SRC: Crispy Buttermilk Baked Chicken

This month, I was assigned Baking and Creating by Avril. I immediately went straight to her blog to explore :)

Typically when it comes time for me to choose a recipe, I try to vary it up. If I chose something savory last time, I go with a sweet and vice versa. Last time, I chose savory - sweet time, right? Wrong! Now it's not that I didn't find any sweets on Avril's blog. Quite the opposite - I cannot wait to make her Cookie Bars, Pumpkies, and Brookies. I also was seriously considering the Bacon Tomato Pasta, but I did pasta last month. Then I found Crunchy Buttermilk Baked Chicken. A few days before our assignments went out, I had tried an oven-fried chicken recipe that failed MISERABLY. So when I saw this chicken on Avril's blog, I knew it was the one I wanted to try.

It was crispy and great alone - although I am on a buffalo kick lately and everything is getting dipped in buffalo!

(Print)
What you need:

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 envelope Ranch Dressing mix {or 1 homemade recipe}
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 2 lbs. chicken breasts (Mine were super thick - I will be cutting them in half next time!)
• 4 to 5 slices bread, torn into smaller pieces

Directions:

Combine buttermilk, sour cream, and 2 tbsp. of dressing mix in a bowl. 

Place chicken in it and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, run the slices of bread plus the remainder of the ranch mix through a food processor.

Spread the seasoned breadcrumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 450* for about 5 minutes. Watch these carefully to make sure they don't burn! Stir a couple times while baking to help :)

Place bread crumbs in a bowl and dip the buttermilk soaked chicken in them to coat.
Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and give the chicken a light spray.

Bake chicken on a rack set on the lowest place in your oven for 10 minutes.
Move chicken to middle rack and reduce oven temperature to 400* - bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Recipe from Baking and Creating by Avril

A peek at my past SRC recipes: Brisket & Veggies, Banana Custard Cream Pie, Chicken Egg Rolls, Hamantaschen, and Lemon Fettuccine.

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April in Review

I really enjoy doing these monthly wrap ups - you can find January {here}, February {here}, and March {here} by clicking the links!

 

The Recipes
Favorites are noted with an asterisk!

Beverages

• Butterbeer*

Breakfast

• Streusel Oreo Muffins*
• Sour Cream Blueberry-Blackberry Muffins*
• Broiled Grapefruit {also could be a snack}
• Spicy Chicken Breakfast Biscuits
• Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Muffins
• Banana Pizzazz Pancakes

Main Dishes

• Wendy's Chili
• Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, and Avocado Quesadillas*
• 3-Cheese and Bacon Macaroni
• Simple Shredded Beef Tacos {crockpot}
• Marinated Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa*
• Crockpot Beef & Peppers {crockpot}
• Cheesesteak Quesadillas
• Taco Pasta Toss*
• Tuscan Chicken
• NY Strip Steaks with Tarragon Melting Sauce*
• Chicken Parmesan*
• Tuna Melts*
• Crunchy Buttermilk Baked Chicken

Desserts

• Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies
• Pecan Chews*

Breads

• Peeta's White Bread

Snacks

• Homemade Granola*

I talked about Food Network Magazine for my Fantastical Feature this month.

I participated in both the Crazy Cooking Challenge and Secret Recipe Club this month. I posted Sour Cream Blueberry-Blackberry Muffins for CCC and Crunchy Buttermilk Baked Chicken for SRC.

I want to revisit my resolutions again and update on how well/awful I'm doing on them:

• Drink more water - I have gone to about 16 oz. a day again...May's goal is at least 24 oz. per day, but leaning more towards 32 oz!
• Eat more fruit - I've eaten a TON of dried fruit lately, but again, not enough. I need to make smoothies. Seriously.
• Exercise 5x a week - I have been sporadic with exercising this month. You can follow my "journey" over on my personal blog.
• Get on a schedule - I am doing really well with this one!
• Catch up on adding the printable feature to old recipes. - I didn't do any work on old recipes and printables :(
• Plan garden and get started indoors. ASAP. - oh the life of an army wife, I'm not sure if I should plant or not....I have a feeling that once I do, we'll come down on orders and be leaving. *sigh*
• Work on emptying bookmarked recipes. - I have been blowing this one out of the water lately. I am up to mid-November...which is great because I started with recipes saved from last summer.
• Leave reviews {comments} for recipes I've tried where I got them. - I did a little of this during the beginning of the month. I hope to keep on my toes more with this one.
• Look for duplicate recipes in the ones I have in the binders - Didn't get around to this.
• Work on finding out which store locally has the cheapest food without sacrificing quality. - Decided that driving out to Tops isn't worth it. I can get better quality at Walmart rather than the commissary...it's just a matter of NO IMPULSE BUYS!
• **new** Update Blog Love page.
• **new** Use breadmaker, cake pop maker, and KitchenAid pasta attachment.
• **new** Organize kitchen cabinets.
• **new** Implement baskets in organizing fridge and maybe pantry.

If you missed them, you can find Sunday Social, Oh, How Pinteresting Weds., and Tasty Thursdays (formerly known as Twisted Thursdays) by scrolling all the way down and finding the little label cloud. Click on whichever you want to see :)

**Sunday Social #61**

{Fantastical Favorites}

The one where I share my favorites from my own blog...

{Around the Web Favorites}

The one where I share my favorites from OTHER blogs. They have all been stumbled and pinned :) 

I do NOT own any rights to these photos!   

Butterfly Cake from Bake at 350

Source: bakeat350.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest


Chicken Florentine Pasta from Pioneer Woman

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Sarah on Pinterest


S'Mores in a Jar from Cookies & Cups

Source: cookiesandcups.com via Sarah on Pinterest


No-Bake Banana Split Cake Dessert from Brown Eyed Baker

Source: browneyedbaker.com via Sarah on Pinterest


Snickerdoodle Blondies from Rumbly in my Tumbly

Source: sorumblyinmytumbly.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest


S'Mores Snack Mix from Cookies & Cups

Source: cookiesandcups.com via Sarah on Pinterest


Lemon Raspberry Pancakes from Baked Bree

Source: bakedbree.com via Sarah on Pinterest


 Homemade Sno Balls from Eat Cake For Dinner

Source: eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest





Blackberry Cheesecake Swirled Brownies from Beantown Baker

Source: beantownbaker.com via Sarah on Pinterest





Baked Jalapeno Cheesesticks from Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Source: hezzi-dsbooksandcooks.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest





Tunnel of Fudge Cake from Annie's Eats

There is a button to grab on the right if I shared one of your recipes :)

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Pecan Chews

Today, I am sharing another recipe from the Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke. A few weeks ago, I shared Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies. These cookies were also found in the first book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. I brought them to our April Family Readiness Group potluck - and they were gone fast! I think they almost taste a bit like rum cake.

(Print)
What you need:

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups pecans
• 4 cups flour

Directions:

Beat butter and brown sugar, then cool.
Add eggs and beat until combined.

Then add salt, baking soda, vanilla, and pecans.

Lastly add flour and combine until it comes together.

Using a cookie scoop, add 12 balls of dough to a cookie sheet.

Cook for 10 to 12 minutes in a preheated 350* oven.
Rest for 1 minute on the cookie sheets and remove to a wire rack.

Recipe from Joanne Fluke, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

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Tuna Melts

So when I meal plan each week, I sit down with a list of all the recipes I have. I typically don't go for WHO I got the recipe, but what it is. It seems like I have racked up a great deal of Pioneer Woman recipes, plus I've also been cooking through her newest cookbook, Food From My Frontier, like a mad woman. I have mad love for PDub. Mad love.

I remember seeing this recipe and thinking of how smart it was to make the melts on English muffins instead of hamburger buns or just plain bread. These were easily the best tuna melts I've ever had!

(Print)
What you need:

• 5 oz. tuna (I used a large can...it is bigger than 5 oz.)
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped (I had to omit because mine had gone bad)
• 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 English muffins, split in half
• Sliced cheese

Directions:

Mix together tuna, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and eggs. Stir in mayo and mustard. 

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place a large dollop of the tuna mixture on each English muffin half and top with a slice of cheese, then the other half of the muffin.

Bake at 375* for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and muffin is slightly crunchy :)

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

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~Tasty Thursday #57~

Oh, How Pinteresting Weds. #41

I want to frame this and put it in my kitchen! So pretty :)

Source: inslee.net via Sarah on Pinterest

 Bacon Jack and Jalapeno QuesadillasDon't these look super delicious?

Source: foodnetwork.com via Sarah on Pinterest
 Cookies & Cream DonutsI am more likely to eat breakfast if it's like dessert. I can't wait to make these!

Source: acraftycook.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

 Frozen Yogurt BerriesMy family loves yogurt and my husband and daughter love fruit. I think this would be a good way for myself and my son to eat more fruit.

Source: bringingbeauty.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

 S'mores CupcakesI just keep staring at the actual cupcake part - it looks rich, decadent, and pure chocolatey goodness!

Source: fromdahliastodoxies.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

 Pineapple Upside Down Cake in a CupWe finally have one of those nifty little drink shaker things, so I'm wanting to test out my "bartending" skills.

Source: allrecipes.com via Sarah on Pinterest

 Cream of Chicken SubstituteA good shortcut to try :)

Source: mindfullyfrugalmom.com via Sarah on Pinterest

 Asparagus with Lemon Butter

Since we are all asparagus lovers in the house, I've gotta find tons of ways to make it!

Source: marthastewart.com via Sarah on Pinterest

 Instant Vegan AlfredoMinus the tofu, I'd love to try this recipe. It looks really good.

Source: happyherbivore.com via Sarah on Pinterest

 Lemon-Blueberry Pretzel Cheesecake SquaresDon't these look fantastic?

Source: pillsbury.com via Sarah on Pinterest

 My Most Popular Pin this week {most repins}:
Spinach Artichoke Grilled CheeseI may or may not be trying to convince my husband to eat artichokes!

Source: acouplecooks.com via Sarah on Pinterest

 Jenny from Picky Palate announced her cookbook will be hitting stores on September 19th! {And she is also expecting again!}

Source: barnesandnoble.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Linked up at...

Banana Pizzazz Pancakes

We're always trying out different pancake recipes in my house. I like this one because it's an easy way to use up ripe bananas with ingredients I most likely will always have on hand. Plus it has sprinkles in it!

(Print)
What you need:

• 2 cups baking mix
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mashed bananas
• 1 tbsp. sprinkles

Directions:

 

Mix together milk, egg, and banana. 

Then whisk in baking mix. 

 

Last, add in sprinkles.  I may have added more than 1 tbsp. I love sprinkles!

Pour 1/4 cup of batter on a heated skillet or griddle.

 

Cook until top is bubbly, then flip and cook until golden brown. 

 

Serve warm with butter and syrup. Or peanut butter. I bet these would be fantastic with peanut butter!

Recipe from Mommy Hates Cooking

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