Good morning everyone! It has been for- EV- UH! I wish I could post more 🙁
I have been working 50-60 hours per week between substitute teaching and photography while the hubby looks for a new job. The cleaning and cooking still need done… so the blog was put on the back burner. Currently, I will be working toward applying for a full-time job when the new school year 2017-2018 opens up.
I am still reading Ron Chernow’s Washington and it is STILL one of the best biographies. Which probably explains that little Pulitzer Prize that it won. The most recent tidbit I did not know is that Washington really wanted to go back to Mount Vernon and be home after the Revolutionary War. He was happy to help with the Constitutional Convention and get the new government on its feet. From his personal letters, it can be deduced that he only really expected to be president a couple of years. He was there to get the ball rolling so to speak. If Washington had known he was going to remain president for 8 years, he may never have volunteered in the first place.
Recipe:
This recipe has a short story! So, about 6 months ago the kids and I discovered these delicious Chicken Melts at Costco. “Really….Really Tasty Sandwiches” is their motto and they are right! For the price and time, they are really good and really tasty. There are 15 chicken melts in one box and all 4 of us really like them. Plus, they are so tasty and low in calories that we want to eat one or two!! A box of 15 of them goes super fast!
So – I decided to try and make a copycat recipe. It would taste almost exactly the same, but perhaps have more chicken so that it felt more like a meal than a snack.
The kids gave them 4 thumbs up!!
Woo hoo! Eureka!
What do we do with this recipe??
- You can freeze them like the Sandwich Bros. do! Just seal in plastic and reheat in the microwave (out of the plastic bag of course!). Start at 60 seconds per sandwich and wrap in a paper towel first with the cheese side UP. Or you will have a cheesy microwave!
- Eat them for lunch! The kids are in school and cannot heat up their own meal. So, I send the sandwich cold to school and they still love it. More like a deli type feel.
- Eat them for dinner! Yum!
- Have the fixin’s stashed in the fridge for any time. I make a large batch and then keep the chicken with cheese in a large container in the fridge. If someone wants to make a chicken melt, they just have to add the cooked chicken to the pita pocket.
- Easy and cheap and tasty! My favorite triad 🙂
Here is a photo of the whole wheat pita pockets that I purchased for making the chicken melts. You can purchase pita pockets almost everywhere now! Since Trader Joe’s avoids preservatives and such, I try there first. **IMPORTANT** When opening up their pita pockets, heat them first a little. I store my bread in the fridge and the pockets would tear when I opened them up. BUT, they won’t tear if you heat them up for like 15 seconds in the microwave!
This recipe is a new staple in our household and I hope you enjoy it!
- 1-2 Tb. olive oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
- (about) 1 tsp. garlic powder (add to taste, we like it and I cover the flour with a layer of garlic powder)
- (about) 1 Tb. paprika (I used smoked paprika and increase or decrease based on how fresh it is)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 8 slices of American Cheese
- 8 round pita pockets
- To start, I heat up my large 12" cast iron skillet on medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. I add more if it doesn't cover the bottom of the skillet.
- While that heats up, slice the chicken in half LENGTHwise. You now have 8 chicken breasts. Now, cut those to fit you pita pocket. I cut mine in half again the other way to fit into the pita pocket. Now, I have 16 pieces of chicken.
- In a shallow bowl or baking dish, mix the flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken through the flour mixture on both sides until coated. Repeat on all the chicken.
- Add chicken to the skillet one layer at a time. Mine holds 4-5 pieces of chicken. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Flip. Cook another 3 minutes and make sure the chicken is cooking nicely. About 2 minutes before it is done, add the cheese. Melt the cheese for 2-3 minutes and remove the chicken from the skillet onto a wire cooling rack over paper towels. This will keep the chicken crispy on the bottom and the top.
- Repeat by adding a little more oil to the skillet if necessary and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Heat up the pita pockets for about 15 seconds in the microwave. This will allow them to open easier.
- Slice the pita pocket circle in half to get two half circles. Fill the pita pocket with the cooked chicken and eat while hot!
- Or assemble and freeze in the freezer. To reheat from frozen, wrap in a paper towel and place in the microwave with the cheese side on top. Heat for 60 seconds and check to see if it is done. If not, add a few more seconds until heated thoroughly.
- Or keep separated in the fridge and assemble any time you are hungry.
