PANKO CHICKEN...

I've been searching for a recipe for panko chicken and finally found one that's awesome!! This is so flavorful and crunchy! You MUST try it, Seriously!! I tweeked mine a little so here it is:

3 chicken breasts cut into strips, like chicken tenders

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped chives (I didn't use fresh, they were in my pantry in a jar)...another recipe called for parsley but I didn't have it so that's why I used chives.

A dash or two of garlic salt and pepper

Combine the melted butter, dijon, and garlic in a bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients in another bowl. Dip chicken strips into butter mixture then dip into panko mixture. Place the strips onto a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Broil for another 5 minutes or until the tops of the strips are brown and crispy.

***If you have a family of good eaters you may want to add a couple more chicken breasts!!!

Arrr...

My son celebrated his fourth birthday this past weekend. He loves all things pirate!!! So, the food we served at the party was pirate themed. We had baked potato boats with Jolly Roger flags on top. I know you're probably thinking my kids are weird, but all four of them love baked potatoes!!! They topped theirs with cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, etc... For the adults, we made BBQ'd pulled pork to go on top. Or they could have theirs on buns, if they preferred it that way. Anyway, I was asked for this recipe a few times, so I figured it would be easier just to post it.

The BBQ Sauce that we used was Sweet Baby Ray's Original. If you can't find it, just go with your favorite! Sweet Baby Ray's tends to be pretty sweet, so if you don't like your's sweet - I would look for another brand. And of course you can double or triple this recipe depending on how many you're cooking for.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce

Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns or baked potatoes. Serves: 8