Pan-Fried Chicken Parmesan Croquettes

Pan-Fried Chicken Parmesan Croquettes

Finding creative ways to use leftover deli rotisserie chicken (or even home-roasted for that matter) can sometimes be a challenge. I was pretty stoked when this recipe for chicken croquettes showed up in my WP reader board for a unique and delicious way to use up some leftover cooked chicken. (Thank you Fabulous Fare Sisters for making my day!)

My local grocery just started offering rotisserie chicken breasts pieces for sale instead of the whole chicken. OMG what??? I am not a huge fan of dark meat (although I know it is juicier, but I let hubby always take care of that part of the chicken.) But wow, it was so nice to get some deli-roasted chicken *knowing* all the leftovers would be used up before freezing it and turning it into chicken stock. Yes, that is a nice feeling indeed…

These tasty croquettes were not that hard at all to make, and delivered on taste and were not dry at all. We were all very impressed! The adapted recipe version I am giving you made 5 croquettes, so now I have two in the freezer for an easy future meal for just the hubs and I when daughter isn’t home for dinner. Hooray!

Pan-Fried Chicken Parmesan Croquettes
Adapted from Chicken Parmesan Croquettes at Fabulous Fare Sisters

2 1/2 to 3 cups finely chopped cooked chicken (I used my Ninja food processor)
1 large egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (homemade are good!)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth (low sodium or homemade)
Ground pepper and salt or Mrs. Dash seasoning, to taste
1 tablespoon dried oregano (from our garden!)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup marinara sauce, heated through
Shredded Mozzarella cheese for topping the croquettes
Dried or fresh basil, for garnish

Cooked Chicken in Ninja Processor

Finely chop/mince the cooked chicken, either with a knife or in a food processor.

In a large mixing bowl, add the first 8 ingredients and combine together using your hands until blended well.

Croquette Ingredients

Form mixture into patty size of choice — we ended up with 5.  Add oil to skillet over medium heat, then cook on each side until golden, about 3 minutes each side (remember the chicken is already cooked).  Add more breadcrumbs on top (if you have more) when you flip over for extra flavor.

Frying the Croquettes

Preheat broiler in oven or toaster oven.

Croquettes Ready for Broiling

Top each croquette with a couple of tablespoons of heated marinara sauce of choice, then Mozzarella, and broil until cheese is bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Broiled Croquettes

Garnish with dried or fresh chopped basil. We served this over cooked pasta, but you can serve with any grain or pasta and a salad.

Pan-Fried Chicken Parmesan Croquettes

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

Advertisement

Summertime Shrimp Rolls

Summertime Shrimp Roll

You know how those fancy-schmancy lobster rolls get all the attention? Well thanks to fellow foodie blogger Tom over at The Bonafide Farm Food Journal we can all now enjoy what he calls “the lobster roll’s better more lovable brother.” Hop on over to his blog and read about what he thinks! It’s a good read.

I adapted his recipe to make only two sandwiches since my daughter was away that night for dinner. I also lightened it up a bit and used half mayo, half lowfat Greek yogurt. This hoagie just came out INCREDIBLE! It’s not only pretty to look at, it is pretty danged delicious. And it’s super-easy to make, too. Try it, you’ll like it!

Summertime Shrimp Rolls (Makes 2 Sandwiches)
Adapted from The Bonafide Farm Food Journal/Tom Hirschfeld

1/2 pound large, raw deveined shrimp
1/4 cup English cucumber, diced
4 sugar snap peas, cut crosswise into thin rounds (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon 2% fat Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 hoagie rolls of choice (I used sesame seed)
Red or green leaf lettuce

Shrimp Roll Ingredients

Bring a 2-quart pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt up to a roiling boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them. Remove the shells and tails then chop the shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and add to a mixing bowl.

Chopped Shrimp and Veggies

Add the rest of the ingredients except the rolls and lettuce to the shrimp. Mix until well-combined.

Split the buns from the top, line with leaves of lettuce and top with the shrimp salad. Serve with sliced dill pickles and potato chips.

Summertime Shrimp Roll

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

 

Perfect Potato Salad

Perfect Potato Salad

This is a recipe that my husband adapted over the years from my 1981 Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. He is the one that usually makes this to take to potlucks or to serve with his awesome barbecued pork ribs, but this weekend I offered to take the helm and cook them myself. (I still let him cook the ribs, he is the BBQ King in this household.)

Fall is in the air, and this was potentially our last grilled meal for the season. At this time of year, the snow can fly at any time. But today was a beautiful, sunny fall day with just a hint of crispness in the air. It was a perfect day for this Perfect Potato Salad!

Perfect Potato Salad
Adapted from Creamy Potato Salad, 1981 Better Homes and Garden Cookbook

5 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
Mrs. Dash, or salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced thin
Snipped chives (optional garnish)

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 30 minutes until you can pierce with a fork, but don’t let them get mushy! You want the potatoes slightly firm. Rinse under cold water, drain, then add to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours up to overnight.

Cold Chilled Potatoes Ready to Chop

Meanwhile, hard boil the eggs until done, about 15 minutes. Dunk in cold water, then refrigerate for several hours up to overnight.

Vinegar Mixture and Chopped Potatoes

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, celery and mustard seed, and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for several hours up to overnight. I prepped the potatoes, eggs, and vinegar mixture the day before.

Potato Salad Ingredients Ready to Combine

A few hours before serving, chop the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and add back to the large bowl with the chopped celery and onion. Stir in the mayo to the vinegar mixture then toss with the potatoes lightly to coat, then season with Mrs. Dash or salt and ground pepper to taste, Arrange sliced eggs over top and garnish with snipped chives. Cover and chill thoroughly.

p.s. No, this is not the kitchen from my other house. The condo kitchen happens to have the same color granite as our rental kitchen did!

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

Simple Tuna and Egg Salad Stack

Simple Tuna and Egg Salad Stack

Sometimes I just like simple. And comforting. And quick. That is exactly what I made myself for lunch the other day. A simple tuna and egg salad stacked atop a simple toasted English muffin. Nothing fancy going on here, but I sure enjoyed it! Oh, and so did my husband, who happened to make it home just as I was about to pack away the leftovers, so he got himself a Simple Tuna and Egg Salad Stack too! I hope you enjoy.

Simple Tuna and Egg Salad Stack

2 boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
1 5-ounce can albacore tuna , drained and flaked
Ground pepper, to taste
Celery salt, to taste
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning, to taste
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Small squirt of Dijon mustard
1 green onion, white and light green parts, chopped
1 English muffin, halved and toasted with a light spread of butter

Mix all the ingredients except the English muffin in a small bowl. Mix it up and taste and see if it needs anymore of anything. Plop a few spoonfuls onto your toasted and buttered English muffin and well, eat! You can serve with chips and a dill pickle if you want to round it out a bit more, or eat all of it yourself. I was nice and shared.

Tuna and Egg Salad on English Muffin

Oh! And I added a new Lunch category for my recipes. I don’t know why I never did that as I have plenty of lunch recipes from the past that I just dumped into the Main Dishes category instead, but a lot of them I actually made for lunch.

Baked Ham and Swiss Cheese Sliders ~ A Party Hit!

Baked Ham and Swiss Sliders

I was invited to a very good friend’s house for Super Bowl Sunday, and she said I didn’t have to bring anything except myself and daughter (hubby was out of town), and that there would be plenty of food. I accepted, with reservations in my mind. You see, I’d been seeing these fantastic ham and cheese sliders posted on Pinterest for quite awhile, and I was really hankering to make them. I called her the next day and asked if I could go ahead and make them for the Super Bowl party. She of course said it was OK, but warned me it really wasn’t necessary. Well! I am so glad I did make them! They were a fantastic hit, and I’m chagrined I made half of them with just turkey and Swiss cheese and mayo. The issue is we had a few picky kid eaters at the house, but two of the three tried the ham ones with the Dijon/Worcestershire/Onion sauce and ended up loving them! So I ended up with some turkey ones left to bring home, but my daughter took those for school lunch the next couple of days, so it worked out. The original recipe for this came from King’s Hawaiian website, recipe here. My adaptation was to use fresh onion instead of dried, less butter and deli meat (a pound per 12 rolls is a bit overkill on the meat, but certainly feel free to add that amount if you want).  A lot of the recipes on Pinterest use poppy seeds instead of sesame. Poppy seeds are very expensive, did you know that?

These are a cinch to make and can be easily halved per the original recipe. But a double batch will fly off the plate!  So why not bookmark this page for a great party/potluck idea? I’m just adding the recipe below for the Ham and Swiss sliders, since the Turkey and Swiss just didn’t do it for me.

Pan of Ham and Swiss and Turkey and Swiss Sliders

Baked Ham and Swiss Cheese Sliders

2 12-packs King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls
1 stick butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound thinly sliced deli ham
Sliced swiss cheese to fit, about 10-12 slices
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a large bread knife, cut the entire block of rolls in half, keeping the tops and bottoms intact. Lay the bottom halves in a 9 x 13 baking pan (the two fit perfectly!). In a small bowl, microwave the butter, onion, Dijon, and Worcestershire for two minutes, covered. Bowl and steam will be HOT! Carefully uncover and spread half the mixture on the bottom of the rolls. Layer the ham and cheese, then add the tops of the rolls. Mix the sesame seeds into the rest of the butter mixture, then spread the rest of it on top of the rolls. Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes more. Separate sandwiches with a sharp knife. Serve hot to your hungry guests immediately!

Edit: I forgot I to tell you I sprayed the baking pan lightly with oil to prevent sticking!