Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Butter Baked Chicken)

Hello again friends and food lovers. I know it has been a little while since my last recipe post but I’m running a one-man show here and things have been hectic lately. Hopefully I will be able to get back to regular postings soon since the upcoming holidays bring lots of good recipes.

So today I bring you a recipe that I know you’re going to absolutely love, especially if you’re the type of person that hates dry chicken or you have a picky eater in the house that doesn’t like chicken. This butter chicken is so moist and so flavorful that you would have to be crazy to not like it. I have modified this recipe a little from the original but it was most needed. The original recipe only used cracker crumbs and garlic salt. I personally like to control my garlic and salt separately so I switched the recipe from garlic salt to garlic powder and added salt as a separate ingredient. I also added the Italian or Ranch seasoning and Parmesan cheese for some much needed extra flavor. Lastly, I added the chopped garlic cloves as an optional item. I’ve made it both ways and it’s great with or without the chopped garlic but if you’re a garlic lover like me then I highly recommend adding the chopped garlic in your dish. Give this a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. As always, be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss any new recipe posts.

Butter Baked Chicken

• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Crushed Ritz Crackers
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Dry Italian or Ranch Seasoning
• 2 tsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt, to taste
• Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter pieces
• 3 Garlic Cloves, coarsely chopped (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl; in a separate shallow bowl combine the cracker crumbs, garlic powder, Italian or ranch seasoning, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
3. Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs then dredge it in the crumb mixture to coat.
4. Arrange the coated chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish; place pieces of butter and garlic (if using) in the spaces around the chicken.
5. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, turning the chicken over once during cooking; the internal temperature of the chicken should read 165 degrees on a meat thermometer when done.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (French Toast Roll-Ups)

Hello food lovers and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Where I work we designate one day each month as a “Food Day”, which is a bit like a pot-luck, to celebrate any birthdays or other milestones that the team members in our department might be having. Last week we had our August “Food Day” and one of the ladies I work with brought these delicious French Toast Roll-Ups which I bring you the recipe for today. There are so many different options for things that you can stuff inside these. You can do plain cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese, or any flavored cream cheese for that matter. You could also do something like plain cream cheese with fresh chopped strawberries or Nutella with chopped bananas. The possibilities are endless really. I imagine you could even make a savory version of these which is something I intend on trying out in the future. No matter what you stuff them with you can be certain that your friends, family, co-workers, or whoever you’re making these for will absolutely love them. This is definitely something you can’t go wrong with.

As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss any new recipe postings.

French Toast Roll-Ups

• 8 slices White Sandwich Bread
• Strawberry Cream Cheese (or other filling of choice)
• 2 Eggs
• 3 Tbsp Milk
• 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 heaping tsp Ground Cinnamon
• Butter

1. Trim the crust from the bread and flatten each slice with a rolling pin or other cylinder shaped object such as a drinking glass or jar.
2. Spread about 1-2 tsp of the strawberry cream cheese, or your chosen filling, across one end of a flattened slice of bread, about an inch from the edge; roll the bread up and repeat the steps until all slices are filled and rolled.
3. In a shallow bowl whisk together the eggs and milk until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl mix together the sugar and the cinnamon.
5. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat.
6. Dip the rolls in the egg, turning to coat on all sides, then place them in the pan seam side down; cook in batches, turning as they cook, until golden brown on all sides.
7. Add the hot rolls from the pan to the cinnamon sugar and roll until they are covered.
8. Serve as-is or with maple syrup for dipping.

Yummy Recipe Wendesday! (Grilled Kimcheese Ramen Sandwich)

Hello fellow foodies and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday.  Today I bring you a recipe that’s probably not going to appeal to just anyone but if you have an adventurous side with food I definitely recommend you give this a try.  Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes using Kimchi and Cheese together and it really is a delicious combination that you wouldn’t think would work together.  Ramen and Grilled Cheese are also a couple of my favorite foods to make when I just want something quick to eat without spending a lot of time in the kitchen so when I found this recipe, I knew right away that I was going to like it.  Most of the time when I eat the cheap Chicken Ramen from the local grocery store, I end up using about half the water and adding a couple slices of American cheese at the end for Cheesy Chicken Ramen so I figured this was going to be awesome, especially with the addition of the Kimchi, and I was not disappointed.  On that note, I do recommend a good quality Ramen for this recipe.  If you have an Asian market in your area – we have several around here – you can find the good stuff there; it’s nearly as cheap as the grocery store Ramen but the flavor is much better.  Even if you’re not a fan of Ramen made the regular way, give this recipe a try and you just might be surprised at how good it actually is.  If you are totally and absolutely against the Ramen in general, omit the Ramen from the recipe and you still have an awesome Grilled Kimcheese Sandwich.  As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Grilled Kimcheese Ramen Sandwich

• 1 pkg Ramen Noodles, any flavor
• 1 Ramen Seasoning Packet
• 1 cup Kimchi, chopped and squeezed
• 1 Tbsp Butter, plus more for the bread slices
• 4 slices bread, any kind
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese; split

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat.

2. Drop the ramen noodles in the boiling water and cook until they are soft, about 4-5 minutes; drain the ramen noodles, add the seasoning packet, toss to combine and set aside.

3. Butter one slice of bread on both sides and set aside; heat one tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat until completely melted.

4. Lay the slice of buttered bread in the skillet and top with ½ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese; cover the skillet with a lid and let the cheese melt almost entirely, about 2 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and top the melted cheese with half of the ramen noodles and about ½ cup of the kimchi (may require less depending on the size of your bread); re-cover for about 1 more minute.

6. Butter both sides of the second slice of bread and place it on top of the kimchi, pressing down gently; carefully flip your sandwich over and continue to cook, uncovered, until the bread is golden brown.

7. Repeat steps 1-6 for your second grilled cheese sandwich. Enjoy!

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Ultimate Mac & Cheese Casserole)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday.  I know everyone missed these posts so let’s get right to it.  Today’s recipe popped up on my Twitter last night from Food Network so of course I had to give it a try.  I had to run out to the store to grab a few things I didn’t have but it was definitely worth it.  If you can’t find orecchiette pasta I’m sure shells would work for this just as well.  This is easily the best Mac & Cheese that’s I’ve ever had, at least as far as I can remember anyway.  The Gruyere and Sharp cheese make this dish so flavorful and so cheesy and the bacon is an added bonus because everything tastes better with bacon.  Other than the flavor, I love that this recipe is “for two”.  It’s perfect for just my wife and me with some nice vegetables on the side.   I highly recommend that you give this a try for yourself and don’t just take my word for how wonderful it is.  As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss any new posts.

Ultimate Mac & Cheese Casserole

• 2 cups Orecchiette Pasta
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 cup Shredded Gruyère Cheese
• 1 cup Sharp White Cheddar Cheese
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 8 slices Crispy Bacon, finely chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente then drain off excess water; you’ll want it to still have a bite to it because it will finish cooking in the oven.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

4. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes while whisking vigorously so it doesn’t burn; continue to whisk as you add the milk, then let the mixture gently come to a simmer and thicken, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the Gruyère and white cheddar cheeses to the skillet and stir together with a spatula until all of the cheese has melted; add salt and pepper, to taste, and remove the skillet from the heat.

6. Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and gently toss the pasta with the cheese sauce until everything is covered; sprinkle half of the bacon into the skillet and toss to incorporate.

7. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish; top with the remaining bacon pieces, and then place, uncovered, in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and the pasta is cooked through.

8. After 30 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

New Recipes Coming

Hello again everyone.  After a super busy 2 1/2 month hiatus, I'm back and will begin posting recipes again tomorrow and hopefully every Wednesday for the foreseeable future.  I'm also working on ideas for a new feature on the blog.  I'm not sure if I'll bring back Gluten Free Fridays or if I'll try to come up with something else so stay tuned.  Be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren't already so you can keep up to date on everything that happens here.

Yummy Recipe Thursday! (Toasted Tortellini Bites)

Hello everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Thursday! I apologize for the delay in getting this posted this week but after you try these delicious Toasted Tortellini Bites you won’t even care anymore. If you’re a fan of Toasted Ravioli, like I am, then you’re definitely going to want to give these a try. There’s so much flavor packed into these little bite-sized tortellini that you just might think you’re in paradise after eating them. These are perfect for dipping in your favorite marinara or alfredo sauce but if you really want to elevate the flavor, I recommend dipping them in the sauce from the Bang Bang Chicken recipe I posted back in February. These are definitely perfect as an appetizer if you’re hosting some quests but they also work great as a main course with a vegetable or salad on the side. Go ahead and give these a try for yourself and make sure you stock up on all of the ingredients because you’ll definitely be making these again. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss any new posts.

Toasted Tortellini Bites

• 1 (9 oz) pkg Three Cheese Tortellini, refrigerated
• 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 large Eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the tortellini according to the package instructions; drain well.
2. While the tortellini is cooking prepare three separate shallow plates or pie pans with the flour in the first dish, the beaten eggs in the second dish, and the Panko breadcrumbs combined with the parmesan in the third dish.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
4. Working in batches, dredge the cooked tortellini in the flour, then dip them into the eggs, and finally dredge them in the breadcrumb/parmesan mixture, pressing to coat.
5. Add the tortellini to the hot oil in the skillet, about a dozen at a time, and cook them until they are evenly golden and crispy, about 1-2 minutes; transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess grease.
6. Serve immediately with marinara sauce, or other sauce of your choosing, and garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Bacon Wrapped Tater Bombs)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. I have a great treat for everyone today. Occasionally my boss brings in some little sausages that she wraps in bacon, dusts with brown sugar, and then bakes until they’re done. They’re always a huge hit and highly requested. Recently I found this recipe that I have for you today and it reminded me of those little sausages so of course I had to give it a try. The brown sugar caramelizes nicely on the bacon giving plain tater tots a sweet crispy twist and of course the cheese sandwiched between the bacon and tater tot just elevates the flavor even more. My only warning about these is that they will disappear quickly and you’ll be requested to make them anytime you have a get-together with friends and family. Give these a try and you’ll see what I mean. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single new post.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Bombs

• 1/2 bag Frozen Tater Tots, at room temperature
• 1 pkg (8 oz) Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cut into 1/4-inch squares
• 1 pkg (16 oz) Bacon, cut in half
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• Toothpicks

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. Working one at a time, cut a tater tot nearly in half to open it up, sandwich a small cheese square between the 2 tater tot halves, then wrap the whole thing in bacon and secure it with a toothpick; repeat with the remaining tater tots.
3. Roll each tater tot in the brown sugar until thoroughly coated and place them seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake the tater tots in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes (depends on the thickness of bacon), turning each tater tot half way through cooking; serve hot with dipping sauce of your choice or just as they are.