BETTY CROCKER'S OVEN-FRIED RANCH CHICKEN, ADAPTED

Betty Crocker's website is where I found this recipe. I thought the idea of baking the chicken in dry cornbread/muffin mix was a good one, since shortening is in the mix and, so I thought, would baste the chicken as it cooked. But I didn't have any mix. So I did some research on the internet and found a recipe for homemade cornbread/muffin mix. The chicken is just ok. And the reason for that is that I wanted fried chicken, and this doesn't taste like fried chicken. It tastes like chicken that's been oven fried with a coating. I remember the days of Shake 'n Bake. It tasted good, but it wasn't fried chicken. Well this is the same. Will I make it again? Probably not. When I want fried chicken, I'll order out.

Betty Crocker's Oven-Fried Ranch Chicken, Adapted
Rating: 5 out of 10
INGREDIENTS:
MARINADE: 1 cup buttermilk
1 package ranch dressing mix
1-1/2 lbs. chicken pieces
Cooking spray

BREADING:
1/2 pouch (half of 6.5 oz.) Betty Crocker cornbread mix (or 1 cup self-rising cornmeal + 2 Tbsp. sugar + 2 Tbsp. Smart Balance buttery spread)
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

1. In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix buttermilk, dressing mix and chicken pieces. Seal bag. Turn bag several times to coat chicken. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Heat oven to 425F. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. In shallow dish, mix breading ingredients. (If using homemade cornbread mix, cut Smart Balance in dry ingredients until it resembles cornmeal.) Place chicken, bone-side down, in pan. Lightly spray top of chicken with cooking spray.
3. Bake 35-40 minutes, or till juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170F for breasts, 180F for thighs and drumsticks).

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

I found this recipe on http://www.dayrecipe.com, and it sounded so good. Trouble is it called for buttermilk, and I didn't have any. I decided to sub lite sour cream, and it worked well until the chicken went in the oven. It just didn't crisp up. And that might also be because I eliminated the egg wash, thinking the sour cream coating would carry the chicken. Big mistake. It's not that it tasted bad. The flavor was excellent. It just wasn't crispy. So instead of giving you my "adjustments," I'm going to give you the recipe as it appears on the website. I will try this again -- without substitutions next time.

Cornmeal-Crusted Oven-Fried Chicken
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. salt, divided use
1-1/2 tsp. cayenne, divided use
3-lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 tsp. paprika
an egg wash made by beating 2 large eggs with 2 Tbsp. cold water + 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, zest, lemon juice, oil, shallots, thyme, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. cayenne. Add the chicken, stirring to coat it with the marinade, and let it marinate, covered in fridge, 3 hours or overnight, stirring it occasionally.

Preheat oven to 425F. In another large bowl, combine cornmeal, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, remaining 1 tsp. salt, paprika, and remaining 1/2 tsp. cayenne. Remove chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon, letting the excess marinade drip off. Dip it in the egg wash, and dredge it in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess. Arrange the chicken in one layer on a rack and let it dry for 30 minutes. The chicken may be prepared up to this point 6 hours in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled. Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in one layer in a lightly oiled jelly-roll pan, drizzling the butter over it, and bake it in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until it is crisp and golden. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature. Serves 4-6

PARMESAN CHICKEN

I know you've heard of Chicken Parmesan -- well, this is Parmesan Chicken. It's an easy, go-to recipe when you don't want to think too much about how to cook chicken. I like it a lot when it's hot and even better the next day when it's cold, cut up on a salad or just eaten plain out of the fridge as a snack. I had leftover mashed potatoes that I coated in some of the same breadcrumbs and baked next to the chicken. This may not have been a gourmet meal, but it was delicious and satisfied both of us.
Parmesan Chicken
Rating: 9 out of 10
3/4 cup Plain or Parmesan breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. paprika
1 egg
1/4 cup fat-free half and half, or milk
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce
2 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 10x14 (or similar size) baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a paper plate, combine first 3 ingredients, mixing well to distribute ingredients evenly. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with the half and half, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Slice the chicken in half horizontally, making 2-3 cutlets for each breast. Lay the breasts, one at a time, between waxed paper sheets and pound them thin with a mallet (Meat mallets can be purchased at Wal-Mart for a few dollars, and are an invaluable kitchen tool. In 3 smacks, you can have a thin cutlet.) Dip each cutlet in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs; lay the breaded cutlet in the prepared baking pan. Repeat till all the cutlets are in the pan. Drizzle with the oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or till done, turning cutlets over halfway through cooking time.