Buffalo Chicken

Happy New Year! Today was a day to recover from the last week, make that month, of festivities. Although there's been one item missing from this season (where are you snow?) it has been a fabulous end to another year. Spending time with the ones you love, making, buying, cooking, and adding extra love to gifts for all those special people... ah, I'm getting a bit sentimental here...

Getting down to business, I've been watching a bit much of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and have become obsessed with buffalo chicken. Don't ask me why. I also saw this super duper awesome trick on how to  shred chicken in a cuisenart mixer. Tried it. Love it. No more burned fingers! So after a couple days of thinking about nothing but shredded buffalo chicken, I decided to be ambitious in the new year and came up with a delicious, sweet and spicy tender chicken sandwich.

Yum.

I used Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Marinade and added some garlic, diced onions, and brown sugar. Over medium heat I cooked the chicken in the sauce in my new Le Creuset (woo woo!), for about 20 minutes.

(I got the pre-cut chicken tenders fresh from the deli because I really wasn't in the mood to trim the fat from full breasts, yuck!)

{So excited about my new orange Le Creuset, fitting that the first thing I made in it is also orange}

Then, I did the incredible trick of putting the hot chicken in my cuisinart mixer and voila! After a few spins on low I had perfectly shredded chicken! I returned the meat to the sauce and simmered for another 20 minutes or so. (Really could have gone longer but I couldn't wait) I added some provolone cheese and pickles on an onion bun and.. Oh. My. God. Hangover and sinuses cleared!!!

Cranberry Brie Chicken and Punkin Penne

I already had this in mind to make for Friday Night Family Dinner, and found out last minute we were having an additional 4 people join. Including 2 small children with extremely picky taste. Lovely. Not to mention this isn't something I've made before and it's a bit ambitious for a large group. But, whatever, I'm a professional, right? (professional something, but definately not a professional chef) So I had a glass of wine (or two) and dove in. I apologize for the lack of pictures but there was a lot going on... 

Cranberry brie chicken is a spin off a dish I've made before. Last time I topped baked chicken breast with cranberries, gouda cheese and candied walnuts. This time I decided to stuff the chicken, because who doesn't love  a perfectly wrapped up piece of chicken with ooey gooey delicousness inside? It turned out great but I forgot the most important part...

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cranberry sauce with real cranberries

brie cheese

herbs de provence

CINNAMON

(this is what I forgot, totally makes the dish, but still good without)

Pound out the chicken to about 1/2 inch thick, cut chicken breasts in half. Spoon in about a tablespoon of cranberry sauce in the middle of each piece of chicken. Top cranberry sauce with a slice or 2 of brie cheese. Roll up each piece of chicken and place on a baking sheet with the seam side of the chicken down. Sprinkle chicken with Olive Oil, herbs and cinnamon. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked through.

I accompanied this dish with a recipe I found online from none other than Miss Rachael Ray. I mean, we practically have the same name, so it's required that I share her recipes. Get the recipe here > Penny-Wise Pumpkin Penne. I used the larger can of pumpkin because I was feeding so many people but, I ended up with a ton of leftover, which was great because everyone LOVED it! Thanks Rach!

We found a STEAL on a 95 point wine for $10! This sultry red blend went really well with my fall flavored family feast. I highly recommend you pick up a bottle, before I snag it all up!

Check it out here

So everything turned out absolutey fabulous and even the kids ate it up! (well, some of them did, but I'm pretending they all did cuz this is my blog)  I love cooking for other people and trying new things. Sometimes when the pressures on it can be a good thing! It was a great evening of family, friends, and food, 3 of my favorite things.

Chicken Caprese Paninis

I heart caprese salad more than almost anything. But when it gets cold out, I crave something hot. So here's a way to have both! I marinated the chicken in a balsamic vinegarette and added the classic caprese salad ingredients with a pesto mayo, then melted it all into a gooey, crunchy, delicious panini. And yes, I cook with wine but rarely put it in the food.

What you will need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

garlic

herbs de provence or italian seasoning

1 large sourdough sandwich loaf from bakery

fresh mozzarella

tomatoes

fresh basil

mayonaisse

dry basil

salt

Marinade: 1/2 c balsamic vinegar, 1/4 c olive oil, 1-2 garlic cloves - finely chopped (or 1 tbsp outta the jar), 1 tsp herbs/Italian seasoning, whisk together, add chicken, marinate 1/2 hour - 1 hour.

Bake chicken @ 375 for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Let chicken cool. Shred chicken into teensy tiny pieces, or leave breasts whole, your preference. I like shredding it, it makes it easier to work with and eat.

Slice tomatoes and mozzarella. Divide loaf into 4 sections and slice through the middle.

Pesto mayo: combine 1/2 c mayo with 1 tbsp dry basil, 1 garlic clove, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp outta the jar), a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt

Assemble sandwiches: pesto mayo on both sides, add chicken tomatoes and fresh basil (rip large leaves into smaller pieces), drizzle with more balsamic, top with fresh mozzarella and other half of bread.

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If you don't have a panini grill, which I don't, sandwich sandwiches between 2 cookie sheets and top with somehting heavy. You can wrap a brick in tin foil, or use a heavy pan. I used a cast iron griddle. Worked just fine.

Bake @ 375 for about ten minutes. Flip sandwiches so both sides get nice and crispy, cook for another 2 minutes.

Cut sandwiches in half and enjoy!

Even 4 year olds will eat this up!