Buttermilk Chicken, Revisited

Buttermilk chicken is one of my favorite recipes EVER.  But, the dredging and two-step cooking process don't lend themselves at all to my make-ahead needs.  And, I'm trying to reduce my dependence on the dreaded "cream of crap" canned soups.  So, I decided it was time for a make-ahead makeover.

Buttermilk Chicken - the Make Ahead Version
serves three


3 T. butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms*
3 T. flour
1 cup milk
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 t. ground red pepper
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. paprika
6 chicken tenderloins
hot cooked egg noodles

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and sliced mushrooms, sauteing until the onions are soft.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, two minutes.  Add milk, buttermilk, and spices, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and bubbles.

Lay chicken tenderloins in an 8x8 pan.  Pour the sauce over the top.  If you're making it ahead, stop here and put the mixture in the refrigerator.

When ready to bake, bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve over noodles.


*Mushroom tip: If you find the containers of sliced mushrooms on manager's special (meaning they're about to expire), buy all you can.  Saute them in butter and then freeze them in one-cup portions, which are perfect for recipes such as this one.

Pineapple Chicken

This is one of those go-to recipes when I am short on time but still want to put together something that feels like a "real" meal.  The original recipe called for melted butter, too, but I quit using it and don't miss it at all.  The pineapple helps tenderize the chicken and keeps it nice and juicy!

This feeds my family of two plus a toddler for one meal - increase the amount of chicken as needed (and you can add a second can of pineapple if you're cooking for a crowd and need to stretch the sauce)

1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, with juice
1/4 c. spicy brown mustard
1/4 c. chicken broth or white wine (I always use rice cooking wine, just because I always have a bottle open in my fridge)
1/4 c. honey
6 chicken tenderloins

Mix the first four ingredients in a small bowl.  Lay chicken in a 8x8x2 baking dish, and pour sauce over the top.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

I must admit that, since hubby got all wrapped up in a project and forgot to put it in the oven for dinner, this recipe is, at this moment, untested.  So I may come back and edit it tomorrow.  We shall see...

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

2 T. olive oil
2 ribs celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
8 ounces dry spaghetti, broken in thirds
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup white wine (could substitute milk)
2 cups cooked chicken (I used ground)
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. season salt
2 c. grated cheddar cheese, divided

In a skillet over medium heat, saute the celery, onions, and bell peppers in the olive oil until onions are translucent, about five minutes.  Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions, leaving it a little more al dente than usual. 

In a large bowl, combine next 7 ingredients (cream cheese through season salt).  Add vegetable mixture once it has finished cooking.  Stir in one cup of cheese.  Finally, mix in the spaghetti once it is cooked.

Pour mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 - 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Dinner Salad

Entree salads are a great make-ahead meal.  All of the components can be prepped and stashed in the fridge for a quick dinner on the go.  Here's what we had tonight (utilizing leftover fajita meat).

Grilled flank steak or grilled chicken (diner's choice)
Tossed salad
Chopped hard boiled egg
Shredded cheese
Homemade croutons
Choice of salad dressing

Quick, easy, and delicious!

Apricot Chicken

The first time I saw the recipe for Apricot Chicken, I thought it sounded like the most disgusting thing a person could ever eat. Probably doesn't help that I don't care for apricots! For some reason, though, I had all the ingredients in the house, so one day I gave it a shot. Delicious!

The really nice thing about cooking in the morning and eating in the evening is that your meat has extra marinating time. This usually makes everything taste better.

Apricot Chicken
Serves 4

1/2 package dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup apricot preserves (I like to use the all-fruit variety)
1/2 - 1 cup Russian salad dressing (depending on how saucy you like your chicken)
8 - 12 chicken tenderloins

In a small bowl, mix soup mix, apricot preserves, and salad dressing. Place chicken tenders in a glass baking dish, and pour soup mixture over the top, thoroughly coating each piece. Refrigerate until cooking time.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with your favorite sides (as you can see, we had this with roasted red potatoes and salad).