2 of My Favorite Foods!

Anyone who has been around me when I cook or lived with me for any amount of time knows that my 2 favorite foods are Chicken and Macaroni n' Cheese! I probably eat Chicken for at least one meal a day and so I'm always trying to come up with new ways of cooking it. I found this recipe a little while ago and decided to try it this past Tuesday for dinner.

Parmesan Panko Crusted Chicken

3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded/coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Trim any fat from chicken breasts, butterfly, cut in half, and pound to an even thickness, about 1/2" thick. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg and add a little salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp each). In another bowl or on a plate, combine bread crumbs, cheese, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan liberally. Bread the chicken cutlets by first dunking both sides in buttermilk mixture and then coating both sides with bread crumb mixture. Add to hot pan. Don't overcrowd the pan, a 10" skillet will hold about 4 pieces so you may need to cook it in 2 batches.

Cook about 4-6 minutes on the first side, flipping when the breading is a deep golden brown crust. The second side will cook slightly faster. Line a large plate with paper towels and remove cooked chicken to plate. Cover with foil while you cook the second batch.

I really liked this recipe ... The only change I would make to this recipe is to sure to pound out the chicken before coating and cooking it.

I LOVE Macaroni and cheese ... it reminds me of my childhood I guess! I have found several recipes for Macaroni n' Cheese and my goal is to try them all and to find the best "grown up" version! Here is recipe #1

Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe adapted from Alton Brown via Food Network

14 oz whole wheat short cut pasta

3 T butter

2 eggs
9 oz evaporated milk
1/2 - 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat a large pot of water to boiling, salt liberally and add pasta. Cook to al dente per package directions and drain. Reduce heat to medium low, return to pan and add butter. Melt and stir to coat pasta. Whisk together eggs, milk, hot sauce, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and pour over pasta. Stir and cook about one minute.

Add cheese and stir to melt and incorporate, cook about two minutes, add additional salt and pepper if desired and serve.

I really liked this Macaroni a lot and I used fat free evaporated milk and skim milk which helped with cutting the calories. The only comment I have is when its creamy and ready to go pull it off the stove! I kept mine on the stove while my parents were out to keep it warm but it kept heating the cheese and so it wasn't as creamy when it came time to eat it as it was when I was making it ... but it was still delicious!

And here is the delicious meal, complete with a spinach salad and sweet tea!