Revisiting a Classic: Creamed Chicken and Biscuits!!

Once again it is time to revisit a classic! Creamed chicken is definitely in that category. You may know it as Chicken A La King, or you may know this old school dish by another name. This one is a throw back to be sure! My mother made creamed chicken. I could never stomach it as a child. Thick white sauce with leftover chunks of cooked chicken and a can of Veg-All. Ick! To this day, I can't even walk past that canned veggie in the store without a cold shudder going down my spine. My mother is an excellent cook, but creamed chicken was not my favorite.

As an adult, I am revisiting all these old favorites that make everyone all warm and fuzzy and think of happy times when they were younger. While this dish was most likely created as a way to stretch the protein or use leftovers to full capacity, it is still something that many people enjoy. My girls basically called this inside out pot pie. It is true, this creamy, chicken-y treat does indeed taste like a pot pie without all the pastry rolling etc. 

This dish goes together quite quickly and, indeed, you can use leftover chicken or even rotisserie chicken shredded or cubed up to make this go even quicker. Either way it will be enjoyed by all. I started out mine with fresh chicken breasts cubed up that I cooked along with some aromatics of celery, onion and garlic, If you like other things, pop them in there. I thought that some cubed potatoes would have been a nice addition as well. When the chicken was nearly done, I removed it from the pan and built my roux out of flour and butter. Added the spices and the broth to make a creamy gravy. Added back the chicken and aromatics and added some cream. Half and half or even milk will do here. Whatever you keep on hand. I also added a small bag of frozen mixed veggies and a couple cans of drained mushrooms. If you like fresh use those and add them with the chicken and aromatics to cook. Let this simmer for a few minutes and voila'! creamed chicken!

The one thing I remember most about my mom's creamed chicken is that she, more than once served it ladled over toasted frozen waffles. The square kind. Usually they were a little crispy. That was always fun and if you have never tried it, kind of delicious. Because even if creamed chicken was not my favorite thing to have for supper, served over a waffle, it made my 8 year old self kind of happy. Today I am serving my creamed chicken over some homemade sour cream biscuits. You can serve this over whatever you like. Mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, toast, biscuits of any kind, even the pop and fresh variety, or, if you are so inclined, waffles. You could even go the extra mile and make some herb and butter savory waffles to serve this over! Now that would be amazing!

This recipe will serve 8 hungry people. We will eat this for two meals. I will refrigerate the leftovers and eat them within a week or 10 days. Freezing this is not recommended, as the mixture could break upon reheating and be unpleasant. 

I hope that you will revisit this classic creamed chicken and biscuits sometime soon and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video:

Noreen's Kitchen

 Classic Creamed Chicken

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cups chicken stock 1 medium onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour 1 cup heavy cream or half and half 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 cup frozen mixed veggies

Step by Step Instructions

Cut chicken into small cubes.

Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet.

Add chicken and cook until almost done all the way through.

Add celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until fragrant.

Remove chicken and veggies from the pan and set aside.

Add butter to the pan and melt completely. Whisk in butter to make a roux. 

Add onion powder, garlic powder and poultry seasoning.  Stir well.

Continue to stir for a few minutes until the mixture takes on a nutty aroma.

Add chicken stock to the roux, whisking the entire time.  Continue to stir until the mixture thickens to a light sauce.

Add chicken and vegetables back to the pan and stir well.  Simmer on low for five minutes.

Add heavy cream and frozen vegetables and stir well to combine.  Simmer for an additional five minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and allow to rest for five minutes before serving.

Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, toast, homemade biscuits or fresh cooked waffles!

Enjoy!

You can find a printable version of this recipe on my website here: http://bit.ly/2bIA77e

Sour Cream Biscuits! Not Your Grandma's Biscuit!

Today I want to share with you this simple and delicious twist on a good, old fashioned every day biscuit!  This sour cream biscuit is easy to make just like your traditional buttermilk biscuit, but this uses sour cream and milk instead of buttermilk.  This may be something you can make if you don't want to use buttermilk, don't have it available in your area or just don't feel like running to the store for a special ingredient.  

This is a very basic biscuit recipe.  I have developed this based on my traditional buttermilk biscuit recipe and it makes a big pan full.  You can easily cut this recipe in half if you like or you can make the whole think and only bake what you will eat and freeze the rest of the raw biscuits on a sheet for later use.  

As far as biscuits go this is pretty simple.  Flour, butter, leavener, a bit of sugar for a golden brown finish, milk and sour cream.  You could use all sour cream, but that will make this biscuit super heavy.  Adding the milk give this a lightness that you will enjoy.  Mix it up as you would any other biscuit, by cutting the butter into the dry ingredients then I like to mix the milk and sour cream before pouring into the bowl.  Toss with a fork to form a shaggy dough then dump  onto your well flour work surface.

The magic of flaky layers comes in how you handle the dough from here.  First you will want to press everything together.  Don't "knead" the dough.  Fold the dough into itself like you would fold a letter.  This is called laminated.  When you laminate dough you develop layer upon layer of flaky goodness.  When the dough is pressed out like this it will puff kind of like puff pastry, but not as high.  Biscuits are awesome when you prepare the dough like this.  I like to fold the dough into itself at least four times for maximum flakiness.

When you have folded the dough enough times for your liking, be sure not to do it to many times, which will result in a tough biscuit, go ahead and press or roll out into approximately at 10 x 12 inch rectangle.  You will want the dough to be approximately 1/2 inch thick.  Then cut out in the size you like.  This time I used a large, 4 inch biscuit cutter because I will be using these biscuits to serve with creamed chicken for dinner.  You can cut them smaller and my preferred size is the 2 1/2 inch cutter.  It makes perfect size biscuits for biscuits and gravy, serving on the side with eggs or stew or for eating out of hand with butter and jam.  

These bake in a moderate oven at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.  When they come out of the oven, I like to brush the tops with melted butter.  This will add flavor and ensure a soft top to your biscuits.  Allow these to cool for a few minutes before serving, even though they will be very hard to resist!

These biscuits are flaky, buttery, and have an amazing tang from the sour cream.  Different that that of the buttermilk.  These are simply delicious and I may say that I like them just a little more than my traditional recipe for buttermilk biscuits!  This recipe will definitely be showing up more often at my house!

I hope that you will give these sour cream biscuits a try some time soon and I hope you love them!

Happy Eating!

You can see how I made these in my YouTube video:

Noreen's Kitchen

 Sour Cream Biscuits

Ingredients

4 cups all purpose flour 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cold and cubed 2 tablespoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt 1 cup sour cream 1 cup milk Melted butter for brushing on top

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl blend flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk together. 

Add cubed butter to the flour mixture and toss to coat and make sure the butter cubes are separated.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, sand or coarse meal.

In a small bowl or jug, mix the sour cream and the milk together until smooth. Pour the liquid mixture into the butter and flour mixture.  Blend with a fork until it just comes together.

Flour your work surface liberally with more all purpose flour.  Pour the dough mixture out onto the flour.  Dust the dough with even more flour on the top.

Work the dough gently by folding into thirds, adding more flour as needed to keep a nice smooth and not sticky dough.  Press down and turn a quarter turn.  Fold into thirds again, press down, turn a quarter turn and flip the dough over, then repeat the folding and turning process twice more.

Roll or pat the dough out into a 12 x 16 inch (approximately) rectangle.  Then cut out using a biscuit cutter in the size desired.  Be sure not to twist your cutter.  That will cause your biscuits to be lopsided and also will inhibit them from rising to their fullest.

Place cut biscuits on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

You can choose to place the biscuits close together or leave an inch or two between.  This is up to you, depending on whether or not you like your biscuits crispy all around the edges or soft. 

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or just until golden brown on top and around the edges.

Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.


Get a printable version of this recipe on my website:  http://bit.ly/2aW06mn

A Trip Down Comfort Food Lane! Southern Style Hot Hamburger Plate!

Let's do a little visualization exercise!  Close your eyes!  Remember back to when you were a child or young adult.  Your family went out to eat for a treat or celebration dinner or maybe it was just payday for dad.  You went to your favorite diner.  Ours was the Burlington Diner.  Then picture yourself being seated in your favorite booth with your brothers and sisters and mom and dad all around that wood grain formica table.  You asked your parents for a quarter to play a selection from the juke box.  As you flip through the pages on the table side selector, you fight with your sister about what song to choose.  Eventually your father takes the quarter away and plays Charlie Rich, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.  UGH!  DAAAAD!!!  But you enjoy it anyway while you are choosing from the menu.  So much to choose from!  Burgers, club sandwiches, fried chicken, eggplant or chicken parm, my usual choice of roasted turkey, stuffing, and fries with gravy, but sometimes I looked forward to getting the Salisbury steak and always leave room for a parfait glass full of green gelatin with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup.  Simple food, good company happy memories.  Ok, now you can come back to reality.

Today I want to share with you something that harkens back to that Burlington Diner salisbury steak.  Something that I have come to know, since moving to the south.  The hot hamburger plate.  Nothing special really except that this is good, old fashioned comfort food.  Not salisbury steak which has been fanicfied and dolled up with eggs, herbs and bread crumbs.  A mini meatloaf if you will.  No, the hot hamburger plate is the southern diner's answer to that fancier fare.  

Simple to make with good quality ground chuck, seasonings and an old fashioned pan gravy made with pan drippings, flour and beef stock.  Yes, this is comfort food at it's best.  The kind that you will find on any self respecting diner, truck stop or cafe menu in the south.  For that matter, we go to a burger joint that boasts this offering on their menu as well, served with fries instead of mashed and the burger is laid on top of a thick piece of Texas toast.  A feast fit for a king!  I almost always see a senior patron enjoying this selection every time we go.  

Well cooked burger patties, simmered in thick brown gravy served with mashed potatoes and green beans.  I also served this with some sauteed mushrooms.  Grilled onions are also a great accompaniment as well.  You make this how you like it.  Next time, I am going for the grilled onions too!

I am not sure why we don't have this more often.  It is delicious, economical and filling.  Always have enough left for lunch for two the next day.  This could even be done as a leftover makeover using grilled burgers from earlier in the week.  If you love to plan ahead, this would be a great use for those patties!  

I hope you enjoyed our little trip down memory lane.  I hope that you give the hot hamburger place a coveted spot on your weekly menu in coming weeks.  I think you will be glad you did!  Then think about all those other things you used to love as a kid when you got the great chance to eat at the diner or truck stop or cafe.  Make those things too!  Introduce them to your children or grand children.  Tell them your story around the dinner table!  Those are priceless moments you cannot purchase but they will be cherished!

I hope you try this and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video here:

Noreen's Kitchen

 Hot Hamburger Plate

Ingredients

2 pounds ground round 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon season salt 1 teaspoon steak seasoning 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup all purpose flour 4 cups beef stock or consommé

Step by Step Instructions

Combine ground chuck with spices and mix well by hand to incorporate.

Shape into 6 patties.  Poke a hole in the middle of each patty for even cooking.

Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed skillet or griddle over medium high heat.

Place burger patties on to cook.  You may need to do this in batches if you have more than your pan can accommodate.

Cook for about 5 being sure there is a nice crust.  Then flip and cook for an other 5 minutes.

When burger patties have been cooked completely, remove from pan to a plate lined with paper towels.  Set aside. 

Drain the fat from the pan and wash out your pan. 

Return a few tablespoons of the fat back to the cleaned pan and whisk in the flour over medium heat.

Add the beef stock and whisk well to incorporate.

Continue to cook over medium heat stirring to avoid lumps until the gravy has thickened to your liking.

Add the cooked burgers back into the pan and turn to cover in gravy.  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow to sit for five minutes before serving.

Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans, maybe a biscuit.  Now you have a southern style, down home hot hamburger plate that would make any roadside diner, homestyle café or truck stop proud!

Enjoy!

Get a printable copy of this recipe on my website:  http://bit.ly/2aDOTqC

Comfort Food At It's Best! Bacon Cheeseburger Mac!

Sometimes you just need some comfort food!  This bacon cheeseburger macaroni skillet fits the bill!  My daughter Micah had happened to mention that I had not made this in a while so we planned to make it for dinner on the night in question.  While I have never done a video of this particular version I have done one of a pantry style version using pantry staples.  This one is made with all fresh ingredients and is perfectly delicious.

When I was growing up in the 1970's Hamburger Helper had just launched onto the scene.  Every busy mom in America reached for that box with the helping hand on the front.  Just brown a pound of burger meat and add the ingredients included in the box and a few others like water, milk and or butter and you were on your way to a delicious meal to set in front of your family.  The iconic commercials always made it seem so homey and great.  

The trouble was that my mom was one of the last hold outs of an age.  A stay at home mother who cooked three squares a day and was there when we needed her 24/7.  She did not work outside of the home until I was 16 years old, out of necessity because my father got laid off from his job.  So the first time we were served Hamburger Helper, it was a potato stroganoff version and all I can say if "eww"!  The memory still haunts me today.  Although we did try both the cheeseburger mac and chili mac varieties and liked them, they were not really a frequently featured meal in my home growing up.  

Fast forward several years later.  I am a newlywed, young married to a man who loves anything out of a box, mix, can or bag.  He loved, loved, loved cheeseburger mac.  So I made it for him.  Truthfully, it never was my favorite.  Fast forward again, I have a couple of daughters, and a desire to prepare healthy food for my family.  Anyone who has looked at the back of that box knows that this is not the best choice and we can do better.

So, better we will do!  Using a few simple ingredients that we most likely all have on hand, we can make this delicious bacon cheeseburger macaroni in no time.  This is a super fast meal that will satisfy and the amounts I have given will feed a family of four for at least two meals and a couple of lunch servings.  This is super budget friendly and easy enough for your "learning how to cook" teens can make without much supervision.    

I have used 2 pounds of 80/20 ground chuck.  This is my go to for this type of meal.  If you prefer, you can use 93% lean or even ground turkey if you like.  Brown that up then add onions, garlic, steak seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, beef stock, milk, and cheddar cheese.  These simple ingredients come together all in one skillet to create a super satisfying and delicious, comfort food favorite that will have your kids and even your husband clamoring for more!

I have served mine with some lettuce, tomato and pickles on the side to go along with the "cheeseburger" theme and then to top everything off I also offered some additional shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon on the side in case anyone wanted theirs to be bacon cheeseburger mac!    This is the perfect meal for a busy night and the bonus is that you will have leftovers for another meal later in the week if you have a family of four like we do.

I hope you will give this homemade bacon cheeseburger mac a try.  Free from artificial ingredients, colors, flavors, additives, preservatives and a myriad of unpronounceable chemicals.  This version is quick, easy and accessible.  No special ingredients needed, just plain old fashioned goodness.  

I hope you give this bacon cheeseburger macaroni a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

Get a printable version of the recipe here:    http://bit.ly/1UpW9YH

Noreen's Kitchen

Bacon Cheeseburger Mac

Ingredients

2 pounds ground chuck 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound macaroni 4 cups beef stock 2 cups milk (3 if you like it super creamy)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons flour (optional) 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon steak seasoning 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled.

Step by Step Instructions

Brown ground beef in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat.  Be sure to cook the meat until it actually begins to brown on the bottom of the pan, all the water has cooked out and all that remains is a bit of fat and a good sizzle.

Add onion, garlic and seasonings and stir well to combine.

Add macaroni, beef stock, milk and cheese.  Stir well being sure to incorporate everything.  

Bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to medium and place a lid on the pan.

Allow to cook slowly for 15 minutes or until the macaroni is soft and cooked through.

If your mixture looks a little broken, like the fat has not absorbed,  add two tablespoons of flour to your pan and stir well. 

Turn off heat.  Place lid back on the skillet and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with additional cheese and the bacon for topping if desired.

NOTE:  You can choose to stir the bacon into the macaroni mixture after it is cooked.  My girls did not want bacon in this so we compromised. 

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and should be eaten within five days.  This recipe is not recommended for freezing.

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video:

Quick & Easy Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken! Special Enough For Company!

Sometimes thinking of something new and different to put on the table can be rough.  Add to that our hectic schedules and lives, with work, lessons, practice and this time of year, the end of school activities, we can sometimes find ourselves opting to just run to the drive through or call it in by taking out to put dinner on the table.  Today I want to share with you a delicious, quick and easy meal that can be made in less than half an hour that will have you closing your eyes and melting into the yumminess that is creamy lemon pepper chicken!

This really could not be easier.  I butterflied a few chicken breasts, meaning I cut them in half the flat way to make two thin cutlets.  This helps to stretch my protein as well as making the chicken thinner so it will cook more quickly.  Then I melted some olive oil and butter in my cast iron skillet, sprinkled the chicken on one side liberally with my homemade lemon pepper and herb seasoning and then set the cutlets seasoned side down in the skillet over medium heat.  Don't forget to season the other side when you get them cooking.  This just makes things a little easier.

Now, get your pasta or rice going and let those cutlets cook for a good four minutes before you flip them to cook the other side for the same amount of time.  Then go steam some veggies or make a quick green salad to serve along with.

When the chicken is done and the juices run clear when cut, take the cutlets out of the skillet and set them aside.  Add the onions and garlic to the pan and some mushrooms if you like.  I did not have any on hand this night but they would have been wonderful!  Toss to coat and then add  the lemon juice and chicken stock and scrape some of the brown bits or fond off the bottom of the pan.  Add some heavy cream and stir well.  Return the chicken to the skillet and nestle them all in there so they are coated and cozy.  Turn the heat down to medium and allow them to simmer 5 to 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. 

When the sauce is a bit thicker and coats the back of your spoon, turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rest in the sauce for five minutes before serving.  I always do this, no matter what I am cooking.  I just feel like getting the initial fire off of a dish makes it much more enjoyable to the palate.  When things are too hot, or conversely, too cold, they cannot be fully enjoyed by your taste buds.  Letting things rest gives you a much more enjoyable experience.

Time to serve!  Plate this up with angel hair or orzo pasta or long grain, wild or blended rice and a veggie or salad for a completely wonderful dinner that you can get on the table, even when you are super busy.    This is satisfying and delicious and I know your family is going to love this dish.

Add this to your list to try or even your regular weekly menu rotation.  It's always great to add something new or put a new spin on something that you already enjoy.  I hope you give this creamy lemon pepper chicken a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken

2 pounds chicken cutlets 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning 1 teaspoon salt

1 medium onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced Juice of 1 lemon 2 cups chicken stock 1 cup heavy cream

 Step by Step Instructions

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and lemon pepper seasoning on one side.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat.

Place chicken cutlets, seasoned side down into the skillet.  Season the upturned side with salt and lemon pepper.  Cook chicken on first side for 4 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until the juices of the chicken run clear.   Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onion and garlic to the skillet, sauté' for just a minute and then add chicken stock and lemon juice.  Stir well to combine. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. 

Return chicken to the skillet and turn to coat.  Reduce heat to medium and bring to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened and coats the back of a spoon. 

Turn heat off and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions would include angel hair pasta, wild or white rice or a blended rice, steamed veggies or a green salad.  We enjoyed this with baked spaghetti squash instead of a starch and green salad.

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within 5 days.  This dish is not recommended for freezer banking due to the heavy cream.

Get a printable version of this recipe: http://bit.ly/1TdjPlO

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video: