Cooking Contest Part 3

Jules here-

The legendary New Hampshire cook off has once again resumed this weekend with a battle of epic Chicken proportions....  Luckily the weather was fantastic so the children could play outside while the chefs slaved in the kitchen to make two delicious chicken dinners on Saturday night.  After a vicious battle, one champion emerged: Don. Again. But that's o.k.-- my dish was also delicious and the judges initially split.

The winning recipe:

Crispy Ranch Dipping Sticks with Chipolte Dipping Sauce

2 Cups - Panko Break Crumbs
2  pkgs of Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
2 TBS Garlic Powder
2 pkgs of chicken tenders

Preheat oven to 375 degrees 


1. Dredge Chicken strips in flour
2. Toss chicken in 3 eggs- egg wash
3. Mix the following in a large bowl and toss chicken in the mix

Place chicken on baking sheets and bake for 25 minutes.

Chipotle Sauce1-1.5 Cups Plain Greek Yogurt
2 Chipotles (seeds removed) Keep seeds for more heat
1 Garlic clove

Mix in a blender.


 The second place recipe was also fantastic and I do plan on making this again--especially when fresh basil is growing in my garden!

Bruschetta chicken on left, Crispy Ranch tenders on right

 Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken Dinner

6 chicken breasts, pounded/tenderized
3/4 Cup balsamic vinegar (divided)
1/4 olive oil
Oregano, salt, pepper, basil
Egg wash, flour, breadcrumbs
5 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
Mozzarella Cheese
4 Roma tomatoes
 Fresh basil

1. Place chicken in dish/bag with 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 Cup olive oil, salt, pepper & oregano to taste.  Marinate at least 6 hours.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Coat chicken breasts in flour, then egg wash, then Italian bread crumbs.
4. Place in baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Remove chicken from oven, place mozzarella cheese on top, bake another 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, chop tomatoes and basil. Toss with remaining garlic and balsamic vinegar to taste. Add salt & pepper to taste as well.
7. Add Bruschetta topping to chicken, bake an additional 5 minutes.
8. Serve with sliced and toasted baguettes or pasta.


 For those of you keeping score, it's Don 2, Julia 1.... I shall tie it up with the BRUNCH category coming up next.... I'll keep you posted...

Easy Rule #24244- Get creative with your cooking-- simple meals can be made fantastic!

Easy Rule #9808- Try and be a gracious loser when you can, except with Monopoly. Nobody can be gracious with that game.