Underground Chicken

                                                            Simply Delicious!

Several years ago while visiting my folks in Ohio my Mom prepared this simple meal for us. We loved it! It's a good make ahead main dish for those days when you don't actually have a lot of time to be cooking supper in the afternoon.

I used 3 lbs. of chicken tenders, trimmed and salted on all sides.

I usually like to apply this tenderizing step the night before but today I only had a few hours,  and that was okay because they were tenders. Other chicken needs a longer time to tenderize.

Then I like to coat them with Runions. This is a mixture of flour, fine cornmeal (I used Masa Harina, found in the ethnic food isle), and seasonings that I buy in Ohio. I keep trying to develop my own that is similar but so far I have not been completely successful. I'm getting closer though!☺

Serena loves to do this part so...

Then cover the bottom of a saute/frying pan with oil and put a little butter in there with it too.

Once the butter is melted and the oil/butter mixture gets bubbly and starts to sizzle, add the chicken pieces.

I fry them till they are just beginning to get brown.

Turn them over and do the same on this side. These tenders do not take long to be cooked through so don't let them in too long, it will toughen them.

When they are finished allow them to drain well. Then put them in a olive oil sprayed 9 x 13 glass baking dish and cut them into bite sized pieces with a kitchen scissors.

I then pour the oil mixture out of the pan but leave the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom in there. Those will help make the gravy rich and yummy.

Put about 3 - 4 Tablespoons of butter into the same pan.

Once it is melted, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and allow butter to begin browning.

Add approximately 1½ Tablespoons (serving size) flour and make a roux.

My son took this picture for me and he thought it was kinda cool that you can't see the utensil that I'm using. I guess I was really stirring!

Add some water (approximately 1 - 1½ cups to every Tablespoon of flour) and whisk while pour to avoid lumps.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and about 2 teaspoons of chicken base.

Stir well and allow to come to a boil. Let it boil till it thickens a little.

Then pour it over the chicken pieces in the baking dish.

Next I prepared mashed potatoes and spooned them over the top.

This is where you can refrigerate it until you are ready to bake it. As it was today I prepared this close to the time we eat supper so I garnished it with cheddar cheese, bacon, and parsley flakes;

 and popped it into the oven on a low temperature till we were ready to eat. I did cover it with foil after the cheese was melted to avoid browning it.

If you refrigerate it and then bake it, I would bake it ungarnished at 350° until heated through and put the garnish on after removing it from the oven. If the mashed potatoes begin to brown and you don't want that to happen, put some foil over the top.

mmm mmm, good!

Here is a list of the things you'll need:

3 lbs. chicken tenders, trimmed

Salt

Pepper

Chicken Base

Butter

Oil

Runions

Flour

Water

Mashed Potatoes, approximately 5 cups

For Garnish:

Cheddar Cheese

Bacon Bits

Parsley Flakes

 

Be Blessed!