Chick-fil-A Inspired Chicken Nuggets {with Sweet & Sour Sauce}

I love Chick-fil-A. LOVE. While browsing Pinterest (a new obsession) I found a copycat recipe. It is the closest recipe to Chick-fil-A's chicken that I have found. I think the secret is the powdered sugar and double dipping method. I doubled the recipe so that we could have leftovers.

 Chicken: Canola Oil
1 Egg
1 Cup of Milk
1 Cup of Flour
2 1/2 Tablespoons of Powdered Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
I Tablespoon of Salt
2 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast, cut in strips or cubed Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce:
3/4 Cup of White Sugar
1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce
1/3 Cup of White Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Ketchup
2/3 Cup of Water
2 Tablespoons of Cornstarch  ChickenMix together Egg and Milk.

Place cut chicken in mixture and let sit.

While the chicken is sitting, in a separate bowl, mix together the flour, powdered sugar, pepper and salt. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture. Repeat these last two steps to double dip the chicken. That's how you get the Chick-fil-A goodness :-)

Heat the oil to 375 degrees. You can use a deep fryer or simply heat in a frying pan on the stove top. Gently drop your chicken pieces in the heated oil and cook until golden brown.

Serve with homemade sweet and sour sauce (recipe below).
Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce
Place the Sugar, Vinegar, Water, Soy Sauce, Ketchup and Cornstarch in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir continuously until mixture has thickened. You will see it turn to a gel consistency.  ENJOY!

Mom's Chicken Shepherd's Pie

This recipe is a cross between chicken pot pie and shepherd's pie. The inside is like a chicken pot pie, but the top is covered with mashed potatoes like a shepherd's pie. It tastes great and is easier to make than the classic chicken pot pie.

 Mashed Potato Topping:6-8 large red potatoes salt to taste1 8-oz pkg spinach artichoke cream cheese spread1/2 - 1 cup milk or chicken brothOptional: green onions, chives, or parsley depending on preferences (we used green onions because my husband LOVES them)seasoning to taste (we used Kirtland's no-salt seasoning)
Chicken Pie Filling: 1 rotisserie chicken, cut in chunks 1 small bag frozen peas8-9 large cooked carrots (less if you're not a carrot lover) Gravy:5-6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (depending on how thick you want it)2 Tbsp. butter2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil (or you can use more butter)32 oz minus 1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth (we buy the 32 oz. containers and use whatever is left after using some for potatoes)seasoning to taste (we used Kirtland's no-salt seasoning) paprika to sprinkle on top  Potatoes and Carrots:Steam the potatoes until very soft. Cook the carrots with a little water (just enough to cover the bottom) and 1 Tbsp. butter. Cover and cook until soft. Pour peas in with carrots.  Mash potatoes.  Mix in broth or milk and seasoning. Mix until combined, then add cream cheese spread.  You want your potatoes to be very moist. Add any green onions, chives, or parsley.
To make the gravy:

Place butter and olive oil in skillet and heat. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Whisk in the chicken broth and seasoning. Cook until thickened.
Assembly:In a 9x13 casserole dish layer (1) carrots and peas, (2) chicken chunks and gravy, (3) mashed potatoes.

 

Sprinkle paprika on top.

 

Cook:

Cook for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F. If you want the top browned you can also broil it for a short time.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

I discovered these Honey Lime Enchiladas on Pinterest. They're from Six Sister's Stuff. I made just a couple adaptations based on what I had on hand. I really love the flavor combo!

 

 

 

Marinade -
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I just used 2 cans chicken)
8-10 flour tortillas (I bought these jumbo tortillas, so ended up only using 4)
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half because I used the last of my whipping cream making ice cream)

Mix the first four ingredients together and marinate the chicken for at least a 1/2 hour, but preferably a half day or so.

Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.

Fill the tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.
 
  

Put tortillas in 9x13 pan as you go.

 

Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and pour sauce on top of the enchiladas.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Enjoy! 

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

I love lemon, so this recipe was a must-try for me. This recipe is from Pioneer Woman (LOVE her recipes). This dish has a very strong lemon flavor in both the chicken and the pasta, which is hard to find. I discovered the amazing combination of lemon and basil! Smells and tastes wonderful!

Chicken

4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, I used thin cuts
 Marinade: 1/2 cup Olive oil
Juice of three lemons
Squirt of Dijon
A tiny bit of honey
A dash of salt
Pasta 4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced 1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Al Dente ½ stick Butter 3 whole Lemons, Juiced ¾ cup Heavy Cream ¼ cup Half-and-half 1-½ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste 20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Marinate chicken overnight. I added some basil to the marinade in the morning, because it sounded tasty. Grill chicken, slice, and set aside (keeping warm).

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.
In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-half. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and mix until melted.

Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl.

Sprinkle basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!