Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with Slaw and Spicy Aioli for Two
I was feeling sorry for myself because there are no Chik-Fil-A restaurants close to where I live now. When I lived in Florida I was a regular there and I was really starting to crave one, so I set out to find the best chicken sandwich recipe ever! I found it. This isn’t anything like the Chik-Fil-A sandwich though, it’s way better. I would even say that once you try this chicken sandwich you will measure every other chicken sandwich by this one! It’s a towering sandwich once all of its components are assembled on top of one another and just looking at it made me happy! 🙂
First, lets talk about the slaw. If you’ve been eating it on the side with your meal it’s time for a new rule: Slaw doesn’t go with the sandwich, it goes on the sandwich. This slaw isn’t mixed with heavy mayo either, it’s crunchy with a bright acidic kick that really balances the more fatty goodness of the meat and aioli.
Next we’ll talk about the chicken! It’s dredged in seasoned flour, then dipped in buttermilk and then back in the flour again. When you bite into this there is an audible crunch. There’s no sign of soggy breading here! The bread and butter pickles add the right sweet and tanginess to the aioli which is only slightly spicy…just enough to keep you wanting more. The bun is buttered and then grilled on a skillet to golden perfection! All of these parts add up to one unbelievably great chicken sandwich! I promise!
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
- 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 to 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced, depending on how hot you like it
- 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- 1/2 cup bread-and-butter pickle slices, plus 1/8 cup pickle juice
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper, don't skimp!
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, if the are very thick then use just one and halve it crosswise.
- Peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
- 2 white sandwich rolls
- 1 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- Mix garlic, mayonnaise, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl; cover and chill. Toss onion, jalapeño, cabbage, pickles, and pickle juice in a large bowl to combine; cover and chill.
- Whisk flour, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl. Pour buttermilk into another shallow bowl. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in buttermilk, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge again in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
- Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of 1/2". Prop deepfry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium heat until thermometer registers 350°F.
- Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet; season with salt. Spread cut sides of rolls with butter. Heat another large skillet over medium heat. Cook rolls buttered side down until browned and crisp, about 1 minute.
- Spread with spicy mayo. Build sandwiches with rolls, chicken, and cabbage slaw.
- If you have a deep fry thermometer use it to measure the temperature of the oil.
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry for Two
I have to admit…we eat Chinese take-out a lot! It’s just too easy because they are literally right down the street! I’m really not a fan of any of the beef take-out dishes though, the beef is usually tough and kinda chewy…ewww. Not my favorite! I have been on the look-out for the BEST beef and broccoli recipe and I found it! You just won’t believe you made something so good when you try this one. Take-out can’t match this, no way, no how!
When I first started thinking about posting this recipe I thought to cut it in half but if you love this as much as we do, there might not be any leftovers, so I decided to keep it as is.
You’re going to want to have everything prepped before you start this recipe because once you start it goes fast! Do yourself a favor and put your steak in the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing it, it will be much easier to slice partially frozen. Slice up the partially frozen beef in thin strips and put it in a bowl with the soy sauce and put it in the fridge for an hour, don’t forget to stir it once. In the meantime you can chop the red pepper and mince the garlic and ginger. I just put my garlic and ginger in the food processor. Put the garlic and ginger in a small bowl and add the sesame oil and set aside.
Next you’ll need to drain the beef and get your pan ready by adding 1 1/2 tsps of the peanut oil. Make sure the oil is smoking before adding half the beef, you’re doing this in two batches. Once you add the beef just quickly make sure each piece is touching the pan and not on top of other pieces and don’t touch them for one minute so they start to develop that nice browned color, then stir the meat and cook for only 30 seconds more. You might feel like the meat isn’t done but trust me…it will keep cooking after you take it off…don’t cook it longer. Put it in a bowl and do the next batch the same way, adding 1 1/2 tsp peaunt oil before adding that next batch of beef strips. Add this beef to the rest in the bowl and set this aside. Once you’ve done that add a Tbsp of peanut oil to your now empty pan and heat just until starting to smoke. Add the broccoli and cook for 30 seconds only. Add 1/3 cup of water, cover the pan and steam the broccoli for 2 minutes on medium heat. Transfer the broccoli to a paper towel lined plate. Our goal here is to keep the broccoli nice and green and still crunchy. Nothing worse than limp broccoli in your beef and broccoli! Next you’ll add the remaining 1 1/2 tsp peanut oil to the pan and then add the red peppers. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the ginger and garlic mixture to the middle of the pan and cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant, then stir into the red peppers to combine. Add the beef and broccoli back into the pan, re-whisk the sauce and add it to the pan, tossing until everything is hot. Serve this with white or brown rice and maybe some hot tea would make it especially authentic!
- 1 pound skirt steak, slice across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
- 5 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 6 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 pounds broccoli, florets cut into bite-size pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick slices
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 3 medium scallions, sliced 1/2-inch thick on diagonal (optional)
- Combine beef and soy sauce in medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once.
- Meanwhile, whisk sherry, chicken broth, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in bowl.
- Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil in a different bowl.
- Drain beef and discard liquid.
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking.
- Add half of beef to skillet and break up clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges, about 30 seconds. Transfer beef to medium bowl.
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil in skillet, and repeat with remaining beef.
- Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to now-empty skillet; heat until just smoking.
- Add broccoli and cook 30 seconds; add water, cover pan, and lower heat to medium. Steam broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate.
- Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil to skillet; increase heat to high and heat until just smoking.
- Add bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 1/2 minutes.
- Clear center of skillet; add garlic and ginger to center and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir mixture into peppers.
- Return beef and broccoli to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle with scallions if you like, I only do that if I have them on hand already.
Cook-Off Chili for Two
When it’s cold out I start thinking about this chili! There is nothing better to warm you up and make you feel all cozy and comforted like a hot bowl of chili with melted cheddar cheese on top! We add sour cream to cool it down a little from the jalapeno kick. Everytime I make this for anyone they always ask for the recipe. I have a family member who made this recipe and won the chili cook-off at his church! I usually make the full recipe because there is always someone besides my husband and I that want some, but for the purposes of cooking for two I’m cutting the recipe in half so it’s more appropriate for just two people. If you want a lot of leftovers or you’re having company then head over to my entertaining page for the full recipe there, Cook-Off Chili.
This recipe comes together so quickly and doesn’t take long to cook at all. I’d say it takes me close to an hour from start to finish. I like prepping my veggies ahead of time and storing them in a ziploc bag so that I can just grab them out of the fridge when it’s time to cook!
Just start browning your ground beef and add 1/2 tsp of chili powder and 1/4 tsp of cumin in a Dutch oven. While the meat is browning I chop all my veggies if I haven’t done it ahead of time. Drain the meat and set it aside for now. You’ll take the same Dutch oven you browned your beef in and add 1 Tbsp of oil, I use canola oil. Toss in your chopped vegetables and saute until tender (about 10 minutes). Add your ground beef to the vegetables along with the tomato sauce, chili beans, water, tomato paste, salsa and 2 Tbsp chili powder. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Next, you add the kidney beans, beer, but only half a bottle, just drink the rest while you’re cooking, that’s the perk of cooking chili! 🙂 ripe olives and 1/4 tsp cumin, stir it well but be gentle with the beans and just simmer them gently or they’ll disentegrate. Simmer for another 15 minutes, uncovered this time, or until you’re ready to eat.
When I was adapting this recipe for two I could have done away with the kidney beans because you have chili beans in the chili already but I like the firmer texture of the kidney beans so I kept them in. I serve this with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, hot sauce and tortilla chips! This will seriously rock your socks off! Just remember to put them back on or your feet will get cold! 😀
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp gound cumin
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 jalapeno, minced
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 oz) can Mexican-style chili beans, undrained
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 of a 6 oz can of tomato paste (freeze the rest in a ziploc bag)
- 1/4 cup of salsa (jalapeno if you can find it)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
- 1/2 of a 12 oz beer
- 1 (2 1/2 oz) can sliced ripe olives, drained
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Hot sauce to taste
- Shredded Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips
- Cook ground beef, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1/4 tsp cumin in a Dutch oven until meat is browned, stirring to crumble meat. Drain and set aside.
- Saute chopped onions, garlic, and jalapeno pepper in oil until tender.
- Add ground beef mixture.
- Stir in tomato sauce, chili beans, water, tomato paste, salsa, and 2 Tbsp chili powder.
- Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add kidney beans and next 5 ingredients, stirring well. Simmer 15 minutes or until ready to serve. Serve chili with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.
Orange and Red Onion Salad for Two
This salad is so easy to put together but looks so special. There is nothing ordinary about it! I think marinating the red onions and oranges in the vinaigrette really takes this salad to the next level but the candied slivered almonds…they take it over the top! Don’t leave the almonds out! They are so very easy to do, I candied them in minutes. I could just eat them all by themselves!
Go ahead and make the vinaigrette for the salad, you can make this ahead if you like and just keep it in the fridge until you are ready to make the salad.
Peel and slice your navel orange. I have an easy way of peeling them. Cut off each end of the orange and then score your orange with a knife cutting all the way through the outer rind in one-inch intervals and then just peel the sections you scored away, so easy!
Slice your red onion super thin. I used my mandoline to get thin slices. Big bites of red onion can be overwhelming! Put both the orange slices and red onion in the vinaigrette to marinate for 10 minutes. While that’s marinating get your slivered almonds out and mix up the sugar, cayenne and salt. Once the almonds barely start to turn golden toss in the sugar mixture and stir until the almonds are browned and nicely coated with sugar. Arrange your salad mix (I just used a baby greens mix) and top with the oranges, red onions and some of the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the candied almonds and chives. EAT! 🙂
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1/2 an orange
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 naval orange, peeled, sliced into rounds
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 cups mesclun salad greens or baby greens
- Minced fresh chives
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp sugar
- Salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Whisk together vinegar, honey, Dijon, and orange juice in a small bowl for the vinaigrette. Drizzle in oil, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Marinate orange and onion slices in vinaigrette in a shallow dish (such as a pie plate) for 10 minutes.
- Toast almonds in butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. When barely golden, add sugar, salt, and cayenne. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until almonds are browned and coated with sugar. Transfer nuts to a plate to cool.
- To assemble, arrange greens on a platter; top with orange and onion slices, and desired amount of vinaigrette. Sprinkle with chives and candied almonds.
‘B-L-T’ Pasta for Two
I love pasta dishes! They are so quick to put together and so comforting to eat! This one is reminiscent of a BLT in that it has bacon, spinach and tomato and also a few garlic toasted bread crumbs on top to mimic the bread. I think this tastes a lot better though!
Caramelized tomatoes give the sauce deep flavor, and the leeks add sweetness. The garlic crumbs on top are optional, but they add fabulous texture to the dish. If you’re not familiar with leeks be sure to slice only the white parts and throw away the green as it is too tough to eat, also be sure to swish the sliced leeks around in a large bowl full of cold water to clean them, they can sometimes be gritty. Lift the leeks out of the water with a slotted spoon. If you pour the leeks into a strainer you’re just dumping the grit back on them. I just love leeks! They are more mellow than green onions and give such a lovely flavor to the sauce. Serve this with Orange and Red Onion Salad and some of the Italian bread you used to make crumbs. I hope you love it as much as we do!
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup italian bread cubes
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- salt to taste
- 2 strips bacon diced
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 1/3 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 4 oz. dry bucatini or spaghetti
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, packed
- 1/4 tsp. minced fresh thyme
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Mince garlic for the bread crumbs in a food processor. Add cubed bread and process until coarse.
- Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium; add crumbs and toast until golden, 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and set aside.
- Cook bacon for the pasta in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. drippings.
- Caramelize tomatoes and sugar in drippings over medium heat. Cook until tomatoes begin to brown; about 5 minutes. Add leeks and saute until wilted, 3-4 minutes.
- Deglaze skillet with wine; simmer until liquid is nearly evaporated. Add broth, vinegar, and pepper flakes. Simmer until liquid is reduced by a third or about 5 minutes.
- Cook spaghetti in boiling water according the package directions.
- Add spinach, thyme, and cooked bacon to the tomato mixture. Transfer cooked pasta from cooking water to the skillet using tongs.
- Toss to coat; season with salt if desired. Divide pasta among plates and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
