Pioneer Woman ... Take One

A few days ago, I defrosted a package of chicken tenders and this afternoon they were still sitting in the fridge.  I decided they needed to be cooked .. um .. today.. so they didn't have to be thrown out.  Hmm ... what WILL I do with those lovely chicken strips?  I usually make this Chicken Skillet Lasagna dish but #1 - we didn't have any ricotta cheese and #2 - I just didn't really feel like red sauce tonight.   Then I remember I have panko bread crumbs and you are supposed to be able to bread chicken with them and cook it on a baking sheet, at a fairly high heat and they "taste just like the frozen ones" .. only better!  At least that's what I read somewhere .... 

I go to my friend, Ree's, site ... you know "The Pioneer Woman" .. OK she isn't really my friend but I like to cook, I have all her cookbooks and I DID just dye my hair red so we're almost like sisters!   Score ... Chicken Strips recipe ... oh, no panko breadcrumbs anywhere in the ingredients.  I also don't have the buttermilk or the Lawry's Season Salt that it calls for.  The recipe says I can take creative license with the seasoning and lucky for me my little brother was cruising through town and called to ask a quick question.  I answer and then ask for a little assist - he runs to the local Stop and Shop and procures said Buttermilk.  

So this recipe also requires FRYING the strips in 1" of oil ... so much for that lighter option of baking in the oven.  I thought about going to Google and looking for a new recipe, but after I saw the picture of Ree's chicken I was committed. I mean seriously look at that delicious, golden fried chicken.

I run to daycare and grab the girls and we head home to start my masterpiece. I'm preparing my tools and collecting ingredients, that's when I hear Kristen crying in the bathroom upstairs.  I dash towards the stairs yelling "Are YOU OK?" .... "I peed, I peed" and I am guessing from the tears we aren't talking about in the toilet.  I should have just called Domino's at that point, I did not.  Bathroom cleaned, Kristen bathed, and back to the kitchen I go. 

My flour mixture with my substitute spices was too wet the first time and wouldn't stick to the chicken, the second batch worked much better.  The oil needed to be a little hotter, and I seriously needed to just LEAVE it alone in the pan ... the breading would have STAYED on the chicken that way.  OH .. and if you don't have the season salt and you sub like I did .. make sure you use a little bit of SALT... otherwise it sort of tastes like chicken in fried flour.  

There is no picture of my attempt .. because frankly they were sort of pale and a little bare in spots .... the upside is dip them in ranch, guacamole, or BBQ sauce and they tasted pretty good.  Kristen had seconds, Brooke had thirds and Paul ate all 9 that were left.  There have been requests to ppppppplease make them again.

This afternoon I was making a fairly straightforward breaded chicken strip dinner and I ended up making this dish that required several bowls, and plates and big ol skillet with a swimming pool of oil.  I had dried buttermilk and flour everywhere and the house still sort of smells like KFC but I think I have a new menu item in my repertoire that EVERYONE in my household will eat.  Might not have been the path I started down but I'm going to claim it as a victory. 

OH, I almost forgot, I bought the Lawry's Season Salt when I went grocery shopping too .. screw this substituting spice thing !!!