Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Oh, yes.

The other night I was in the mood for something fantastic. I thought about going out to eat but, then remembered that I'm often left feeling like I spent way to much for something that I could have done a better job of creating at home. I checked my fridge to see what I had available for me to play with and I found some summer squash that needed to be used but, I didn't feel like the same old boring sauteed squash so, I checked my pantry and found some panko bread crumbs and then this recipe just popped into my head. I decided to go all out and whip up a fantastic Chicken Dinner, it really did turn out well. Enjoy

Oven Fried Summer Squash (a Ilsa original!)

2-4 Sevings

• 1 Medium Zucchini
• 2 Small Yellow Squash
• 1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs (I used Panko, because that's what I had on hand)
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese (must be fresh!)
• 1 Tsp Garlic and Herb Seasoning (I used The Pampered Chef's because it's the best one I've found)
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil.

Wash all the squash, then dice them into even pieces (about 1-2 inches in diameter). Place all of your dry ingredients in a gallon size zip top bag, zip the top and the toss the bag around to combine. Kid's LOVE to toss around the bag! Place oil in a medium sized bowl and add the squash, gently coat the squash with the oil. Add the squash to the zip top bag and toss it around until it's all covered and looks like this

Dump out the contents of the bag onto a rimmed cookie sheet and spread around until it's pretty much even. Place the sheet into a oven that has been pre-heated to 350 and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bread crumbs on the squash have lightly browned and the veggies are tender.

This is how it'll look when it's done.

Ilsa's Signature Cornbread 

Serves 6-8

• 1 Box of your favorite Cornbread mix (or your favorite recipe of you have one)
• 1 Cup shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
• 1 Cup whole kernel Corn (if you have left over corn on the cob just cut the kernels off the ear and use those)

Prepare Cornbread according to package direction, add in the cheese and corn then mix until just combined, you'll want to see some lumps of batter because those will cook into tiny pockets of awesomeness.  Pour the batter into a greased 8 x 8 pan and bake @ 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Oh how Corney!!

 Fennel and Herb Roast Chicken.

Served 2-4

• 2 Chicken Leg Quarters.
• Salt and Pepepr
• Approx 2-4 table spoons of Fennel and Herb Rub (Pampered Chef of course!) per leg.
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil.

Now, you have have noticed that I don't have exact measurements for the seasoning, that's because you really need to tap into your inner chef to make sure that this chicken come's out flavorful. Wash and dry your leg quarters.  Pour out your oil in to a small bow to avoid getting your bottle all germy, using either your fingers or a pastry brush coat the chicken with the olive oil. Now, wash your hands if you didn't use a pastry brush and cover the chicken with the Rub, you want it to be pretty thick on there. Massage the meat with your hands like it's the back of your lover, or a well paying customer, really give it a good rub. Add a little S&P and then place it on a well seasoned stone baking sheet and roast it in your oven @ 325 for about 30-40 minutes or until the juices run clear when poked in the thickest part of the meat. Bring it out and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Oh, sooooo yummy!

Plate up your dish and voila! You're done! The best part about this is that it's simple enough that you can really serve it any night of the week, and it's fancy enough to be a Sunday dinner or to be used for entertaining company.

We all loved it (including the girls!), and my hubby couldn't get enough of the squash. I really hope you try this one out and that you think it's as yummy as we did.

May your tummy's never be empty!

What was the last recipe you invented? How did it turn out?