Sunday nights always seem to be the nights when I want to spend more time in the kitchen. I tend to save dishes that require more prep work or that are not stolen moments friendly for then. Plus, my husband only eats dinner with the family on weekend’s so I tend to make things that are more special and that I don’t have to worry about how they’ll reheat.
I think this recipe fits all of those categories. It is a little more labor-intensive than my usual meals, but it is so good and definitely worth the extra effort.
Piled High Chicken Melts
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (homemade or from a bottle)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 green pepper, sliced thin
- 2 cup oil, for frying
- 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 T. vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 cup)
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (or a combination of cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper)
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 4 slices Texas toast
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Heat olive oil in a skillet, add chicken and cook until done.
- While chicken cooks, combine barbecue sauce and mayonaise. Remove chicken from skillet, place in a shallow dish and cover with the sauce. Set aside.
- Add the green peppers to the skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Place the onions in a shallow dish and cover with buttermilk. In a small bowl, combine flour and seasonings. Heat oil in skillet until hot. Working in small batches, remove the onions from the buttermilk and put in the flour mixture. Coat completely. Remove and shake off any extra flour. Place in hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels or cheese cloth.
- Place Texas toast on a cookie sheet. Cook at 425 degrees for 3 minutes. Remove from oven. Flip over and pile on the chicken, green peppers, fried onions and top with some shredded cheese. Return to oven and cook and additional 5 minutes.
The nice thing about this dish is that even though it requires last minute work, there are parts that can be done ahead of time. The chicken can be cooked and covered with the sauce, then refrigerated until dinner time. Same with the green peppers.
Stop by $5 Dinners for the $5 Dinner Challenge.
