Food Friday: Recipes for a Whole Meal

Hi! Well, it's Food Friday, and once again I'm sharing with you some of my favorite tried-and-true recipes! 
Last week I shared my Wild Chicken, but forgot to mention that this is my Standard Potluck Dish.  If you don't have a Standard Potluck Dish, I recommend this idea to you. (You know, Aunt Gladys's Baked Beans, or Louise's Truffle.  A dish that everyone knows is YOURS, and looks for on the potluck table!) And, if you want to use my recipe, feel free.  Life is so much simpler not having to figure out what I'm going to bring, look through recipes, try to find something I haven't brought before or for awhile, go to the grocery store for special ingredients, etc.!  Wild Chicken is a recipe that has ingredients I can keep on hand in my pantry. I can even cook the chicken ahead and have that ready and waiting in the freezer, if I want. And Wild Chicken is super fast to put together!  I *always* get rave reviews on it and people ask me for the recipe every time I bring it anywhere. I've been bringing it to potlucks for almost 15 years! So, go back and check it out if you haven't already.

Today, I thought I'd give you the recipes for an entire meal.  Our meal recipes are for:

No Salt No Fat Chicken

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

and Basil Carrots

We make the No Salt No Fat Chicken and Basil Carrots often for just our family, We made them just this week. The Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes are a little more "special." They are delicious for a company meal or are a wonderful alternative if and when you do get tired of bringing Wild Chicken to a potluck:) and want to make something inexpensive, but special! (It's also a great way to use up potatoes from our garden!) I bring a 6-quart crockpot to potlucks, but these go really fast.
What I like about these recipes is that they are economical as well as good-tasting. They use ingredients that are basic and you probably have them on hand. The Chicken and Carrots recipes are also fairly healthy, and work well for a diabetic diet, but are delicious enough for everyone to love. Try these recipes and see for yourself!


No Salt No Fat Chicken
Yield: 4 servings (actually 8 because 1/2 a breast is usually enough for 1 person)
You can easily double this recipe.

Ingredients:
(Note:  We usually increase the dry ingredients just a little and decrease the buttermilk and this usually works out well.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
4 chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
3/4 cup buttermilk (we use buttermilk powder)
(You can also use fresh herbs for an even better result!)
Directions:
Mix dry ingredients.  Prepare buttermilk according to directions. Dip chicken breasts in buttermilk, then roll in the dry mixture.  Place on cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
(We keep buttermilk powder in the fridge, so it's always on hand.)

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Yield:  12 servings
Ingredients:5 lb. potatoes (8 lb. unpeeled)

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp seasoned salt
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook and mash potatoes.  Add rest of ingredients.  You'll need to whip well (we use the whisk-like attachment on our Bosch).  Place potatoes in the crockpot (6 quart) and reheat the next day on low.  Scrape the sides once in awhile, or they get brown and dry. (Remember to bring the crock to room temperature before heating.)   Delicious recipe for a special meal, or when you need your oven for other dishes.

Basil Carrots
Peel, cut and cook carrots in the amount for your family.  Add basil, butter and salt to taste. (More butter tastes better:) and we use about 2 teaspoons of basil for about 4-6 servings.  Seriously simple recipe that people will think you really did something special to make!

Enjoy!