RECIPE: Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Bake

I absolutely LOVE any buffalo flavored and anything with lots of melted cheese on it. Why not combine the two? This fun dish is great for the kids and even better for the game day.  The buffalo chicken adds an extra kick to the loaded baked potato casserole. Serve is loaded dish with a simple side salad.

Check out the recipe here!

What you need:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

8 -10 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I leave the skin on)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoons garlic powder

6 tablespoons hot sauce

 2 cups monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend

1 cup crumbled cooked bacon

1 cup diced green onion

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F .

2. In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika.

3. Add the cube potatoes and stir to coat.

4. Add the potatoes to a greased baking dish. Bake for 45 min. Tossing every 15 min.

5. When scooping the potatoes into the baking dish, leave behind any extra olive oil/hot sauce mix.

6.  While the potatoes are cooking, bread chicken ( if you want) or cook diced chicken with the left over hot sauce mixture. After chicken is cooked through, set aside.

7. Around 30 minutes into cooking the potatoes- take out of oven and add chicken, cheese, bacon and diced green onions.

8. Finish baking for the rest of the cooking time. Drizzle with ranch dressing if you want 🙂

RECIPE: Egg & Hashbrown Nests

I have always been a fan of the muffin tins, just an easy way to make smaller portions of your favorite meals. I found this recipe from A Cozy Kitchen . Easy to follow and easier to make. These little hash brown nests are great to serve for brunch.  I decided to use fresh potatoes that I shredded myself because after many variations, store brought hash browns would turn out too dry. Tip: Add a little twist to it and make it mexican inspired by adding salsa and sour cream to the top of these little muffins.

What you need:

2 russet potatoes, peeled and shredded
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon of season salt
1 cup of crumbled bacon
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 medium eggs

Directions:

1. Generously grease a muffin tin and set aside. Using a box grater, shred the potatoes and transfer them to a bowl; sprinkle with the kosher salt and seasoned salt. Gather the potatoes in the center of  a bed of paper towels removing the excess water.

2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture into each muffin cup, being sure to line the bottom and the sides. Since the potatoes will shrink when baked, make sure you go all the way to the top of the muffin tin when lining the sides. Bake for 10-15 minutes, and until the outer sides appear lightly golden brown.

3. Decrease oven to 350F. Remove from oven. In the center of each hash brown nest, add a teaspoon of grated cheese, and then top with crumbled bacon. Bake for an additional 3 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and then top with one egg. Bake for an additional 8 minutes, and until whites are set, but yolks still appear soft.

5. Allow to cool for 2 minutes in pan. Using a butter knife, run it around the edges of each hash brown nest and gently remove it. Top with remaining freshly ground pepper and serve immediately.

RECIPE: Bacon Gravy Schnitzel

In honor of Oktoberfest and my german hertiage I cooked up the traditional German Schnitzel, a crispy breaded veal cutlet, to a new and luscious level with the addition of this Jaeger sauce. Hearty bacon, onions and mushrooms create a savory sauce that pairs perfect with mashed potatoes or noodles.

Here is the recipe I followed in order to create this tasty, hearty traditional German meal!

What you need:

ounces sliced bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 yellow onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

1 cup of chopped mushrooms

2 cups of beef stock

1 tablespoon of flour and 1 teaspoon of flour

Four veal cutlets- pounded well

1 cup of all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of mustard- I used dijon

3 eggs

2 cups of plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup of unsalted butter

Directions:

1. For the gravy: Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy and most of the fat has been rendered. Add the onions to the pan and cook until softened, 4 to 6 minutes, and then stir in the mushrooms Stir in 1/4 cup of the beef stock to combine, and then stir in the flour to combine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer.

2. For the jaeger schnitzel: Place each veal cutlet in between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound each one using the spiky side of a meat mallet to tenderize it. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

Set up the breading station. whisk together the flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl or dish, and whisk together the mustard and eggs in another shallow baking dish. Combine the breadcrumbs with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a third baking dish.

Dredge each veal cutlet first in the flour, then through the egg mixture, and lastly through the breadcrumbs. Transfer onto a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Then pour gravy onto the schnitzel. Enjoy this cozy meal perfect for the fall and winter.

Restaurant Review: The Whip Tavern

Best kept secret in Chester County! Came across this place after googling Irish/gastropub food for a place to go on st patricks day.  Nestled in the horse farms of Chester county, this little cottage is hands down a perfect place to go if looking for authentic English food. No reservations are accepted, they are closed on Tuesday but on a positive note the are BYOB! If you dont bring  your own, have no fear. They have a wide selection of draft and bottled beers. My favorite is a snakebite- Half Yager Half Cider. They have limited parking so I would get there early around 5 or later around 9ish.  Cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, affordable fresh dishes. Lots of tv’s to watch soccer, horse racing or any local sports on. I have been to the Whip Tavern about 5 times- each time I am very pleased with the service and my meal.

Sneak peak of the menu!

My favorite appetizer- Welsh Rarebit…Melted irish cheeses with fresh toasted bread for dipping! Who doesn’t love melted cheese!!

Scotch Egg- Yes I know it does look very odd but the flavor is so distinct and delicious! Fried sausage wrapped in a hard boiled egg!

My dinner- flakey, buttery, melt in your mouth fish and chips! The fish is fresh, not too overly fried or soggy.  And Yes they make there own steak fries! 🙂

“Shake & Bake” Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Ill never forget the first time my mom brought home a box of the Shake and Bake from the grocery store. For some reason I thought it was the coolest thing ever! However I didn’t find it cool when my sister got to shake the chicken over me. Obviously I threw a temper tantrum. Anyways I wanted to recreate the same idea except less sodium, additives and fresher ingredients.

I am in LOVE with using corn flakes instead of bread crumbs for baked chicken breasts or tenders. They still provide a crunchy flavor to plain skinless chicken breasts just like bread crumbs. Its a healthier alternative to country fried chicken!

What you need:

 Chicken breasts

1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

1/2 c. crushed corn flakes or Chex

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. paprika

2 egg whites

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 tablespoon of hot sauce

Directions:

1. Just like when making chicken cutlets, I still used an egg mixture so the cornflakes would stick. But i added in hot sauce to the egg whites to give it a little kick! Definitely pairs well with a buttermilk ranch dressing on the side! I  soaked them in the mixture for 5 minutes before coating them.

2. In a zip lock bag combine corn flakes, panko bread crumbs, onion powder, paprika, and salt pepper. Shake the chicken, if some chicken is not fully coated presh cornflake mixture onto chicken.

3. Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink!

RECIPES: Bow Tie Pasta Salad

This salad is refreshing, healthy, and simple to make with just four ingredients. Its wonderful to serve with grilled chicken which is what I do or just alone as a side dish if you are a vegetarian. You can serve this warm or cold, whichever you please. I find this colorful salad kid friendly too. Not a fan of feta, simply just use goat cheese or cubed cheese of your choice.

What you need:

2 cups of bow tie pasta

4 teaspoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

1 cup of tomato, chopped

salt & pepper

1 cup of feta cheese

1/2 cup chopped basil

Directions:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine oil, garlic and tomatoes. Cook tomatoes for about 3 minutes until the juices start to be released. Season with salt and pepper. While this is cooking boil your water and cook pasta accordingly to box directions.

2. Combine pasta and tomatoes. Mix well.

2. Add in cheese and basil. Toss. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese for a little extra flavor. Serve hot or cold!

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Culinary Deliveries West Chester

MY FOOTBALL SUNDAY GO TO PIZZA SHOP!

 One of my favorite hometown pizza shops, Culinary Deliveries in West Chester PA! Culinary is known for their famous GOURMET WRAPS including the wackiest and craziest combinations you could ever imagine including the West Chester famous Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap, the Scrapple Wrapple wrap, Pull My Finger Wrap, and the All American Cheesesteak Wrap!

The Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap is a West Chester favorite. Oozing with warm honey mustard, delicious diced chicken, and savory mozzarella cheese. I love enjoying one of these and then crying myself to sleep because I just devoured 10,000 calories.  Every calorie is worth it though, trust me on that!

Where do I even start to describe one of Culinary’s most popular sandwiches dubbed “The BEAST”? The Beast is is LOADED with mozzarella sticks, french fries, mozzarella cheese, CHEESESTEAK meat, lettuce, tomatoes, onions all toasted to absolute perfection in their massive ovens.  You haven’t lived until you tried this beast.

I must admit that I have a weakness for buffalo chicken ESPECIALLY in a warm toasted wrap. Easily my third favorite at Culinary.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Cupcakes & Coffee Bar!

Its my favorite thing when  a new restaurant opens up in Chester County. The newest addition to downtown West Chester is a cupcake and coffee bar featuring Dia Doce cupcakes and coffee from Golden Valley Farms Coffee Roasters ( also hand crafted smoothies, juices to go along with Dia Doce’s cupcakes)

Combining two delicious treats in one convenient location is like music to my ears. For those fans of Food Network, you might know Dia Doce as competitors and winners on the show Cupcake Wars.  For the last two years,  Dia Doce has been serving up their sweet treats from a vibrant green food truck and in small markets. But now you can get the tasty gourmet treats store front without following around their food truck!

The shop will cater to those who want to relax for a moment at our cupcake bar

Dia Doce has a family run garden in which many of her cupcakes are made from those fresh ingredients, therefore all of their cupcakes have no artificial flavors.  I loved the rustic feel that this place had.

The hardest part…picking which cupcakes to buy in the end!  I ended up purchasing” Black Magic” that has chocolate cake filled with creamy vanilla bean cream and topped with decadent chocolate buttercream frosting and “White Velvet ” which was Moist vanilla cake filled with delicious chocolate fudge and topped with vanilla bean frosting

Both mouthwatering AMAZING! Check out Dia Doce for more awesome flavors if you are interested in purchasing some online

RECIPES: Shrimp Tacos

Have frozen shrimp in the freezer not sure what to do with it? I saw this recipe while watching The Chew. This creamy cabbage slaw pairs so well with sauteed shrimp to make shrimp tacos. Cheap, easy to make, healthy…what more could you want!?!

Instead of using mayo to keep it a tad bit healthier, I used low fat sour cream with the greek yogurt. Still provided the same creamy flavor.

Here is the recipe for the creamy chiptole slaw .

 For the shrimp , I just sauteed the shrimp in a pan with a dash of sugar, a dash of salt and 1/2 tablespoon on chili powder with some olive oil. Already cooked frozen shrimp cooks fast so you only need to keep it in the pan for a 2 minutes.

I layered on the slaw mix, then the shrimp , chopped tomato’s and cheese. Whats great about tacos you can personalize and put whatever you want on them!

Spicy Sausage & Pasta Bake

Acquired this recipe from the lovely, Emily Bites. Her recipes are geared towards individuals who are on weight watchers or are just looking for easy ways to cut the calories on simple meals. This recipe cost me under 10 bucks and was simple to make. Its spicy, cheesy and creamy. Whats convenient about this meal is you don’t even have to boil and cook the pasta! One pot meal! Any type of pasta noodle will do for this meal.

What you need:

1 t extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
13 oz Smoked Turkey Sausage, sliced (I used Hillshire Farms)
garlic minced
2 ¼ cups low sodium fat free chicken broth
10 oz can Ro-Tel tomatoes & green chiles, original
½ cup fat free half and half
½ t salt
½ t black pepper
10 oz uncooked wheat pasta
4 oz reduced fat Pepper jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

1.    In a large skillet or sauté pan add the olive oil and bring over medium heat. Add the onions and sausage to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until sausage is browned and onions are tender. Add the garlic and stir.
2.    Add the broth, Ro-Tel, half and half, salt and pepper and mix together. Add the uncooked pasta and stir together until the liquid covers the pasta. Cover the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep covered. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
3.    Transfer to a 7×11 baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.