Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

Welcome bloggers and friends! Today's recipe is one I'm really familiar with. My sister made this recipe, but she tweaked it a bit to exclude the honey mustard, so technically it was just pretzel chicken, but it was still delicious. The pretzels give a salty, crunchy aspect to the chicken. This is definitely one of those meals that would please everyone in the family. 

With our chicken, we will be making garlic roasted carrots. Both the chicken AND the carrots roast at 400 degrees, so no need to adjust the oven temperature. The carrots do require an hour to roast, so those should go into the oven first. The chicken only takes roughly 16 to 25 minutes. Speaking of garlic, yesterday I made some garlic green beans and definitely went overboard with the garlic. I'm still suffering from a lingering scent of garlic... So, word to the wise, beware of how much garlic you use... Anyway, let's grab our dredging bowls and I'll meet you in the kitchen! 

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Garlic Roasted Carrots

Both make about 4 servings

For the Chicken, you will need:

• 2 cups panko crumbs
• 2 cups pretzel crumbs
• 1/2 cup neutral tasting olive oil
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup bottled water
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup flour, plus more if needed

For the Carrots, you will need:

• 1 pound medium carrots, peeled
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• salt 
• pepper

Ready?

To make the Carrots:

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees.
2. Throw all the ingredients into the baking dish and toss to combine.
3. Tent with foil and roast for 30 minutes, or until tender.
4. Uncover and roast for another 30 minutes, until all the water has evaporated and the carrots are lightly brown in spots.
5. Transfer the carrots and the garlic to a plate and serve.

To make the Chicken:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Lightly grease with oil a large, non-stick baking sheet or roasting pan. 
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the panko crumbs until lightly golden, stirring constantly. 
4. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
5. In a food processor pulse the pretzels until coarsely ground, then add them to a medium bowl and mix with the panko crumbs. 
6. Wipe the crumbs out of the food processor.
7. Add the oil, mustard, honey, water and vinegar to the food processor and pulse until smooth.
8. Season with salt and pepper. 
9. Taste and adjust the flavor to suit your own tastes by adding more mustard or honey.
10. Pound the chicken breasts out to an even thickness using a mallet. Season well with salt and pepper.
11. Set up a dredging station.
12. Pour half of the dressing into a large shallow bowl or dish, put the flour on a large plate and add half the pretzel mixture to a large, shallow bowl or dish.
13. Working one at a time and using tongs, dredge the chicken in the flour then into the dressing, allowing excess to drip off then into the pretzel crumbs by patting on them if needed. 
14. Place the chicken on a greased baking sheet.
15. Bake 16 to 25 minutes depending on their thickness or until cooked through (internal temperature 165 - 174 degrees).
16. Let the chicken sit 5 minutes before serving with the remaining honey mustard dressing.

Well, that's all for today folks. I'll be back tomorrow with something just as scrumptious. Until then, have a great day, and happy blogging to all!

Chili Lime Ground Chicken Burgers

Good morning bloggers! Summer is here, and school is out. What better time to whip out the grill and celebrate? Well, if we want to be realistic, any time is a good time to celebrate, but I'm going to use family time with the children as my choice for celebration this time.

I know we've grilled delicious burgers and steaks in the past, but I wanted to do something a little different. I'm 100% positive that we've never made ground chicken burgers. I like the idea, actually. But anyway, I'm ready to whip out the grill, so I'll meet you all outside for a delicious dinner (or lunch)!

Chile Lime Ground Chicken Burgers with Guacamole

and

Creamy Bacon Potato Salad

For the Potato Salad, you will need:

• 8 to 10 medium size red potatoes
• 10 eggs
• 1 pound bacon, chopped
• 1.5 to  2 cups of mayo
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup dill weed seasoning
• 2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Burgers, you will need:

• 1.5 lbs ground chicken
• 1.5 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1.25 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup finely diced green onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/3  cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Burger Buns

For the Guacamole, you will need:

• 3 to 4 ripe avocados,  mashed or diced
• ½ cup chopped white onion
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Ready?

To make the Potato Salad: 

1. Cook chopped bacon in a large frying pan.
2. While the bacon is cooking, scrub and cut your red potatoes into medium bite size pieces. 
3. Put in a large pot and fill with cold water.
4. Boil the potatoes until tender, but not too soft. 
5. Drain, but DO NOT rinse.
6. Lay the drained potatoes in a wide baking dish with paper towels in the bottom.
7. Boil 10 eggs (at the same time as you start the potatoes and bacon).
8. Use cold water as well when covering the eggs in the pot. 
9. Once the eggs start to boil, turn off the burner, but leave the pan on the hot burner. 
10. Put a lid on the pot for 12 minutes.
11. Peel the shells off the eggs. 
12. Cut the eggs in half and pop out the yolks, then set them aside. 
13. Cut the rest of the egg whites into bite size pieces.
14. Put the yolks in to a large mixing bowl with the mayo, sour cream, dill weed, onion powder, salt, and pepper. 
15. Mix together until creamy.
16. When the potatoes are cooled, add them to the creamy egg mixture. Add the chopped egg whites and crispy bacon. 
17. Stir and fold softly until all combined. 
18. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the Guacamole for the burgers:

1. Mix the ingredients together and keep it as smooth, or course, as you like.  
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the Burgers:

1. Mix together all the ingredients and then refrigerate for about 15 to 30 minutes.
2. Form 4 patties, and brush them with a little oil. 
3. Place on a hot grill.
4. Cook the burgers for 7 minutes on one side.
5. Flip and cook for 6 minutes on the other.
6. Be sure to only FLIP the burgers ONCE.
7. Serve with fresh guacamole, pepper jack cheese, roasted or pickled jalapeno, crisp romaine and summer tomatoes.
8. Enjoy!

Thank you for joining us today. We hope you have a great day with the kiddos. We'l' see you tomorrow with another amazing recipe. Until then, happy blogging to all, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Dani Wednesdays: Enchilada Casserole

Hello, it is Dani Wednesday, again. Time flies while I am on vacation. Before I left, I made this lovely meal for you. HUGS!

Remember the leftover chicken I had last week? Here is a wonderfully easy recipe to make with leftover chicken. If you do not have already cooked chicken on hand, a store bought roasted chicken or even chicken strips will work. Heck, make it without chicken is fine, as well. TIP: if you do not like spicy food, look for tomatoes with green chilies and not jalapeños. I made this mistake and my son would not eat more than one bite.

Enchilada Casserole

Serves 8 – 10 Prep: 15 mins Cooking: 45 -50 mins

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cooked chicken breasts; shredded
• 1- 12 oz can refried beans, of your choice (If making this non-spicy, use traditional, veg or fat free)
• 1- 12 oz can diced tomatoes with chilies (can use regular diced, for milder flavor)
• 1- 12 oz can mild enchilada sauce (I like Las Palmas, but what ever is on sale will work. Can use Medium, instead of Mild for more heat)
• 1- 12 oz can tomato sauce
• 12 corn tortillas (I prefer yellow corn, but white is fine)
•  2 cups of cheese (I use Mexican blend)
• Sour cream and Cilantro for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix beans and diced tomatoes in a bowl
3. In separate bowl, mix enchilada and tomato sauce
4. Spray a 13x9x2 baking dish with cooking spray
5. Layer 6 tortillas in the bottom of baking dish
6. Spread beans on top of tortillas
7. Sprinkle cheese (at this time, you can add spinach or veggie of your choice. I meant to use spinach, but forgot while I was putting it together)
8. Add a few spoonfuls of sauce evenly on layer
9. Top with the remaining tortillas
10. Pour Sauce over top and place in oven for 25 mins
11. With 20 mins remaining, top with remaining cheese
12. Cook until cheese is fully melted and starting to brown 

My son would normally eat this, but since I made the jalapeños error, it was not a big hit for him. My husband and I enjoyed it while the boy ate pb&j. I had extra ingredients leftover, so I made an extra little one for my husband while I am out of town. This recipe, like all my other ones, is very flexible. Use what you like or have in your house. Experiment and let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!

Cheers, 

Dani

Lobster Rolls and Roasted Parmesan Potato Wedges

Good morning bloggers and friends! Today, I'm running off of a lack of sleep. I want to propose a relatively simple recipe, with an equally simple side. Now, normally, I have much more to say, but I'm super tired and all I feel like doing is sleeping for one hundred days. Silly, right? Yea, I think so too. For today's recipe, we will be whipping together some buttery lobster sandwiches and Parmesan potato wedges. The sandwiches are light, and perfect for Summer. When paired with the wedges, they make an excellent dinner for families who have kids, or even just want to have an easy night.

So, I'm just going to cut to the chase and ask if y'all are ready to make some yummy food? Yes? Excellent. I'll meet you in the kitchen!

Lobster Rolls & Roasted Parmesan Potato Wedges

For the Potato Wedges, you will need:

• 4 medium red potatoes, cut into small wedges
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1.5 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• sea salt to taste

For the Lobster Rolls, you will need:

• 1 pound lobster meat, mix of both tail and claw
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon celery salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 6 pinches cayenne pepper
• 4 top-split hot dog buns
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

Ready?

To Make the Potato Wedges: 

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Wash and dry the potatoes then cut each potato into 4 or 5 wedges, then cut the wedges in half.
3. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, garlic salt, and paprika and set aside. 
4. Next, toss the potatoes and oil together in a mixing bowl then add the bowl of cheese and seasonings, then stir to coat. 
5. Dump the potatoes onto a cookie sheet and arrange in a single layer.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes then remove from oven and turn over all the potatoes. 
7. Put them back in the oven for another 10 or 15 minutes until they’re sufficiently crispy.

To Make the Lobster Rolls: 

1. Chop the lobster meat into ½-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Gently mix in the mayonnaise, celery salt, black pepper, chives and cayenne, then set aside.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet or pan and brush the exterior of the buns with the melted butter. 
3. Toast the buns on both sides. 
4. Fill the buns with the lobster mixture and plate.
5. Serve along side the potato wedges.
6. Enjoy!

Thank you for joining me today. I hope you enjoy this very simple meal. I'll be back tomorrow (hopefully more rested than today). Until then, I bid you all happy blogging, and I'll catch you on the flip side!

Baked Reuben Casserole

Welcome bloggers and friends! The weekend has come to an end, and Monday is here unfortunately. Along with the Monday blues is the "I-don't-feel-like-cooking" blues. We've all been there, so for tonight's meal I wanted to do something kind of simple. I don't think anything can be simpler than a casserole. I mean, you throw all the ingredients into a baking pan and VOILA!

So, lately I've been in a chicken and fish kind of mood. I wanted to stray away from those things. I wanted to offer up something we really don't use often here at Everyday Meals: corned beef, or if you prefer, pastrami. I just like the idea of a deconstructed sandwich turned casserole. It makes my mouth water when I think about it.

Are we ready to get started? Great! I'll meet you in the kitchen!

Baked Reuben Casserole

Serves about 6

You will need:

• 5 to 6 slices of rye bread, divided
• 3/4 pound thinly sliced corned beef or pastrami
• 1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and well-drained 
• 3/4 cup dill pickles, chopped
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 4 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup Thousand Island salad dressing

Ready?

1. Butter an 11×7-inch baking dish. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
3. Cut 3 to 4 pieces of the bread into cubes so that you have 2 cups of bread cubes. 
4. Line the bottom of the dish with the bread cubes. 
5. Cover the bread cubes with half of the corned beef. 
6. Make additional layers in this order: sauerkraut, pickles, caraway seeds, 2 cups of cheese, the remaining beef, and the remaining cheese. 
7. With a whisk, beat together the eggs, milk, mustard and Thousand Island dressing until well mixed. 
8. Pour the mixture over the casserole. 
9. Using a blender or food processor, make 1 cup of fresh bread crumbs with the remaining slices of bread. 
10. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the casserole. 
11. Bake for 40 minutes or until set in the center.
12. Enjoy!

I thank you for joining me today. If sauerkraut isn't really your thing, feel free to check out a few equally simple meals such as: 

Salmon Stirfry  

Potato-Crusted Chicken Casserole

Or

Taco Pie

All three pages have a variety of awesome meals that may suit you and your family. So, once again, thank you for joining me, and I hope you have a great day! Happy blogging to all, and I'll catch you on the flip side.

Shrimp and Pesto Pizzas

Good morning bloggers! Welcome to another entry to Everyday Meals. Today, I really felt like having pizza. In our house, it's sort of a big deal to make pizza for everyone. It takes a lot of effort to make enough pizza for 5 grown adults. There's usually a mess of flour and dough every where before we even finish the prep work. Well, luckily, that won't be the case today.

We will be using store bought pizza crusts, unless you really want to make the dough yourself. If you do, The Pioneer Woman has an excellent recipe for dough. You can find the recipe HERE. There's also a full recipe for her favorite pizza. Check it out. It looks amazing! For now, let's grab our ingredients and I'll meet you in the kitchen!

Shrimp and Pesto Pizzas

Yields 4 individual pizzas 

You will need:

• 4 (6-inch) round pizza crusts
• 2 heaping tablespoons pesto spread
• 20 small shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Ready?

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place your crusts on non-stick baking sheets. 
3. Evenly distribute and spread the pesto over each crust, then set aside.
4. Coat the shrimp with the olive oil and then sprinkle with the garlic and some salt and pepper. 
5. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, sear the shrimp for about 1 minute, flip and cook for another 30 seconds.
6. Place 5 shrimp on each pizza, then sprinkle with the mozzarella and goat cheese. 
7. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown on the edges. Let cool for just a minute or so and serve.
8. Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me once again. I'll be back tomorrow with another recipe. Before I go, I want to urge you to check out The Pioneer Woman's website. She has some of the best recipes around. If you've never heard of her, do yourself a favor, and really see what her website is all about. It's awesome! Have a great day, and I'll catch you all on the flip side! Happy blogging to all!

Breakfast Saturday: Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Happy weekend fellow friends and bloggers! As you can tell from the title of this entry, we will be stuffing our faces with delicious banana oatmeal muffins. I dare you to read the title and try NOT to sing Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl". I know that it is impossible for me to see, say, or write 'banana' without singing that song!

Okay, now back to business. I wanted to do something quick, because we all have something we'd rather be doing than cooking on the weekend. This is one of those handy, on-the-go foods. It's great for busy families! So, keeping with the goal of quick and easy, I'm going to stop talking and meet you in the kitchen!

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Yields 12 muffins

You will need:

• 2.5 cups old fashioned oats 
• 1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ripe bananas 

Ready?

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Place the oats in the food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds.  Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor.
4. Process until everything is mixed together and the oats are smooth.
5. Divide the batter into the muffin pan, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let them cool on a wire rack for just a few minutes and enjoy!

I thank you for joining us this weekend. May your weekend be filled with fun and lots of laughter. I'll be back tomorrow with another recipe, so until then, I'll catch you on the flip side. Happy blogging to all!