Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Let me start by saying that is recipe is not something I would normally try. Cream of Chicken soup and Ritz Crackers just don't usually make me think of a delicious meal. I don't think I am snobby about it, just not used to those ingredients. But Pinterest promised things like, "the best chicken you will ever eat." "Say goodbye to whining at dinner time." "Your family will fight over the leftovers." I am sucker for good advertising! Those comments won me over!

 Here is the original recipe:
http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken/

Jamie Cooks it Up Version

I am the first to admit that this recipe does not hit all 3 of my categories with flying colors...I give it only a few stars for healthy - I mean it is baked instead of fried and you don't have to use any extra fat to get a golden brown crispy crust (of course, that is because the cheese has enough oil to do the job for you). As far as ease goes - this one surpasses almost every other dish I cook. It probably took me all of ten minutes to prepare. And it was super tasty! In fact, we had a few friends over and they all agreed that it was delicious. They compared it to Chicken Cordon Bleu (except it was much easier)!

I had the leftovers for lunch and I think that they were better the first time around but it wasn't bad the second time. So, here is my take on the recipe:

My version.

 It doesn't look quite as pretty as hers but I think it was just as yummy. First off, I marinated the chicken in the buttermilk, salt and pepper. It makes your chicken tender and juicy and ensures each piece is super coated! Then, I read the comments on her blog and everyone suggested that you mix the crackers and cheese instead of doing them separately. I did that and I agree it was a lot easier. A lot of the comments said that her recipe had too much cheese/crackers but I didn't find this to be true. I coated my chicken pretty thick and sprinkled the few tablespoons left over on top of the chicken. I didn't have parsley so I used Italian seasoning and also added some garlic and onion powder. These added a little flavor but I think next time I would use cayenne pepper or something to give a little more kick. Her cooking time was perfect! My chicken came out just how I like it. Also, on the bottom of the pan there is this cheesy crunchy layer that is soooo good. Maybe even my favorite part of the dish.
Reluctantly, I decided to try the gravy she suggests. First off, I thought it was too thick (do I sense a recurring problem with me and sauces?). I thinned it out with some chicken stock and added a lot of black pepper. I still didn't really like it but all the men at the table liked it. I preferred mine with the leftover slap-yo-mama ranch from the egg rolls! My friend, Aspen, made some delicious baked sweet potato fries which also went great with the ranch.
I feel like I should add that you don't need any sauce for this chicken. It is pretty great all on its own!
So there you have it! Recipe #2. It gets my stamp of approval. So far Pinterest has a pretty good record with recipes! Let me know if you try it!

Fine print: I almost ALWAYS cook with chicken tenderloins rather than chicken breasts. I buy them in frozen bags from the store. When I am not sure how much to cook I use this formula - Men = 4 tenders, Women = 2 tenders, and kids = 1 tender. Last night we had Guy (4), Kort (4), Me (2), Aspen (2), Vance (1), Vaughn (1), Porter (1), and Rosalie (1) so I made 16 tenders. I had 2 leftover. For me that is the perfect amount!