Kid-Approved Dinner Idea: Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Strips

Minimal Effort, Maximum Flavor: Your Go-To Chicken Recipe

Some days you need to feed the picky eaters some chicken in order to avoid an uprising, but can't fire up the oven thanks to the heat. This was our solution.

Ingredients:

three large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 cups pretzel sticks

1 large egg

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup stone ground mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

black pepper to taste

spray cooking oil

Tools:

knife

cutting board

measuring cups and spoons

spoon

tongs

shallow dishes for mixing and dredging

aluminum foil

plastic bag and rolling pin or food processor (for pretzels)

Pour pretzel sticks into the food processor and pulse a few times until you have coarse chunks. If you're not using a food processor, instead put the pretzel sticks into a sealed plastic bag and hit or flatten with a rolling pin (or similar) until thoroughly smashed. If using the plastic bag approach, be sure to keep an eye out for pokey bits of pretzel putting holes in the bag and leaking crumbs everywhere, as the mess potential is high. Once the pretzels are crushed, toss them into a shallow dish and set the dish aside.

Take the thawed boneless, skinless chicken breast and cut it into roughly three inch long by inch wide strips. Just kind of pile them on the cutting board, since you'll be grabbing them one by one for dredging shortly. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before moving on to the next step.

Measure your mustard, honey, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, parmesan cheese, and pepper into a shallow dish. Crack an egg into this mixture and stir well to combine. We used stone ground mustard because we received some as part of a gift and the container was sitting untouched two months later. We also ran a little shy on the mustard mix (most likely because we started with nearly four pounds of chicken) and ended up making a second batch with spicy brown mustard and a dash of garlic hot sauce for the adults. We digress like this to say, in short, that you're welcome to use whatever mustard you have lying around. It'll work. Just mind your audience. We doubt the kiddos would have been happy with spicy chicken, but we sure were!

Once you have all three stages - chicken, mustard mixture, and pretzels - ready to go, lay out a sheet of aluminum foil and spritz it lightly with cooking oil. Grab a piece of the chicken with tongs, dredge it through the mustard mixture, flip it over, and dredge again to make sure you've coated all sides, then move it to the pretzel crumbs and roll it around until it's covered. Again using the tongs, remove the chicken from the pretzel crumbs and set on the foil.

Repeat until your foil sheet is half full. At this point, lift up the edges and pull the foil mostly closed over the chicken. Be sure to leave some room for moisture to vent. Get another foil sheet, spray it with oil, and fill it up with chicken the same way. Repeat these steps until you run out of chicken.

Put your foil packets of chicken onto a heated grill - we set our digital smoker to 425 degrees - and cook until the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of at least 165 degrees. This took us about 25 minutes. Remove the packets carefully because the foil sometimes tears. A pizza peel is an ideal tool for this task if you have one, but in the likely event you don't, using a spatula or set of tongs ato nudge the foil packet off the grate and onto a baking sheet is also a perfectly serviceable solution.

In just a few steps and less than an hour you’ve got dinner on the table that’s sure to please even the pickiest eaters. You can stash this meal in your recipe list for times when you need something fast or if you’re just not feeling up to doing a lot of cooking. Fire up the grill, grab your ingredients and get ready to enjoy a fantastic meal that’s sure to please. Enjoy! 

In the event that you’re turning to your gril because your stove isn’t working, rather than needing to keep the oven off, we’re here to help. Just give our offices a call and we’ll work with you to  figure out a date and time that works for your schedule. At Appliance Rescue Service our goal is to get your home running smoothly again, without all of the hassle that a broken appliance causes. 

Website 

Call (214) 599-0055

From Dessert to Breakfast Bliss: Lemon Cake French Toast Delight

Easy Steps to Turn Leftover Cake into Breakfast Bliss

Have you ever bought or made a cake for an event or even just because you could, expecting it to disappear... then realized later that basically all of the cake was still there? Maybe you didn't have the turnout you expected. Maybe your family just wasn't terribly interested in the cake. It doesn't much matter why, but somehow you have a whole cake sitting there that you aren't about to scarf on your own.

That's us this week. We got a lemon cake from the grocery store, cut it up, and that was about as far as it got. So now we have 97% of a lemon cake and we...  Well, we don't like lemon cake enough for that silliness. 

Time to get inventive! Thus, lemon cake French toast with blueberries.

Full disclosure: we used a two-day-old cake for this, not a fresh one, and it is assuredly store-bought. It's significantly sweeter and softer than the average homemade cake. It did not do the drying around the edges thing that a homemade loaf or bundt does when cut. If you work with homemade, the best way to get the same texture we did is to work with it fresh and not let it soak up too much of the custard.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Pinch salt

Salted butter

Lemon cake

2 cups frozen blueberries 

1/4 cup water 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tools:

Mixing bowl

Spatula

Spoon, knife, fork

Measuring cups and spoons

Heavy bottomed skillet 

Saucepan with lid 

Because the blueberries take longer, we strongly recommend starting with them. Measure your blueberries into a saucepan, then add the tablespoon of lemon juice, teaspoon of vanilla extract and the water.

If you find blueberries to be a bit sour, you can add a little sugar, but we like them just as they are and omit the extra sweetener. Set the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, set a timer for 15 minutes and basically forget about it for a bit.

In a shallow mixing bowl, whisk together your eggs and milk and add a tiny little pinch of salt. You can add a little more milk or use a little less, depending on your preferences - everyone does French toast a little differently in our experience. We don't recommend sugar, cinnamon or vanilla be added here as is common in most French toast recipes. The cake is already super, super sweet.

Melt some salted butter in a skillet over low heat - definitely do not sub unsalted butter, as the result will be all sweet with very little to balance it.

Dredge, flip, and dredge again the slices of cake through the custard, then add to the hot butter. Avoid allowing cake slices to sit in the custard, as they'll get soggy and fall apart.

Also try not to overcrowd the pan, as the slices will take longer to cook and be harder to flip. We fit five small slices into our skillet with enough room for flipping, but obviously your mileage may vary here. Maybe you have a giant cast iron skillet and can fit a whole cake in there. If you do, great - and also, where did you get it? We would like to have one too.

Cover the pan and let the cake cook for two to three minutes, then uncover, flip with a spatula (you may also need an assist from some tongs, depending on how soft your cake slices are), cover and repeat the "cook for two to three minutes" part. We like our French toast nice and toasty but not quite all the way to "scorched." Please adjust your cook time accordingly if you disagree.

Remove the finished slices from the pan and set them aside on a plate covered with another plate to keep some of the heat. If you have a crowd waiting, and said crowd is less interested in the blueberries that aren't done yet, you can just hand them off to hungry kiddos holding out plates as they leave the pan. Somehow, every variation of French toast seems to draw this crowd, so chances are pretty high you do have someone peeking around you trying to get the first piece.

Once the second wave of slices is in the skillet, grab a clean spoon so you can stir your blueberries. After giving them a quick stir, leave them uncovered for their remaining cook time. The goal is to have the liquid reduce some.

For the second wave of lemon cake French toast, we sprinkled some poppy seeds onto the slices as the first side cooked, then flipped and allowed the heat to sear them into place. This is totally optional, but hey, if you like lemon poppy seed muffins, why not give it a shot?

Once the blueberries are done, assuming there are still any slices of French toast left for the cook, make yourself a plate with a couple pieces and drown them in blueberry sauce.

Add some syrup if you're so inclined, but we'd definitely avoid any powdered sugar. Kids are thrilled; moms see the sugar content of this recipe and weep. Cake as a meal is kind of a rarity for a reason.

As you savor each sweet bite of this lemon cake French toast, you'll marvel at how a simple leftover can be transformed into a breakfast masterpiece. Whether you're enjoying it with family on a lazy Sunday morning or impressing guests at a brunch gathering, this recipe is sure to be a hit. So next time you find yourself with leftover cake, don't throw your hands up—embrace the opportunity to create something special. With a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of culinary magic, you can turn any ordinary day into a delicious adventure. 

If you’re struggling with any of your kitchen appliances while making this sweet treat, don’t wait on calling Appliance Rescue Service. We’ll work with you to get your home running smoothly again. 

Website

Call: (214) 599-0055

Energizing Tuna and Turmeric Rice Balls: Perfect for Busy Days

Prepare Ahead, Enjoy Later: A Convenient Meal Option

This recipe is a great option for those who are always on-the-go and looking for a protein-packed lunch to stay energized throughout the day. Although it may require some effort and create a bit of a mess while preparing, the end result is definitely worth it. With its delicious taste and wholesome ingredients, this recipe is perfect for busy spring and summer days when you need a quick and healthy meal that will keep you fueled and satisfied.

Ingredients:

2 cups sticky rice

2 3/4 cups water

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon turmeric

pinch salt and black pepper

2 cans tuna in water, drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

spray olive oil

Tools:

Measuring cups and spoons 

Small pan with lid

Fine sieve or colander

Assorted dishes for shaping and dredging 

Plastic wrap

Ice cream scoop

Spoons

Fork

Can opener

Baking sheet

Aluminum foil

Start with the rice. Give it a quick rinse in the colander and transfer it to the pan. Measure in your turmeric, vinegar and water, and add a little salt and pepper to taste. Don't overdo it, as you'll muffle and mute the turmeric taste.

Cover the pan and bring the water up to a simmer. Let the rice simmer for five minutes or so, then turn off the heat. Set a timer for 25 minutes. Don't uncover the rice or remove the pan from the burner; keep the lid tight and the pan in place.

Find a little task to do to eat up a couple minutes. Maybe wash that colander from earlier, or go move a load of laundry or something. Collect all the things you'll need later in the recipe if you haven't done so already.

Once the timer is down to about five minutes left, preheat your oven to 425 and turn your attention to the fish.

Open the two tuna cans and drain out the water. Dump the tuna into a mixing bowl and add the olive oil, then stir with a fork to break up the big pieces and get everything evenly coated. Measure in your paprika, thyme, garlic and parmesan cheese and stir until incorporated.

Tear off a seven-or-so inch piece of plastic wrap and use it to line a small bowl. We're targeting something just the right size for a scoop of ice cream, but if you have to go a little bigger, that's fine too - just make sure you have enough plastic wrap that the sides of the bowl will help you hold it.

Once the rice has absorbed all the water, you can remove the lid and give it a stir. It should be tacky enough to stick to the spoon you stir with.

Using the ice cream scoop, take up a level scoop of rice and plop it into the center of the plastic wrap in the small bowl. Take a clean spoon and press down in the center of your scoop of rice, creating a hollow and smoothing some of the rice up the sides of the bowl. 

Grab a forkful of your tuna mixture and put it in the hollow. Don't overfill it. You want there to be plenty of rice up the sides of the bowl to cover the tuna - but if there's not, you can add a little bit from the pot to cover up the top.

Grab the edges of the plastic wrap, bring them toward the middle of the bowl, and twist gently to pull the rice ball closed. Let any excess air out, and then continue twisting until the rice is densely packed around the tuna. 

Un-twist the plastic gently, and drop the rice ball into a bowl of breadcrumbs. Roll it around a little to coat it, then transfer it to a foil lined baking sheet.

Repeat until you're out of rice. You should have 10-12 rice balls when you're done. You'll see nine pictured, but that's mostly due to space constraints - we worked with the toaster oven since it was an 80-degree afternoon, and only nine fit comfortably on the half-size pan.

Spray lightly with the olive oil spray, and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. We served ours with a little Tabasco sweet & spicy hot sauce.

This recipe is perfect for those busy weeks when you don't have time to cook every day. You can make a big batch and use it for lunches throughout the week, or even freeze it for later. Just remember to take it out the night before, and you'll have a delicious and healthy lunch with just a bit of reheating in the microwave. 

We've also been experimenting with different tuna options, and we think the recipe can be mixed up to include all sorts of flavors. If you have any ideas or want to share your favorite variations, please let us know in the comments on our Facebook page. We can't wait to hear from you!

Website
Office ((214) 599-0055) 

Additional Reading

Punchy Potato & Cheddar Rolls 

Spicy Lemon Pepper Shrimp

Impress Your Guests with This Easy-to-Make Apple Pecan French Toast Bake

Cooking Up Comfort: The Perfect Recipe for Ham Bone Soup

 Crafting a Flavorful and Nourishing Dish from Kitchen Scraps

After Easter dinner, everybody who bought a bone-in ham is left looking at the bone, wondering what on Earth to do with it.

Some people offer it to the family dog. While the dog will undoubtedly be overjoyed, this is not a wise move; the bone has been cooked at least twice now and is in no condition for a canine companion to chew on. Please don't do this. Your dog will be sad in the short term, but s/he can have a little piece of ham and cheer right up.

Some people just shrug and toss it in the trash. In our opinion, too many people take this approach. Even if you've carved it clean, it's much too valuable to simply dispose of it. Instead, try making a ham bone soup.

Ingredients:

Obviously, the ham bone

whatever odd chunks of ham you have left lying about

30 cups water

1/2 pound carrots

1 onion

2 stalks celery

2 potatoes

1 bag frozen corn

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon hot sauce of choice

2 tablespoons tomato basil seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

Tools:

Seriously huge stock pot, with lid

Long-handled spoon

Sieve or slotted spoon

Knife

Vegetable peeler

Cutting board

Tongs

Measuring cups and spoons 

We started with a 23 pound whole bone in ham, so this recipe is written under the assumption you also have an egregiously large ham bone on hand. Feel free to pare it down as necessary if you bought a more manageable ham, say about 5-8 pounds. Also, knowing there was a soup to be made, we didn't exactly put a lot of effort into carving the ham off the bone. We wanted plenty of meat in the soup.

Take a big pot. No, not that one you use all the time. Go bigger. As big as you can without having to get a whole other camp burner or something outside.

Plop that ham bone in there, and toss in whatever odd pieces are left on the carving board or serving plate. There are always shreds and chunks and juices left, so just make sure no one scrapes the plate into the trash before you get going on this soup.

We added 30 cups of water (just a little shy of two gallons) and that about half covered the ham bone. Set the burner high enough to get the water at least simmering. Put the lid on the pot and get ready to wait. You'll have at least half an hour before the next step. We want the bone to sit and simmer for a while, and release all the flavor into the water.

We weren't in a hurry, so we got it up to a good boil, reduced to a simmer, covered the pot again and let it go for about six hours. This is not necessary, as you'll get loads of flavor in about a third of that. We just had the time, so we allowed it to cook forever.

However long you want to let the bone simmer, have a fine mesh sieve or big slotted spoon handy. The next step is filtering out the super fatty pieces.

Once you feel the bone has simmered long enough, remove it from the pot. We used tongs, but needed two sets to accomplish it (again, big ham bone, deep pot). Set the bone on a serving plate or big cutting board - whatever you have that can accommodate it. If there's still meat left on the bone, give it a tug with the tongs or shred it off with a fork. Set it aside to go back into the pot. Scoop or strain out the big chunks in the broth, discard the pieces that are all or mostly fatty, and set the good stuff on the plate or board. Once you've gotten out as much of the fat as you feel you need to, add the meat but not the bone back to the pot and stir.

Now we can season and add all the other good stuff. (You may see in the photos that we didn't do this straining and sorting step before adding veggies. This was an oops. Having eight million tiny pieces of vegetables really complicated the process.) 

We know you know this already, but please wash your produce!

When cutting vegetables, we save the onion for last and stick it in the fridge or freezer while we work on everything else. Cold onions stink less than warm onions, and some of us get exceptionally teary around onions.

We started with the carrots and cut them into rough chunks, then scraped the cutting board into the soup before moving on to the celery in much the same fashion. Chop it all to whatever size you prefer.

The carrots went in unpeeled, but the potatoes needed to be peeled in our opinion. This is entirely optional and at your discretion. But in our case, the potatoes were peeled and cubed and lobbed into the soup, then the whole bag of frozen corn followed. The beans can be rinsed and added to the soup pot here too. Give it all a stir to combine.

Last, the onion. Assuming you've tried the fridge/freezer trick, fish it out of the fridge, peel the outer layers, rough chop and add to the soup. We do this as quickly as possible because, well, tears. If you're one of the unaffected, cool, take your time. The rest of us: good luck.

Now we get to add seasonings. Fennel, sage, marjoram and paprika are absolute musts in our opinion. Hot sauce, tomato-basil and mustard are what we chose to round out the flavor. The fun part about making food is making creative edits. If you have something you prefer, go for it! 

Feel free to share ideas over on our Facebook page. 

One of the great things about this recipe is just how easily it can be portioned out and frozen for the future. You can choose to do this at the stage after separating out the fatty bits, or after cooking all the veggies. The first will give you a stock you can use as the base for other foods, while the latter will give you a quick meal you can heat up as needed.

What about in the event your freezer is broken or malfunctioning though? That’s when you come to us. Appliance Rescue Service is here to help get your home running smoothly, whether it’s a freezer that won’t stay cold or a stove that won’t stay hot. Our main goal is to get your home running smoothly again.
Website
Office ((214) 599-0055) 

Additional Reading

Want some other options for soups? Check out these options from our archive.

From Pantry to Pot: Wholesome Hunter's Stew for the Resourceful Cook

Ladle Love: Wholesome Potato Leek Soup Recipe

New England Clam Chowder To Keep You Warm

Versatile and Delicious: Creamy Chicken and Veggies

Simple Ingredients, Spectacular Results

Transforming leftover chicken into a weeknight meal has never been easier! Say hello to this week’s recipe of creamy chicken and veggies. It’s the ultimate solution for a hassle-free weeknight dinner. It’s a great way to use a previous night’s chicken dinner, toss in the vegetables you have in your fridge and a handful of pantry staples to make an endlessly variable recipe.  It’s a delicious mix of flavors and textures, that’s quick to throw together and can feed a hungry family. Whether you’re looking to mix up your leftovers or just needing a comforting meal that comes together easily, this is the recipe for you. 

Ingredients:

2 cooked chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 green bell pepper 

Large can of diced tomato, drained

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 

1 tablespoon white cooking wine

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Black pepper and salt to taste 

Tools:

Measuring cups and spoons 

Large heavy-bottomed skillet

Colander

Can opener 

Cutting board

Knife

Spoon

Forks 

As always, please let your first step be to wash your produce!

Once clean, take the knife and cutting board and chop your bell pepper, discarding all the rib and seeds.

Take a can opener to your can of diced tomatoes (feel free to use fire roasted, or low sodium, or whatever tomatoes you have around! The point is to use stuff you have on hand, so don't fret if you don't have plain diced tomatoes).  Flip the can into the colander to drain. It'll take a while to finish dripping, so consider moving on to another task. Either assign a little helper to watch the tomatoes or just check back on them later. Don't press them, though; you want them to retain some moisture for creating the sauce.

Next up, let's get to the chicken - drop it on the cutting board and use a pair of forks to shred it to your desired size. We went with fairly large chunks, but you can change it up. 

Add the oil to the pan and turn the burner up to medium-low. As the oil heats, add your garlic and cook until fragrant. This usually only takes a couple minutes.

Increase the heat to medium. Splash in the cooking wine, then add your peppers, tomatoes, and chicken. Give everything a stir, then allow it to simmer while you measure your basil, oregano, parsley, thyme and rosemary into the pan. Add salt and pepper at this stage if you'd like, then stir again so no one gets a mouth full of just spices later.

Once the peppers begin to soften up, you're good to measure in the heavy whipping cream. Stir thoroughly. Sometimes it takes some elbow grease to get the cream to incorporate fully.

Allow to simmer, uncovered, without increasing the heat, for at least ten minutes before serving. In the event you'd like a heavier sauce, simmer over low heat until the sauce reduces to the consistency you prefer.

Serve over rice, or over pasta, or with a roll, or just by itself. One of the great things about this recipe is that you can use the recipe with almost any grain or side that you have available or want to throw in. 

If you opt to make this recipe, let us know on our Facebook page! We want to know how you mix it up, what you add in and what you pair it with. With how versatile this recipe is, we want to see what you do with it!

On the other hand, if you’re struggling with your stove, be it electric, gas, or induction, that’s an entirely different problem and we can help. At Appliance Rescue Service, we can service any type of stove you might have. Whether you’re struggling a stove that won’t light, or it’s cutting out during use, we can help. We service every model of stove, and every manufacturer, be it foreign or domestic. If your stove is malfunctioning, we want to help.

You can reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). We’ll work with you to set up an appointment that works for your schedule and send out one of our experienced technicians. They’ll diagnose the problem and explain what’s going on before they let you know whether they can fix it then and there or need to order in parts. From there, we’ll let you decide what you want to do. At Appliance Rescue Service, our goal is to get your home running smoothly again; whether you’re in Dallas, McKinney or Richardson, we’re here for you.

Additional Reading

Get Your Protein with This Buddha Bowl 

Jalapeno Chicken Bowtie Pasta