Real Life Around the Table

 

Wednesday night is always busy around our house. We are rushing to get a meal on the table before church services. My daughter had requested Amish Chicken for dinner that night, so I started preparations early in the day. This meal is always a family favorite.

 

Unfortunately, I decided to try a new recipe for this favorite meal. I wanted it to be a little easier to prepare and try to change it up a bit. Well, that was probably mistake number one. Usually, I boil the chicken in water or broth and then proceed with the recipe. Tonight, I decided to batter the chicken in potato starch and seasonings as another recipe recommended. This all went well. Next, I added the chicken and gravy ingredients to an 11 X 14 glass pan and placed it in the oven.

 

Let’s just say that it did not go well at all after that.. The chicken did cook completely, but the batter was mushy instead of crisp. The arrowroot powder thickened the gravy far too much and turned it into a gluey mess that I thought tasted terrible. Thankfully, my family was gracious about it and ate dinner anyway.

 

On a funny note, my parents arrived unexpectedly just as we were finishing dinner. I had just finished saying that it was one of the worst meals I had ever made when they walked through the door. I offered them a plate of the Amish Chicken, but they were smart enough to say no.

 

Thankfully, the original version of this recipe still tastes wonderful when I stick to the way we normally make it, and I would like to share it with you.

 

 

 

Amish Chicken

Since the original recipe is no longer available, I’m sharing the way we make it now in our home — and after this week’s disaster, I definitely will not be experimenting with it again anytime soon.

 

 

Ingredients

• 2-4 cups of chicken, boiled in water or broth, and then shredded
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of butter or dairy-free butter
• 1/3 – 2/3 cup of gluten-free flour or cornstarch
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of pepper
• Celery salt to taste
• 2 cups of milk or dairy-free milk
• 1 cup of chicken broth – optional
• 2-3 cups of corn kernels
• Gluten-free breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs – as desired

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil the chicken in water or broth until cooked through, then shred.
3. Spray a 9 x 11 baking dish and set aside. (You can also make this recipe entirely in an iron skillet, which is my favorite way to prepare it.)
4. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
5. Sprinkle the flour or cornstarch into the butter. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens into a creamy gravy.
6. Add the salt, pepper, and celery salt.
7. Slowly add the milk to the skillet. (We also like to add about 1 cup of the broth from the cooked chicken.)
8. Continue whisking this mixture until it simmers.
9. If you are using a baking dish, then add the chicken and butter mixture to the dish now or add the chicken to the iron skillet.
10. Add the corn kernels to the dish or skillet.
11. At this point, I also like to add a few extra seasonings that were not in the original recipe. I usually add thyme, paprika, and sometimes rosemary to taste.
12. We then like to add a layer of breadcrumbs or crackers over the mixture.
13. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for about 20-30 minutes or until it is heated through and the breadcrumbs are lightly toasted.
14. Serve warm over mashed potatoes or rice.