Snow Day = Snow Cream

Well, we finally managed to finagle some snow out of the skies. And, boy... did it EVER snow!!! Almost a foot at our house. My oldest was so excited. She hasn't seen snow like this except for a handful of times while visiting my parents in Alaska. She was in heaven...

Our oldest boy was back inside with "stinging skin" before I could get even ready the camera. And, this little guy, well...

I think that's fairly self-explanatory. He really doesn't like getting wet. In ANY form or fashion. He did mellow out just a bit, and played....

Five minutes later... back inside the warm house. As beautiful as this foot of fluffy white stuff is... it's of the dry variety. Not too great for making snowmen. Or snowballs. And, a bit too deep for snow angels. But, one thing snow is ALWAYS good for... SNOW CREAM!!!

Truly simple, and there isn't a kid that doesn't love to help make (or eat) it! Generally, snow cream is just snow, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. I wanted something a little different, though. One of my favorite treats during the holidays is peppermint ice cream. Throughout the rest of the year... the stuff is at best hard to find, but mostly completely unavailable. Now you can make your own! Well, providing that Mother Nature blesses you with some of the white stuff. Here's what you'll need...

Snow Cream

8 C Fresh Snow

1 C Whole Milk

1/3 C Sugar

1 tsp Peppermint Extract

Crushed Peppermints (I found a little jar of pre-crushed mints at the store back around Christmas, but you can always crush up that stash that were delivered with your restaurant checks that I know you have hiding somewhere)

Sprinkles

Start off by adding your milk to a large mixing bowl. I like to use a metal bowl because it keeps everything so much chillier! Next, sprinkle in the sugar...

Then the peppermint extract...

Whisk to combine until sugar is dissolved...

Put bowl in the freezer while you go out to play in... er... gather the snow. Don't let your kid eat your stash on the way back inside...

Remove the bowl from the freezer, and add the snow to it. Gently fold in the snow until combined...

Serve it up! Scoop snow cream into dishes, and top with sprinkles, and crushed peppermints!

Enjoy! Quickly. This stuff melts much faster than the grocery store stuff! 

***After I made this, I considered that adding the crushed peppermints right into the snow cream while combining the snow & milk mixture would be a really neat idea! I will definitely be doing that next time. I would say about 1/4 - 1/2 C of crushed peppermints would do the trick! I'll definitely be giving that a go next time!***

BBQ Chicken Nachos

Wow. These last two weeks have been BUSY. Much packing. Much driving. Much cheerleading. Much National Championship winning!

I'm so proud of this little lady! If you didn't know, my daughter has been an allstar cheerleader for going on 7 years now. But, this weekend at Jamfest Super Nationals was her first National Championship win. Except to sleep, this girl has not taken that jacket off since she won it! Competition season isn't over yet, though... a couple more to go.

During competition season... cheerleading is a way of life. Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Cheer. So, on top of having a 5 week old baby... our time is also consumed with cheer practices nearly every night. Yet another reason to simplify meal time!

Friday night is usually cheer-free, and it's usually designated for family time. You can usually find us eating around the coffee table in the living room, watching a movie or playing games. So, "serve yourself" or "family platter" meals are usually the norm. We've done fondue, hummus platters, build your own tacos... but, one of our favorites is BBQ chicken nachos! Just in time for your Super Bowl party! (It's also a wonderfully sneaky way to slip your kids some veggies.)

Look at all that melty, cheesy, chocked-full-of-veggies goodness! You can't even see the chips. Hint: you might want a fork to dig into this deliciousness. This recipe was born out of a craving for a discontinued menu item at Smokey Bones. When I was pregnant with my eldest son, it was a dish that satiated many a pregnancy craving. Then... they discontinued it. And, I thought, "BBQ chicken nachos? Simple enough. I can just do this myself!" And, so I have. For years now.

One of the great things about this recipe is that you can toss all of the BBQ chicken fixin's in the crockpot in the morning, let it cook all day, shred the chicken when you're ready for dinner, assemble your nachos, and pop them in the oven in record time. Very simple. Much yum!

BBQ Chicken Nachos

For the chicken:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 C of your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 C Italian dressing
1/4 C brown sugar
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

For nachos:
1 bag tortilla chips
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, large dice
1 can sliced black olives, drained
Pickled jalapeños (optional)
Salsa & sour cream for serving

Lightly season chicken breasts with salt & pepper, place in crockpot. In a mixing bowl, combine BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce; whisk until well-mixed. Pour over chicken, cover, and cook in crockpot on high for 3-4 hours. Using two forks, shred chicken while still in crockpot so that it mixes with all of the sauce. 

Preheat oven to 350*. Begin to assemble nachos... start with covering a baking sheet in aluminum foil. Spread tortilla chips in an even layer across the baking sheet. Top with shredded chicken. I like quite a bit of chicken. You want some of it's sweetness in every crunch nacho bite. My serving looks like this...

There will be plenty of chicken left-over. Not to worry... it makes great Sloppy Chicks (like Sloppy Joe's but with chicken). So, be sure you have some of your favorite sandwich buns on-hand! 

On with the nachos... sprinkle the black beans over the chicken layer. Top beans and chicken with shredded cheese. Then, sprinkle with green onions, tomatoes, and black olives. Using a fork to retrieve them from the jar, place your jalapeños on top of the nachos. Use as few or as many as you like. We usually just put them on half of the nachos because the kids don't like them. So, they have their half spice-free while the adults can enjoy the heat. 

Put the nachos in the oven, and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa!

This really is a simple, delicious, and fun recipe. The kids always look forward to nacho night around here!

Now, if you'll excuse me... I have to get these two little guys down for a nap so I can get to crafting. I have a fun project involving a papier mache deer's head, Modge Podge, fabric, and LOTS of glitter to share later this week. Stay tuned!

Burger and Fries Soup

I have a hard time swallowing the whole "rest and take it easy" prescription. It usually takes landing in the ER, like yesterday (mastitis), to get me to slow down. And, even that only seems to work for a couple of days. That being said, I had every intention of being the ultimate pregnancy-prepper this time around so that I COULD finally attempt to follow said advice BEFORE I landed in the doctor's office. The house would be cleaned spotless. Christmas would have been wrapped neatly under the tree. And, I would have a freezer full of meals ready for the Mr. to just reheat in the oven.

Bits and pieces of those goals materialized. Sadly, the freezer full of food did not. So, in the aftermath of adding a fifth child to our brood, I have been in search of some quick, easy recipes that don't sacrifice the yumminess factor. Here's a recipe that I threw together in no time flat that shot straight to the top of the charts on the list of the Mr.'s favorite meals.

Burger and Fries Soup

1 lb mild Italian ground sausage

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbs all-purpose flour

2 1/2 C whole milk

1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 (10 oz) can original Ro*Tel, drained

1 1/2 C Water

1 Tbs beef bouillon granules

12 oz jalapeno Velveeta, cubed

6 pieces of bacon, cooked & crumbled

A couple of slices of artisan bread or French bread, cubed (for crouton topping)

Shredded medium cheddar for garnishing

Preheat oven to 350*. On a baking sheet, place the cubed bread (I prefer Whole Foods black pepper parmesan bread). Put in the oven for 5-10 minutes until toasted, and golden. Remove from oven; set aside.

In a large stock pot, over medium heat, brown sausage along with the onion 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook 1 minute longer. Add flour; stir until blended. Gradually add milk, stirring to combine. Add potatoes, Ro*Tel, water, and bouillon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Then, add Velveeta, stirring until melted. 

Serve topped with bacon, cheese, and toasted croutons.

This recipe is so hearty, flavorful, and with just enough spice to clear out those stuffy noses riddled with winter colds. It is one of the best soups I've ever made, and oh-so-easy! 

Here are a couple of Pinterest finds that we've tried over the last couple of weeks that were also home-runs with even the pickiest of kiddos around here...

This Buffalo Chicken Chili is a Crock-Pot recipe. My family recipe chili is just too spicy for the kids. But, this new spin on chili has just enough spice to satisfy the adults while still making it palatable for the younger set. And, the blue cheese crumbles on top just seal the deal!

Cheryl's Fancy Pants Chicken might have a silly name, but this casserole of sorts has a very serious mouthwatering factor. I could eat this for days on end, and it will definitely make it into our regular rotation of favorite meals. Chicken. Mushrooms. Cheese. Prosciutto. Spinach. YUM. Plus, it's of the throw-it-in-a-baking-dish-and-it's-done simplistic meals variety.

So, if you find yourself in need of some quick meals... you really don't need to resort to racing to the closest McDonald's, or phoning in your 3rd pizza delivery order of the week. Simple, yet delicious meals are totally feasible, and right at your fingertips! Bon appetite!

Aunt Hester's Snack Crackers

I'm convinced that I was born in the wrong era. When looking back through old family photos, and listening to the stories of my grandparents' epic parties... somewhere between 1930 and 1960 is where I belong. The stashes of old family recipes: appetizers, finger foods, snacks; they all lend themselves to a time where cocktail parties and entertaining people in your home were the height of sophistication. Then again...

Photos of my Nana drinking straight from the punch bowl. Stories of my Pop standing on his head, playing the kazoo. While, perhaps, not the height of sophistication... they were definitely the life of the party!

And, we all know that you can't host a proper party without some tasty munchies spread throughout the venue! Another one of my grandparents' frequent party-goers was my Aunt Hester.

And, with Aunt Hester, came her yummy bite-sized snack crackers! If you're in need of a quick recipe that you can just whip together for those last-minute party invites (or even just a treat that you can snack on while sitting in front of the TV), these are just what you need! 

Start of with 24 oz of oyster crackers, 1 heaping tsp dill weed, 1 heaping tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp lemon pepper, 1 pkg original ranch dressing mix, 1 C vegetable or canola oil, and 2 paper grocery bags. 

Fit one grocery bag inside the other, then start adding the ingredients in the order they are listed above. 

Roll the tope of the grocery bags down, sealing everything up, and start shaking for 5 minutes. Did I mention that this doubles as your arm workout for the day?

And, that's it. Seriously. It. Store the crackers in an air-tight container or Ziplock bag until ready to serve!

Now, since we don't really have any parties to attend this year... excuse me while I pour myself a bowl, and go watch Dawn of the Planet of the Apes with my husband!

Candied Bacon Pecan Pie

Are you all stuffed with Thanksgiving left-overs? Suffering through turkey and cranberry hang-overs? We are too... but, not of the turkey and cranberry variety. Since my two older kids are at their dad's for Thanksgiving, and since we only have a picky toddler to feed besides ourselves, and since I'm 38 weeks pregnant and the thought of having to cook a huge dinner for just the 3 of us... we decided to change it up around here. Lobster is always good for a special meal for two (or 2 1/2 as the case may be). We went with this decadent lobster mac and cheese recipe. Best decision EVER. And, I took the time to make a couple of pies for dessert: pumpkin (of course), and this little gem of my husband's creation... candied bacon pecan pie!

A couple of years ago, I stumbled across a recipe on Pinterest for candied bacon. My husband, lover of ALL things bacon, insisted I give it a go. So, I did. That sweet and salty combo. The perfectly caramelized crust on the bacon. HEAVEN. And somehow, between consuming every last bite of it, my husband had the brilliant idea of adding it to my Aunt Betty's infamous pecan pie recipe.

I've since had several people ask for the recipe. So, I figured it was high time I shared it. Here we go...

Start off by candying the bacon. I am rather partial to the thick-cut apple cinnamon bacon that we always buy from Whole Foods. We purchase it by the pound. And, truthfully, you'll only need about 4 pieces out of that pound. But, let's be honest... if you want to HAVE 4 pieces LEFT for the pie... you had better candy that whole pound! Because, if your husband is anything like mine, he will "sample" his way through the rest of it! Start by pre-heating your oven to 350. Meanwhile, mix together 1/2 C packed brown sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Sprinkle on a shallow plate, and dredge both sides of bacon through sugar mixture, making sure it is well-coated.

Place bacon on a slotted baking sheet, and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Start checking after 10 minutes, and keep an eye on the bacon. You will want a nice, caramelized crust. But, you also want the bacon on the soft, non-crispy side as it will cook more once you add it to the pie. 

Once bacon has cooled, chop it up. With 4 pieces of the thick-cut bacon, you should end up with one heaping cup full. 

Set bacon aside, turn up heat on oven to 375, and start assembling my Aunt Betty's pecan pie. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat 3 eggs. To the mixing bowl, add 1/2 C sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 6 Tbs melted butter, 1 C dark corn syrup, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until combined. 

I love that handmade cookbook peeking in up there. It was a Christmas gift from my mother a few years back, and it is packed with old family recipes. A true treasure! Anyhow... carefully fold in 1 1/4 C whole pecans.

Pour into a 9" unbaked pie shell. I wish I could say that the pie crust was of my own doing. But, that 38 weeks pregnant thing... yeah. I can barely stand up at this point. So, this year, homemade pie crust was just a bridge too far for this girl! Bake the pie for 20 minutes. 

Remove pie from the oven, and sprinkle the candied bacon over the top. 

Put the pie back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool. Your pie should be cooled, and ready to be devoured in a couple of hours! 

We adored my Aunt Betty, and this pie is the perfect way to remember her each holiday season. And, I would like to think that she would enjoy our twist on her old family favorite!

RIP Aunt Betty.

Candied Bacon Pecan Pie

4 strips thick-cut apple cinnamon bacon (or any other thick-cut variety)

1/2 C brown sugar, packed

1 tsp ground cinnamon

(1) 9" pie crust, uncooked

3 eggs

1/2 C sugar

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbs butter, melted

1 C dark corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 C pecan halves

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle onto a shallow plate. Dredge both sides of bacon in sugar mixture, making sure it is well-coated. Place bacon on slotted baking dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Start checking at 10 minutes. You want bacon to have a nice caramelized crust, but cooked soft (not crispy) as it will continue to cook when added to the pie. Remove bacon from oven; let cool. Once cooled, chop bacon; set aside. Raise oven temperature to 375. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat 3 eggs. To the eggs, add sugar, salt, melted butter, corn syrup, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Gently fold in pecan halves. Pour into pie shell, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle chopped bacon over the top of pie. Return to oven, and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove pie from oven, and let cool for approximately 2 hours. ENJOY!

Next Food Network Star: Challenge #6

No, no, no... I haven't quit blogging again. We've just been a little bit busy doing a little bit of this...

And, a little bit of that...

And, this too...

But, more on that later. With all the getting hitched, family visits, and honeymoon business... I've fallen a bit behind on The Next Food Network Star challenges. Since the show is almost over, I'll finish posting the couple of challenges that I already completed, and set the project aside until next season. Next time, we'll be up and running on premiere night... not like this year's late start. Not to worry, I've been cooking up a storm since we've gotten back from Alaska. I have lots to share, and plenty of future plans for the blog to include weekly features that will debut this week. So, stay tuned! 

Tonight is the final episode of this season's Next Food Network Star. Fingers crossed, and all bets are on for my fave, Justin Warner to bring it home tonight. In the meantime... here's the first of two installments of my remaining completed challenges:

For episode 6, we tuned in while the teams competed against each other to elevate the cuisine of typical food court fare. Team Alton: an Italian-themed booth. Team Giada: a Mexican-themed service. And, Team Bobby Flay: an American deli style menu. 

According to Food Network, here is the synopsis for episode 7...

Ten finalists remain to compete for the title of Food Network Star. This week, each finalist must elevate iconic food-court food while adapting to the limitations of a kiosk. The challenge is taken to another level when they learn they'll be feeding Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian in addition to 150 hungry shoppers! Tensions mount as Zakarian provides an Iron Chef-worthy secret ingredient that the finalists will have to incorporate in their dishes.

Per our usual random selection, I came up with the challenge of creating a dish for the classic American deli. And, what deli menu would be complete without a side of fries to go with those delectable sandwiches? These are the French fries to end ALL French fries!

Inspired by a dish discovered at the Alaska State Fair many, many years ago... I present to you peanut potatoes!

I grew up mostly in Texas, having moved to Alaska only right before my sophomore year in high school. Alaska, with its breath-taking scenery, is a magnificent place to visit. Although, with its long, cold, dark winters... it is up for debate on its ranking as a desireable place to live full-time. Obviously, summer is the ideal time to visit. And, if you can manage a trip right at the end of summer, you can count yourself lucky enough to have a stab at a trip to the state fair. Living there, the state fair becomes a rather stale event year after year. Not much changes. Same food booths. Same craft vendors. Same 1,000 pound cabbage contest. But, there is one booth that made the journey worth it every time: the peanut potato food truck. This is one of the elusive booths that only graces the presence of the fairway every couple of years. It is a booth, upon which its sole participation, determines whether we even make the long trek from Anchorage to Palmer on any given year. 

Fingerling potatoes are fairly easy to come by in the south. Every summer, you will be able to find a choice of red, white, even purple fingerling potatoes up for purchase. In Alaska? Not so much. These buttery, flavorful spuds were an oddity to come across up in the last frontier. Until I moved to North Carolina, I was never able to duplicate this recipe on my own. But, now that I can... they are a regular on our summer BBQ menus. And, let me tell you... the put your run-of-the mill French fries to shame!

Peanut Potatoes

2 (1 lb) bags fingerling potatoes

Peanut oil

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Dried parsley

1 med tub sour cream

1 (.4 oz) pkg ranch dressing mix

1 pkg real bacon bits

Fingerling potatoes, although only the length of a finger (hence the name), are fully matured when harvested. They have thin skins which are ideal to remain intact during cooking. Low in starch, with a waxy texture, they make for a smooth buttery treat once cooked. Look at these beautiful little taters...

Start by cutting up your potatoes. If the fingeling spuds are small enough, halving them is good enough. But if you end up with a bag of rather large guys, go ahead and quarter them. My selection was small enough to halve.

You'll need a deep fat fryer for these. Admittedly, I purchased mine SOLEY for making peanut potatoes. But trust me... once you have one, you won't know how you ever lived without it! Fill the fryer up with peanut oil (canola oil if you have food allergies). Heat the oil up to 375*, and begin frying the potatoes in batches. You will be able to tell when the potatoes are done frying. They will reach a nice golden brown, and float to the top of the oil.

While your potatoes are frying, go ahead and whip up your baked potato dip. Empty the sour cream into a mixing bowl. Add your ranch dressing mix and bacon bits. Stir to combine.

When the potatoes are done, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the fryer. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Once drained and slightly cooled, sprinkle with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and parsley. Serve with a side of baked potato dip to scoop up with those tasty taters!

Did you know that, if Belgian hisotrians had it their way, we wouldn't even know French fries by their current moniker? The Belgians insist that originated the fried potato. They would have us believe that it was American soldiers, arriving in Belgium during WWI that accidentally branded them as "French fries" for evermore. What the Americans had sampled were actually Belgium fries, but as a result of French being the official language of the Belgian army at the time... Americans coined these tasty fried treats "French fries."

Either way, trust me when I tell you... these peanut potatoes are unlike any French fry you have ever popped in your mouth. The texture of fingerling potatoes is smooth and buttery. And, that dip... oh that dip! These are heavenly little treats! Serve up with your favorite sandwich or burger, and you'll be on the hunt for fingerling potatoes to accompany EVERY summer meal!

Next Food Network Star: Challenge #2

Between wedding stuff, visiting relatives, honeymoon preparations, and an insane amount of house cleaning... things have been busy around here for the past couple of weeks. So, please excuse the tardy posts. We're still playing the catch-up game with Next Food Network Star challenges. We're back to Challenge #2: The Food Tour of New York. The contestants toured infamous foodie spots around New York, took what they learned, created their own dish, then served up the dish with a side of drive-by history on a food tour of the city. Here is the official synopsis per Food Network's website...

This week's challenge is a food tour of New York! The finalists are split into three teams and will each take a busload of tourists on a tour of three different New York neighborhoods. How entertaining are they? What landmarks will they highlight? How much food knowledge do they impart? Then each finalist will have to prepare and serve a dish to the judges based on the research they do in the neighborhoods.

While we don't live in New York City, we have our own realtively famous culinary stomping grounds: Raleigh/Durham, NC. A couple of weeks ago, while visiting the Durham Farmers' Market, we came across the motherload of food trucks. One, in particular, struck my fancy... the chicken and waffles truck. What true southerner doesn't love their chicken and waffles? Unfortunately, the next weekend... after I set out upon completing this challenge, the truck wasn't there. Ahhh... but, Durham is host to the next best thing (or perhaps the first best thing): Dame's Chicken and Waffles. 

The Mr. and I visited the restaurant on a Saturday afternoon with every intention of talking to the staff, learning a little bit about their history, and getting a belly-full of delicious chicken and waffles. Unfortunately, that wasn't what happened AT ALL. I use Yelp! all the time to read reviews on local restaurants, and find new places to visit. This was the only time I actually felt the need to create a Yelp! account solely for the purpose of reviewing a restaurant. 

Since Dame's was featured in Southern Living, it has become quite to popular dining destination... understandably so. We walked in the door, and were immediately asked if we had a reservation. No, we didn't. But, the Mr. inquired if we could make one and wait. The hostess simply turned our back to us, leaving us standing there slightly befuddled. Another couple walked in the door, stated they didn't have a reservation, and asked if they could eat at the bar. No problem. The hostess seated them immediately. Another host was left at the podium, and again we asked if we could make a reservation. He stared blankly at us, then turned around and walked off. Okay. That was enough. We abruptly left the restaurant. So, while Dame's might have the best chicken and waffles around... we'll never know. The horrid service was such an incredible turn-off... we will never frequent the steps of that restaurant again. But, that didn't stop me from concocting my own chicken and waffles recipe at home! A little spicy, a little crunchy, a whole lotta' flavor... I present to you Clucks-N-Quilts! A buffalo wings/pigs in a blanket-inspired chicken and waffles dish:

Clucks-N-Quilts

For salad:

5 celery stalks, finely chopped (plus more stalks, sliced for serving)

1 lg dill pickle, finely chopped (I prefer Claussen brand)

1 med shallot, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 C bleu good-quality cheese dressing (plus more for serving)

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For chicken:

Canola oil

1 pkg chicken tenderloins

1 bottle hot wing sauce (I prefer Texas Pete)

1 1/2 C Bisquick

1 1/2 C panko bread crumbs

2 tsp paprika

For waffles:

4 eggs, separated

2 C whole milk

1 bottle Tobasco sauce

2/3 C unsalted butter, melted

5 oz container bleu cheese crumbles

1/3 C parsley, minced

2 1/3 C all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp salt

Go ahead and put your tenderloins in a plastic Ziplock bag, cover with buffalo wing sauce and refrigerate while marinating for 1-2 hours. You can start the salad now too. It can be refrigerated for a while during your chicken and waffle making. Start by finely chopping your celery and dill pickle.

Then, dice your shallot and garlic cloves.

Add celery, pickle, shallot, and garlic in a med bowl with the bleu cheese dressing and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Toss to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.

Prior to creating this recipe, I laughed at the thought of owning a waffle maker. It seemed like a kitchen frivolity. After all... how often would I really use it? Let me tell you... if all I used it for was this recipe... it was worth every penny I paid for it. So, let's get started on those waffles! Preheat your waffle maker, and preheat your oven to 200* (to keep the waffles warm while you finish the rest of the batch). And, go ahead and get your canola oil heated up for the chicken. If you have a fryer... set it at 375*, otherwise heat the oil in a skillet on the stove. Back to the waffles... in a lg bowl, whick together egg yolks, milk, butter, cheese, Tobasco and parsley. Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the yolk mixture; whisk until smooth. In a stand mixer (or in a bowl with a hand mixer), whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Use a spatula to fold egg whites into batter mixture. Pour batter into waffle maker, close and cook until crisp and golden (about 5-6 min). Transfer waffles to wire rack in oven to keep warm.

On to your chicken! Sift the Bisquick and paprika into a shallow bowl. Add the panko crumbs, and toss to combine. Working in batches, dredge your marinated tenderloins in the breading mix until nicely coated. 

Add to hot oil, and fry until golden brown and cooked through (about 5-6 minutes). Remove from oil to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. 

To serve, place a waffle on the plate. Top with a scoop of the salad mixture, 2 chicken tenderloins and a drizzle of bleu cheese dressing on top. 

It's making my mouth water all over again just typing out this recipe! The Mr. has his favorite things that I make. But, in my own opinion... this is my all time favorite meal that I have EVER made. We rolled the waffles up to make the connection to "pigs in a blanket" official, but that didn't translate well into the photo session. Serve with a side of celery, and some extra bleu cheese dressing for dipping... perfecto!

The origin of chicken and waffles is uncertain, at best. Stories range from Southern slaves to the Pennsylvania Dutch being the creators of this dish. Either or, one thing is for certain... this dish gained its popularity through the Harlem Renaissance of the 20's-40's. At the height of the jazz music explosion, Harlem was the place to be. Concerts, parties, eves of merriment would often linger into the wee hours of the morning. Many restaurants in the area began to capitalize on the trend, and stay open for hours to accomodate the famished party-goers. The infamous Wells' Supper Club, in attempt to eliminate food waste, decided to take their left-over fried chicken from the end of the dinner rush, combine it with a sweet waffle topped with syrup, and the rest is history! Chicken and waffles are a true southern staple, and this spin on the classic dish is keep your taste buds coming back for more.

Thanks for joining me today, and check back on Wednesday for another Next Food Network Star Challenge... Challenge #8!