Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

One thing I would not consider myself, is a writer. Writer sounds so sophisticated, right? I mean not really someone who watches the entire series of the Real Housewives and prefers to eat Del Taco nacho cheese fries for her birthday ;) Though, really those two are awesome, and I guess could be paired with tea. Since tea seems fancy too..haha..I joke... Well I have been having writer's block for the past month. I think that's why my posts have not been as frequent (in addition to the time consuming lifestyle that is graduate school). But I am not sure what is going on. Maybe, my life is too dull and clearly I need to do things thats worth sharing...and by maybe, I mean I haven't left my couch since I came back from Chi-town on Friday ;) Don't judge me...

So about Chi-town. It was a fun trip. A mix of love, fun and crazy. Where should I start? Crazy...well I got stuck with two taxi drivers that had issues. The first, who's charger broke and he gave it to me to fix. Then he did not know where he was going, so asked me to navigate on my phone. The other, who had crazy road rage and made absolutely no sense. I could not understand him at all, because he would slurr his speech. And I was not the only one because I met the taxi driver causing a scene in the hotel lobby trying to find me -- and who got angry when no one else understood him. Oh dear, right? But luckily, I got to meet up with family to enjoy good food and then, the next night, I got to meet up with a friend who I've known since 6th grade. Oh, and my talk went well :) Got to meet other wonderful people who share the same research interests as me.

Though I am not a fancy writer, I did decide to be fancy with food again -- and made chicken cordon belu casserole ;) It was such a fun twist on a classic recipe that I think everyone loves. And by everyone, I mean me. I love stuffed chicken recipes, so when I saw this recipe -- I knew I had to try it. This was a long overdue post, since I made it a while ago. Fun fact: when I was in high school, I took 4 years of French. Sadly, since I graduated high school, it has only gone down hill :/ This is a delicious recipe. If I do make it again, I would add more cheese (I reflected this change in the recipe below -- but just note that when looking at the pictures). This recipe had a few different steps and some prep needed, so just keep that in mind but it is well worth it!

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE 

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

INGREDIENTS 

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

FOR THE CASSEROLE
2 chicken breasts shredded*
1/2-1 pound of ham slices
2- 6oz packages of Swiss cheese slices

FOR THE SAUCE
4 tbsp. butter
6 tbsp. of all purpose flour
3 1/4 c. milk (whole milk)
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika(optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE TOPPING
1 stick of butter, melted
2 c. of panko bread crumbs
2 tsp. dried cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

*To shred chicken, place two chicken breasts and 4 tsbp. chicken broth in a slower cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Once cooked, using two forks, shred apart the chicken and allow to sit for an additional 15-20 minutes to soak up liquid.  Squeeze and drain excess liquid.

DIRECTIONS

For the Casserole:
Grease a 9x13 casserole dish with either butter or cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with a layer of ham slices (1/2 of the ham). Top the layer of ham with 1 package of Swiss cheese slices. Then, scatter the shredded chicken breasts over the cheese (depending on how much chicken you prefer, you may not use all the chicken).  Place a second layer of ham slices over chicken (the rest of the ham slices) followed by a second layer (using the second packet) of Swiss cheese slices. Set aside.

For the Sauce:
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in flour, constantly stirring to form a thick paste. Be careful not burn! Once the paste is thick and flour is dissolved, pour in milk while stirring constantly until smooth. Continue cooking until sauce has thickened. This can take some time, so be patient -- 10-15 minutes -- Add in lemon juice, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil and then turn off heat. Let sit for about 5 minutes to slightly cool. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, making sure to cover the edges with sauce.

For the Topping:
Combine melted butter, panko crumbs, cilantro, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Continue stirring until a grainy, sand-like texture is reached. Sprinkle crumble evenly over casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until top has turned light, golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

Enjoy,
Chika 

Cajun Turkey Burgers

Let's continue on the vacay recap. After leaving Kuala Lampur, Malaysia we headed to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We landed at this beautiful, traditionally designed airport. From the minute I landed, I just knew I was going to LOVE Cambodia and I did.  When you arrive there is a taxi stand and you can either hire a tuk-tuk or a car to drive you to your hotel and then for the day. It is only $30.00 to have a taxi driver take you around and provide you a temple tour all day. Our first stop was the hotel- which was beyond amazing! They provided these fantastic breakfast buffet spreads. And not just doughnuts and orange juice but a whole banquet room full of food! You are probably thinking...I have an obsession with food...and for you I say  "Of course! I am a foodie and that is why I write a food blog ;)" In general, I loved the food in Siem Reap. I became addicted to fried rice and noodles. In their "fancy" restaurants, our meals would at most cost like $5.00 whereas when went to "normal" food places and stands their dishes were like $1.00. I know!

For the next two days we went to all the temples, which were so beautiful! Looking at the ruins and the designs were breathtaking. We also went to the famous Angkor-Wat Temple at sunrise and it was gorgeous. Though Cambodia was HOT, HOT, HOT. I noticed touring went something like this: you wake up at sunrise and tour the temples till around noon-1pm at which point it gets so hot, you need to head indoors. What did I do then? Well, I am glad you asked! Because at our hotel there was a luxury spa that you could enjoy! Now, remember, I am a graduate student and getting facials and full body massages is way out of my playing field! But there, I got a 90 minute deep tissue massage with a pedicure that included a foot massage for only $37! Seriously!?! The spa was beautiful and tranquil. The service, also amazing and the massage/pedicure...even more amazing!  I was so sad to leave :( Our next stop: Bangkok, Thailand!

Now- I want to wish you and your family a fun, happy and safe Fourth of July! My family immigrated to this country because of the wonderful opportunities that it offered. I was born in this country and have been blessed with a wonderful life- and life that has brought my hubby and my Ninja face. I am thankful to be an American and know that there are so many amazing people fighting for that privilege right now. And, so on this day I choose to celebrate and be thankful :) And so what do I have for your today, but burgers with a cajun twist! I mean you have to do something grill related, right?! Also, this recipe seems like a lot but it really is simple and quick to put together using ingredients you probably already have around the house. Minus, maybe the Tony Chachere's, but I did tell you when I made Red Beans and Rice that this was a seasoning to have in bulk (as it comes in handy). 

CAJUN TURKEY BURGERS

A for the Love of Dessert Original Recipe

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BURGER PATTY

1 pound (16 oz.) ground turkey (or beef), thawed

1 egg, beaten

1-1 1/2 c. Japanese panko bread crumbs

1/2 c. green onion, diced

1 bag of 3 pepper & onion blend (sold via Kroger or PictSweet), thawed and drained

2-3 tbsp. of Tony Chacheres' Creole Seasoning (depending on spice level preference)

squirt of lemon juice (optional)

1 tbsp. oil (vegetable, canola, or olive)-- for cooking

FOR THE SAUCE

1/2 c. mayonnaise 

2 tsp. of Tony Chareres' Creole Seasoning

1 tsp. Sriracha (optional, only if you prefer spicy)

FOR THE BURGER

6-8 pack of burger buns (I tried onion buns but I also would recommend sour dough or ciabatta) 

Lettuce

1 tomato, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 pack of pepper jack cheese slices 

AS A SIDE (optional)

Sweet Potato Fries 

DIRECTIONS

For the Patty:

In a large bowl first combine ground meat and egg. Then mix in panko bread crumbs to create a nice crunchy texture. Next, add in, green onion and the bag of 3 pepper & onion blend. Make sure the 3 pepper & onion blend is dried- as you do not want watery patties. Once all the ingredient are mixed together, incorporate your seasoning and lemon juice. Let sit for a few minutes (about 5 minutes), just so all the ingredients can marinate. Then divide meat mixture into 4-6 equal parts, depending on how large you want your patties to be. Once divided, take each chunk and, using the palms of your hands, shape into a patty. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, so patty shape can be firm. 

Once firm, in a griddle or cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add on meat patties and cook 4-5 minutes on each side- making sure it is cooked through and forms a nice char on the outside. You can also cook this on the grill. 

For the Sauce:

While the patties are in the refrigerator, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, seasoning and if desired Sriracha sauce. Taste a small amount to make sure the seasoning is as you desire. If the mixture is too spicy or salty add in more mayonnaise, one spoonful at a time. If you desire more spice and salt--add in the creole seasoning and if you want more spice--add in the Sriracha sauce. 

For the Burger:

Take burger buns and slightly toast on each side. Then take a generous heaping of Cajun mayonnaise and spread evenly on the inside of the bun (both top and bottom buns). Then layer as follow on top of the bottom bun: meat patty, cheese (place cheese on meat patty while still hot, so cheese can melt), tomato, onion, lettuce and top bun. 

For the Side:

Service with a side of sweet potatoes for a yummy and complete meal option! The hubby loves sweet potato fries, so I knew I just had to include it! If you choose to include fries, just stick them in the oven while the patties are refrigerating and they should be done right when you are starting to assemble your burgers :) 

See...not that bad and pretty quick to make!

Enjoy,

Chika

Panko-Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Did you guys stop drooling from the Cake Batter Truffles I posted earlier ;) It was really popular on my personal Facebook page. Not shocking- I do not really know anyone who does not like cake batter or truffles! Speaking of Facebook- I would absolutely LOVE it if you take the minute to Like my Facebook Page :) The Cake Batter Truffles reminded me of innocent-little guilty pleasures. Do you have any of those? I thought- why not share some mine with you today- I guess to know the dork behind For the Love of Dessert a little more. So here goes my top 10-- no judging ;)

1. Watching Judge Judy and People's Court
2. Watching Bravo Reality Shows- ALL the Real Housewives (except New York) and Shah's of Sunset
3. I LOVE listening to Justin Bieber--and yes, I may be in my twenties
4. Eating cookie dough (half of my dough never makes it to becoming cookies)
5. Licking the bowl and spatula clean when I am done baking (especially brownie batter)
6. Romantic Comedies- in fact I YouTube the ending scenes of my favorite Romance Movies
7. Sleeping in past noon
8. Eating Nacho Cheese Fries from Del Taco
9. Social Networking (Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook)- I am addicted!
10. Impulse buys

Do you have any guilty pleasures! I would love to hear them- so I do not think I am too strange ;)

So I had already purchased Japanese Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan Cheese for the Bobby Flay Vegetable Meatloaf. I wanted to find some other yummy recipes that would use those ingredients. I actually do this quite a bit- because when I menu plan- I like to find recipes with overlapping ingredients because it saves quite a bit of $. To do this- I simply Google the ingredients and see what comes up. When I Googled Panko and Parmesan- I found this absolutely delicious recipe for Panko-Parmesan Crusted Chicken. I decided to top it with some lemon-butter sauce- to add some moisture. This recipe was delicious! I must like crusted chicken breasts because it did remind me of the Ritz Chicken recipe I made.

PANKO-PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN

Adapted from My Life as a Mrs.

INGREDIENTS

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

CHICKEN

3 large chicken breasts

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. buttermilk or regular milk

2 tbsp. butter, melted

2 c. Japanese Panko breadcrumbs

1.5 c. grated Parmesan cheese

LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/3 c. chicken broth

1 tbsp. corn starch

4 tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 c. heavy cream or milk

Cilantro seasoning for garnish

DIRECTIONS

For Chicken: 

Cut chicken breasts into cutlets- meaning-- cut chicken breasts lengthwise (so the chicken breast is the same length but it is not as wide, kinda like deli style). Set aside on a plate. In a small, shallow dish, whisk together eggs, milk, and butter. Then in another, larger, shallow, dish combine Panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Line baking pan with baking mat or aluminum foil. Set up as follows: chicken breasts, egg-milk mixture, Panko-Parmesan mixture, and baking mat (like an assembly line). This will help with crusting the chicken in a fast and efficient way. Take chicken cutlet and dip into the egg-milk mixture. Using one hand, take a piece of chicken and dip it into the egg-milk mixture, entirely submerging the chicken cutlet. Then place the chicken in the Panko-Parmesan mixture. Using your other hand, coat the chicken with the Panko and Parmesan. Place on baking tray. Repeat until all chicken cutlets are coated. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle. 

For the sauce: 

While the chicken is baking- whisk together butter, olive oil, and chicken broth in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to simmer- and then add in corn starch. The best way to do this so you do not have lumps: in a small Tupperware container add 1 tsbp. of corn starch to 1-2 tbsp. of water and shake vigorously. The corn starch should dissolve. Add this slurry to butter sauce- and stir well- no corn starch lumps :) Mix in heavy cream and lemon juice into sauce and whisk until warmed. Serve over chicken. Garnish with cilantro seasoning.

I served the chicken with a side of veggies and some mash potatoes! Trust me- you will love this dinner :)

Enjoy,

Chika