Ok so I mentioned I might add some recipes to my blog. I've really enjoyed cooking lately and since most people blog about their passions, and cooking is fast becoming one of mine, I figured it couldn't hurt to blog about some of my more successful cooking endeavors. I realize to most of you who have been cooking for years these early recipes will seem . . . simple really, however keep in mind just a few years ago the fanciest meal I made was a can of green beans and instant mashed potatoes. I know right. (That's not to say we still don't eat those : ) Oh, and forgive the amatuer food photography.
I'm starting out with an easy recipe that I just got from just using things from my pantry. Without further ado:
Breaded Chicken - Serves 2 - 4
1 - 6 oz bag Seasoned Dressing Mix (we use Mrs. Cubbison's Classic Dressing Seasoned)
1 or 2 Chicken Breasts (use 1 breast for 2 servings or 2 breasts for 4 servings)
1 or 2 eggs (again depending on the servings)
Olive Oil
Marinara Sauce (you can just use your favorite brand)
Take the bag of dressing mix and smash it until it is dust. Using the back of an ice cream scoop works great for this. Fill a small bowl with about 1/3 to 1/2 of the breading. You definitely won't need all of it. Keep the portion you don't use in a Ziploc bag to be used for future chicken breading endeavors.
Place a chicken breast between two peices of plastic wrap. That step is vital, otherwise you will have chicken juices flying everywhere. Don't ask me how I know. Make sure to seal the edges of the plastic wrap. Take a meat mallet (have no idea if this is what they are actually called) or your trusty ice cream scoop (ours is really heavy so it works for all sorts of food bludgeoning) and pound the chicken flat. This is a great meal for getting out aggression . . .
Cut your now flattened chicken breast in half.
Scramble your egg/eggs in a small bowl. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. The oil should cover the bottom of the pan quite generously (the bread crumbs will soak up a bit so don't skimp on the oil).
Once the pan is hot dip each chicken in the bowl of egg and coat each piece. Then dip each chicken in the breading and coat each piece. Then quickly transfer to your heated skillet.
Cook on each side about 3-5 minutes. Top with a spoonful of heated marinara. I don't know if it's because this meal is so easy (especially when you already have a stash of smashed dressing mix) or if it really is that good . . . but yummmmm, I want this all the time.
