Most of you probably already know, but I married a Maryland boy.
He loves crabs, Old Bay, Natty Boh, the Orioles…and OF COURSE the Ravens.
Hence our INSANITY over the Ravens…and just wait, the craziness over the Orioles will soon begin.
<—our wedding cake topper
But what you may not know is that Craig went to NC State for college.
(^ he would be the ‘A’ )
While at college in North Carolina he was introduced to a bunch of Southern foods. From grits, biscuits & gravy, collard greens, Bojangles (AKA heaven on earth) to cornbread and chicken fried steak.
But one of his favorite meals while in college, between his nightly cookie dough feasts, was Chicken and Waffles…or should I say Chicken ‘n’ waffles.
(source)
I had heard of them before I met Craig, but really never thought much about it until he ordered it one time while we were out. At first I thought he was insane. But then I tried a bite….and boy it is TASTY! Can’t say that I would order it on my own, but I loved having a few bites of his.
So when I came across a recipe yesterday for a spin on traditional chicken & waffles, I HAD to make it. I’m pretty good about meal planning and try to stick to it, but yesterday it went out the window.
At first I was skeptical, but then I kept reading and knew it had to be a winner: Chicken & Waffles- Italian Style!
Not only did it stand out to me because I know Craig’s love for the dish, but the fact that it was ITALIAN (& we all know his Italian tendencies 😉 ) chicken & waffles….I would have been crazy NOT to make it.
I changed a few things about the recipe in order to make it just for two. But, you can find the original recipe HERE.
There are a few parts to the recipe- I prepped the chicken tenders first, then while they baked I made the waffles.
Gabriella also assisted in making dinner, she didn’t want to be left out.
Recipe for Chicken Tenders
–3/4 lb. chicken tenders
-3/4 cup Bisquick mix, I used Heart Healthy Bisquick
-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
-2 heaping tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated
-1 egg beaten
-2 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In one shallow dish (I used a pie plate), combine Bisquick, Italian seasoning and cheese. In a second shallow dish, beat your one egg. Take each chicken breast and dip it first in the Bisquick mix, coating well, then dip it in the egg mix coating both sides, then dip it one more time back in the Bisquick mix.
Place chicken on cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Brush half of your melted butter over the tops of the chicken and bake 8 minutes. Flip chicken over and brush remaining half of your melted butter on opposite side and finish cooking another 5 minutes. Your chicken should be brown and kind of crispy with the juices running clear.
Recipe for Waffles
-2 cups Bisquick
-1 & 1/3 cups milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
-1 egg
-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
-1 tbsp dried chives
-1 tsp black pepper, if desired
Preheat waffle iron. Mix together Bisquick, milk, & egg. Once combined add in cheese, chives & pepper. Pour batter into greased waffle iron & bake until cooked through.
Once the waffles & chicken are done, start making the dish! Take 2 waffles, top with 2-3 chicken tenders & then pour on spaghetti sauce.
(I made Craig’s a bit bigger- this is his- 2 waffles & 3 tenders. He went back for another waffle)
I would say dinner was a success by the looks of his plate above. 😉
I loved the concept and the twist on the traditional recipe! What a great idea!!
Everyday's a 'Hollyday' 