easy

easy chicken parm is the best.

August 31, 2021 by Becky Spoon

What could be more delicious than this easy Chicken Parm? This dish comes together in minutes and everyone loves this dish. Cook your favorite pasta, use your favorite jarred marinara sauce, top with the crispy delicious chicken and some parmesan cheese, fresh mozzarella or provolone, that’s it!

These are the easy steps:

Breading
Frying
Adding our sauce
Topping with cheese
Baking

For the breading I use Panko bread crumbs combined with some Italian seasoned bread crumbs. The chicken breast are boneless/skinless chicken breast. I dredge them in flour, then egg, then the bread crumb mixture. They are fried in olive oil. I then pour sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish, add the chicken, the cheese and bake until the cheese is melted.

easy chicken parm is the best.

If you have homemade sauce on hand use it. Marinara is really easy. Here is my marinara sauce recipe: Basic Marinara Sauce

I used Rao’s Arrabbiata Sauce. It is a little spicy and I love it. Rao’s is little more expensive, but I think it is well worth the cost. https://amzn.to/2Y5n6Nk.

Rao's Arrabiata Sauce Gluten Free, 24 oz (Pack of 2)

These are 1.5 pound jars. They are larger than the jars sold in a grocery store.

easy chicken parm is the best.

Here’s the recipe for this chicken dish. A similar dish on the blog is my Eggplant Parmesan. It is equally delicious. I Love Eggplant Parmesan! Comfort Food!

Hope you make both of these recipes!! Enjoy!

easy chicken parm is the best.

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Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 large boneless/skinless chicken breast halved lengthwise
olive oil for frying
1 lb pasta

For the sauce

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce or your homemade sauce (see my link in the post)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish or sheet pan large enough to hold your 4 chicken filets.
Set up your dredging station: Whisk together your eggs with a splash of water in a shallow dish. Set up another dish with the flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. In a 3rd dish add the panko, parmesan cheese and Italian bread crumbs.
Pound your chicken breast out between 2 pieces of chicken wrap. Cust them down the middle to make 4 pieces.
Heat enough extra virgin olive oil in a skillet to cover the bottom. Heat to medium high.
Place each piece of chicken in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the final bread crumb mixture.
Add to the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a wire rack as they are done. Continue until all of them have been cooked.
Heat your sauce. Pour a layer of the sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Place your cooked breaded chicken on top of the sauce. Add a little sauce to each piece of chicken, then top with a sprinkle of Parmesan, then the sliced mozzarella or the provolone.
Place in the oven and cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.
While your chicken is cooking bring a large pot of sated water to a boil and add our pasta of choice. I used spaghetti. When done, drain and toss in some of the sauce.
To serve, divide the pasta among 4 plates. Top each plate with the chicken breast, spooning any remaining sauce over each dish.

Keyword boneless/skinless chicken, breaded chicken, chicken, chicken parm, chicken parmesan, main course, marinara sauce, mozzerella cheese

love these easy pancetta, egg and cheese boats.

August 29, 2021 by Becky Spoon

These pancetta, egg and cheese boats are from leftover wheat bolillo rolls I used the other day when making a Mexican Torta. I love to use things on hand. These are filled with an egg custard, onions, peppers, spinach, pancetta and cheese.

I removed much of the bread in the middle, making sure to not go all the way through so they won’t leak your egg custard. Then I layer with a slice of swiss cheese (didn’t have any gruyere) then I pour the egg custard in, then divide the filling among the boats. This is also the perfect on the go breakfast dish.

love these easy pancetta, egg and cheese boats.

I saw this recipe from the blog Fork and Spoon, who btw have many great recipes. They call them the original baked egg boats recipe, which likely is. So my recipe is from their recipe, I just changed a few things.

These boats are pretty much quiche that the bread is your crust. I did not have a baguette or other French bread but that may work better than these for a crowd. If using a baguette, you’d want it to be about 10-12 inches. You would hollow out the French bread the same making sure you don’t go all the way through. These sourdough baguettes would be good: https://amzn.to/3mG2fdJ. They are 10 inches.

Other combinations you may like:

sliced and sautéed mushrooms, diced shallots, and spinach
caramelized onions, diced ham, sliced green onions or chives, and shredded cheese
spinach, crumbled turkey breakfast sausage, and crumbled goat cheese
diced and sautéed bell peppers, crumbled feta, and spinach or kale
sliced chives, minced thyme, minced parsley, and shredded or crumbled cheese

Like these I had made earlier with ham, red peppers, fresh spinach and cheddar cheese! Delicious!

These are the Torta’s I made the other day with this Bolillo bread and they were amazing! amazing torta – a mexican street food favorite

love these easy pancetta, egg and cheese boats.

Need other breakfast recipes? Try these:

Here’s the recipe for these delicious breakfast boats.

love these easy pancetta, egg and cheese boats.

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Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Ingredients

2 sourdough demi baguettes or any bread you can fill like I did
6 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 ounces finely diced pancetta
2 thinly sliced green onions
4 ounces gruyere or other swiss cheese
pinch of salt (pancetta can be a little salty)
fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut a deep “V” through the tops of each baguette until about a ½ inch to the bottom and remove top. Un-stuff demi baguettes as much as possible, while keeping the shell of the baguettes intact. It's very important not to puncture through the crust while slicing the tops off and while un-stuffing. Set hollowed baguettes aside and discard the tops and removed stuffing.
Sprinkle about tablespoon of shredded cheese into the bottom of each hollowed baguette.
Whisk together eggs and cream. Pour the mixture evenly to the baguettes. Distribute the other ingredients evenly over the egg mixture. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Top with additional cheese on top if you like.
Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for 35 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, puffed and eggs have set.
Remove baked egg boats from oven and cool for about 5 minutes. Cut each baguette into pieces and serve.

Keyword bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese, breakfast, brunch, egg boats, pancetta, pancetta egg and cheese boats

the best crab stuffed salmon.

August 16, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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Oh, wow! This crab stuffed salmon is amazing! Those of you my age, do you remember the stuffed fish at Steak and Ale! I ate that every time I was there! I can’t remember if it was flounder or salmon, but it was stuffed with crab and delicious!

The crab stuffing is very simple. I didn’t want to add a lot of filler, so this really is mostly crab. If you google crab stuffed salmon, most of them will have cream cheese. I wanted a crab cake stuffed into a piece of salmon. No cvream cheese, nothing like that. Just crab with some seasonings and mayonnaise and buttery crackers to hold it together.

The ingredients are a good mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, old bay, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, chopped parsley and some buttery crackers. I use those Club crackers. You could use Ritz crackers or regular saltines, however, I really like a buttery cracker for this dish. I combine those ingredients and mound them onto the salmon after I have made a slit on top of the salmon to hold the crab. They are baked 15 to 18 minutes at 375 degrees, then slathered in garlic butter. Delicious!

the best crab stuffed salmon.

I eat a lot of salmon! My local HEB always fresh salmon or occasionally I’ll buy the wild salmon from Sam’s Club. I buy wild salmon, not farm raised. It is a little more expensive, but worth it. perfect grilled salmon salad with summer vegetables. This is delicious!

the best crab stuffed salmon.

This dish is really rich so something like asparagus would be delicious or saluted spinach would also work. Here’s a couple of my other recipes to serve as a side dish.

Perfect Sesame Roasted Asparagus with Whipped Herbed Boursin Cheese

Easy Cheesy Creamed Spinach and,

So Easy, Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

All of these would be delicious. If you want to keep with a cajun theme these potatoes would be lucious!

Easy – Wilda Marie’s Lazy Potato Casserole

This potato casserole has “Slap Yo Mama” Louisiana seasoning! These are delicious. Here’s a link for this seasoning: https://amzn.to/3iT1Rq2.

Here’s the recipe for this delicious dish! Super easy and so delicious!

Crab Stuffed Salmon

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Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

2 salmon filets
olive oil to brush the salmon
salt and pepper
8 oz large lump crab
1-2 tbsp good mayonnaise
juice and zest of one lemon
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of old bay
pinch of Cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere's
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 sleeve crushed Club crackers (about 18)

Lemon Butter

1/2 stick unsalted butter
juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 garlic clove minced finely

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a small casserole dish.
Cut a slit down the middle of the salmon without going all the way through and leaving about 1 inch or a space on each end. You just want a pocket to fill with the crab mixture. Brush them with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper.
In a bowl add your mayonnaise and the seasonings. Add the crushed crackers, Combine. Add the crab mixing briefly with a fork to keep it light.
Divide the crab mixture and with your hands lightly form a ball like patty not compacting, leaving the crab mixture loose. Place in the pocket of the salmon. Place in the oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook stirring until aromatic. Add the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Set aside to brush on the salmon when done.
Crab should start to brown some on top and the salmon should be a little firm, yet a little flaky, but definitely not dry and overcooked. I just check it after about 10 minutes to see where it is. I like salmon medium to medium rare. If you think the salmon is done yet the crab is not browned on top, turn the broiler on and just lightly brown. Remove from the oven and pour the butter mixture on each piece of salmon. Enjoy!

Easy – Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole for 2

March 5, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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This Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole is for 2! It is easy and did I mention, it is delicious? So good! You can double, triple or increase the ingredients in this recipe to suit your particular number you are cooking for. Loaded with sauteed mushrooms, red peppers, onions, breakfast sausage, just to name a few of the ingredients, this casserole is loaded with flavor.

Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

I love a breakfast casserole. I didn’t make this 24 hours in advance and store in the refrigerator overnight, but I could have. This is a perfect weekend dish or the perfect dish for a week day. This casserole is layered with cheese that makes this creamy and delicious. This dish can be reheated after cooking if you wanted to make ahead and just reheat in the microwave for your hectic weekday breakfast. Regardless of the size, this casserole takes about 45 minutes to bake in the oven.

I used provolone because I think it goes so well with mushrooms. You know, kind of like a pizza! Or a delicious lasagna with Italian sausage and provolone cheese with lots of mushrooms. So good!

I always buy the large packs of provolone from Sams Club. Here’s a link for provolone cheese at another store https://goto.walmart.com/c/2049504/568835/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&prodsku=651354299&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FCastlewood-Sliced-Provolone-Cheese-8oz%2F651354299.

I can’t find it at my rural grocery store, but the larger stores will have it. It’s a creamy and delicious cheese.

Before you go to the recipe for this delicious breakfast casserole, here’s another casserole I have on the blog! https://the2spoons.com/italian-sausage-and-peppers-breakfast-casserole/.

Italian Sausage and Peppers Breakfast Casserole

Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

Easy – Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole for 2

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Course Breakfast, brunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, breakfast casserole, brunch, casserole, sausage

Easy Buttermilk and Franks Red Hot Sauce Marinated Chicken Tenders

February 18, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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Buttermilk and Franks Red Hot Sauce Marinated Chicken Tenders
These easy buttermilk and Franks Red Hot Sauce marinated chicken tenders are so good! Doesn't everyone love chicken tenders? Honestly so tender and the best for making this kind of a recipe. You could use chicken breast that you slice which I have done many times, but the tenders really are so good. — Buttermilk and Franks Red Hot Sauce Marinated Chicken Tenders

These easy buttermilk and Franks Red Hot Sauce marinated chicken tenders are so good! Doesn’t everyone love chicken tenders? Honestly so tender and the best for making this kind of a recipe. You could use chicken breast that you slice which I have done many times, but the tenders really are so good.

I served these with my cream gravy that I added a splash of Franks Red Hot sauce for dipping! These would be great with a ranch or blue cheese too. So, the Ranks Red Hot Sauce is not real hot and I used it in the marinade to add that delicious flavor. These are not hot. I could have easily tossed these in straight sauce after frying them, but I didn’t want that intense heat like in a wing, just the flavor. I don’t know I’m just fond of a creamy gravy with chicken, but you choose the sauce you prefer.

Buttermilk and Franks Red Hot Sauce Marinated Chicken Tenders

I love Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. This is the original. here’s a link if you aren’t familiar with this brand: https://amzn.to/37EpOIO. Frank’s has several different sauces but this is the cayenne sauce. I happen to love cayenne.

The other day I made steak fingers, similar to the tenders! Here’s the link for those: https://the2spoons.com/texas-chicken-fried-steak-fingers/.

Easy Buttermilk and Franks Red Hot Sauce Marinated Chicken Tenders

To save time you can actually marinate these the night before. Just throw them in a zip lock with some buttermilk and Frank’s Hot Sauce and stick them in the fridge overnight. When you cook them all you’ll need to do is dredge them in some flour, fry them a couple of minutes in canola oil and you’re done. Make a quick gravy, some mashed potatoes and a side salad or a green vegetable and you have a great meal. Here’s a recipe for one of my mashed potato recipes: https://the2spoons.com/delicious-buttery-mashed-potatoes/.

Here’s the easy recipe! Enjoy!

Easy Buttermilk and Franks Red Hot Sauce Marinated Chicken Tenders

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Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

12-16 chicken tenders
1 cup buttermilk (more if needed to cover the tenders)
1-2 tbsp Frank's Red Hot Sauce (I used 2 tablespoons)
pinch of salt and pepper for the marinade
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3-4 cups oil for frying

Instructions

Combine the buttermilk and the Frank's Red Hot Sauce in a zip lock bag. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow the chicken to marinade at least 4 hours up to overnight.
Place the flour with the salt and pepper in a dish large enough to bread your tenders and whisk together.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Remove the chicken tenders from the marinade a few at a time and toss into the breading mixture. Be sure to press the chicken firmly into the breading so clumps adhere to the meat. (It's a messy job: use one hand to remove the wet tenders from the bag and the other to toss in the breading.) Set breaded tenders on the prepared baking sheet.
When I'm frying more than a couple of pieces I like to put my oven on warm. I also take a sheet pan and line the bottom with paper towel then I place a wire rack on it so that any excess oil can drain onto the paper towels.
Add oil to a large, high-sided pot until the level reaches about 3/4-inch. Heat over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering (about 350°). (If a cube of bread sizzles when you drop it in, it's ready.) Using tongs, place several chicken tenders in the hot oil without crowding the pan. Cook until golden brown on the bottom side, a few minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is also golden, a few minutes more. Set the cooked tenders on the wire rack to drain. Fry remaining tenders in batches adjusting the heat as necessary (if the tenders are browning too fast, lower the heat).
Serve hot with cream gravy, a ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing! These are great!

Keyword buttermilk marinated, chicken, chicken tenders, Franks Red Hot Sauce

1 of My Favorites, Easy – Basic Cornbread Recipe with Bacon

February 15, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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We love cornbread and I have a few different recipes, and just like this Basic Cornbread recipe, they all are basically the same. Cornmeal, flour, a little sugar, baking powder salt and pepper, eggs, milk and oil or butter. Sometimes I’ll make Jalapeno Cornbread, or I’ll make cornbread with buttermilk, or with whole milk.

Because I was serving this cornbread with my Red Beans and Rice recipe from John Besh’s cookbook “My New Orleans” I decided I’d use the recipe in his cookbook that I’ve made many times. It does call for cayenne because the New Orleanians like their food pretty spicy and I added bacon. Love the bacon in it and I used bacon drippings. Oh, also, John Besh’s suggest using white cornmeal as they do in Louisiana. I din’t have enough white cornmeal so I used a cup of white and a cup of yellow cornmeal. Here’s the link for my Red Beans and Rice: https://the2spoons.com/simple-delicious-red-beans-and-rice/.

Here’s the link for John Besh’s cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740784137/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=257043-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0740784137&linkId=377be1fc671e8f7acc141eb1fdf55871.

1 of My Favorites, Easy – Basic Cornbread Recipe with Bacon

Here’s the recipe for this cornbread! Make sure the skillet is so hot that the batter begins to fry when you pour it into the pan.

Basic Cornbread Recipe with Bacon

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Course Bread

Cuisine American

Ingredients

3 tbsp rendered bacon fat
1 cup white or yellow cornmeal (I used equal amount of white and yellow)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tbsp butter, melted

Instructions

Put the bacon fat into a medium cast iron skillet (about 9 inch round). Put the skillet into the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne in a large mixing bowl.
Put the eggs, milk, and melted butter into a small bowl and mix well.
Pour the egg mixture into the cornmeal mixture, stirring until just combined.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and pour the batter into the skillet. Return the skillet to the oven and bake the cornbread until it is deep golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately!

Keyword bacon cornbread, basic cornbread, bread, corn bread