Buffalo Chicken and Roasted Potatoes Casserole

Another awesome chicken recipe!  It seems like since I started the chicken theme a while back, I can't stop myself . . . we love chicken . . . and I still have lots of family recipes that just need photos . . . and those that are in my filing cabinets full of newspaper and magazine clippings.  I always say you can never have enough chicken recipes!

Anyway . . . I love the flavors of buffalo chicken wings, but I just don't like wings.  So I have been on a mission to find recipes that are similar.  

This recipe is a combination of buffalo chicken wings and baked potatoes in a cheesy casserole . . . YUMMY!!!  This is a keeper for sure!!

Just a note about potatoes . . . I have adopted a new way of preparing potatoes. No matter how they will be used in the meal, I cook them partially in the microwave.  I really hate to bite into a potato that is not completely done and they take forever to cook thoroughly.  For this meal, we cubed the potatoes and cooked them in the microwave in a steamer type of container for 2 minutes. Seems to me they soak up the sauce a little better before going into the oven.  

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 3-6 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (depending on your heat preference)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less depending on your heat preference)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 8 potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup diced green onions
• Blue cheese dressing for dipping sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat hot pepper sauce, olive oil, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt in a large skillet over low heat, stirring until thoroughly combined. Turn off heat. 

Toss potatoes in the hot pepper sauce mixture to coat, using a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. 

Leave remaining sauce in skillet. Mix chicken into remaining sauce and allow to marinate while potatoes roast.

Bake potatoes until tender inside and crisp and brown outside, 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes.

Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Spread chicken cubes over roasted potatoes followed with the cheese and green onions over the chicken. 

Return to oven and bake until chicken is cooked through and the cheese topping is bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Adapted from a recipe found on AllRecipes.com

Trisha Yearwood's Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Have you seen Trisha Yearwood on the Food Network?  She's got an awesome southern style of cooking! Love most of her recipes . . . 

This recipe has so many of my favorite things for a comfort food meal, starting with cream of chicken soup and I can never resist a chicken and rice meal! One thing that is very interesting to me is the combination of sour cream and mayonnaise.

What an awesome meal with some hot biscuits!

Makes 10 servings
Work: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray, for dish
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 3 cups chopped cooked broccoli
• 6 cups shredded, cooked, skinless, boneless chicken breasts (1 1/4 lbs.)
• 1 can (10 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 3 cups (10 oz.) shredded cheddar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Evenly spread out rice in dish. Cover with broccoli. 

2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, 1 1/2 cups cheese, the sour cream, mayonnaise, juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over broccoli and top with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 40 minutes.

Nutrition facts per serving:
374 calories
25g total fat
10.5g sat fat
615mg sodium
14g carbs
253mg calcium
77mg chol
23g protein
1g fiber

Source:  Ladies Home Journal

from their collection of Trisha Yearwood's 5 Star Chicken Recipes

Cayenne and Garlic Infused Olive Oil

Give your olive oil some zing by infusing it with other ingredients, like cayenne pepper and garlic.

Imagine the added flavor when using the infused olive oil in a salad dressing or marinade . . . how about the aroma in the kitchen when using it for browning chicken for a casserole or stir fry?

It would also make an awesome gift in a decorated container.

Ingredients

6 dried cayenne peppers

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic

Directions

Using a mortar and pestle, grind one of the dried peppers.

In a saucepan set over low heat warm the olive oil with the ground pepper, the remaining whole peppers and the garlic.

Cook until the garlic is golden and the oil is fragrant, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

Photo and recipe source

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp (Red Lobster Copycat Recipe)

Shrimp is my absolute favorite food!  Coconut Shrimp is such a treat that is usually reserved for a special occasion, but I must admit, we go to Outback Steakhouse and have never had the meal at Red Lobster. Having said that, Red Lobster is one of my favorite restaurants and I have never had anything there that I did not like.

Now we can enjoy Coconut Shrimp more often in the comfort of our home!

And I must say that the Pina Colada Dipping Sauce sounds much better than the Orange Marmalade type of sauce that I have had at the other place.  We'll see . . .

Ingredients


Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup pina colada nonalcoholic drink mix
• 1/4 cup crushed pineapple (canned)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Shrimp

• 6 -8 cups canola oil (as required by fryer)
• 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons captain morgan Parrot Bay coconut rum
• 1 cup panko Japanese-style bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• On the side . . . salsa

Directions

Prepare pina colada dipping sauce first by combining all the ingredients.

Cover this and let it chill out in the fridge while you make the shrimp.

Heat oil to 350 degrees.

Measure 3/4 cup of flour into a medium bowl.

In another medium bowl mix together the remaining 3/4 cup flour, sugar, and salt.

Stir milk and rum into flour mixture.

Let this batter stand for five minutes.

While the batter rests, combine panko breadcrumbs and shredded coconut into a third medium bowl.

Butterfly cut each shrimp before you start the battering: Use a sharp knife to slice through the top of the shrimp (where the vein was) so that you can spread the shrimp open.

Leave the tail intact.

To batter the shrimp, dip each one in the flour, then the wet batter, then coat each shrimp with the panko/coconut mixture.

Arrange the shrimp on a plate until all of them are battered.

Fry the shrimp by dropping six at a time into the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp are golden brown.

Remove shrimp to a rack or paper towels to drain.

Serve shrimp with pina colada dipping sauce on the side, along with a small dish of your favorite salsa.


Photo and Recipe Source:  Food.com
from their collection of Red Lobster Copycat Recipes