” Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
OTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
Last weekend still felt like summer, with a record-breaking 91 degree temperature for our granddaughter’s rugby game (which they won 26-24). Sunday we saw “A Doll’s House” at the Guthrie, the awesome beginning of the season… hard to believe this timely play was written in 1879! I have seen it multiple times, but it was reading the contemporary “Searching for Nora” that helped me understand it on another level. It is even more meaningful because of my Norwegian heritage and my grandmother emigrating to the US about the same time as Nora. Crisp fall days followed the weekend, and our grandson helped with the Texas toast for this week’s family meal.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Our family all loves Raising Cane’s chicken tenders, sauce and Texas toast so I thought trying a copycat recipe was worth a shot. I found many different recipes online… then found one created by AI combining them all and decided to try it. Consensus was that it was good, but not fantastic. However, it was good enough that I still want to publish it so I can find it again to tweak. I don’t like deep frying, so tried this one that is oven baked… would be better fried, but still not bad. I baked it on a rack as indicated, but I think I would try baking it in a pan lined with oil in the future for ‘test2’… maybe use Panko instead of flour?
Copycat baked Canes chicken tenders and sauce
MARINADE
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
In a bowl or zip-lock bag, combine the buttermilk, Cajun seasoning, garlic and onion powder. Add the chicken tenders, toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to tenderize the chicken.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lightly spray the rack with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
BREADING
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch (or panko breadcrumbs)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Take the marinated chicken tenders out of the fridge and remove one piece at a time to dredge in the flour mixture.
Bake in a single layer on the prepared wire rack. Drizzle with cooking oil to help with browning and crispiness. Bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees F.
SAUCE
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Mix the sauce and chill until ready to serve with the chicken.
TEXAS TOAST
Mix 8 tablespoons unsalted softened butter with 2 teaspoons garlic salt. Spread on Texas toast BBQ bread, and heat in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
