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!
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.
I’m not going to lie, but it’s been difficult to get back into my normal routine post honeymoon. I’m still reminiscing back to our mornings of sleeping in and our long, laid back, beachfront breakfasts. Derek and I rarely take the time to sit down and have breakfast together at home. We are more of the spring out of bed, grab a granola bar and go-go-go type of people, which again is why it’s been hard to get back into the swing of things.
Our nice leisurely Jamaican breakfasts were such a treat and the perfect way to start the day! So now that we are back, I’m vowing to cook us a home cooked breakfast at least once a week. Sitting down and having breakfast together is such a nice way to spend quality time together, especially on the weekends.
One of my favorite breakfast items in Jamaica were the freshly baked pastries. We indulged in English muffins, bagels and of course delicious muffins. I love muffins because it’s kind of like eating dessert for breakfast. Feeling inspired after our trip, I spent a Saturday morning whipping up these delicious Sweet Strawberry & Chocolate Chip Muffins. Strawberries are in season and they have been amazingly sweet this summer. Also, I’ve been picking up 16 oz containers of strawberries for less than $2 at my local grocery store, which is awesome!
Strawberries and chocolate are the ultimate pair. These muffins are sweet, moist and the perfect summery morning treat. Whether you prepare them for a leisurely Sunday brunch or so that you can easily grab one out of the fridge on your way to work, these muffins are sure to be the perfect start to your day.
Melt 4 tbsp of butter in a microwave safe bowl and set aside to cool.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, gently whisking together 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of sugar, 4 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt.
In a stand mixer, crack 2 large eggs into the mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of milk and ½ cup of vegetable oil to the eggs and mix together for 2 minutes on low speed. Next, add the melted butter and 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the egg mixture, mixing on low until combined.
In small batches, slowly mix in the combined dry ingredients, mixing on medium speed, until the batter is completely combined and lump free.
Next, wash your strawberries and pat them dry with a clean towel. Dice your strawberries. Once your strawberries are diced, put them in a clean bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of sugar. The extra sugar will help to bring out that sweet strawberry flavor even more.
Add the chocolate chips and diced strawberries to the batter. Mix in the fruit and chocolate on low speed until combined.
Line your muffin pan with muffin liners. Scoop the batter into the muffin liners, approximately 2/3 of the way full.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes until the muffins are golden brown. Remove the muffins from oven. Immediately remove the muffins from the tin and place them on a cooling rack.
After the muffins cool completely, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
I prefer these muffins cold, so most definitely refrigerate these after they are cool for the best results.
