This post is inspired by one of my favorite restaurant chain
meals of all time…LongHorn’s Parmesan Crusted Chicken. That’s right folks my go
to meal at a steak house is chicken, but it’s literally so good! This marinated
chicken is topped with a cheesy panko bread crumb mixture that is pure heaven.
I like to marinate the chicken overnight, but you could probably get away with marinating it for just an hour or two. This is a perfect dish for a quiet date night at home or for family dinner. I like to serve this paired with creamy mashed potatoes and a veggie.
Combine all marinade ingredients into a gallon Ziplock bag, seal and shake to combine. Add chicken cutlets into marinade, seal bag and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to a low broil.
Sear the chicken breast cutlets over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side and place onto a greased baking sheet.
Mix together ranch ¼ cup of ranch dressing and 1/4 cup of shaved Parmesan.
In a separate microwave safe bowl, melt 4 tbsp of butter. After melted, add in the panko breadcrumbs and the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
Top each chicken cutlet with 1 slice of provolone.
Then spread a spoon full of the ranch and Parmesan mixture over each chicken cutlet.
Lastly sprinkle each chicken cutlet with the panko breadcrumbs.
Place the chicken into the oven on a low broil until cheese melts and the panko breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove and cut into one of the chicken cutlets to ensure it’s cooked all the way. Enjoy all the cheesy chicken goodness!
Happy Spring everyone! It has been way too long since I last
posted. I had to take an impromptu break from blogging because life got crazy. Like
really crazy. Adulting is so hard. Things haven’t quite settled back down yet,
but I’m going to try my best to at least post once a month.
Since our schedule has been so jam packed lately, I’ve really had to dial back my cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still cooking. I’ve just really simplified my approach to cooking. Time is of the essence, so I’ve been trying to cook things that don’t monopolize my entire day. As much as I would love to spend my entire weekend cooking and meal prepping, I’ve had to prioritize other things above cooking for the time being.
As a result, I’m falling back on fail proof, time saving recipes that I love! They don’t cut back on flavor, but they do cut back on time and that is a huge plus. Remember that Zesty Taco Seasoning recipe I shared? I use that handy dandy seasoning in my Taco Pie. This recipe is so easy because almost all of the ingredients are pre-made. For the pie crust, I just use a store bought pre-made pie crust you can pick up from the refrigerated aisle of the grocery store. I use canned enchilada sauce and refried beans, so that cuts back on time. And my homemade taco seasoning is just sitting in my pantry on standby, so the only thing that needs to be prepared is the ground beef. I love this Taco Pie because it’s a nice alternative to taco night. It’s so easy to prepare and makes for good leftovers. You can top your pie with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, salsa or sour cream.
To make the taco meat, brown 1 lb of ground beef over medium to high heat. You can also substitute ground turkey or ground chicken. Add 3 tbsp of taco seasoning and ½ cup of water to the taco meat. Stir and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Spray a pie dish with cooking spray. Lay the pie crust in the pie dish, press gently into the dish and poke holes into the bottom of the crust with a fork. Bake the pie crust at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes and then remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Spoon the refried beans into the bottom of the baked pie crust. Top the refried beans layer with the cooked taco meat. Pour the enchilada sauce over top of the taco meat. Finally, top the pie with 2 cups of shredded cheese of your choice. I like cheddar or a Mexican blend. Return the pie into the 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until beans are warm and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into the pie.
Top pie with any desired toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, sour cream, green onions or salsa.
I just got home not too long ago from Walt Disney World! My
best friend Sarah and I spent a long weekend over the Martin Luther King
holiday, exploring the parks and eating so much good food! For those of you who
may not know, I’m a huge Disney fan. I participated in the Disney College
Program in 2012 at Walt Disney World, I got engaged in the Magic Kingdom in
front of Cinderella’s castle and I’ve traveled to Disney World nearly every
year since I was born. This girl was born and raised on Disney and it continues
to be a huge part of my life. Needless to say, I’m always excited when I get to
go back and visit the mouse.
Meeting our crush Gaston.
Sarah and I had a wonderful trip! We hit all four parks, got
to explore Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the first time, which
by the way is AMAZING! We hit all of the rides and of course we indulged in
some good eats. Not all food at Walt Disney World is created equal. And what I
mean by that is when I travel there, it’s been hit or miss when it comes to
food. When I visit Disney there is usually a handful of meals that are great
and others not so much. However, everything we ate on this trip was fabulous!
For this blog post, I decided to do my own version of “The Best Thing I Ever
Ate” inspired by the well-known TV show and share some of my favorite meals
from my trip. Again, not all food at Disney is created equal, so I am picking
my two favorite meals, one at the quick service level and one at the table service
level.
Let’s start with quick service. For those who may be
unfamiliar with some of this wonky Disney terminology, quick service is just a
fancy way of saying “Fast Food.” Some of us Disney peeps use quick service and counter
service interchangeably. All that you need to know is in most quick service
restaurants you don’t need a reservation, it’s reasonably priced and you order
your food at a cashier and pick it up at a counter.
The best quick service meal that I ate on this trip was the Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Pulled Pork at Flame Tree Barbecue at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I’ve been a huge fan of Flame Tree BBQ for years. For one, it’s very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. Also, its real food meaning you can order something other than chicken nuggets and fries. I’ve eaten here many times over the last couple years and this is the first time I’ve noticed the Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Pulled Pork on the menu, so I decided to give it a try. And oh my goodness I am so glad that I did because it was literally incredible.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Flame Tree BBQ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
I’ve had various macaroni and cheeses at quick service restaurants at Disney and historically they are more of a creamy, soupy texture similar to Stouffer’s frozen mac and cheese. Because this mac and cheese had a bit of a crust, I immediately knew it was baked as well as homemade. I really appreciated that it wasn’t overly cheesy because it let the amazing flavors of the pulled pork shine through. The pulled pork was super tender and flavorful. Lastly, two crispy onion rings were plopped right on top of the pulled pork and mac and cheese, which added some depth and texture to the dish. This dish also comes with coleslaw on top. I don’t like coleslaw, so I opted to omit that from my meal. Instead, I drizzled some BBQ sauce right on top and it was perfection. The best part about this meal? It was only $11.99! This meal was very delicious, very filling and so inexpensive. I will definitely be ordering this again on my next visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Onto my favorite table service meal. Table service essentially means a more formal sit-down restaurant. For the first time ever I dined at the Flying Fish, which is a fine/signature dining restaurant located on Disney’s BoardWalk. This restaurant is known for contemporary American cuisine and I would classify as a bit more upscale than other table service restaurants, which is why this falls into the fine/signature dining category.
My friend Alex and I snap a photo in front of Disney’s BoardWalk Resort after our dinner at the Flying Fish.
My friend Alex and I dined at the Flying Fish on the night I arrived. Alex and I originally met on our Disney College Program in 2012, so it was so fun to catch up with her over dinner. I had very high expectations for this dinner since she is a server at Disney and it’s one of her favorite restaurants. She recommended that I try the Wagyu Filet Mignon, which is what she ordered, and I followed suit. The Wagyu Filet Mignon is priced at $57.00, which is very pricey. However, I can report that this steak was worth every single penny.
Wagyu Filet Mignon at the Flying Fish located on Disney’s BoardWalk.
I am not exaggerating when I say this is literally the best steak I’ve ever eaten. Quite frankly, I think this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. The steak was seasoned perfectly, had an amazing crust on the outside and yet the inside was incredibly tender. The steak literally melted in my mouth, which Alex attributed to it being cooked on a wood-fire grill. The steak was served over a creamy mushroom risotto, which was very rich and filling. It was also drizzled with a truffle and red wine demi glaze that was to die for. I’m literally drooling just talking about this steak. This meal was incredibly expensive, however if you are willing to splurge on a fancy meal for a special occasion, I would highly recommend the Flying Fish. The service was amazing and in my opinion the food was worth every dollar spent. I’m most definitely going to take my husband to this restaurant when we return to Disney. So that wraps up “The Best Thing I Ever Ate: 2018 Disney Edition.” Gosh, I’m literally still drooling thinking about that steak…until next time.
Happy new year everyone! It’s already been a super busy
start to the year, but I’m feeling very positive and optimistic about 2019. In
the new year, I’m focusing on spending more time doing things I love, which
also includes cooking things that I love. Mexican food is hands down my
favorite type of food. I love dining at authentic Mexican restaurants. Let’s be
honest, queso is life.
I also love cooking Mexican inspired dishes at home. We probably eat some sort of Mexican food at least once a week. That being said, I always have taco seasoning on hand in my kitchen. When I was in college, I used to just buy the taco seasoning packets and taco kits. Now that I’m older and wiser, I’ve learned it’s a lot healthier and cost effective to make taco seasoning in bulk using spices from your pantry. Another reason I like making my own taco seasoning is because I have more control over the flavor of the taco seasoning.
This Zesty Taco Seasoning is perfect to stash away in the
pantry for taco night. And beyond tacos, you can use this for burritos,
enchiladas, burgers, chilis and in soups like my Slow
Cooker Chicken Verde and White Bean Soup. You can easily store this seasoning
in a pretty mason jar or a tightly sealed Tupper Ware container. I highly
recommend making a batch of this taco seasoning! Having this seasoning on hand in
my pantry is so convenient and allows me to whip up tacos in a pinch. “Taco bout”
a win win. See what I did there?
Measure the spices and dump into a mason jar or tightly sealed Tupper Ware container. Seal with lid and shake to mix all the spices together.
To make tacos, brown 1 lb of taco meat over medium to high heat. You can use ground turkey, ground beef or ground chicken. Add 3 tbsp of taco seasoning and ½ cup of water to the taco meat. Stir and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
The uses of this seasoning are endless! Add 2-3 tbsp of seasoning to soups, chilis, burgers and chicken for a meal that is packed with flavor.
