My Malibu Chicken

Apparently Sizzler has this chicken called Malibu Chicken.  I found a "copycat" recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks (Favorite Family Recipes).  It pretty much is like a crispy, super juicy, and flavorful version of a chicken cordon bleu and it's dipped in honey mustard sauce. 

I, of course, had to change up the recipe to my own taste.  I have no clue if it tastes anything like Sizzler's version?  If you want the original recipe, click HERE to check it out.

This chicken turned out darn near perfect.  Every single thing about it was mouthwatering from the crunchy cheesy bread crumb crust, to the juicy chicken to the ham and melted Swiss on top.  I served it alongside these Roasted Ranch Veggies and it was a meal to remember.  

"The Mr." kept telling me "This is SOOOOOO Good" and I couldn't agree more.   

Malibu Chicken

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

2 Tbl. vegetable oil

2 chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 tsp. lemon pepper

2 eggs

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. Panko bread crumbs

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. Johnny's Garlic seasoning (or garlic powder)

pepper

8 thin slices black forest ham

Swiss cheese, sliced

Honey Mustard

1/3 c. Mayonnaise (I use light)

1 Tbl. mustard

1 Tbl. Dijon mustard

1 Tbl. honey

1/2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice

a few dashes of Worcestershire

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally, so you have four chicken cutlets.  Rub each cutlet with 1/4 teaspoon of poultry seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon pepper; set aside.  Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish.  Place the all-purpose flour in a separate shallow dish and combine the Panko, grated Parmesan, parsley, Johnny's Garlic seasoning and pepper to a 3rd shallow dish.   

Dip seasoned cutlets into the flour, then the egg and last in the Panko mixture, pressing to adhere.  Place cutlets into the hot skillet.  If your skillet is not large enough, you will need to cook the chicken in batches.  Cook until browned, about 5 minutes.  Flip and cook on the other side until browned and chicken reaches 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5-7 minutes.  

Top each cutlet with a little Swiss cheese, two slices of ham each and then more cheese on top.  Place skillet in a warm 350 degree oven for a few minutes or until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and serve with honey mustard.  

For the Honey Mustard: Stir together all ingredients.  Taste and adjust as needed.  

Jenn's Notes: It is easiest to slice the chicken in half horizontally while they are still partially frozen.

Creamy Turkey {or Chicken} and Bacon Wild Rice Soup

Are you all sick of turkey?  That's okay, you can always use chicken in this soup instead.

Even though I didn't cook the turkey this Thanksgiving, I was still sent home with leftovers, which was awesome.  I really wanted to make these Turkey Cheesesteaks AGAIN, but I had to make something with the ingredients I had on hand.  Yes, I always have bacon on hand . . . don't you?  

After seeing on the news that the weather is going to drop big-time this week (welcome to December), a soup needed to happen in my kitchen.   

This is a very thick and creamy soup with warm comforting flavors.

It's hearty enough that you can eat it as is, but I always prefer mine with sliced French bread or crackers.

Creamy Turkey & Bacon Wild Rice Soup

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 (6 oz.) box Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice

  Original Recipe with 23 herbs and seasonings

2 (14.5 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. water, plus more, if needed

4 Tbl. unsalted butter

1/3 c. finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

6 Tbl. all-purpose flour

2 c. half-and-half (I used fat-free)
1 1/2 - 2 c. chopped leftover turkey (or cubed cooked chicken)

1 (2 oz.) jar chopped pimientos, undrained

1 Tbl. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning

pepper, to taste

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, for garnish

3 Tbl. finely chopped green onions, for garnish

In a large pot, combine rice, the seasoning mix that comes with the rice, one can of chicken broth and one cup of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a separate medium-size saucepan, melt the butter and add the chopped onions and minced garlic.  Saute for a minute and then slowly whisk in the flour.  It should form a thick paste.  Continue cooking for several minutes, stirring occasionally.  Gradually whisk in two cups of half-and-half and cook until thickened.  Mine was extremely thick.    

When rice has finished cooking, add the half-and-half mixture to the pan with the rice along with the chopped turkey, pimientos, remaining can of chicken broth, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning and pepper.  Stir together until well combined.  Cook over medium heat until thickened.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes, but the longer the better.  I let mine simmer for several hours.  Don't forget to stir occasionally, so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.  If soup gets too thick, add water until it reaches desired consistency.  Garnish with crumbled bacon and green onions.  Serve with sliced french bread or crackers.  Makes 4 servings.    

Jenn's Notes: You can use a different brand of wild rice if you need to, but Uncle Ben's comes with a super flavorful seasoning packet.  If your brand does not come with that, your soup might not be as flavorful.

idea adapted from: Pinch of Yum

Eggnog Snickerdoodles with a Creamy Nutmeg Glaze

How was your Thanksgiving?  What was your favorite dish at the table?  Mine ended up being something I never imagined would taste so good.  A Buttermilk Pie that my F.I.L. made.  It tasted completely opposite of what you would imagine.  It is a sweet, custard-base pie, that is baked in the oven, which creates a sugary crusty topping.  Serve it with a little whipped cream and it is rich and creamy and absolutely delicious.  You could even serve it with sliced bananas, strawberries, raspberries, chocolate shavings or whatever.  

He even sent me home with a few extra pieces and I'm not sharing :)  

But I will share these cookies with you.

I try to buy only one carton of eggnog each year.  It's just something I have to limit myself with, because I LOVE the stuff and I will drink every last drop in that carton and then move onto the next one.

Since it isn't even December yet, I had to mimic the flavors without actually using the real thing.

These cookies don't actually have eggnog in them, but the flavor is similar to homemade eggnog (which does taste different that store-bought).  Combine rum extract and nutmeg and you have instant eggnog flavor.

If you are not a nutmeg fan, then you might not like these cookies.  You could always use cinnamon instead, but then they won't taste like eggnog.

They are soft and chewy and have a light eggnog flavor.  

You might also Like:

 Rum Flavored No-Fail Microwave Fudge
No-Roll Sugar Cookies with Eggnog Frosting
Eggnog Coffee Cake

Eggnog Snickerdoodles with Nutmeg Glaze

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. rum extract (or rum bakery emulsion)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
3 Tbl. sugar + 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg, for rolling

Nutmeg Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbl. evaporated milk, plus more if needed
1 - 2 tsp. vanilla extract, to taste
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.  Mix in the rum extract, vanilla extract and the egg until well combined.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the evaporated milk, starting and ending with dry.  Mix until just combined.  In a small bowl, combine 3 Tablespoons of sugar with 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg; set aside.  Roll dough into 1 - 1 1/2-inch balls and roll in sugar/nutmeg mixture.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Use the bottom of a cup to flatten the dough balls.  They do not spread much during baking, so make sure to flatten them.  Bake for 11-12 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.  Yield: 3 - 3 1/2 dozen cookies.  

For the Glaze: Whisk together all ingredients until smooth.  If it is too thick, add a little more evaporated milk (a little goes a long way).  Drizzle over cooled cookies.  Sprinkle with a tiny amount of nutmeg, if desired.  Store in an air-tight container.    

Jenn's Notes: I used Rum Bakery Emulsion in the cookies which is a water based extract instead of alcohol, so supposedly the flavor won't bake out as much.   

Linked up at Weekend Potluck!

17 Leftover Turkey Recipes

I know 99% of these recipes call for chicken, but that is the beauty of it . . . you can swap the chicken out for leftover turkey and it will taste just as good.  Plus you might find some new favorites that you can make the rest of the year using chicken.  

My Fave - Turkey Cheesesteaks

Cheesy Chicken {turkey}, Bacon, Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Creamy Vegetable Casserole 

Turn this amazing side dish into a main dish by adding turkey

Chicken {turkey} Enchiladas - No Canned Soup 

Chicken {turkey}, Bacon, Ham, Asparagus & Cheddar Parmesan Pasta

 Chicken {turkey} Caesar Pita Pockets

Copycat Olive Garden Chicken {turkey} & Potato Florentine Soup

 Easier Chicken {turkey} Cordon Bleu Casserole

 Chicken {turkey} Broccoli Supreme

Chicken {turkey} Cordon Bleu Florentine Casserole

Chicken {turkey} Pot Pies with a Puff Pastry Crust

Linguine Carbonara 

Add turkey instead of sausage

Mini Biscuit Chicken {turkey} Pot Pies

Baked Tex-Mex Taquitos

Zucchini Casserole with Stuffing 

This is a great way to use up leftover stuffing too.

Pat's Chicken {turkey} & Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken {turkey} Hot Pockets

Linked up at Weekend Potluck!

10 Roll Recipes for Thanksgiving

Since Homemade Rolls are the most important part of Thanksgiving Dinner :) I put together a list of 10 delicious recipes for you (in no particular order).  I have made Roll #8 Our Best Bites' Dinner Rolls for the past two Thanksgivings and everyone loves them.

1.  Easy Overnight Dinner Rolls

2.  Lunch Lady Rolls

3.  Rapid Rise Rolls

4.  No-Knead Make-Ahead Honey Butter Dinner Rolls

5.  French Bread Rolls

6.  Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

7.  30-Minute Rolls

8.  Our Best Bites' Dinner Rolls

9.  Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls

10.  Mini Garlic Monkey Bread


. . . And because EVERYTHING is better with Cinnamon Honey Butter

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Linked up at Time to Sparkle and Tuesday Talent Show and Weekend Potluck!

Leftover Turkey Cheesesteaks

This has got to be the BEST.WAY.EVER. to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  No more same old leftover turkey noodle soup or regular turkey sandwiches.  I'm not messing around here :)  These Turkey Cheesesteaks taste just like the ones you get at the Mall.

Both "The Mr." and I loved them so much we ate them two nights in a row and would have probably went for three nights, but the turkey was all gone.

This is a perfect way to transform that boring leftover Thanksgiving turkey into a family favorite.

Pass the leftovers my way.

Leftover Turkey Cheesesteaks

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) and (Printable with Picture)

1 Tbl. oil
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/3 c. onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
leftover turkey, chopped (around 3 cups)
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash (yellow lid)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. Shirley J chicken bouillon, opt.
2 roma tomatoes, diced
8 slices Provolone cheese
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 hoagie buns, toasted

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the diced green pepper and onion and cook for a few minutes or until tender.  Add the minced garlic and saute 30 more seconds.  Add the chopped turkey, Mrs. Dash, Italian seasoning, pepper and Shirley J chicken bouillon (if adding) and cook until turkey is heated through.  Last, add the diced tomatoes.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.  Spread cream cheese over both sides of toasted hoagie buns.  Load up with turkey filling and top each with two slices of Provolone cheese.  Place sandwiches on a baking sheet and place in a warm 350 degree oven for a few minutes until cheese is melted. Slice in half and serve.  Serves: 4  

Jenn's Notes: We sauteed our veggies in coconut oil which gave them an awesome flavor, but any type of oil will work.  I love Shirley J chicken bouillon, because it is less salty than other bouillon and it adds a rich flavor to the dish. 

Linked up at Weekend Potluck! and Time to Sparkle and Tuesday Talent Show