Saturday, March 30, 2013

QUICK Cheesy Chicken Sweet Corn Muffins for 2 People


I have a secret.

Just between you and me, let's keep the circle of knowledge small for this one, but Sour Cream in place of milk in a corn muffin mix makes for mist and delicious muffins.  When done right (with sour cream), corn bread is fantastic,moist and tender with the grit of corn meal.  But when done wrong, corn meal muffins become dry and just nasty texture.

Of course, as you can tell, I love to stuff these with stuff... Cheesy (SHARP Cheddar), onion, peppers, sweet corn kernels and CHICKEN... Rotisserie Chicken!

Yes indeed, yet another NEW "52 Uses for a Rotisserie Chicken" (now up to 70!!!).

I am trying something a bit new this round of recipes... My own little culinary challenge of seeing just what I can do with a single rotisserie bird.  So far, I used a single chicken breast to make a delicious...
Garlic Garlic Chicken and Dumplings (Red Lobster Copy Cat recipe for Garlic Cheese biscuits used as the dumplings).  This recipe only uses a single Chicken Thigh as the chicken ingredient, leaving plenty of the "bird" to continue the challenge.

My Goals...

  1. Eat Well... Make something that tastes good.
  2. Recipes for 2 people.  One of the great things about a rotisserie chicken is the versatility fr a quick meal for small dinners (breakfast and lunch).  Save the BIG cooking for another day, let's have something for just my wife and myself (and young couples, empty nest couples and singles)
  3. Versatility...  Just how many rotisserie chicken recipes are out there???
  4. Keep Track of the costs... Life on a budget, need I explain more?
  5. Go beyond the basic recipes and add some tips appropriate for less experienced cooks so that indeed... ANYONE CAN COOK THIS!


OK... Here's what I did...


QUICK Cheesy Chicken
Corn Muffins for 2 People


Ingredients
  • 1 Box Jiffy Brand Corn Muffin Mix
  • Dark Meat from a single Thigh from a Rotisserie chicken, diced, @ 3/4 Cups
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
  • 1/2 Cup Frozen Corn, Thawed, Rinsed and Drained
  • 1/2 Medium Red Onion, Minced, about 1/2 Cup
  • 6 Small Sweet Mini Peppers (For spicy muffins you can substitute Jalapeno peppers), Diced, reserve one and slice into rings for garnish
  • 3 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated, About 1 Cup when grated
  • 2 TBS Whole Milk or Half and Half (as needed).
Cooking Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Prepare a muffin tin with non-stick spray
  3. Mix the Jiffy muffin mix with the egg and Sour Cream
  4. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix
  5. Fill each muffin slot to about 1/2. They will expand. Garnish with the red pepper rings
  6. Bake for 18 minutes, until the tops are just turning golden brown and delicious looking
  7. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then loosen the edges and turn out.  They should release easily.
  8. Serve WARM and ENJOY!

And now the TIPS and extra HOW TO Photos...

Always Mise en place, means always slice, diced and measure before you start to mix.  It really is easier and ensures that nothing gets forgotten.

Dicing the chicken is easy, but always sort by hand to make sure that all the bones and all the gristle gets sorted out.  Nothing makes you look bad like serving a biscuit with bones.

I have already given my secret of using sour cream in place of the milk asked for in the recipe.  Your corn meal biscuits will be so much more creamy and delicious!  If you look at the photo of the mix immediately to the right, you will see a difference between the next one.  I added all the extras (onions, chickens, peppers, etc.), the mix needed more moisture.  I added milk (actually I added 1/2 and 1/2) to make it a bit more soupy prior to cooking.

PRE-SPRAY with non stick coating spray.  If you do not, the cheese will melt and stick and you will get muffins but they will look pre chewed by the time you get them out of the pan.  Also do not over fill.  These do expand as they cook.

Add a little extra beauty... I like the red pepper rings on the top.  Or try gently pressing in some sliced green onions (the chivy green parts) or even a sprinkle of Paprika.  Just something for a little contrast.  Of course if you can find a heart shaped muffin tin, that gets everyone talking!

Allowing them to cool in the pan for a few minutes actually helps them to release.  Just don't let them cool too  long.

A complete meal in itself, pretty and most of all, deliciously sweet and creamy, wonderful texture and DELICIOUS!

As to cost...

$1.00 for the Chicken
$0.50 for the frozen Corn
$1.00 for the Pepper and Onion (partial of each, bag of peppers was $2.00, I did not use 1/4th of the bag.  And half an onion.
$1.00 for the Sour Cream (and Half and Half)
$0.50 For the Corn Muffin Mix (on sale)
$0.25 for the egg
$1.00 for the Cheese

Total came in at about $5.25... 6 Muffins, less than $1 each!!!

A Great) breakfast (lunch... Snack) for the costs!
Stay tuned, come on back tomorrow and see what else I make from the single bird!

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This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Breakfast Ideas!"

It's the most important meal of the day.  From fancy to simple, there are always ways to dress up a breakfast dish.  These are the meals that make Bed and Breakfast Inns legendary (and usually easier than you think).

Here's your chance to make your guests Ooh and Aah!
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This recipe has also been added to my growing list of "52 Uses For a Rotisserie Chicken"  (Now close to 100!)...I am so confused... $5.49 for a fully cooked, fully seasoned Oven Roasted, Rotisserie Chicken. Yet shop in the raw meat department and most raw chickens are at best $8 each and usually far closer to $10. Anyone have an answer??? Me either. So, I can either rail against the machine, or learn to embrace the beauty that is the $5 chicken! In this pin are recipes I have made, and recommend. MORE than 52 (I just can't stop)..
You get the idea.  From Scratch Pizza to Chinese Take Out recipes, Lots of Soups and Chili... Appetizers to Main Courses (Still can't find a dessert, but I am looking).  More than enough ideas for that store nought bird to shine with just a little extra work

***********************PINTEREST*********************

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1 comment:

  1. I think I have most of these ingredients!
    Thanks for the idea!

    ReplyDelete