Growing Oranges: Cooking with coupon purchased groceries

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Cooking with coupon purchased groceries

Keri's Sweet (with a little bit of a kick) Chicken

One of the most common complaints I hear about coupon shopping is that you only buy junk food with coupons and none of the items purchased would actually feed your family for dinner. So I thought I would post one of our family’s favorite dinner recipes where the ingredients are all items that are regularly on sale with coupons.

I first learned about this meal from my good friend Keri who is not only an amazing cook but she can also change your car’s oil, rotate your tires, and carry 150 lbs of dead weight without even breaking a sweat. We went over to her house dinner one evening and once I cut into the chicken, I quickly finished everything on my plate and went back for 2nds… and then 3rds. I eventually fought my husband over who was going to lick the plate clean. I won.

So once you try this recipe and realize how awesome it truly is, make sure you come back and show Keri some love. She’ll appreciate it.

Sweet (with a little bit of kick) Chicken
1-2lbs of chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut up

Box of Rice Krispies
1/3 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce (original)
½ cup Brown Sugar
1 TBS water
1-2 eggs

Put the Rice Krispies into a large Ziploc bag (you can also use a bowl if you don’t have one) and smash them up. I like them to be pretty smashed with a few chunks. In another bowl, have 1-2 beaten eggs in it.

I just smash them with my hand... or let the kids do it.

Take your chicken (1-2 at a time) and dunk it into the beaten egg, making sure it gets fully covered,

Then put inside the Ziploc bag and shake it up.

Once the chicken is full covered place it on a greased pan.

Cook chicken at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes (depends on how thick your chicken is) until fully cooked.

Right before the chicken is done, in a small sauce pan mix together the hot sauce, brown sugar, and water. Bring to a boil while continuously stirring. I usually taste test it at this point. My kids don’t like it too spicy, so after I make theirs I will add more hot sauce for my husband and me. Or, I will keep their chicken plain without the sauce.

I need a new wooden spoon- but I love it!

Once the chicken is cooked, take it out and dip them into the sauce making sure you cover them completely.

Serve with some ranch or blue cheese, mashed potatoes, and your favorite veggie.

Yummy perfection!

* The sauce can be a little spicy, so if you don’t like food with a “kick” consider using a smaller amount of Frank’s sauce in the beginning before adding more.

** Coating the chicken with Rice Krispies can be done with many other substitutes such as Ritz Crackers, breadcrumbs, or other cereals like Captain Crunch and Frosted Flakes. I just prefer Rice Krispies with the sauce.

Just for a litte bit more tease, this is what I cooked for dessert. It's the Texas Sheet Cake from The Pioneer Woman. It's an easy dessert to make (most the ingredients found in every homes cabinets) and as long as you have powdered chocolate (which I do just for this dessert).