New Blog!

I have exciting news today! 

I have switched over to a self-hosted blog!  You can follow along with all my kitchen adventures at the new Becky Cooks Blog (beckycooksblog.com)!

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I can’t wait to continue sharing my favorite recipes with you!  

Thanks for reading.

Chicken Apple Sausage Patties

Well, we made it through another week!  Happy Friday!  I don’t know about you, but I am ready for the weekend. 

 

Lazy weekends mornings are my favorite.  Waking up slowly, sipping coffee, sitting around in your PJs until…well, until whenever you feel like getting dressed, and most importantly, a delicious breakfast.

I rush around so much on the weekdays, grabbing a yogurt, cereal (side note: why is it telling me this isn’t how you spell cereal?  that is how you spell it, right?) or toast.  Whatever is fast and easy.  On the weekends, I like to take a little time to make something special.    What could be more special than homemade sausage?

 

I know what you’re thinking…Uh-uh, no way.  I’m not making my own sausage!  But trust me, it is easy.  And you can control the amount of fat and salt and other ingredients that go in to it. 

And don’t worry, we aren’t making links that have to be stuffed or anything complicated like that.  If you can make a hamburger, you can make a sausage patty. 

And if you can make a sausage link, I’ll invite you over for breakfast.  You bring the sausage!

adapted from Rachael Ray’s recipe

makes 12-15 patties

Ingredients

• 1 medium green apple
• 1 small onion
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp fennel seed
• 1 lb ground chicken breast
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Cut apple into quarters and remove the core.
2. Using a box grater, grate the apple.
3. Finely chop the onion.
4. In a large skillet, melt the butter.  Saute the apple and onion until they are soft, but not brown (about 5 minutes).  Cool this mixture.
5. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and cooled apple mixture.  Mix well until seasonings are evenly distributed throughout.
6. Divide sausage mixture into small patties (12-15 patties).
7. Heat a large skillet or griddle.  Cook sausage patties for 2-3 minutes per side, or until patties are browned and cooked through.  

 

Chicken Parmesan

As promised, today we have Chicken Parmesan!  Or, as it is affectionately known in our house, Pizza Chicken.

You see, this was the very first meal I ever cooked for my husband, way back when we first started dating!  This was my “specialty.”  It is a pretty easy dish, but is so delicious and somewhat impressive.  I really wanted to impress him. After all, they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!  So I made him Chicken Parmesan.  I think he was impressed (at least a little), because here we are 7 1/2 years later!

I don’t think he had ever had Chicken Parmesan, and when I served it, he said it tasted like Pizza Chicken, and that is what he has called it ever since. 

You are going to start with  a pound and a half of chicken breasts.  I like mine to be pretty thin so they cook evenly and quickly, so you can either purchase thin cut breasts, or slice the normal ones in half.  I ended up with 6 pieces.

Then, you’ll want to set up a breading station.  Take two large plates, and one shallow bowl.  In the first plate, put your flour.  As Emeril says “Where I come from, my flour isn’t seasoned!”  Season your flour with salt and pepper.

 

Crack two eggs into the shallow bowl.  Whisk them up very well with a tablespoon or two of water.

 

And in the other large plate, mix some breadcrumbs with a little parmesan cheese.  I was able to find Italian seasoned panko crumbs at my store, but if you can’t find these, regular Italian breadcrumbs will work, or you can add some Italian seasoning to plain panko crumbs. 

 

Set up your breading station with the chicken on one end, then the flour, eggs, breadcrumbs and end with a large plate or sheet pan to put your breaded chicken breasts.

 

To bread your chicken, take one piece at a time and coat it in the flour.  Shake the excess flour off.

 

Next, dip it into the eggs.  Coat both sides with the egg. This will be your “glue.”

 

Then, press it into your breadcrumb mixture and coat both sides evenly.

 

Place your breaded chicken on a plate and continue until all your chicken has been breaded.

 

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet.  Fry your breaded chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy.  The chicken is pretty thin, but it may not cook all the way through.  That is ok, because we are going to be baking it later.   You don’t want to crowd the pan, so fry your chicken in batches.

 

While your chicken is cooking, spread a little of your favorite marinara sauce evenly in the bottom of a large baking dish. 

 

When your chicken has been cooked, remove it to the baking dish.

 

Cover each piece with a few tablespoons of marinara sauce…

 

a sprinkle of parmesan cheese…

 

and a nice helping of mozzarella!  Bake it up to finish cooking the chicken through and meth the cheese.

 

When you pull it out of the oven, you’ll have a cheesy, succulent chicken breasts that are sure to impress!

 

makes about 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (thinly sliced)
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 cups Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• olive oil for frying
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
• 3 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Set up your breading station.  Take two large plates, and one shallow bowl.  In the first plate, combine flour, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  In the shallow bowl, mix eggs with water until well combined.  In the other plate, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
3. Bread the chicken breast pieces.  First, coat chicken with flour.  Shake off the excess.  Dip the chicken in the eggs and turn to coat.  Finally press the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture until both sides are coated.  Place breaded chicken on a large plate.  Continue until all pieces of chicken have been breaded.
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Fry the chicken breast pieces in batches until golden and crispy.  Chicken may not be cooked all the way through.
5. Meanwhile, spread 1/2 of marinara sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
6. After chicken has been fried, remove and place in a single layer in the baking dish.
7. Top chicken with the remaining marinara sauce, the parmesan cheese and the mozzarella cheese.
8. Bake chicken, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked all the way through.