Golden Graham Crusted Chicken Fingers

We love chicken at this house. I am always trying to think of new and exciting ways to mix it up with sauces, breading and different techniques and thankfully chicken is so versatile. We also are big fans of Golden Grahams cereal, so when this challenge presented itself, I jumped in knowing I would use the cereal as the crust on chicken!

Some words of advice before attempting this recipe. Make sure the chicken is cut thinly so it cooks quickly in an effort to avoid burning due to the sugar in the cereal. Also keep the heat at medium which will also help in that regard.

Everyone in the family loved these chicken fingers – crispy and delicious!

Golden Graham Crusted Chicken Fingers
by Jenny Blogging at The Cookbook Junkies

1/2 pound of chicken tenders – cut in half length-wise to make thinner fingers
1 cup of Golden Grahams cereal, crushed in a plastic bag with an implement of your choice
1 cup of panko bread crumbs
1 cup of flour seasoned with salt and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
2 eggs, beaten with a splash of milk, salt and pepper
1/2 cup of canola oil

Salt and pepper the chicken fingers. It really makes a difference when you season at each step.

Create your dredging station as follows: One container with the seasoned flour, the second with the egg mixture and the third with the Golden Grahams crushed cereal and panko.

Heat the canola oil in a nonstick skillet or seasoned cast iron pan – to medium (around 300°F). Dredge each chicken finger first in flour, then egg, then the cereal mix. I like to place them on a rack inside a sheet pan to let them set up for five to ten minutes. Normally, I would recommend refrigerating to help the crust adhere – but you want these to cook quickly – so avoid that.

Fry four to six fingers for approximately two to three minutes on each side (your chicken fingers should be thin enough to be completely cooked in this short time) – watch them carefully – the first time I fried a few the oil was too hot and these fingers burnt quickly. Remove from oil and land them on another rack over a sheet pan – so they remain crispy.

These were so delicious! I served them with a honey barbecue sauce but they would be great with honey mustard or any sauce of your choice.

It's National Cereal Day! Celebrate with Fig, Goat's Cheese, Pistachio & Golden Grahams Bites

Happy National Cereal Day everyone! Whether you eat it straight out of the box or in a bowl with milk, everyone loves cereal! 37 Cooks has been honored to work with some great products from our latest sponsor, General Mills, and our creative gang had a lot of fun creating recipes that include Trix, Chocolate Cheerios and Golden Grahams. Check out today's elegant appetizer by Sarah Kwan. Her recipe shows us that cereal isn't just for breakfast anymore!

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I love easy party bites, and these are so quick to assemble - with no heating required! If making ahead, wait until serving to sprinkle the Golden Grahams on top to preserve their crunchy texture. The per-fig measurements mean you can scale this up and down easily, depending on how many pieces you'd like to serve your party.

Fig, Goat's Cheese, Pistachio & Golden Grahams Bites
by Sarah Kwan of Earthly Delights Blog

Ripe Black Mission figs, washed and halved

For each fig (makes 2 pieces per fig):
2-3 teaspoons goat's cheese (I used one with honey mixed in, but regular will also do)
2 roasted, salted and shelled pistachios
A high-quality aged balsamic vinegar (yes, the age really does make a difference!)
2-3 crushed Golden Grahams (a zip-top bag and rolling pin work wonders)

Arrange the figs on a serving plate.

With a soft silicone pastry brush, brush the cut side lightly with balsamic vinegar.

Press a half pistachio in the center of each fig half, then spoon about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of goat's cheese on top. Chop the remaining pistachios, and sprinkle on the goat's cheese.

Sprinkle the crushed Golden Grahams on top and serve immediately. If desired, add a few more drops of balsamic vinegar around the plate.

Chicken with Molé

When people think of molé, they usually think of chocolate. Yes, the sauce does have chocolate in it, but it's a very small amount and added at the end to give the sauce it's color and richness.

I've always been a huge fan of it myself. I remember the first time I had it in Cancun, Mexico, some 25 years ago. It's rich, smokey flavor sold me on the spot. This is a labor intensive recipe, but so worth the reward. It's a definite crowd pleaser.

Chicken with Molé
by Holly Kyman

Chicken and stock:
1 (6-7 pound) whole chicken, neck and gizzards removed
2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 package of fresh poultry herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme)
3 Tablespoons kosher salt
12 cups water

Fruit/vegetable base base:
1 16-ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup raisins
2 Tablespoons chili powder blend* (see note below ingredients)

Pepper base:
1 dried pasilla pepper, stemmed and seeded
2 dried ancho peppers, stemmed and seeded
1 cup hot water

Plantain base:
1 ripe plantain, diced
2 Tablespoons lard or canola oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Seeds, nuts and chocolate blend:

1/2 cup shelled peanuts
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup General Mills Chocolate Cheerios

Other:
1/4 cup Mexican chocolate, chopped (Ibarra preferred)
Flour tortillas
Sour cream
Sliced avocado
Shredded cheddar cheese
Pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)
Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

*Chili powder: I like The Spice Hunter's Salt-Free Chili Powder, which is a blend of chile pepper, onion, garlic, cocoa powder, oregano, red pepper, cumin, cinnamon and cloves. It has a very nice sweet and smoky flavor.

In a large stock pot, add the chicken, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaf, salt, and package of poultry herbs. Cover with 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is done.

Meanwhile, in a glass bowl, add the stemmed and seeded dried peppers. Cover with 1 cup very hot water. Let steep and soften 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Strain and reserve liquid and set aside.

Back to the broth and chicken, strain the liquid into a large pot using a colander or cheese cloth, cover and keep warm. Discard the vegetables and herbs. Place the chicken onto a cutting board and let cool. Remove skin and shred the chicken. Keep the meat warm in a slow cooker set on 'warm'. Ladle in a cup of the stock to keep moist. Add more stock if meat seems to get dry.

In a large non-stick pan, add the fire roasted tomatoes, raisins and chili powder blend. Cook on low, stirring often as to not burn.

In a small sauté pan, add the plantains, lard or oil, cinnamon and brown sugar. Cook on medium-low heat until they soften. Add the plantain mixture to the tomato/raisin base. Ladle in a cup or two of the chicken broth. Stir well. It may look lumpy and that's ok.

In a food processor, add the reconstituted dried peppers. Add a little of the pepper liquid if it seems too thick or doesn't 'move'. Add the blended peppers to the tomato/raisin/plantain base. Stir well. Add another cup or two of the chicken broth. Remember: Keep low and slow and keep stirring. Pull up a seat and don't leave this sauce alone.

In a food processor, add the peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and cheerios. Pulse until finely ground. Add to the tomato/raisin/plantain base. Add more stock and you guessed it: Keep stirring.

Finally, add the Mexican chocolate. Stir well. The sauce may seem really thick and lumpy. Add more stock. Stir constantly for another 30-40 minutes.

Remove sauce from heat, in batches (should take about 3-4) ladle sauce into blender and add a cup of the chicken stock. Blend on low until nicely emulsified. Return blended sauce to a large pot. After all is processed, return to heat and continue to stir often, adding a cup or so of the chicken stock for another hour. (You may have some stock leftover. Save for another use.)

To serve: On a tortilla, add about 1/2 cup of the shredded chicken, wrap tortilla. Top with a drizzle of the molé (a little goes along way), a dollop of sour cream, a few avocado slices and a touch of shredded cheese. Garnish with the pumpkin and sesame seeds. Also, good served with a side of Spanish rice. Enjoy!

Strawberry-Trix Nice Cream Parfait

My kids think that I am the best mom around when I serve them nice cream for breakfast. Nice cream is just like ice cream, only so much healthier. So healthy that they can have it for a fun breakfast, or it could be turned into a dessert with just a little honey. It starts with frozen bananas that give it a great creamy base. Once you have mastered the base, it is so easy to change up the flavors. When the cereals from General Mills arrived and I saw the Trix, I knew that a frozen nice cream had to be made. Between the fun colors of the Trix and ‘ice cream’, I knew that it would make my kids' morning. Not only did they love it, it was requested for when they have friends over. I loved the creamy nice cream layered with the crunchy Trix - it gave the parfait a nice balance.

I made the nice cream in a high-speed blender, but you can also make it in a food processor. It will take a little longer and you might not need the full amount of milk. I use really ripe bananas - the riper they are, the sweeter they will be. I do not use a sweetener in my nice cream, but feel free to add one if you want it a little sweeter.

Strawberry-Trix Nice Cream Parfait

by Lindsay O’Connor

2/3 cup Trix
1/2 cup almond milk (or your preference)
2 medium bananas, sliced and frozen overnight
1 teaspoon rosehips powder (optional, but a good vitamin C boost)
1 1/2 cups frozen sliced strawberries
Trix for layering

1. Place the Trix in a paper bag and crush. Set aside.

2. Add your almond milk to a high-speed blender followed by the bananas, rosehips powder and strawberries. Blend, tamping down constantly. It will take about 30 seconds and you will have a soft-serve consistency.

3. By hand, stir in the crushed Trix.

4. Layer in a cup or jar alternating the nice cream and Trix, ending with Trix.

Field Greens Salad with Trix Encrusted Goat Cheese “Croutons”

There are days when you want a simple salad. And there are days when you want a simple salad with a delightful goat cheese “crouton”! When General Mills offered 37 Cooks their updated healthy cereal selection, I was really impressed! Whole grains, no GMO, lower sugar content. As a busy professional, I often enjoy a salad that includes fruit and protein as my main course for dinner. I thought the new and improved Trix cereal was really fruity and a perfect option to coat my goat cheese “croutons” and make this salad a complete success!

Field Greens Salad with Trix Encrusted Goat Cheese “Croutons”

by Susan Ritchie-Hubbard

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup Trix cereal

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 “pinch” ground cinnamon (the equivalent of 1/8 teaspoon or a bit less)

8 ounces goat cheese, well chilled

Field greens

Thinly sliced cucumber

Thinly sliced red onion

Tomato variety, halved or quartered

Mixed berries (I chose raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)

Vinaigrette of choice (I made a raspberry ginger)

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add the cereal, salt and cinnamon. Pulse until the mixture is a fine grind. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Cut the chilled goat cheese into equal .5 ounce portions. Goat cheese can break apart, so I cut it and weighed the portions on a kitchen scale, adding pieces as needed. With your fingers, gently form the goat cheese portions into a square “crouton” shape. Toss the goat cheese squares in the Trix mixture, gently pressing the Trix mixture onto the goat cheese to completely coat. If preparing ahead, cover the “croutons” and refrigerate until ready to serve. Assemble the salad and drizzle with your vinaigrette of choice. Place the goat cheese “croutons” on top of the salad and serve. Sometimes simple just works!

Peanut Butter S'mores Cereal Bars

Cereal is fun to cook with. The funny thing is that I'm not a huge fan of a cereal-and-milk breakfast, but I can find all sorts of ways to use cereal in recipes.

This time, I decided to combine Chocolate Cheerios and Golden Grahams to create something with the flavor of s'mores.

The cereals I received from General Mills are made with natural colors and flavors, which is a good thing, right? But the important thing to me is flavor, and I thought they would work perfectly to make bars that wouldn't be overly sweet.

To help boost the savory flavor, I added just a little peanut butter to the marshmallow. The peanut flavor isn't super-strong, but it adds the savory flavor that I wanted.

Then I started thinking about the toasted flavor you get from heating a regular s'mores over a fire.

The answer was simple. I added more marshmallows to the top of the bars and hit them with my culinary torch. Just like when you're toasted them over the fire, some of them toasted golden brown, and then there were a few that got a bit blackened. Perfect!

To guild the lily a little more, I melted some chocolate and drizzled it on top of the bars. Because more chocolate is always okay.

While these are certainly sweet, they're not crazy sweet. Which makes me happy

Peanut Butter S'mores Bars
Donna Currie from Cookistry

4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
10 ounces marshmallows, plus more for garnish
Pinch of salt
3 cups Golden Grahams cereal
3 cups Chocolate Cheerios
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray or butter it.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter and peanut butter on medium heat. Add the salt, then add the marshmallows, and cook, stirring, just until the marshmallow melt.

Add the cereals and stir to coat all the cereal with the marshmallows.

Turn the mixture out into the prepared baking pan. Wet your hands with cool water and press the mixture down evenly into a pan. Re-wet your hands as needed to keep the marshmallow from sticking. You could also use a spatula, but hands are easier.

Cut one or two large marshmallows into small pieces. Or, if you have mini marshmallows, cut them in half. Arrange the marshmallow bits randomly on top of the bars.

Use a torch to soften the marshmallows, then use a spatula to spread and affix them to the top of the bars. If you have gaps in the bars, you can tuck marshmallow in there. Use the torch again to toast the marshmallows.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe measuring cup, heating in 30-second increments and stirring in between heating, until the chocolate is melted and easily pourable.

Drizzle the chocolate over the bars in a random pattern.

Let the bars cool completely (and make sure the chocolate has hardened again) before removing from the pan. Cut into bars.