gravy – Fun Foodie Family

Chicken Thighs in Creamy Brown Mushroom Gravy

So this week I didn’t make a meal plan. After Lizzie passed, it was hard for a month or so to get back in a normal routine. Once I did, it seemed too easy. Weekly meal plan, go to the grocery store, make dinners, get distracted with life, go out, make more dinners, etc. So this week I thought about making a meal plan and decided to go against my instinct. I want to feel that rush of “What the heck are we having for dinner?” and “What can I make with the stuff I already have in my kitchen?” Then I looked in my fridge and pantry and realized I needed some stuff to randomly make dinner. So Friday after work I went to the store and got a few things. Awesome. You already saw the last 2 meals that I made.

Today I was home with this sick girl and had to take her to the doctor. Turns out she has the beginnings of a sinus infection and bronchitis. Don’t let the mask and pathetic face fool you. She was still full of sass and energy most of the day. The doctor told her to stay away from running and activity. I almost laughed in her face. Anyways, short of all her ailments, she is feeling fine and ready to go back to school tomorrow. I had a nice day off with her and took her to the store to get her meds and some groceries for the rest of the week. She had lots of opinions, so tonight she chose 3 things her and her sisters like. She loves chicken; Becca loves mushrooms; Lizzie really loved gravy. So I made Chicken in gravy with mushrooms.

Chicken Thighs in Creamy Brown Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients

1/3 cup all purpose flour
4 large Chicken Thighs
1/2 stick butter
1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup half and half
1 cup canned/boxed low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley,chopped

Directions

Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet. Sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add onions and mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes. Mix in about 1 tablespoon of the flour; cook 1 minute. Add broth and then vinegar. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Add half and half. Mix well. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked through and gravy thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with parsley.

Serve with a side of veggie and grain (couscous, pasta, rice, etc) and some crusty bread, per usual.

I know Lizzie would have loved this =)

Chicken and Gravy with Bacon and Mushroom Stuffing

poultry, Side dishes...veggies

This week has been a pretty wacko. We had a snow day yesterday that was supposed to be like 4-6 inches. Well, it turned out to be more of a really cold, then snow, then rainy slush day. Oh well. I got some groceries for the next week or so, so no real meal plan coming up. Just eating up leftovers and making meals out of what we bought this mid-week. I bought a fryer, so made up this meal this evening. We all enjoyed it!

Chicken and Gravy with Bacon and Mushroom Stuffing

Ingredients
1 fryer chicken (1 whole chicken already butchered for you)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme, parsley, rosemary or any combination
1 large onion,chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
3-4 tablespoons olive oil/butter
1 glass white wine- I used pinot grigio
1- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium container
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

Heat a Dutch Oven or large skillet on med. high heat with a couple of tablespoons butter or olive oil
Season all the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Brown both sides of chicken. Work in batches or use 2 pans, about 8 minutes skin side down first. 3-4 minutes on opposite side. Take the chicken out. Add your onions to the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes and add your garlic. Cook for another 3 minutes. Add your flour. Mix well. It should come to the consistency of wet sand. Once it does that, add in your wine. Cook down for a couple of minutes then add in 3/4 of your chicken stock. Add in your chicken. Add more chicken stock if gravy gets too thick. Add in your fresh chopped herbs. Simmer on med.low for 45 min stirring occasionally until chicken is tender and cooked through.

Bacon and Mushroom Stuffing- This stuff was pretty simple- I followed the directions on one of those “Thanksgiving” Pepridge Farms bags of stuffing. I added sauteed mushrooms with cooked chopped bacon to the onion, celery, and herb mix. I made it in my cast iron. It turned out pretty yummy, and I have plenty of leftovers. Stuffing is one of those foods with so many leftover possibilities.

I served this with canned biscuits and Steam-fresh green beans. !

Smothered Pork Chops

Pork

Hey guys! Happy Friday! Today was a pretty nice day. We slept in until about 8:45. Then I relaxed more with some coffee and went to an amazing Pilates class. Later I met a friend for lunch and chatted. The girls came with me and had a good time as well. It was also my dog’s birthday. Brutus got spoiled with some treats and toys.

This afternoon I cleaned out the kitchen to see what I could make. I defrosted some pork chops and decided to come up with a new recipe. My kids LOVE pork chops and gravy, so I thought to make a gravy smothered pork chop with mashed potatoes and veggies. I turned on my I-pod, poured myself a glass of wine, and got to cooking. It felt amazing to get back in the kitchen.

The verdict?
Everyone loved it, so this is totally going in to my pork chop recipe rotation.

Be on the lookout for a new chicken dish tomorrow. I am brewing up some ideas…

Smothered Pork Chops

Ingredients
1/2 stick of butter or 1/4 cup olive oil
3-5 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in—- you could do this with any pork chop; no bone or thinner pork chops need less time. Just reduce the browning time or time it is cooked in the gravy. For accurate cooking, use a thermometer. Take out at 145 and let rest for 5 minutes. It will come up to 150-160 and be perfectly safe to eat.
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (sub. buttermilk or half and half)

Directions
Dry off your chops with a paper towel. Put the flour in a shallow plate/bowl and add the salt and pepper. Dredge the pork chops in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. I used one large and one med. so I would not over crowd the pan. You may end up steaming them and they will not brown, so make sure you have plenty of room. No overcrowding!

When the oil is hot, your pan should be smoking and ready for the meat. Lay the pork chops in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Add more butter if necessary.

Add your onions and cook them down, about 8-10 minutes. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in a little at a time. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken a bit.

Stir in the heavy cream a little at a time to finish the gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through.

I served with a side of mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. Dinner was a hit. Trust me…just do it! =) Amy

Pork Chops and Mashed Potatoes

Pork, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

So tonight is the first night in over 2 1/2 months that all 5 family members have sat down at the kitchen table for a family dinner. I asked E what she wanted for dinner. Pork chops. Yes, sounds delish…how about I add a side of mashed potatoes? She asked for gravy. Yes, I can def. make that happen for you…I can make anything happen for you!

My little E has Cancer. For the last 4 years, she has undergone every scan, test, chemo, and other medicines one would never wish on their worst enemy. She has taken it all with stride; she has been brave; she deserves all that she wants in life, just like any other kiddo out there who has gone through such a terrible fate. Well, her last scans were clear! Awesome news; but then she came down with a nasty lung infection, and we were not sure she would make it out of the hospital. Well, E was not going to let a little lung fungus get in her way of living life, so she beat it and is now home!

Of course I will make her and let her eat pretty much everything she likes. She has asked for 5 Guys, cheese ravioli, Sloppy Joe’s, and shells and cheese. Ok, I can make all that happen. Tonight it is pork chops and mashed potatoes and gravy.

I took some pork chops, that just happen to be on sale at Publix, put them in some olive oil and salt and pepper. Then I warmed up 2 cast iron skillets and placed the chops in them. Do not crowd your pans. You need to have plenty of room for them to brown and get a nice crust; about 10 minutes on the first side and 8 minutes on the second side.

Mashed potatoes are easy. Boil your potatoes until fork tender, about 12 minutes or so. Drain and put them in your mixer. I add about 1 stick of butter, a couple splashes of heavy cream, and a couple splashes of milk. Mix until your desired consistency.

Gravy? Take out the pork chops as soon as the time is up and let them rest for about 5-10 minutes. They will cook a little more and retain their juices. Do not cut into them yet. Put all the pork chop juices in one of your pans. Heat it up and add 2 tablespoons of butter and flour. Whisk together until you have a bit of a “wet sand” look. I add a little chicken stock at a time until the back of your spoon is coated without being to runny. You could add milk, for milk gravy. That is yummy, too.

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