Spicy Picnic Chicken and Texas Two-Step Coleslaw

Ok, so I promise I will never go that long again.  It has been almost a week and it drove me crazy not to get in the kitchen and cook for you.  It has been one hectic week.  The kids have been going everywhere.  I have been working odd hours (and lots of them).  We just never got our schedules to gel.  Well, the planets aligned and here we are.  Thank-you for coming… I made dinner for you.

Tonight’s dinner comes to us from “The Pillsbury Bake-Off Cookbook”, volume #291, May 2005.  I have two recipes that I have prepared for your enjoyment this evening or morning, or lunch, whenever you read this.  The first is an easy Spicy Picnic Chicken.  It has buttermilk in the batter to help tenderize the meat and bread crumbs and taco seasoning to give the crust a real kick.   The second?  Sensational, tongue tingling coleslaw: Texas Two-Step Coleslaw had everybody dancing in their seats.  It was a perfect end to a great day.  The coleslaw was a big hit and it made a ton!  It would be perfect for a backyard barbeque or the next church potluck. 

I have used the Pillsbury cookbooks before and trust me; you will see them again in the future.   The only changes I would have made to the meal were the temperature, a sweltering 87 degrees and I would have added a little bit more spice to the chicken.  Perhaps you can add a dash of cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce if you like it spicier.

Spicy Picnic Chicken

1 cup buttermilk

1 package taco seasoning

1 cup bread crumbs

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1-2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

8 bone-in pieces of chicken (I used a 14 pack of drumsticks, because that is what my family likes)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the buttermilk, and 1 tablespoon of the taco seasoning mix.
3. In another shallow bowl, mix remaining taco seasoning mix, the bread crumbs, flour, salt and pepper.
4. Dip the chicken pieces into the buttermilk mixture.
5. Coat with breadcrumbs mixture.
6. Place on baking sheet.
7. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
8. Drizzle chicken with butter
9. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender and the juices run clear.

 

Texas Two-Step Slaw

4 cups shredded green cabbage

1 cup shredded red cabbage

¼ cup chopped red onion

2 jalapeno chilies, seeded, and finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped

1 can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Dressing

¾ cup ranch dressing

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1. In a large bowl, mix salad ingredients
2. In a small bowl mix dressing ingredients.
3. Toss the dressing with the salad and cover. 
4. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to let the flavors come together.  The recipe suggest two hour or over night.  I made it before I made the chicken and it tasted perfect.