Chicken Two Ways, A Time Saving Recipe

Ingredients:
Panko
Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Thyme
Kosher Salt
Smoked Paprika
Pepper
Honey
Chicken breast and/or strips
Olive oil
Egg


The butcher has a wonderful sale on chicken breasts this week. They were big enough that we could butterfly them and make two meals from one breast, hence two equals four meals. A roulade is one of our favorite "fancy" ways to make chicken (fancy means not on the grill or in the smoker...) As usual when I have an idea for a recipe, I do a Google search to see if anything similar comes up for guidelines. I came across the blog of Knees & Bees and liked their spicing suggestions and so added a few ingredients to the original idea of a Honey-Panko Chicken Roulade and with the leftovers, Honey-Panko Chicken Tenders.

So take the Panko/Spice recipe and split it in half, use one portion for each meal, I guarantee you'll enjoy.

Panko Spicing Mix
2 cups Panko
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar
Mix together and divide in half. Save one portion for another meal, or just make half...

Meal #1 - Panko-Honey Chicken Roulade
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a casserole pan with olive oil and set aside. While oven is heating, loosely wrap chicken in plastic wrap and either lightly pound to 1/4" thickness or use a rolling pin. (Consistency is the key, make sure your chicken is even in thickness.) In a separate dish, combine 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika, and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Brush honey onto one side of chicken and sprinkle/fill with Parmesan mixture. Roll and tie chicken or secure with toothpicks.
Prepare an egg wash and heat a small sautee pan to med-med/high with a small bit of oil. Dredge the chicken-roll in the egg, then in the Panko mixture. Sear chicken on all sides, turning with tongs until lightly browned. Move chicken to casserole pan, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 additional minutes, until panko is nicely browned.
Remove, slice into portions, and enjoy!

Meal #2 - Panko-Honey Chicken Tenders
Hopefully you have some of that wonderful panko spice mix still left, if not, make more. Cut chicken into strips and brush with honey, refrigerate for one hour. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare egg wash and dredge as before, place breaded tenders on a covered baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Both meals are surprisingly sweet and smoky and make for a nice treat.