Fried Chicken Salad

Fried Chicken Salad

I had a couple pieces of cold fried chicken left over from the night before, so I de-boned it and created Fried Chicken Salad! It was really good! I left the crispy crust on too, for more added flavor!

Ingredients:

3-4 pieces of cold fried chicken, cut into small chunks

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

3 eggs, boiled, chopped

1 rib of celery, finely chopped

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon celery seed

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Remove meat and crust from left over chicken. Place in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes so the flavors can marry. Serve over your favorite bread.

Southern Zesty Fried Chicken

Southern Zesty Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces

salt and ground black pepper

1 quart buttermilk

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (I used Frank's)

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon (plus 1 teaspoon) cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons paprika

salt and ground black pepper to taste

oil for frying (vegetable, canola or peanut oil)

Instructions:

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, place them in a deep-sided baking dish. 

Whisk together buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, Tabasco and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a bowl. Pour mixture over chicken pieces, making sure that all pieces are covered and coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

 

Remove chicken from the buttermilk mixture, shake off excess. Discard remaining buttermilk mixture. 

Place the flour, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper (to taste) in a paper sack (a large plastic zipper bag will work also) Shake well to combine ingredients. Place 2 to 3 pieces of chicken at a time into the bag, shake well to coat the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour. 

Heat oil in deep fryer or large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees. Gently place chicken pieces into the hot oil, fry until chicken is cooked through and golden brown, 8-10 minutes for breasts and wings, and 13 to 15 minutes  for thighs and drumsticks. Drain on a paper towel lined platter. 

Spaghetti Hamburger Casserole

 Spaghetti Casserole

If you have kids, here's a recipe that even your pickiest eater will love! It's true comfort food! And it is very quick and easy to make. The original recipe was given to my by my good friend Dave Garrison. It was his mother's recipe, I've changed it up just a little bit! (sorry Dave) I really think you will enjoy it!!! The leftovers (if you have any) are even better!!

Spaghetti Hamburger Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef or ground chuck

1 medium chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

8 oz. sour cream

1 8 oz. pack cream cheese

1-1/2 cups shredded chedder cheese

1 8oz package spaghetti (I used angel hair pasta)

Instructions:

Brown the beef over medium-high heat. Drain fat. Add chopped onion, cooking until onions are tender. Stir in garlic, cooking for a couple minutes, making sure not to burn garlic. Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, oregano and paprika. Stir, reduce heat, and cover. Let simmer for about 8-10 minutes.

Add cream cheese, stirring until it melts, then add sour cream. Blend well. Add drained pasta to the mixture. Mix well. Pour into a greased baking dish. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Let set for about 10 minutes and serve.

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

Nothing beats these homemade meatballs, smothered in a creamy sour cream brown gravy. The meatballs are a combination of beef and pork, gently spiced with nutmeg and allspice. You can serve them as an appetizer or over a bed of noodles. They are so delicious!

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 pound of ground beef

1 pound of ground pork

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and freshly ground pepper- to taste

For the gravy:

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

4 cups of beef broth

3/4 cup sour cream

salt and freshly ground pepper- to taste

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion, stir and cook until onions are tender and translucent. (About 3 minutes)

In a large bowl, mix together beef and pork, bread crumbs, eggs, allspice, nutmeg and cook onion. Season with salt and pepper. Blend well. Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-1 1/2 inch meatballs. In the skillet that you cook onions in, cook meatballs in batches, frying until all the side are brown, about 4 or 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

To make the gravy :

When meatballs are all cooked, drain the grease from the skillet. Add butter. Let melt. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in beef broth and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. Stir in sour cream, season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through and thickened, about 8- 10 minutes.

Serve immediately alone as an appetizer or over a bed of egg noodles or pasta. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Flash Fried Spinach

Flash Fried Spinach Recipe

One of my favorite appetizers is flash fried spinach. It's so light and crispy and so good! You can sprinkle it with garlic salt and drizzle a little lemon over it to really make the flavor pop! Even if you don't like spinach, you should give this a try! So tasty and so HEALTHY!

Start out with some fresh spinach leaves. Heat your deep fryer to 375 degrees.

Add a handful of spinach to the basket.

After oil has heated, submerge spinach into oil for about 30 seconds.

Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel lined platter. Let them drain until light and crispy. Salt and pepper to taste. (drizzle with lemon juice if desired, or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Flash Fried Spinach

Ingredients:

4 cups peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)

1 10 oz. bag of fresh spinach

garlic salt to taste

pepper to taste

lemon juice squeezed from 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Place a large handful of fresh spinach in fryer basket, and submerge to cook for about thirty seconds. Drain spinach on paper towels, and repeat with remaining batches. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. (Or garlic salt and Parmesan cheese)

Spinach Artichoke Chicken

Spinach Artichoke Chicken

This is such an amazing, rich and wonderful chicken recipe! My husband LOVED it! I used fresh grated Parmesan cheese, it just tastes better. It also makes a great dip if you leave out the chicken.

First start out by browning your chicken breasts in a little oil. You won't need to cook them all the way through, just brown each side. After they are browned, place in a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Add spinach (frozen, that's been microwaved or thawed, and all the water squeezed out) Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella, artichoke hearts, and mayonnaise. Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread mixture over each chicken breast. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus 1/2 cup for topping)

1/2 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (plus 1/2 cup for topping)

1 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large skillet, heat oil. Brown each side of chicken breasts. Remove and place in a lightly oiled baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, artichoke hearts, cheeses, and mayonnaise. Spread mixture over chicken breasts. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Miss Cindy's Slow Cooked Roast Beef

Miss Cindy's Slow Cooked Roast Beef

Ingredients:

1 (3-4 lbs) chuck roast (or any cut of roast that you prefer)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning

4-5 potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 cup sliced carrots

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup banana peppers, drained

2 springs fresh rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 packet  good seasons ranch dressing mix

salt and pepper to taste

1 can beef broth

Instructions:

Rub Montreal steak seasoning all over roast. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. When skillet is hot, place roast in skillet. Sear each side until it is brown.

Remove roast from skillet and place in a large slow cooker. Add chopped vegetables. Sprinkle rosemary over the top. Add garlic powder, oregano, thyme, banana peppers and sprinkle packet of ranch dressing mix over the top. Salt and pepper as you desire. Pour beef broth over the top of meat and vegetables. Cover. Cook on high for about 4 hours. Then turn to low and cook for another 3-4 hours.