Adventures with Jameson and Ginger Ale: Melty, Cheesy Chicken & Zucchini Boats

I didn't cook much this weekend because we went out some and still had some leftovers. But Friday night I did make this delicious and filling meal: Baked Swiss Cheese Chicken and Zucchini Boats. The chicken is to die for and Jess always mentions how good it is, which even though I know he's just happy I cook every day, it still makes me feel accomplished when he says he really likes a meal.

So the chicken recipe comes from here. I found this a long time ago and the first time I made it I followed the instructions and made the creamy cheese sauce with egg noodles...we were not fans. However, the chicken: mmmmmmmm. So since then I've just paired the baked chicken with different sides: green beans, potatoes, steamed veggies, etc. This time it is with zucchini boats, which baked and cheesy in themselves, but still a veggie, so they're healthy, right?

Swiss Cheese Baked Chicken
Ingredients:
8 chicken tenders/fingers or 2-3 large chicken breasts
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup regular bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2-3 oz Swiss cheese (sliced, roughly enough to cover all chicken pieces)
Salt & Pepper
Parsley for garnish

First, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a baking pan that will fit all of your chicken laying flat without overlapping.

Next, cut two large chickent breasts into thinner cutlets and then in half to form 8 long, thin pieces of chicken. I also trimmed most of the fat off, yuck! Set aside.

Next, in a skillet, toast your panko bread crumbs until they are nice and golden.

It also smells good when you're toasting the crumbs,
kind of like a burning, herby smell.

To set up the breading station get out three bowls. Bowl one: flour. Bowl two: 2 eggs, lightly beaten. Bowl three: browned panko bread crumbs, regular bread crumbs, and Italian seasoning.

The far left bowl is the breadcrumbs & Italian seasoning,
but I hadn't added the Panko yet.

Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper to taste and then bread them. First dredge in flour, then coat with egg (letting any excess drip off), then dip in panko. Panko is a great example of dry sticks to wet ingredients. If you let excess egg get into the panko bowl and dampen the breadcrumbs they won't stick to the chicken anymore. Keep one hand dry to pat on the breadcrumbs all over the chicken and then lay it in the baking pan. Drizzle chicken with melted butter and then bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken.

Breaded, buttery poultry!

Remove chicken from oven and turn on broiler. Lay slices of cheese across each piece of chicken (as you can tell, I pretty much make a Swiss cheese blanket for my chicken cutlets).

The small pieces were kind of just leftovers...

Then broil for 1-2 minutes or until bubbly. You can garnish with parsley if you'd like...I forgot.

Fresh out of the oven!

This chicken is seriously delicious. So tender, too! We never need knives, just cutting it with a fork works perfectly.

Zucchini Boats
Ever since Jess and I had these at my cousin's house we knew they were going to be a staple for our dinners. They are crazy easy, pretty cheap, and present well if you are entertaining for dinner! They can be a side, a main course, an appetizer, the possibilities are endless. I have made them as a side to pizza (I am obsessed with making my own pizza dough and we have personal pizzas like once a week) and experimented with putting sausage and pepperoni on them, which was a success. But here is the recipe for just plain, old zucchini boats.

Ingredients:
3-4 medium zucchini
1-2 tomatoes (depending on size & type)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease.

Wash your zucchini & tomatoes (pesticides, while good for keeping insects from nomming on our food, not so good for people!). Cut off the ends of the zucchini and then cut them in half. Now, slice those halves down the middle. If your zucchini are particularly rounded you can slice off a bit on the bottom/outside to make a flat edge for them to sit on, but it may not be necessary, just check to see if your boats will lay flat. Use a spoon to scoop out a bit of the middle seeded area to form the "boat" shape.

Boats!

Cut your tomato(es) into thin slices and then cut them in half or thirds so that they are roughly as wide as the zucchini. I found it is easier to just cut as I go to fit over the top of my boats.

To assemble, brush zucchini with a little bit of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Put a dash of Italian seasoning on each one.