Snack Basket Chicken

I have kids so we have lots of small bags of snacks- especially Goldfish.  If your kids are anything like mine, I also have lots of half-eaten bags of snacks that end up in the "snack basket".  One day I thought I would use my repurposing skills and make breadcrumbs for chicken, and voila!  Snack Basket Chicken was born.  I've used Cheetos, Potato Chips, Pretzels, Cheez-its, etc in the mix and it all seems to turn out well.  Heck- my 5 year old sous chef actually requests Snack Basket Chicken regularly.

4 (or whatever works for your family) boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Various snacks as listed above
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese

Place random snack assortment in a food processor and crush to breadcrumb consistency.  Add spices- listed above and/or add your favorites.  I don't measure, so if I had to guess, I'd say 2 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp seasonings, 2 TBS Parmesan cheese, dashes of salt and pepper.

I don't dip the chicken in eggs or anything to save some calories, but you certainly could.  I just take the rinsed chicken and dredge it in a bowl with the crumb/seasoning mix.  I flip it over and make sure it's well coated and place it on a greased (sprayed) cookie sheet, allowing space for each chicken breast.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, or until the thermometer says "Safe!!" (160 degrees)

Spinach and Herb Chicken

I had a Tastefully Simple party last week and came up with a home run recipe (according to all who tasted it) for chicken. It started with a recipe from their website, but I, of course made my own modifications and it turned out wonderful and it was super easy. If you don't have these Tastefully Simple items, you can substitute for something similar you may have or you can always call me (or check out the website: www.tastefullysimple.com/web/cferguson1 ) to order ;-)

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 TBS of Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb Dip Mix
2 TBS of Tastefully Simple Onion Onion Dip Mix
Seasoned Salt
1/2 C Olive Oil (about)
1/2 C Parmesan Cheese (about)

Place ingredients in a gallon size zip top bag. Shake to combine. Add chicken and massage in the mixture to coat. Place in a 9x13 Pyrex dish and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches >175.

SUPER Easy....SUPER Tasty!!

Fajitas in Fifteen

Sorry it's been awhile since I've entered a recipe- last week was crazy!

Ok, here's a great, easy recipe that is a Ferguson family favorite (and easy!!!)

Chicken Fajitas in Fifteen

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (one per diner)
Olive Oil
Black Beans (or Vigio Black Beans and Rice)
Shredded Cheddar (freshly grated, if you can swing it)
Fajita spices (see recipe for details)
Sliced Vidalia onions, if you like
Sliced green, red, or yellow peppers (if you like- we don't ; )
Jalepenos
Sour Cream
Salsa
Lettuce


Take your chicken breasts and "de-gick" them. For those of you who don't know about "gick" it's the word I use for anything yukky on meat (fat, gristle and other random funky stuff). I hate "gick"- and waste tons of meat by cutting it all out. But please know that if you are served anything I've made, it's free and clear of all "gick" ; ) Slice chicken breasts into small, bite sized pieces.

Drizzle some olive oil in a hot pan, add chicken. Saute until brown with onions and peppers, if desired. Once chicken is browned, you'll want to add seasoning. Here are two of my favorite choices: McCormick Fajita seasoning, or if you are a Tastefully Simple Fan- the "Fiesta party dip" makes a fantastic seasoning! Follow directions on packet- which is pretty much: "add seasoning and water"...

In a separate pan, heat black beans. If you prefer, there is a great product of black beans and rice by Vigio that's about $2 at Publix, takes about 20 minutes and no effort. Mr F isn't a fan of rice, so we usually just do the old can o'beans around here. You can add a little cumin to spice them up if you like.

Once the chicken is seasoned, you're ready! Serve with flour tortillas, salsa, sour cream, jalepenos lettuce, cheese etc- and let the diners build their own. On the cheese issue- I prefer freshly grated cheddar. I found that it tases so much better- and is really cheaper if you compare it to the pre-shredded stuff. I buy big blocks from Costco and run it through my Cuisinart and keep it in a big baggie in the fridge. It's worth the time, if you are willing.

That's it! Fajitas in Fifteen (and it's healthy!!!) Enjoy!