch salad dressing
flour tortillas (10-15)
1 1/2 cups salsa (we prefer mild)
2 cups shredded cheese
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The instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the sour cream and half of the Ranch dressing. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the sour cream and Ranch dressing. Stir both until well combined. Add shredded chicken to the large mixing bowl. Mix well with the ranch sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9 x 13″ pan. Fill one tortilla with some of the chicken mixture and a little cheese. Roll up tortilla a place seam side down in prepare baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients (usually makes 8 enchiladas). Add salsa to the small bowl of ranch sauce and mix together. Top enchiladas with mixture. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (30 for a crispier tortilla).

Coconut Chicken

I was introduced to this recipe by the friend of a friend. After a little bit of tweaking, I found this recipe to be absolutely FANTASTIC! So sweet, and light, and wonderful. And for those trying to eat healthy- I recommend skipping the sauce and pairing this with a nice sweet and sour sauce or something along those lines.

The ingredients:

2 pounds chicken tenders or breasts

1/4 cup butter

13-ounce can coconut milk, divided

1 cup sugar, divided

2 1/2 c coconut flakes, divided

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

The instructions:

Boil chicken 20 minutes. Make sure it is thoroughly cooked. Drain water. Heat butter in pan on medium-low. In one bowl, mix together 1 cup coconut flakes and 1/2 cup sugar. In another bowl, mix together melted butter and 1/4 cup coconut milk. Dip chicken into butter/coconut milk mixture, then roll chicken around in sugar/coconut flake mixture. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden and caramelized.

In a small sauce pan combine cream cheese and coconut milk and stir over med-low heat until completely combined. Add rest of ingredients and turn down to low hear. Let sauce stand until ready to serve. Spoon over chicken and prepared rice. (If you want, feel free to sprinkle this dish with chopped macadamia nuts!)

8 Can Enchilada Soup

I found this recipe online, and was pretty happy with the flavor. Spicy, but not too much. MY husband is unable to eat corn, so most taco/enchilada soups are out of the running. I was excited to finally find one I could make! Enjoy!

The ingredients:
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can corn
1 can white chicken breast
1 can northern white beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes (whichever flavor you like best- I like mild...I'm a pansy.)

The instructions:
Add all cans not drained in a large pan and heat through. Just until it boils then turn down the heat. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado, and cheese.

Creamy White Chili

This recipe has become a family favorite of ours. It is mild in spice, and has such a unique flavor for a chili. It is also pretty easy to make, and therefore is a winner in my books.

The ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 medium onion

1 ½ tsp garlic powder

2 15 oz cans white beans rinsed and drained

1 4 oz can chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (more or less as preferred)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 14.5 oz can chicken broth

1 can green beans (chopped)

1 cup sour cream

½ cup whipping cream

The instructions:

In a crockpot add chicken onion and garlic powder. Add broth, chilies, and seasonings and cook on low for 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked through. Take a pair of tongs and squeeze the chicken breasts to shred them (or use two forks). Add white beans, green beans and creams. Continue cooking on low until heated through. Serve immediately.

Bourbon Street Chicken

A few years ago my husband and I were lucky enough to be exposed to some fine dining at a neighboring city restaurant. It was a high-class Chinese food restaurant (I promise, such a thing DOES exist!), and I ordered the orange chicken. I will never forget that food. It was FANTASTIC, and I think one of the most amazing parts of it was the very VERY lightly breaded chicken. I had never experienced breaded food like this. It was slightly crispy, it held in the chicken's natural tenderness, but it wasn't overpowering. Now fast forward a few years to last week. I was doing my typical THANG online and ran across a recipe that sounded good... So, of course, I tried it. And WHAT DO YA KNOW?! It was lightly breaded chicken! The sauce was fantastic too. So without further ado I will pass it on to you!

The Ingredients:
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs. oil (for frying)
4 Tbs. cornstarch

Sauce
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

The Instructions:
Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and lightly dust with cornstarch. I used a gallon ziplock baggie. Just toss chicken and cornstarch together. Heat oil in your wok or frying pan and fry chicken until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine all sauce ingredients (I chose to NOT add the red pepper flakes since my kids are anti-spice... Oh who am I kidding- I don't like spice either). Pour into wok or frying pan and bring to a boil. Add chicken back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve over rice!

(picture and recipe found and adapted by Mmm... Cafe)

Chicken and Black Eyed Peas

It is that time of year when I find myself extra busy, with too much on my plate and not enough time in my day. So, of course, I have a very good relationship with my crock pot! There is nothing quite so nice as preparing your dinner early in the day and then not needing to worry about it anymore! This recipe is simple, and delicious! A true family favorite. My daughters especially love the "beans" (black eyed peas).

The ingredients:
1 (16-oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 tsp. salt
1 (16-oz.) can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 bone in chicken (whole or cut into pieces)
1/4 c. water

The instructions:
Mix everything together in crock pot and cook on high for 1 hour then on low for 6 more. OR- Cook in pressure cooker until rocking, turn down heat and allow to rock for 15-20 minutes. Serve over rice.

(It is pretty heavy on the rosemary- feel free to cut it back if you don't love rosemary as much as we do!)

Crock Pot Chicken Burritos

Happy Sunday! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. And hopefully some of you scored some majorly awesome deals on Friday! On to dinner!

On Sundays I love nothing more than to crock pot a simple meal to make my dinner prep time almost non-existent. This recipe in particular is extremely easy to make and I would be willing to bet good money that most of you have the ingredients on hand right now. I LOVE this recipe, and I absolutely appreciate my neighbor for giving it to me. Thanks Mindy!

The ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast (can be frozen)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
1 cup minute rice (or 1/2 c. regular rice, but will have to adjust cooking time)
1 can beans, drained and rinsed (I prefer black beans, but any kind will do)

The instructions:
Combine chicken, soup and salsa. Let cook on low for 5 - 6 hours or high for 2 - 4 (may need to cook longer if you start with frozen chicken). Chicken is done when it falls apart when squeezed with a pair of tongs. Shred chicken up and add rice and beans. If using minute rice, cook for 15 more minutes. If using real rice, you will need to cook for about an hour.

Serve on flour tortillas with lettuce, more salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, and any other toppings you would like.

Tradewind Salad

This easy salad is another recent favorite of mine. It will be gracing our Thanksgiving table this year, and many years to come. It is a nice blend of taste and texture. This recipe was given to me by a friend and neighbor. Thanks Haylie!

The ingredients:
1 box (more or less) shell noodles
2 T. butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. cheese (cubed, diced, or shredded)
1/2 c. grapes (cut in half)
1/4 c. sour cream
1 c. ham (cubed)or chicken (cubed or shredded)
1 c. pineapple tidbits (or chunks)
1/4 c. mayonnaise

The instructions:
Cook noodles. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook chicken in a tiny bit of butter or oil (or brown ham). In a small sauce pan, combine brown sugar and butter over medium low heat until sugar is dissolved. Drain the pineapple and save the juice. Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, meat, and grapes. Add pineapple chunks and a splash or two of juice (adjust later to taste). Pour noodle over top and drizzle brown sugar/butter over the top of the warm noodles. Mix well and chill until ready to serve.

(This recipe is great the second day- I would actually suggest you make it the day before and let it chill overnight before serving)

((Pictures coming soon!))