I’m sharing a favorite family dinner with you today. It’s quick, easy and you’ll be in and out of the kitchen with a delicious meal to serve in no time!
Cast Iron Skillet Chicken
Organic Baby Spinach Salad
Crusty Cornbread Muffins
Cast Iron Skillet Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons bacon grease (you’ll have this leftover after frying bacon for the spinach salad)
1/4 cup cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon brown sugar ( you can also drizzle the breasts with local honey if you’d prefer)
barbecue sauce of choice (we like Jack Daniel’s original sauce)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the grease in a medium sized cast iron skillet. Sear the chicken breasts in the hot grease for four minutes on each side. Spoon barbeque sauce over each piece of chicken and place the skillet in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Organic Baby Spinach Salad
Note: I have to give credit for the inspiration to make this salad to my neighbor Martha. She made her yummy version of this for us one night when we had dinner at her home. Her dressing makes the whole thing!
1 box organic, baby spinach, stems removed
1 cup organic strawberries, stemmed and halved
3-4 strips of bacon cooked until crisp (reserve the grease)
1/2 Vidalia onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted, sliced almonds
1/4 cup crispy rice noodles ( I use LaChoy in a can)
Dressing:
1 cup good quality vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon poppy seed
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dry onion flakes
1/4 cup sugar (I use the raw organic type)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Whisk all ingredients together and let stand for about 1/2 hour. I use about half a recipe of the dressing for one salad.
Crusty Cornbread Muffins
It has been said, on more than one occasion, that my Mom makes THE BEST cornbread around. This is her recipe.
1 cup organic, stone ground corn meal
1 cup organic, whole wheat flour
1 cup buttermilk
3 teaspoon baking powder (Rumford is what we always use since it has no aluminum in it.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup local honey
1 egg
3/4 good vegetable oil
salt and pepper as desired
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (I make these before the chicken then reduce the heat for that.) Mix all of the ingredients and stir well to combine. Place the batter in greased muffin tins or in a square 8×8″ baking pan if you prefer. Bake for 25 minutes.
There you have it! A quick and delicious meal that your family will love. I have also used this same recipe for the large bone in pork chops that Mr. T loves and it is equally good. Enjoy!
