Five Bean Chicken Chilli

Ever since I was diagnosed with diabetes, I've had to find new ways to enjoy my favorite meals. One of my loves is good old hot Chilli. Since I can't use beef, and even ground turkey has a little bit of a fatty cook off, I decided to make my normal Chilli and switch it up a little. This time I used boneless skinless chicken breast,  cooked it in a covered pan so that it wouldn't dry out, and chopped it really fine. I also added a link of finely sliced smoked sausage for a flavor element. The rest was just adding the beans, spices, and sauce. Here are the things you will need:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 link of smoked sausage
1 LG can of tomato sauce
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of canellini beans
1 can of Chilli beans
1 can of black beans
1/4 cup Chilli powder
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp garlic powder (not salt)
1 1/2 tsp Adobo powder
1 tbsp Mexican oregano
1 tbsp hot sause
1 tbsp black pepper
1 cup bread crumbs

There is no salt in this recipe as the beans offer plenty of sodium. You won't miss it. Pre-cooked the chicken in a covered pan so that it doesn't dry out. Remove and chop into very fine pieces as stated above. Cut sausage link in half lengthwise and then very thin on each half. Add this mixture to a slow cooker. Add the beans, and tomato sauce and stir to mix everything together. Add the spices and hot sauce and mix again. Set the slow cooker on high for about 4 hours and set to low for another 2. After the time is up, Turn off the heat and add the bread crumbs and stir.  This will thicken the Chilli to a heavy stew like consistency. Add a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheese and eat it with some cornbread or garlic bread. Very simple, virtually no setup  difficulty and you have dinner when you want. Just start it in the morning and let it ride.  Slow cooker recipes are numerous.  This will be a good addition to my arsenal. Enjoy it.

Quick-Q Sauce

Here is a quick bbq sauce that I make at home very often. It's very simple, and quick and it's mixed in a solo cup. No cooking involved. Takes 5 minutes. It also tastes better than bottled sauces and uses no hfcs.
Here are your ingredients.

1 solo cup (any color)
Natural organic Ketchup
Dijon mustard
Apple Cider Vinegar
Worcestershire Sauce
Cayenne pepper/Sriracha sauce
Molasses
White sugar
Garlic powder
Chilli powder
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper
Smoked paprika

Start off by filling a cup 1/3 way up with ketchup. Add 2 tbsp mustard, 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 tbsp worcestershire, 1 tsp hot sauce of your choice, 1 tbsp molasses, 1/4 cup sugar, tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, 1 tbsp Chilli powder, 2 pinches of salt, 1 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika. Mix with a spoon in the cup. Ready to go, no cooking needed. Put it on chicken, bbq pork, burgers, sausages, anything you want. It's easy, quick, and delicious. And with no artificial crap. If you have any questions about any sauce, I can help you make your own. I make homemade dressings, sauces, glazes, marinades, and many other liquid delights.

Rojoverde salsa

Love to try out new recipes and this is one I saw on TV the other day with a light variation on it. Since it's red and green salsa mixed I just named it rojoverde. Involves a blender, a covered pan and a rather short list of ingredients

5 medium size tomatillos
5 sprigs of cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
1 lime
1 jalapeño pepper
1 can Rotell tomatoes
1/2 large white onion
1/4 cup of water.
1tbsp olive oil

Place pan on medium high heat and drizzle in olive oil. Peel the tomatillos and wash them with warm water to remove sticky outer coating of them. Add them whole to pan and add quartered onion, both cloves of unpeeled garlic, and whole jalapeño pepper. Cover and simmer on medium high heat for seven minutes. Remove lid and add tomatoes, mix in, and replace cover for another 4-5 minutes. Turn heat off and transfer everything to blender.  Remember to remove the garlic peels. Add juice of 1 lime, cilantro, 1/4 cup water, and about a tbsp of salt for seasoning. Pulse in blender for about 10 seconds. Remove blender cover and add salt to taste.
Your product should be green and red, have little bit of heat and a very fresh roasted taste. Place it on chips, nachos, tacos, burritos, burgers, and anything you like.  It's easy, mildly quick, and wonderfully tasty.

2 Hour Chicken Chilli

One of the things I've done in my absence of eating beef is finding ways to make chicken, really, really well. One of them being chicken Chilli.  Here's the things you'll need:

3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 cans light red kidney beans
1 bag frozen corn
1 large can Tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomato
Chilli powder
Cumin
Garlic powder
Onion flakes
Red pepper flake
Salt
Adobo
1 packet of sauzon

Coat and dust chicken with Chilli powder and garlic powder and cook in a pan. Once you flip the chicken over, pour all the other ingredients in. Cover the pan, turn the heat down and simmer on medium low for 2 hours. Once the two hours is up,  break up the chicken. Let rest for 15 minutes. Top with cheese and sour cream.
Good to go!!!

Creamy Beer Pasta Sauce

One thing that gets my taste buds going is eating pasta in creamy beer sauce. Very simple to make and has an absolutely divine taste. First off, you're going to brown whatever meat you use in olive oil and remove it from the pan. Next, you use equal parts flour and butter to make a roux(melt the butter and slowly scrape the yummies from the pan into it. Add the flour and stir). Continue stirring the roux until it reaches the light brown stage, add a lager beer, or an ale if you want it a little more bitter, 3 oz at a time. Stir in until the beer is completely finished. If the sauce is still thick you can add water, but I use chicken broth. It adds some more depth of flavor. Add 2tbsp of cayenne pepper sauce, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 tbsp of parsley, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp salt, and 1 tsp dill. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes in a covered environment. The flavors marry together and you will add the meat (I use smoked sausage and/or chicken usually) back in. Allow to simmer covered for another 8-10 minutes so the meat shoals up the flavor of the sauce you made and pour over noodles. Works well with linguine, fettuccine, or penne regate. This recipe works well with shrimp pasta as well and can also be used with black eyed peas and rice for a hoppin' john's type dish. Fantastic taste that you're sure to love. And don't worry,  the minute amount of alcohol in the beer will cook out. And another thing, the better beer you use, the better rate you will get. Please don't use light beers, the flavor doesn't come close to using something full bodied. Give it a try... I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as we do.

Invention

Invention... A fun word. Often, we seek new things that broaden our minds, senses, and adorations. We make things. Craft new ideas. Some for gain, some for entertainment. I love messing around with stacking flavors and researching how certain things are made. I make dressings that never existed, sauces that you can't buy, dips that will make you smack your momma, and even learned tricks of the trade to make the products I would normally buy, for my taste, better. For instance, I love pimento cheese. My favorite is Palmetto brand. But I'm not paying $6 a tub for it. I can make it at home for less than 4 and make it better.

2 cups sharp cheddar
1 cup pepperjack
2 roasted red bell peppers from a jar.
1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or 3 dashes of hot sauce.
Put ingredients in a food processor and let it ride for 10 seconds. Takes 5 minutes. Very simple to make and the taste is superb.

Chicken salad is another staple I have messed with. Roaster chickens from the grocery store make some darn tasty chicken salad. Quarter some onion and bell pepper, a little celery, and chicken, mix in some mayo and a half a bottle of Frank's hot sauce and you have buffalo chicken salad. I added some bleu cheese and bacon in it one time and made a bacon bleu chicken salad. Sweet and Sour sauce made a good one. Teriyaki, bbq, honey mustard, jerk, Cajun, and many others have been made. It's all about what you like and keeping it interesting. Some of these ideas are just reinventing the wheel. All part of food invention. New ways to try things that you love eating. The only limits you have in the kitchen are those that you stop with your imagination. Expand the universe and seek better. Making another post next week. Hopefully doing some projects on fried tastiness.

Here's to profiles

Have you ever thought of two different foods that you love and can't decide on what you want to eat? How about combine them and fuse the cuisines into one dish. Two things  that go surprisingly well together are Mexican and Asian.  Especially on chicken. Another is low country southern and Italian.  The flavors work very well together.  For example,  I put creole seasoning, smoked sausage, and Worcestershire sauce in my spaghetti sauce.  I know it sounds weird,  but it works. Another is to make meat loaves with Asian flavors like soy, sesame oil, fish sauce, garlic, and oyster sauce. Mix the meat with an egg and Panko Bread crumbs,  throw it in the oven and you have a magical Asian meat loaf.  That and play around with proteins like ground shrimp burgers,  chicken meatballs, turkey burgers, lamb chilli, buffalo taco meat, all different and funky combinations that you never thought of that work surprisingly well. Keep things interesting. Experimentation is the key to making your taste buds and your tummy happy.  Eating the same old stuff because that is the only thing you have a recipe for is a means to a very boring appetite. Try sandwiches with odd toppings. I put fried bologna,  two kinds of cheese,  collard greens, eggs, tomato, and mustard on a sandwich and it rocked.  Make your own sauces... You like a particular kind of soda? Make a bbq sauce out of it.  Same with fruity sauces. Don't follow recipes verbatim. Just play around and see what you can come up with.  Rules are meant to be broken.  Just remember to love cooking,  and quit eating outside trash from fast food restaurants. You'll be much happier.

Cotton candy flavored soda

Always looking at adding different things together and messing around with flavors,  I recently mixed Dr.  Pepper and Orange soda together and came up with Cotton Candy soda. Yes,  it does taste an awful lot like cotton candy. Try it yourself and enjoy it as a mix.  I mixed mine with slushed ice and made a cotton candy slushy. I'm sure cotton candy soda cake is now possible.

Low Country Chicken Salad

Sometimes I look at cookbooks and get ideas to use flavors for dishes that I read about and what I want to make instead.  I was looking through an old book of low country favorites that my mom gave me years ago, and came across a really good stew recipe that I used and loved.  So why not turn a stew into a salad? My favorite protein salad is chicken salad.  Laura also wanted something quick that she could put on bread and go.  The answer was using what I had on hand and making an awesome chicken salad out of it.  Really it's quite simple to make.  Here are the items you will need.

Two chicken Breasts (I used grilled, but you can use roasted chicken from a grocery store if you like)
1 whole red onion
1 cup chopped broccoli flourets
1 cup whole kernel corn
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mild salsa (stew asked for diced tomato and pepper flake)
1/2 cup green bell pepper
2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tbsp raw horseradish
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flake
1 tsp honey

Take all ingredients and place into a food processor and pulse chop until desired consistency is obtained. I personally like to have both creamy and chunky versions of chicken salad in one so it won't completely ooze out of a sandwich so I keep some chicken out and finely chopped it with a knife.  I then reincorporate the diced chicken back in to the creamy and mix with a spoon.  It turned out exactly as I'd hoped.  You  get a creamy punch up front with a peppery kick from the Old Bay,  then you get a little horseradish note with the celery salt from the seasoning and the Worcestershire sauce. The heat comes back in and the honey drowns it out with a little sweet hint at the end.  I was a little skeptical about using honey in a chicken salad,  but it worked like it did in the stew.  It just added another profile without being overbearing, and it is just enough of an element of sweetness to round out the heat from the red pepper in the Old Bay seasoning.  Please try this when you can.  If you prefer it to be a little spicier, take the honey out of the equation.  Hope you guys like it as well as I did.

New directions..

I'm going to start posting some healthier options on here as a way for you to eat healthier and not have to sacrifice flavor. I'm also a huge believer in making things at home inexpensively, that most people would buy for far more. So I'm going to save you all some money with homemade recipes. I've already loaded many of my dressings. They are tools to use to control what goes into your body as well. Many people can look at a nutritional fact label and get blown away by believing what they're eating is healthier. Wrong!!! Nothing at a fast food restaurant is healthy. NOTHING. Stay at home and learn to cook. Make things at home that you would buy at a restaurant. Just stay away from fast food altogether. I challenge anyone to not eat taco bell for two months. Go back once and realize how unhealthy it is and how bad it tastes. Your brain has been tricked into thinking that garbage tastes good. I did it and went back. I ate one bite and was just completely disgusted. 
     If you think you don't have time to precook and preprepare.  Do yourself a favor and find a way on your day off.  It's fun to do and having great food that can be reheated, is far better than throwing your well earned money down the drain on absolute garbage.  I've lost 50 lbs by cutting down on my sugar, fat, and sodium intake.  Calorie counting on my diet takes care of itself with cutting down on the other three.  I allow myself to cheat a little every now and then,  but I eat really good,  healthy food when I do it. No fast food garbage, and that includes the nasty trash at Subway.  Don't be fooled by their "Eat Fresh" campaign.  I assure you that the few things that they do that would classify as fresh, are things that are morally wrong and very misleading.  You want a sandwich? Go to a real deli and have someone cut real meat.  Real meat doesn't shine like a Christmas tree after it's cut.  If it does, don't eat it. Otherwise, make it at home and take it to work with you. 
I'm proof that if you put in the work and eat the right way, walk, and exercise a little each day, anyone can lose weight and be on your way to a leaner, healthier,  happier you. Take care and I will be posting more soon.
  

Mojo wings with herb crust

There's very few times that I can say that I truly surprise myself in the kitchen. This recipe for chicken wings was good enough for me to want them every day. I think I may do this a lot more from now on. The secret is the mojo. What is a mojo? It's a blend of citrus, oil, vinegar, spices, and other aromatics that you can marinate meat in. This one is quite simple. Here are the things you will need.

Mojo:
1 cup Orange Juice
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp black peppercorn
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flake

Herb crust:
Italian seasoning blend
Garlic powder
Rosemary
Old bay seasoning
Steak seasoning

Preheat oven to 375°F. Put all of the mojo ingredients in a blender blender and blend until peppercorns are crushed and mixture is a cloudy orange/brown color. Pour the mixture over your segmented chicken wings, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Remove and line a large sheet pan with cooking spray. Arrange the wings on the pan and dust the wings with the herb mixture ingredients. Cook on 375° for 35 minutes and crank up to 425° for 15. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. The taste is extraordinary. You taste the orange,  the lemon, the garlic, the herbs come through and punch you in the teeth, then there is the spice from the old bay seasoning. All of these flavors jump back and forth and hit you at different times. It's like a party hit your taste buds and knocked you in the back of the had all at once. Truly delightful. Will be trying this on some chops and turkey sometime soon too. Have some fun with this one. Mess around with the ingredients and create some more profiles. It's delicious.

The Ultimate Blackned Bleu Cheese Bacon Burger

I thought the other day that I haven't had a great bacon bleu burger in a while and I decided to improve upon my previous design. What I did was just use some ingredients that were more fresh. I used organic bleu cheese, beef, tomatoes, homemade pickle chips, whole grain mustard made with Guinness, and fire roasted red pepper. The flavors that came out of this behemoth were monstrous and although not that incredibly easy to make, the effort far outweighed the amount of work involved. First off, I made a bleu cheese dressing using bleu crumbles, mayo, and Greek yogurt. I then made stuffed burger patties with fire roasted red pepper and bleu crumbles stuffed inside. I crusted the outside with my blackened spice rub which was sugar, salt, red pepper flake, Cajun seasoning, paprika, and cracked black pepper. Popped the patties into the skillet on medium high heat and cooked to a solid medium temp. The meat was seasoned with the same spices that I crusted them with except I used bread crumbs as a binder and onion flakes. I used roasted egg buns fresh from the bakery and first put the stout mustard on the bottom bun with fresh tomato on that, placed the burger on, topped with the homemade pickles, bacon, and bleu cheese dressing that I made earlier and voila...the masterpiece was born. They were sweet from the mustard, creamy from the dressing, smoky from the bacon, spicy from the spice crust. Definitely made the tastebuds pull off backflips. If you need any advice on how to make these, don't hesitate to shoot me a message on Facebook. Just remember to make food with love. And if you have any ideas to shoot my way, I will definitely try them.

Ranch style red potato and broccoli salad

One of my favorite things to make is just some really good potato salad. So much in fact that I create as many different ways to make it as possible. This was one of those "I've gotta share this" moments. All I did was make my ranch dressing that I have included in an earlier post in my blog and mix in Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Then it's quite easy. Mix in 4-5 good sized red potatoes that have been prediced before boiling and some roasted or steamed broccoli and it's go time. This is probably one of the best potato salads that I've made in a very long time. Enjoy this delightful recipe. Its easy and only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.

The Guido Burger

This is another one of those things that Laura and I made to put a spin on spaghetti. We both love a good meat sauce and we both love meatball sandwiches. Why not put those on a freaking burger!!
(salivation begins, the heavens open and angels rejoice in song)
This one is going down as The Guido. It's a beef and Italian sausage mixed burger with tomato sauce, and provalone cheese. It's simple, easy, and tastes like an Italian restaurant had a love child with a burger dive. Here's your list of ingredients:

1 lb of  Ground beef
1 lb of Italian Sausage (not in casings)
1 green Pepper (diced)
6 large mushrooms (diced)
1 onion (diced fine)
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning mix
1 tsp garlic,
2 slices of crumbled white toast
1 egg
8 slices of Bread (toasted)
1 Jar of spaghetti sauce (your choice)
Sliced provalone Cheese

Combine beef, sausage (uncased), mushrooms, green pepper, onion, garlic, seasoning, crumbled toast, and egg into a bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Form into 4 (yes they are going to be large, the fat cooks out)patties and place them in a hot skillet. Flip after about 6 minutes. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes and flip. Place a slice of provolone on each burger and cover the pan with a mixing bowl to allow a steam fry to melt the cheese. Remove from heat and lay out toast. Cover each piece of toast with tomato Sauce and place burgers on 4 slices using the other slices as cover.
There you have it. Not too complicated, but the flavor that comes out of these things is freaking killer. Have fun everyone.

Creole Bourbon Butter Injection.

I'm always coming across new things and new ideas for things to do with turkeys and ways to inject and marinate them. One of my favorites is a Creole bourbon butter marinade that makes a delicious injection for any kind of meat. It's quick and its easy to make and is more cost efficient in the long run if you mix it in advance and save the rest for a rainy day. Here are the things you need.

1 food grade injection syringe
1/2 pint of bourbon whiskey
1 cup of melted butter
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Cajun seasoning mix (I use Zattarains)
1tbsp garlic powder

Mix ingredients together in an old ketchup bottle or something sililar while warm and shake well until all spices are dissolved. Pour into separate cup if not using all of it and save the rest. This will avoid cross contamination with different kinds of protein. This is absolutely wonderful and all together delicious for Thanksgiving or any other special occasion roast. Enjoy!!!

Quick Garlic Dill Pickles

One thing that I always loved growing up was the crisp bite of a good Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle. It's raw, flavorful, fat free, and other than the salt content, good for you. Something however started getting to me a couple of months ago though...I always liked the chip style pickles over the sandwich slices. You can't find the chip style of pickles anywhere in the refrigerated section where all the Claussens are. Also, I'm not spending $5 a jar on those things. So I spend 69 cents on one cucumber or a buck for some pickling cukes and started making them at home. The secret is the brine. That is the only cooking that you will ever have to do. The other stuff goes into the jar. And this is the basic gist of it.

2 cups of water
1/2 cup white or cider vinegar
2 tbsp kosher salt (has to be kosher)

2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flake
1-2 sprigs of dill or a tsp of dried dill
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp black peppercorn
1/2 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)

3 small pickling cucumbers or one large cucumber.

1 large container or glass jar

Put top three ingredients into a small saucepot and allow to reach boiling. Remove from heat for 1 minute. While above mixture is heating up do the second step.
    Put 2nd list of ingredients in a sanitized jar. Cut the pickles into 1/8" to 1/4" slices and fill up the jar or container as much as you can and still be able to apply the lid. Pour hot mixed brine until the container is filled. Cover mouth of jar or container with plastic wrap and screw on or apply a lid. If you do put them into a canning jar, you can follow the instructions to seal your jars for later use, but I personally put them in the fridge and they stay good for about two weeks. Make sure that you allow these to marinate for at least 6 hours before tasting. I always wait 24 hours. These come out perfect for frying by the way. Just another reason improve on the fried pickle.

Pot Stewed Bbq Beans

Although I do love baked beans, sometimes I just don't have time to do them right. So, I have a fast simmer method that is pretty darn tasty in their own right. These are very easy to do and basically involve the same flavors as my baked beans. Here are the things you will need.

1 large can Pinto Beans
3 strips Bacon
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Dried Onion Flake
1 1/2 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Chilli Powder
3/4 tbsp Paprika
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

In a saucepan add 3 strips of chopped bacon and cook until slightly crispy. Combine all the other ingredients together and start simmering on medium high heat. Bring to a fast simmer and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, cover and reduce heat to mid-low for 10 minutes and serve. It's a quick 20 minute fix and goes well with grilled foods and an by kind of Bbq. Quick sides can bring a meal to another level with flavor profiles going on your tongue to offer some great combinations of tastes. Just remember to have fun with these. Add tomato, green chilies, cheese, onion, jalapenos, chipotles, or other peppers to try different flavors. Love the food. It loves you.

Creamy Honey Mustard

By now you realize that I'm a sauce and dressing guy. One of the best things I've ever come across is a delicious and sweet honey mustard that rivals those like restaurants make. It goes well with fried chicken salads, chicken fingers, chick fila sandwiches, and other things involving chicken. This is very similar to Marzetti's, Ken's, and O'Charlie's. Here are the things you will need:

1/2 cup mayo
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp white/cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper

Mix ingredients together in a container or small bowl. The theory of this recipe makes sense in these terms. Mayo and mustard to make the dressing, honey to provide the sweetness, vinegar for the twang, and spices and salt to promote the depth of flavor. It's easy, fast, and quick to make this and keeps quite well in the fridge. Also if you combine this with Hot bacon dressing, you have a combo that will knock your socks off. I'll include the hot bacon dressing recipe soon. Just remember to just experiment in the kitchen. Cooking great things it's easy. Find flavors you like, add a little bit of this and that, and maybe a dash of something else. Great flavor is not that hard to create. Food is awesome and makes us happy.

Mushroom Beer Gravy

I've made this stuff many times for many different dishes and decided to tell everyone how easy it is. Gravies are usually very easy to make and are quick sauce solutions to go with meats and potatoes. You basically mix equal parts of fat and flour, mix into a roux and pour water, stock, or your choice of alcohol over it. What you get is a creamy, delightful collision of happy flavors. This particular one is great on beef and pork and is a pretty good sauce on chicken. This particular instance I was building the best mushroom burger that my wife could muster. It's her favorite burger everywhere she goes. So I think gravy on a burger. Yum was the answer I was seeking and it was awesome. The gravy alone grants its own blog entry. Here are the things you'll need:

1 package of sliced button or Cremini mushrooms
1 beer
1/2 stick of butter (unsalted)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 tbsp course grind Black Pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

In a skillet, melt butter on medium high heat and add the entire package of sliced mushrooms. When mushrooms are slightly browned, pour in Worcestershire and stir. Add in the flour and stir until gloppy. Roux should be medium brown color. Add beer slowly in stages and stir constantly (Guinness is the best beer for this, but any beer will work). Once gravy is a creamy consistency, turn heat to low. Add remaining seasonings and simmer for 3 minutes. Add green onion for color and flavor and you're ready to roll. Start to finish takes about 5-7 minutes once the butter is melted. This stuff is delicious on anything and is wonderful on mashed potatoes. As a burger, I had to use very dense absorbent bread so French bread is what I used. That way the bread soaked up the gravy without destroying the integrity of the roll.This stuff is great and I hope everyone can enjoy this recipe. Awesome sauce idea.

Grilled Italian Roasted Chicken Melt

Looking at things I really like, I pick the thing that I've always thought of as holy. That one thing is a chicken parmesan sandwich. But doing the normal chicken parmesan sandwich is passe. How about I roast the chicken instead of it being breaded. How about making a grilled cheese out of it. Yes and yes!! Here's your ingredient list.

2 whole split chicken breasts (bone in)
1 jar of tomato sauce.
2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
On hand garlic powder
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Sliced bread
Butter

Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare the 2 chicken breasts by topping them with melted butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder (Add red pepper flake if you like, I did). Cover with foil and roast in oven for an hour. Once hour is over, remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and separate from bone. Dice the chicken and put in pot on medium heat with the fire roasted tomato and garlic sauce and mix together. While the chicken and sauce mix is simmering. Melt a 1/2 tsp of butter in skillet and sprinkle in garlic powder and place 1 slice of bread in coat it in the melted garlic butter and let grill in skillet. Top with chicken/sauce mix and top with cheese. Melt another 1/2 tsp of butter and sprinkle garlic powder. Flip and coat in melted butter and garlic and finish grilling until crispy and cheese is melted. Repeat and it'll make 5 sandwiches. I feel like dinner at my place is a creation of an episode of Chopped somehow. Awesome how something so experimental can turn out so freaking good.