Crunchy Cheesy Chicken

Pin It It's getting to that time of year when I don't mind turning my oven on to make dinner.  Over the summer it was so hot I didn't want to turn the oven on for anything so we did a lot of grilling.  This is a fabulous weeknight meal.  It can be whipped together in about 5 minutes and then you just put it in the oven and forget it for about 40 minutes.  And what's not to love about cripsy, crunchy, cheesy chicken?  While the chicken is cooking whip up a few side dishes and you have a fantastic dinner.

Crunchy Cheesy Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Get out 3 plates or shallow dishes.  Place flour in one, egg in one and cheese and breadcrumbs in the third dish.  Mix cheese and breadcrumbs together.
3. Dip chicken in flour, then egg, then cheese/breadcrumb mixture.  Pat the cheese/breadcrumbs on the chicken so it sticks.
4. Place chicken on a foil lined baking sheet.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your chicken.

Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower

Pin It I'm always looking for new ways to cook vegetables.  I saw a recipe for a cauliflower gratin, but it was super unhealthy and totally defeated the whole purpose of eating veggies.  So this is my healthier spin on that recipe.  We had this as a side dish with steak and baked potatoes.  It really would go well with any meal: chicken, pork, pasta...

Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower
* 2 servings
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
5 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp panko break crumbs
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place cauliflower in a saucepan with water.  Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes, until tender.  ***you can skip this step if  you want to bake the dish for about double the time.  I did this to save a little time.
3. Drain cauliflower and toss with olive oil, garlic and 2 Tbsp cheese. 
4. Place in an oven safe dish.  Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.  Spray top with cooking spray to aid in browing.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes until top is golden brown.

Jalepeno Popper Dip

Pin It This week you will get a sampling of our Super Bowl party treats.  It's all about the food for the girls.  I could personally care less about the game.  The guys care about drinking and the game, but they did appreciate the food too.  This dip is definitely a crowd pleaser.  Warm, gooey, creamy, crunchy with a bit of a kick.  Not as spicy as it sounds and goes great with an ice cold beer.

Jalepeno Popper Dip
2 packages cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 4oz. can chopped green chiles
1 4 oz. can chopped jalepenos or 1/4 cup chopped fresh jalepenos
1/2 cup shredded colby jack or Mexican cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzerella
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a large bowl mix cream cheese, mayo, chiles, jalepenos and shredded cheese until well combined.
3. Pour the  mixture into a greased 9 x 9 oven safe dish.
4. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
5. Spray the top of the crumbs with cooking spray to aid in browning in the oven.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
7. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies, crackers or pretzels.