Don’t you love a recipe that you can put together in 15 minutes and be ready to enjoy in 30? Cheddar Ranch Chicken is perfectly suited when you want something fast, yet flavorful. You can prepare a side dish while the chicken bakes and you’ll be sitting down to supper in no time at all.
Prep time for this recipe involves only “dressing” the chicken breasts with the savory topping and you’re all pau! The mayo makes for moist chicken pieces while the dry ranch dressing provides a savory bite. Adding Panko flakes consistently results in meat with a crunchy crust so this simple recipe really does have many good points! I do recommend cutting the breasts into chunks if they are thick for ease in slicing into bite-size pieces. Today I cut the chicken into chunks also for an even quicker baking time, just 25 minutes.
I steamed two small heads of broccoli for a side dish, added butter, and was sitting down to the table in under an hour, finding every bite savory and satisfying. Enjoy!
Cheddar Ranch Chicken
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 T. dry Ranch seasoning mix
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Panko flakes
Cooking spray
Directions Preheat oven to 425. Place chicken in baking dish. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ranch seasoning and Cheddar cheese. Spread on top of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle the Panko flakes on top and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Bake 10 minutes longer if using large breasts. Chicken is done when its juices run clear. Serve warm.
I’m going to post recipes for both dishes here not because I’m that lazy but because both are simple recipes that don’t require much direction and because I enjoyed them together for supper and am thinking you might like to as well so you’re getting a 2-for-1 tonight! The idea for a meatless supper was more a necessity than anything else since the country ham is gone, the pork sausage used up, and the chicken on hold for tomorrow! The idea was a sound one, however, as with these two dishes I had a satisfying and filling supper on the table in just 45 minutes. All I needed was the last two biscuits from yesterday drizzled with honey and it was supper time!
The macaroni, as found in my “Missouri to Maui’ cookbook adapted from James Villas wonderful recipe collection, “My Mother’s Southern Kitchen”, has evolved into my only mac-n-cheese recipe of late. The creaminess of the custard is a great contrast with both the sharp cheddar and the chewy al dente texture of the macaroni. So many mac-n-cheese dishes are heavy with flour-based sauces that overwhelm the elemental flavors of the macaroni and the sharp cheese but this simple custard allows those two ingredients to star equally here. Do buy a block of good sharp cheese and slice it thin; no using prepackaged rubbery cheese for this dish. There’s nothing easier and nothing that nets you so much bang for your buck.
James Villas’ mama also supplied the recipe for tonight’s Gingered Carrots. A simple prep for the carrots then boiling them until fork tender. Drain then return them to the sauce pot and toss in the flavorful ginger and fruit juice glaze. I used both fresh orange and lemon juices tonight because that is what I had and love the tanginess of the glaze balanced with the plain carrots. The glaze is plentiful so serve it liberally. You can make the glaze for the carrots as the macaroni bakes and you’re done! Lots of “stick to your ribs” goodness here for another chilly winter night. Add biscuits!
Custard Baked Mac-n-Cheese
Ingredients
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
Salt
1-(8 oz.) block New York State sharp cheddar cheese, very thinly sliced (not grated)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk plus a little more
Paprika
Directions Preheat oven to 350. Cook the macaroni in salted water according to package directions and drain in colander. Arrange half the macaroni in a 2-qt casserole. Place half the cheese over the top and arrange the remaining macaroni over the cheese. In small bowl, beat the eggs with 1/2 cup milk; pour over the casserole. Top with the remaining cheese slices and add just enough milk to cover all the macaroni but not the top layer of cheese. Sprinkle lightly with paprika then bake until the custard is firm and the top browned, 20-30 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into squares or scooping into bowls for serving.
Gingered Carrots
Ingredients
1 lb. carrots, peeled, cut 1/2-inch rounds
1 T. butter
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Directions Place carrots in a saucepan with enough water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly, and cook til the carrots are just tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the carrots in a colander. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, and pepper and stir well. Add the orange juice stirring, bring to a boil, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the drained carrots and stir until well coated with the glaze. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Super Bowl viewing requires something a little heavier than just dip and chips, and this bread bake, stuffed with bacon and cheese is a good place to start for a heartier appetizer. The outside of the bread bakes seasoned with the tang of dry Ranch mix and melted butter and the inside softens with slices of sharp Cheddar and bacon. An easy prep, only five minutes frying the bacon halfway then layering it into the bread along with the cheddar slices, and just 25 minutes in the oven and you’ve got a hearty appetizer on the table, ready for sharing. The bacon will get crisper as the bread bakes and it is a sublime little bite you get along with buttery seasoning and the sharp melted cheddar.
Today I halved the recipe as given in my cookbook because I bought only a small loaf of sourdough but do use a pound loaf to feed a hungry and appreciative bunch. Serve it up warm, add a few cold beverages and you’ve got ‘game on’ here!
Preheat oven to 350. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until halfway cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels; cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut slits halfway through bread in two directions creating a checkerboard pattern. Slip Cheddar cheese slices and bacon pieces into the slits.Mix butter and ranch dressing mix in a small bowl; pour over bread, allowing to drip into the slits. Wrap entire loaf in a sheet of aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Unwrap bread and return to baking sheet; bake until cheese is melted and bacon crisped, about 10 minutes more.
Direction Preheat oven to 350. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until halfway cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels; cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut slits halfway through bread in two directions creating a checkerboard pattern. Slip Cheddar cheese slices and bacon pieces into the slits.Mix butter and ranch dressing mix in a small bowl; pour over bread, allowing to drip into the slits. Wrap entire loaf in a sheet of aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Unwrap bread and return to baking sheet; bake until cheese is melted and bacon crisp, about 10 minutes more.
Ever since mama and I each noticed and commented on this dish after seeing it in this month’s Southern Living magazine, I wanted to make it. There no crust, only a thick bottom layer consisting of a mixture of cooked grits, sharp cheddar, and an egg, paired with a traditional quiche filling using heavy cream, half-n-half, and eggs. The dish does produce a rockin’ taste and has a real take-away heft to it so it makes a satisfying main dish. I can attest to all the above because I made it twice. In two days. I had to. Yesterday’s effort was not successful. It was good, but it wasn’t the quiche it was supposed to be. Of course there’s a story here and I will try to be brief in the telling of it.
The first thing to mention is that I’ve renamed this quiche three times. It started with its magazine title, Bacon Cheddar & Grits Quiche, then three more names evolved in my mind as I wrestled with creating it. This morning, while making it again, I renamed it The Second Time Around Quiche. Yesterday’s quiche, baked in a spring form pan as directed in the recipe, shrank before my eyes as it baked. When I first set the pan in the oven on a rimless baking sheet, I initially believed some of the filling sloshed out while placing it on the oven rack. But when I shut the oven door and turned away, I noticed a puddly trail of quiche filling marching across the floor. My eyes followed the trail over to the bottom cabinets then up to the counter where at least 3/4 cup of the filling was spreading! The spring form pan had sprung a leak. With no way of saving what was in the oven, I cleaned up the mess everywhere else and let the quiche bake. When I peered in the oven after cleaning up, there was another 3/4 cup of filling running off the baking sheet onto the bottom of the oven where the eggs had baked up hard and the cream was already browned. EPIC FAIL ON THE PAN!
I now couldn’t bake the paltry amount left in the pan as long as the recipe called for and by the time it did come out of the oven, the grits and cheese mixture was great but there was only a thin layer of the filling, somewhat saved by the cooked crumbled bacon and the green onions which rose to the top and baked just fine. This led to its second name, Pizza Quiche, because it looked more like a pizza than anything else in its skinny little state. It actually tasted good and I ate a large piece (not a large wedge because a wedge involves height and we were definitely at pizza level here). I also carried a piece to mama when I went up to visit and she also found it tasty; she cleaned the plate, but, it was obvious: what we ate was truly a ghost of its intended self and that meant baking it again 🙂
Another trip to the store for an 8-oz. block of sharp cheddar, more heavy cream, and a dozen eggs led to the dish now being tagged “Damned Expensive Quiche!” in my mind. A bright spot here is that it was much quicker to prepare today since the steps were familiar. I did lessen two ingredient amounts, and ended up with the recipe below. I used 1-1/2 cups less half-n-half and one less egg in the filling. And today I used my quiche dish; no spring form pan!
Ta-DA! Today: Winner! The result is as tasty as imagined. The grits, cheese and bacon marry well and the filling is rich with half-n-half, cream, and four eggs. I can definitely see, however, how nice this would look using a high-sided spring form pan, and it would be much easier to serve, but I wasn’t willing to risk losing it all to the bottom of the oven again. Knowing myself, I’ll keep tinkering with it (not tomorrow)! BUT, if any of you try it using the spring form pan and the original recipe and it works for you, down the line, please let us in on it by posting a pic!
For now, my spring form pan is back on the shelf reserved for use with cheesecakes and dishes with heavier batters. The bottom layer of this dish is thick enough to allow using a spring form pan which is surely the trick to making this the Southern Living Way IF said pan can be completely sealed. I imagine this looking even more delightful and serving at least 8-10 people. Meanwhile, the recipe below, as re-written, to serve 6-8, still makes a mighty fine supper. It’s ono, y’all.
I almost didn’t share this story because I already told you about a major flub occurring when preparing the Bacon Bundled Beans last week, and was, you know, thinking perhaps you would be thinking, “this lady writes a food blog but she’s had two flub ups in the first week she’s been blogging”, and, well, then, you know, you might just move on to somebody’s blog who knows how to cook and never has a dish turn out less than perfect.
But my next thought was that the story does testify to the fact that when we’re cooking, we all have glitches, and we don’t just give up because we are made of much hardier stock than that! Actually, in Missouri, it’s all part of our “show me” attitude. 🙂
Bacon Cheddar & Grits Quiche
6 slices of thick bacon
2-1/4 cups milk
2 T. butter
1/2 cup uncooked instant grits
2 t. sea salt, divided use
1 tsp. black pepper, divided use
2-1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided use
5 large eggs
1-1/2 cups half-n-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup green onion, sliced thin
Directions Preheat oven to 350. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon; drain and crumble. Transfer 2 tsp. bacon drippings to a sauce pan.
Bring drippings, milk, and butter to a boil over medium heat. Gradually whisk in grits, 1 t. salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper; cook, whisking constantly 7-8 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese and let stand again 10 minutes. Stir in 1 egg, spread in a 10” quiche dish coated with cooking spray. Spread mixture well to the edges.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until set and browned. Sprinkle remaining 1-1/2 cups cheese over the warm grits, spreading to edges. Let stand 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 325. Combine half-n-half, cream, green onion, and the remaining 4 eggs; whisk well. Add the remaining 1 t. sea salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Whisk again to blend well then pour over grits mixture in dish; sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Place dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 325 for one hour and 15 minutes or until lightly browned and just set. Let stand 20 minutes then run a sharp knife around edges of the quiche and cut into wedges for serving.
