<$BlogDateHeaderDate$>
Carl's Jr.® Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich
| Carl's Jr.® Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich We'll use elements of the Carl's Jr. Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich clone recipe to whip up one of the other Carl's Jr. crispy chicken sandwiches, because I always say you can never have too much crispy chicken. This fried chicken breast sandwich includes lettuce and tomato, and is slathered with a clone of Carl's tasty ranch dressing. Use the recipes together and you can easily serve up two different sandwich clones for different tastes, with little extra effort. And you diners will be so impressed. Ranch Dressing 1/3 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons sour cream 1 tablespoon buttermilk 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon parsley 1/8 teaspoon onion powder dash dill weed dash garlic powder dash ground black pepper 2 teaspoons hot water 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 6 to 8 cups vegetable shortening 1 egg 1 cup water 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 4 chicken breast fillets 4 sesame seed hamburger buns 4 lettuce leaves 4 tomato slices 1. Preheat 6 to 8 cups of shortening in a deep fryer to 350 degrees. If you don't have a deep fryer, you can also pan fry using a large frying pan, and just a couple cups of shortening. 2. To prepare the ranch dressing, combine all of the ingredients except the water and gelatin in small bowl. Mix the water with the gelatin in a small cup until all of the gelatin is dissolved. Add this gelatin solution to the other ingredients and stir. Cover and chill the dressing until it's needed. 3. Beat the egg and then combine with 1 cup of water in a small, shallow bowl. Stir. 4. Combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in another shallow bowl. 5. Pound each of the breast fillets with a mallet until about 1/4-inch thick. Trim each breast fillet until it is round. 6. Working with one fillet at a time, first coat each fillet with the flour, then dredge it in the egg and water mixture. Coat the chicken once again in the flour and set it aside until all of the fillets have been coated. 7. Fry the chicken fillets for 8 to 12 minutes or until light brown and crispy. 8. As chicken is frying, prepare each sandwich by grilling the face of the hamburger buns on a hot skillet over medium heat. Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the ranch dressing on the face of the top and bottom buns. 9. On the bottom bun, stack a leaf of lettuce and a tomato slice. 10. When the chicken is done frying, remove the fillets from the fryer and drain on paper towels or a rack for a couple minutes. 11. Stack one fillet on the bottom of the sandwich (on top of the tomato), then top it off with the top bun. Repeat the stacking process for each of the sandwiches. Makes 4 sandwiches. |
Carl's Jr.® Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich
| Carl's Jr.® Bacon Swiss Crispy Chicken Sandwich If you love crispy chicken sandwiches - and especially if you don't live in the West - you'll want to try out this clone of the tasty Carl's Jr. creation. The recipe makes four of the addicting chicken sandwiches from the California-based chain, but will also come in handy for making a delicious homemade ranch dressing. Try using some lean turkey bacon, fat-free Swiss cheese, and fat-free mayonnaise if you feel like cutting back on the fat. Then you can eat two. Ranch Dressing 1/3 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons sour cream 1 tablespoon buttermilk 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon parsley 1/8 teaspoon onion powder dash dill weed dash garlic powder dash ground black pepper 2 teaspoons hot water 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 6 to 8 cups vegetable shortening 1 egg 1 cup water 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 4 chicken breast fillets 4 sesame seed hamburger buns 4 lettuce leaves 4 tomato slices Kraft Swiss cheese Singles 8 slices bacon, cooked 1. Preheat 6 to 8 cups of shortening in a deep fryer to 350 degrees. If you don't have a deep fryer, you can also pan fry using a large frying pan and just a couple cups of shortening. 2. To prepare the ranch dressing, combine all of the ingredients except the water and gelatin in small bowl. Mix the water with the gelatin in a small cup until all of the gelatin is dissolved. Add this gelatin solution to the other ingredients and stir. Cover and chill the dressing until it's needed. 3. Beat the egg and then combine with 1 cup water in a small, shallow bowl. Stir. 4. Combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder in another shallow bowl. 5. Pound each of the breast fillets with a mallet until about 1/4-inch thick. Trim each breast fillet until it is round. 6. Working with one fillet at a time, first coat each fillet with the flour, then dredge it in the egg and water mixture. Coat the chicken once again in the flour and set it aside until all of the fillets have been coated. 7. Fry the chicken fillets for 8 to 12 minutes or until light brown and crispy. 8. As chicken is frying, prepare each sandwich by grilling the face of the hamburger buns on a hot skillet over medium heat. Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the ranch dressing on the face of the top and bottom buns. 9. On the bottom bun, stack a leaf of lettuce and a tomato slice. 10. When the chicken is done frying, remove the fillets from the fryer and drain them on paper towels or a rack for a couple minutes. 11. Stack one fillet on the bottom of the sandwich (on top of the tomato), then stack a slice of the Swiss cheese onto the chicken. 12. Arrange the bacon, crosswise, on top of the Swiss cheese, then top off the sandwich with the top bun. Repeat the stacking process for each of the remaining sandwiches. Makes 4 sandwiches. |
California Pizza Kitchen®
| California Pizza Kitchen® Dakota Smashed Pea & Barley Soup® Got one of those cool hand blenders? You know, the kind of gadget that used to be pitched on those annoying yet compelling late-night infomercials? It comes in handy for this recipe, which requires the split peas to be smashed into a smooth consistency, just like the original. If you don't have a hand mixer, a standard blender works just fine. This soup is very tasty and very low in fat. And the barley gives it a special chunky consistency and added flavor that isn't found in most pea soups. 2 cups split peas 6 cups water 2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth (4 cups) 1/3 cup minced onion 1 large clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley 1/4 teaspoon white pepper dash dried thyme 1/2 cup barley 6 cups water 2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup) 1/2 stalk celery, diced (1/4 cup) Garnish chopped green onion 1. Rinse and drain the split peas, then add them to a large pot with 6 cups of water, chicken broth, onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt, sugar, parsley, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 75 minutes or until the peas are soft. 2. While the peas are cooking, combine the barley with 6 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 75 minutes or until the barley is soft and most of the water has been absorbed. 3. When the split pea mixture has become a thick soup, use a handheld blender to puree the peas until the mixture is smooth. You may also use a standard blender or food processor for this step, pureeing the soup in batches. Alternately, if you like, you may skip this step, keeping the soup rather chunky. It's still good this way, just not as smooth as the real thing. 4. Drain the barley mixture in a sieve or colander and add it to the split pea mixture. Add the carrots and celery and continue to simmer the soup for 15 to 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Stir occasionally. Turn off the heat, cover the soup, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish each serving with a little chopped green onion. Makes 8 servings. Labels: California Pizza Kitchen® |
Burger King® Breakfast Sandwiches
| Burger King® Breakfast Sandwiches You can have your eggs and sausage and biscuits sitting next to each other on the plate like all the traditional folks out there, or you can get vertical with this top secret breakfast-in-sandwich from the world's number two fast food chain. And if you prefer a croissant to a biscuit, I've got that version for you, too (along with the special way to get bigger, circular croissants). A great way to make the eggs for these breakfast sandwiches is to pour the beaten egg into a well-greased mold made from an empty pineapple can. Just cut both ends off an 8-ounce pineapple can - you know, the short cans that have crushed or sliced pineapple inside. Oh, and take the pineapple out. Then, before you know it, you'll be making perfectly round eggs like the fast food pros. Biscuit Sandwich 1 small can (5 biscuits) Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk Biscuits melted butter Non-stick cooking spray 5 eggs salt ground black pepper 10 ounces ground breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean) or 10 slices of bacon 5 slices American cheese 1. Prepare biscuits following instructions on the can (bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes). When you remove the biscuits from the oven brush the top of each with melted butter. 2. Spray a skillet over medium heat with non-stick cooking spray. Open both ends of a clean, small, sliced pineapple can. Spray the inside of the empty can with the non-stick spray, and then place the can in the pan to heat up. Use more than one can if you'd like to speed up the cooking process. 3. Beat an egg, then pour it into the empty can mold, add a bit of salt and pepper, and cover with a saucepan lid. Cook for a couple minutes, then scrape a knife around the edge of the egg to release it. Remove the can, then turn the egg over and cook it for another minute or two. Repeat with the remaining eggs. 4. If using sausage, form 2-ounce portions of sausage into patties with the same diameter as the biscuits. Cook the sausage in another hot skillet over medium heat until brown. If using bacon, cook the bacon and drain on paper towels. 5. Slice a biscuit in half through the middle. Build each sandwich by first stacking egg on the bottom half of the biscuit. Next arrange sausage (or 2 slices of bacon) on the egg, then a slice of American cheese. Top off each sandwich with the top biscuit half, then zap it in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to help melt the cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Makes 5 sandwiches. Croissan'wich® 1 8-ounce can Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls 4 eggs salt ground black pepper 8 ounces ground breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean) or 8 slices of bacon 4 slices American cheese 1. Prepare the rolls by first unrolling the dough out of the can. Separate the dough into four sections, each made up of two triangles. Detach the triangles by tearing along the diagonal perforation, then reattach the dough along the outside parallel edges, pinching the dough together along the middle. This will make one bigger triangle. Loosely roll the dough, from the wide end, all the way up. Now, bring the ends around so that they overlap and the roll is in the shape of a circle. Press the ends together and place the roll onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, then bake following the directions on the package (bake at 375 degrees for 11 to13 minutes). 2. When the rolls are done baking build the sandwich using the above steps 2 through 5 in the recipe for the biscuit sandwich clone. Makes 4 sandwiches. |
Burger King® BK Broiler
| Burger King® BK Broiler This grilled chicken sandwich was introduced by America's number-two burger chain in 1990, and soon after the launch the BK Broiler was selling at a rate of over a million a day. Not good news for chickens. This one's easy to duplicate at home. To clone the shape of the chicken served at the burger giant, you'll simply slice the chicken breasts in half, and pound each piece flat with a mallet. Pounding things is fun. Let the chicken marinate and then fire up the grill. The recipe makes four sandwiches and can be easily doubled if necessary for a king-size munch fest. Marinade 3/4 cup water 2 teaspoons ketchup 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon oregano dash onion powder dash parsley 2 chicken breast fillets 4 sesame seed hamburger buns 1 1/3 cups chopped lettuce 1/4 cup mayonnaise 8 tomato slices 1. Make the marinade by combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. 2. Prepare the chicken by cutting each breast in half. Fold a piece of plastic wrap around each piece of chicken and pound the meat with a tenderizing mallet until it is about 1/4 - inch thick and about the same diameter as the hamburger buns. Place the chicken into the marinade, cover it, and chill for at least four hours. Overnight is even better. 3. Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to high heat. Grill the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until done. 4. Toast the faces of the hamburger buns in a pan or griddle, in a toaster oven, or facedown on the grill. Watch the buns closely to be certain that the faces turn only light brown and do not burn. 5. Build each sandwich from the top down by first spreading about a tablespoon of the mayonnaise on the toasted face of a top bun. 6. Spread about 1/3 cup of chopped lettuce over the mayonnaise. 7. Arrange two tomato slices on the lettuce. 8. Place a chicken breast on the toasted face of the bottom bun. 9. Flip the top part of the sandwich over onto the bottom and scarf out. Serves 4. Tidbits Liquid smoke is a flavoring found near the barbecue sauces and marinades. Use hickory-flavored liquid smoke if you have a choice. Labels: Burger King® BK Broiler |
Burger King® Big King®
| Burger King® Big King® The Burger Wars are becoming the biggest food fight since that cafeteria scene from the movie "Animal House". The two burger giants, McDonald's and Burger King, have each been cloning the other's top products in the bloody battle for the big burger buck. Burger King stepped up first with the Big King - Burger King's version of the McDonald's Big Mac. Yes, it had two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun; although everything was arranged a bit differently, and there's no middle bun in there. Then McDonald's rolled out the Big N' Tasty, which bore a striking resemblance to Burger King's Whopper, with fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion on top of a huge beef patty. Who's winning this fight by leveraging the popularity of the other company's product? Nobody, really. McDonald's chose to alter its Big N' Tasty recipe by making it smaller n' cheaper, then changed the name to Big Xtra!, while Burger King bailed out on the Big King altogether. But this food fight is far from over. More recently Burger King tweaked its french fry formula in an unsuccessful attempt to steal away fans from McDonald's winning fried spuds recipe. And McDonald's has added more breakfast sandwiches to compete with Burger King's wider wake-up selection. So the war continues. And the battlefield is splattered with ketchup. Spread 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons French dressing 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon paprika 1 1/2 pounds ground beef dash salt dash pepper 4 sesame seed hamburger buns 1 1/3 cups chopped lettuce 8 slices American cheese 1 to 2 slices white onion, separated 8 dill pickle slices 1. Prepare the spread by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Set this aside until you are ready to use it. 2. Preheat your barbecue or indoor grill to high heat. 3. Divide the ground beef into 8 even portions (3 ounces each). Roll each portion into a ball, then press each ball flat to form a patty about the same diameter as the bun. 4. Grill the beef patties for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until done. Lightly salt and pepper each side of the patties. 5. As the meat cooks, brown the faces of the buns in a hot skillet, toaster oven, or face down on the grill. Watch the buns closely so that they do not burn. 6. Build each burger by first spreading a tablespoon of the spread on the face of the top bun. Arrange about 1/3 cup of lettuce evenly over the spread. 7. On the bottom bun stack a patty, then a slice of American cheese, another patty, and another slice of cheese. 8. On the top slice of cheese arrange 2-3 separated onion slices (rings), then 2 pickle slices. 9. Turn the top part of the burger over onto the bottom and serve. You may also want to zap the sandwiches in the microwave, individually, for 15 to 20 seconds each. Serves 4. Labels: Burger King® Big King® |
Bull's Eye BBQ Sauce
| Bull's Eye BBQ Sauce 1/2 C. chopped onions 1 (8 oz.) can tomatoes sauce 1 C. water (OPTION: Beer) 1 1/4 C. ketchup 2 T. brown sugar 2 T. prepared yellow mustard 1 T. olive oil 1 T. Worcestershire sauce 1 dash Tabasco sauce Combine ingredients, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. I cooked this for 45 minutes to an hour. The sauce reduced itself and tasted good. If you taste the sauce before simmering, it will not taste as good as when the flavors have melded, but after cooking it is great. Just like the 'real' sauce on barbecued pork steaks. For the original, do not use beer. Labels: Bull's Eye BBQ Sauce |
Boston Market® Meatloaf
| Boston Market® Meatloaf In the early 90s Boston Chicken was on a roll. The home meal replacement chain's stock was soaring and the lines were filled with hungry customers waiting to sink their teeth into a serving of the chain's delicious rotisserie chicken. So successful was the chain with chicken, that the company quickly decided it was time to introduce other entrée selections, the first of which was a delicious barbecue sauce-covered ground sirloin meatloaf. But offering the other entrées presented the company with a dilemma: what to do about the name. The bigwigs decided it was time to change the name to Boston Market, to reflect a wider menu. That meant replacing signs on hundreds of units and retooling the marketing campaigns. That name change, plus rapid expansion of the chain and growth of other similar home-style meal concepts sent the company into a tailspin. By 1988, Boston Market's goose was cooked: the company filed for bankruptcy. Soon McDonald's stepped in to purchase the company, with the idea of closing many of the stores for good, and slapping Golden Arches on the rest. But that plan was scrapped when, after selling many of the under-performing Boston Markets, the chain began to fly once again. Within a year of the acquisition Boston Market was profitable, and those meals with the home-cooked taste are still being served at over 700 Boston Market restaurants across the country. 1 cup tomato sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons Kraft original barbecue sauce 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin (10 percent fat) 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper dash garlic powder 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Combine the tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until it begins to bubble, stirring often, then remove it from the heat. 3. In a large bowl, add all but 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce to the meat. Use a large wooden spoon or your hands to work the sauce into the meat until it is very well combined. 4. Combine the remaining ingredients with the ground sirloin - flour, salt, onion powder, ground pepper, and garlic powder. Use the wooden spoon or your hands to work the spices and flour into the meat. 5. Load the meat into a loaf pan (preferably a meatloaf pan with two sections that allows the fat to drain, but if you don't have one of those a regular loaf pan will work). Wrap foil over the pan and place it into the oven for 30 minutes. 6. After 30 minutes, take the meatloaf from the oven, remove the foil and, if you aren't using a meatloaf pan, drain the fat. 7. Using a knife, slice the meatloaf all the way through into 8 slices while it is still in the pan. This will help to cook the center of the meatloaf. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of sauce over the top of the meatloaf, in a stream down the center. Don't spread the sauce. 8. Place the meatloaf back into the oven, uncovered, for 25 - 30 minutes or until it is done. Remove and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serves 4. Labels: Boston Market® Meatloaf |
Boston Market Meatloaf
| Boston Market Meatloaf 1 cup tomato sauce 1½ tbsp Kraft barbecue sauce 1 tbsp granulated sugar 1½ lbs 10% fat ground sirloin 6 tbsp all-purpose flour ¾ tsp salt ½ tsp onion powder ¼ tsp ground black pepper dash garlic powder Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine the tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until it begins to bubble, stirring often, then remove it from the heat. In a large bowl, add all but 2 tbsp of the tomato sauce to the meat. Use a large wooden spoon or your hands to work the sauce into the meat until it is very well combined. Combine the remaining ingredients with the ground sirloin-- flour, salt, onion powder and ground pepper. Use the wooden spoon or your hands to work the spices and flour into the meat. Load the meat into a loaf pan (preferably a meatloaf pan with two sections which allows the fat to drain, but if you don't have one of those a regular loaf pan will work). Wrap foil over the pan and place it into the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the meatloaf from the oven, remove the foil and, if you aren't using a meatloaf pan, drain the fat. Using a knife, slice the meatloaf all the way through into 8 slices while it is still in the pan. This will help to cook the center of the meatloaf. Pour the remaining 2 tbsp of sauce over the top of the meatloaf, in a stream down the center. Don't spread the sauce. Place the meatloaf back into the oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until it is done. Remove and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings. Labels: Boston Market Meatloaf |
Boston Chicken Stuffing
| Boston Chicken Stuffing Categories: Copycat, Dressings, Vegetables Yield: 8 side dish -Patdwigans fwds07a 10 oz Can sliced carrots; undrain 4 oz Can slices mushrooms;undrain 14 oz Can chicken broth 2 Ribs celery; cut 4-5 pieces 1 tb Rubbed sage 12 ts Poultry seasoning 1 tb Chicken bouillon powder 3 tb Bottled liquid margarine or -melted butter or margarine 3 English muffins; cut into -1/2" cubes with crumbs 8 oz Bag unseasoned croutons 1 tb Dry parsley; minced 2 tb Dry minced onion When you open the can of carrots, run the blade of a paring knife through them right in the can so that you've reduced them to tiny bits without mashing them. Empty it then into a Dutch oven. Add the mushrooms; set aside. Empty the cam of broth into the blender and add the celery along with the sage, poultry seasoning, bouillon powder and margarine. Blend a few seconds on high speed, only until celery is finely minced. Meanwhile, add the English muffin cubes, (crumbs too), croutons, parsley and onion to the Dutch oven. Pour blender mixture over and stir to combine with rubber bowl scraper until completely moist. Cover with a lid and bake at 350~ about 45 minutes to an hour or until piping hot. Refrigerate leftovers to use within a week. Freeze to use within 4 months. Labels: Boston Chicken Stuffing |
Boston Chicken Squash
| Boston Chicken Squash Categories: Copycat, Vegetables Yield: 6 servings -patdwigans_om@juno.com 2 Butternut squash; halve -long, remove seeds Margarine or butter Salt 1/2 c Brown sugar; packed 1/2 c Honey 1/2 ts Ground ginger 1 ts Pumpkin pie spices 4 tb Butter or margarine; melted Preheat oven to 400 . Place squash cut-side down on Pam-sprayed shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes or until fork tender. Wipe cut surface with a little butter and sprinkle with salt. Return to bake cut-side up about 10 minutes longer or until browned and soft. Scrape out the meat into a mixing bowl. Add sugar, honey, ginger, pumpie pie spice and butter. Beat with electric mixer at med speed until smooth. Return to oven, ocvered in foil, just to keep warm until time to serve, 325 for 30 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers for about a week or freeze up to 4 months. Labels: Boston Chicken Squash |
Boston Chicken Spicy Rice
| Boston Chicken Spicy Rice Categories: Rice, Copycat, Wrv Yield: 6 servings -patdwigans fwds07a 1/4 c Raw Rice-shaped pasta 3/4 c Minute rice 1 tb Pimiento; chop fine 1/2 ts Dry minced celery leaf 1 ts Dry minced parsley 1/4 ts Dry mustard 14 oz Can chicken broth 1/4 c Olive oil 1/2 ts Salt In a 2-qt saucepan combine all ingredients. Stir often and bring to a bol. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste if desired. Keep warm in top of double boiler, over simmering water, to serve within an hour. Refrigerate leftovers covered. Rewarm Gently i 3 to 4 days. Do not freeze. Labels: Boston Chicken Spicy Rice |