lunchbox

This post is sponsored by Idaho® Potato, thank you for helping to support Pook’s Pantry.  As always, all opinions are my own.

Potato salad gets a spicy makeover when it meets all the components for pimento or pimiento cheese.  Paired with fried chicken tenders on a cheddar dill potato biscuit, it makes the perfect picnic lunch.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite places to go was Greenfield Village.  It’s like stepping back in time.  Everyone is dressed in costume and there are various “shoppes” that make candles, leather goods, etc.  It is also home to the Henry Ford museum, which is wonderful.  All this cool stuff aside, the reason I really loved going there was the chicken.  Seriously.  I’d get my box lunch of chicken and potato salad, go sit on a blanket in the grass and I was happy as a clam.  (Where did this saying come from?  Are clams REALLY happy?!) 

If only the younger me could’ve gotten her hands on this chicken tender biscuit sandwich!  Oh, that would have been one happy little girl! Drizzled with spicy honey, this sandwich is so dang good! The soft biscuit gives way to the crunchy coating on the chicken and then the spicy honey hits your tongue for one incredible bite.  Let’s talk for a minute how we get that coating, shall we?

CHEF’S TIP:

When breading anything, this is the Standard Breading Procedure.  Flour, then egg and lastly breadcrumb.  Place your breaded items on a cooling rack set inside of a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24.  This helps the breading to stick to whatever you are coating, in this case – chicken,  instead of falling off during cooking.

This would be the PERFECT menu for hanging out in the backyard with some friends.  It also makes a great boxed lunch!  Get a few containers, pack them up and you’re off!  Does your company do picnic lunches for a day retreat?  Wouldn’t this be a better option than a soggy turkey sandwich and a bag of crushed chips?

The spicy honey really make this sandwich go from good to GREAT!  If you don’t like too much spice, you can reduce the amount of chilies or pull them out of the honey sooner so they don’t have a chance to infuse as much heat.

See below?  These containers are PERFECT!

Potato Salad, how I love thee…

Pimento Cheese Potato Salad with Fried Chicken Tenders on Cheddar Dill Potato Biscuits

2017-04-20 07:18:20

Serves 8

Potato Salad gets a spicy makeover with all the flavors of pimento cheese. It's paired with fried chicken tenders on a cheddar dill potato biscuit for a perfect picnic lunch.

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Prep Time

2 hr 30 min

Cook Time

45 min

Prep Time

2 hr 30 min

Cook Time

45 min

For the Pimento Cheese Potato Salad

1. • 2 pounds Idaho® Russet potatoes (I used Norkotah), peeled and diced into 1” pieces
2. • 1 ½ cups shredded habanero cheddar cheese, or other spicy cheddar
3. • 1 cup mayonnaise
4. • 2 tablespoons diced pimento peppers
5. • 3 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
6. • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
7. • 2 teaspoons dried mustard
8. • 2 tablespoons grated onion
9. • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
10. • 1 teaspoon black pepper
11. • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Fried Chicken Tenders

1. • 16 chicken tenderloins
2. • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose flour
3. • 3 large eggs, beaten
4. • 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
5. • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style breadcrumb)
6. • 1 teaspoon salt
7. • ½ teaspoon black pepper
8. • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
9. • 2 cups buttermilk + 3 sprigs rosemary for soaking
10. • 3 cups canola oil for frying

Spicy Honey

1. • 1 cup honey
2. • 2 red chili peppers (such as Thai chilies)

Potato Cheddar Dill Biscuits

1. • 1 - 3.4 oz. package Honest Earth® buttery home-style instant potatoes
2. • 7 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 ½ cups)
3. • 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
4. • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
5. • ½ teaspoon white pepper
6. • 2 large eggs + 1 yolk
7. • ½ cup light cream + 2 tablespoons for brushing on top
8. • 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
9. • 1 tablespoon dill
10. • ½ cup grated extra-sharp cheddar

For the Potato Salad

1. Fill a large pot with cold water and add potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for approximately 12 – 15 minutes, or until “fork tender”.
2. While potatoes are boiling, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
3. When potatoes are cooked, remove from heat and drain. Lay out on a baking sheet for faster cooling and to allow them to dry a bit before adding to mayonnaise mixture.
4. When potatoes have cooled to room temperature, toss them in the mayonnaise mixture and grate a few tablespoons of cheese on top.

For the Chicken and Honey

1. Place chicken tenders in buttermilk & rosemary and refrigerate overnight.
2. Remove chicken from buttermilk, pat dry and set aside. Discard buttermilk.
3. In a food processor, pulse both breadcrumbs together until uniform in consistency.
4. In three separate bowls, set up breading station: In the first bowl - flour, salt, pepper and paprika. In the second bowl - eggs and in the last bowl – the breadcrumbs.
5. Whisk the ingredients together in the first bowl and then dip the chicken tenders into the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour, then dip in egg and lastly in the breadcrumb mixture.
6. Lay on a cooling rack set inside of a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before frying. This helps the coating to set.
7. Heat oil over medium – high heat. Fry each tender for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
8. In a small saucepan, combine honey and chilies over low heat. Let it barely come to a simmer, you do not want it to boil. Let chilies infuse honey for about one hour, then remove chili peppers if desired. Drizzle spicy honey over chicken tenders for sweet heat.

For the Biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl: combine cream, eggs and yolk. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment: Combine flour and diced butter and let mixer run until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add instant potatoes, baking powder, dill, cheddar, salt and pepper. Mix for a few seconds until it is combined.
4. Pour cream mixture into bowl of mixer and mix until just combined, do not overmix. Remove bowl from mixer and with a rubber spatula, fold dough from bottom of bowl to the top to make sure all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.
5. Using a 3 ½ - 4 ounce scoop, portion 8 biscuits onto the sheet pan.
6. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if desired.
7. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

By Cheryl Bennett

Pook's Pantry https://www.pookspantry.com/

• Kraft paper containers
• Prep (mixing) bowls
• Parchment Paper

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