Chicken Madeira (just like the Cheesecake Factory!)

Have you ever been to the Cheesecake Factory? The menu is the size of a Harry Potter book. Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But it is well beyond Dr. Seuss in any case. And despite the endless menu options, I always- always- order the Chicken Madeira. Because it is that good (And it's a huge portion which means lunch for the next day too!). The sauce is sweet and savory and so full of flavor. 

Now, I didn't have any Madeira wine for my own dish so instead I used a balsamic vinegar mixture. It turned out just as tasty and still quite beautiful. If you do happen to have some Madeira on hand, just use that instead of the balsamic vinegar in this recipe and omit the brown sugar. 

The Cheesecake Factory dish is served with melted mozzarella over the chicken and grilled asparagus. However, I think the sauce is the real star and didn't want to take away any of its shining glory. But if you want to go completely copycat, then before adding the sauce to your chicken, place thin mozzarella slices to the cooked chicken breast and broil for a few minutes until just bubbly. I don't love asparagus so I didn't miss it but it would definitely add to the beautiful presentation of this dish! 

What You'll Need:(serves 4)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin 
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
for sauce:
3 Tbsp. butter
2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 c. balsamic vinegar
1 c. beef broth
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
pepper 

(optional) 1 tsp cornstarch

What To Do: 

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and saute for a couple minutes. Add remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until sauce thickens and reduces to about 1/2-1/4 of it's original volume. If your sauce is still a little runny, mix together 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp water in a small cup and combine completely. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into your sauce and stir quickly. 

While the sauce is simmering pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a separate skillet and cook chicken for five minutes on each side or until seared nicely on the outside and fully cooked on the inside. Right before serving, spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken. Serve with mashed potatoes. 

recipe adapted from favorite family recipes 

Honey Chipotle Chicken Tenders

Let me start this out by saying that I am all about supporting local business, experiencing local flavor and culture, and taking part in businesses with philanthropic practices. So I'm a little embarrassed by how much I like Chili's. 

Ok, maybe not Chili's exactly. Just Chili's Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers. 
My goodness, y'all. I order them every time. They're even on the 2 for $20 menu so, yeah. 

Well, anyway, I drive past Chili's on my way to work and back home... and every time my stomach starts arguing with my brain.

stomach    "Hey brain, we need to go grab a to-go box of honey chipotle chicken crispers!"
brain   "Stomach, that's ridiculous. I work at a food park with lots of free food!"
stomach    "But braaaain, they're sooo tasty!"
brain   "Stomach, I don't have extra money for that."
stomach    "You are a liar."
brain   "I can probably make those myself."

So this round, brain won. I made my own. They were freakin amazing. And I made them with ingredients that I already had on hand! 

This is by no means a healthy meal. It is deep fried and tossed in sugar. Now that that's out of the way, I would highly recommend these for the Chili's lover in all of us. They are perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy and tender inside and tossed in a delicious spicy sweet sauce.

Save your eating out funds for another day and enjoy the next episode of Downton Abbey online while you devour these beauties. (Oh wait, Downton Abbey is the worst. Watch Parenthood or Breaking Bad reruns instead.)

What You'll Need:

For the chicken

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 cups vegetable oil 

For the Honey-Chipotle Sauce

• ⅔ cup honey
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Batter

• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

For the Breading

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¾ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

What To Do:

Combine all sauce ingreints and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about two minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Heat oil in a deep pan or fryer. 

Whisk together all of the batter ingredients, excluding the flour, in a shallow bowl. Slowly whisk in the flour until completely smooth. Combine all of the breading ingredients together in another shallow bowl. Cut chicken into thin strips. Dip each piece of chicken into the batter and then toss in the dry breading, being sure to completely coat each piece. 

Carefully lower each piece into the fryer and fry for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Remove each piece and allow to drain on a paper towel. 

One all of the chicken is cooked and drained, place all of the chicken in a plastic container and pour the sauce over the chicken. Place the lid on the container and shake until all of the chicken is covered in delicious sauce. 

Serve with corn on the cob and french fries to be just like a full Chili's experience, or be lazy like me and just serve alongside celery and ranch dressing!

From Fake Ginger, originally Food.com

Homemade Ice Blended Frappe

I've been attempting to make Starbucks Frappucinnos at home for years and was never satisfied. Either the coffee was too weak, granulated sugar made it grainy, the flavor mix-ins didn't flavor it consistently or the ice/liquid would separate in a mess. So I'd end up spending $5 just trying to make one anyway. 


However, I have recently been able to make ones I love! My students have even requested it on several occasions. And, according to the recipe, it saves you 92% of the cost of going to Starbucks!


The secret ingredient is xanthan gum- just a pinch will help keep the ice+ liquid blended! I found xanthan gum with the specialty baking supplies. It is regularly used in gluten free baking, so your store may have it in the gluten-free section. It is a bit pricey, but it only takes a tiny amount per frappe. (Be sure not to use more than a pinch or else your frappe will taste like lotion. No kidding.)


I use Torani syrups to flavor my frappes/lattes and love them. My favorite flavor to use is caramel! However, you can easily make your own syrups! Check out these from Annie's Eats.

What You'll Need:

• 1 cup double-strength Starbucks coffee OR 3/4 cup fresh espresso (cold)
• 3/4 cup milk 
• 2 tbsp flavored syrup (or to taste)
• 2 cups ice
• Secret ingredient: Pinch of xanthan gum OR 1 teaspoon dry pectin 

What To Do:

Blend all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy! Taste and adjust accordingly. Serve immediately. You can also store in the fridge and re-blend when you're ready. 

Recipe adapted from Squawk Fox.