Soccotash

How many times did I hear Bugs Bunny exclaim: SUFFERING SOCCOTASH!!

As a kid, you could say this around your parents and not get into trouble.   I must admit, this really wasn't one of my go to words when I was upset.

Here’s a classic Succotash recipe — a hearty, colorful mix of corn, lima beans, and fresh vegetables. It can be served as a warm side dish or even chilled as a salad!

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🌽 Classic Succotash Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen lima beans (thawed if frozen)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional but tasty)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional for a little depth)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half (optional for a creamy finish)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil (for garnish)

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Instructions:

1. Sauté aromatics:

   • In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
   • Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3–4 minutes.
   • Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

2. Cook the vegetables:

   • Stir in lima beans, corn, and red bell pepper.
   • Cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through and tender.

3. Add flavor:

   • Stir in the cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, and paprika.
   • Cook another 2 minutes until tomatoes soften slightly.

4. Creamy option (optional):

   • Stir in the cream and cook just until warmed through.

5. Finish:

   • Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh herbs.
   • Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Tips:

• Add diced cooked bacon or pancetta for a smoky version.
• Swap lima beans for edamame or fava beans if preferred.
• Great as a side dish with grilled chicken, pork chops, or fish.

The VERY Best Chicken Sandwich!

This guy swears a bit... but he sure does know how to cook stuff!

Ingredients

4 Chicken thighs deboned

2 cups Buttermilk

1/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce 

1 tbsp pickle juice

Chicken batter

3 cups flour, divided

1 tsp cayenne pepper, divided 

2 tsp paprika, divided

2 tsp onion powder, divided 

1 tsp salt, divided 

1 tbsp baking soda, divided 

1 beer, or club soda

Cole Slaw

2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage

2 tbsp Mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp grainy mustard

Chicken Sauce

1/2 cups butter

1/2 cups Sriracha 

Sandwich Bun

Large hamburger bun, toasted

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Stuff you will need 

3 Mixing bowls

Whisk

Deep fat fryer 

Wire rack

Cookie sheet

Sauce pot

Quick read thermometer 

Tongs

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Directions

In a mixing bowl, marinade the chicken thighs with the buttermilk, Frank's Hot Sauce, and pickle juice, overnight.  Don't have time for that?  Marinade for 2 hours.

In the 2 remaining mixing bowls, add the divided batter ingredients and whisk.  To ONE of the bowls, add enough beer to make a thin batter. Drink the remainder of the beer.

Your chicken is going to go from the marinade, dry ingredients, wet batter, dry ingredients.  Transfer the chicken to a cookie sheet to rest for a few minutes. 

Make sure the cooking oil is 350 F.  Only cook two thighs at a time so that you don't cool off the oil.

Once the chicken is golden brown, use tongs to remove the chicken from the cooking oil.  Rest the chicken on an inverted wire rack on top of a cookie sheet.  Using your instant read thermometer, make sure the chicken is 165 F.

In your sauce pan, add the butter and Sriracha Sauce.  Heat till the butter is melted.

The Cole Slaw is easy, add all your ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix.

To make the very best chicken sandwich you will ever have...  on the bottom bun, add some Cole Slaw.  Dip and coat the chicken in the butter/Sriracha Sauce.  Transfer the chicken and rest on top of the Cole Slaw.  Put more Cole Slaw on top of the chicken.  Top the sandwich with the top bun.

Serve immediately!

Delicious Chicken Tenders

He swears a bit, but honestly, has really good recipes. 

Ingredients 

Chicken tenders

2 pounds of chicken tenders

2 cups of buttermilk

3 tbsp of Frank's Hot Sauce 

Chicken coating

3 cups flour divided

2 tbsp garlic powder divided

2 tbsp baking soda divided

2 tsp paprika divided

1 tsp cayenne pepper divided 

1 tsp salt divided

1 can beer, or club soda

Chicken Dipping Sauce 

1/2 cup Mayonnaise 

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp washyoursister sauce

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

1/2 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp garlic 

Stuff you will need 

Several mixing bowls

Cookie sheets

Wire rack

Slotted spoon

Deep fat fryer

Saran wrap

Instant Read Thermometer 

Directions 

Put your chicken tenders in a mixing bowl.  Cover the chicken with buttermilk.  Add Frank's Hot Sauce.  Cover the bowl with saran wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight.  Or at least a few hours.

Get two mixing bowls.  Place 1/2 of the dry ingredients into each bowl and whisk.  In ONE BOWL, add enough beer to make a thin batter.  You can drink what is left.

Remove the chicken from your marinating bowl and shake off the excess liquid.  Coat the chicken in the dry bowl, dunk into the batter, back into the dry bowl.  Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet.  Give them a minute or two to absorb the batter.

Make sure your oil is at 350F.  Fry them in small batches, 2 at a time, so as not to cool the oil.

When you remove the cooked chicken tender from the oil, place on a cookie sheet with an inverted wire rack.  This will allow the excess oil to drip off. (The excess oil that dripped off, get some quick oats and soak up the oil.  Then throw those oats out to the birds).   Using your instant read thermometer, make sure the chicken tender is 165 F.

Mix up all the ingredients for the dipping sauce.  The washyoursister sauce is really worcestershire sauce.

Serve the chicken tenders while they are warm.

Did you make extra?  From frozen, place the tenders on an invert wire rack on a cookie sheet (to keep both sides of the chicken tender crispy).  Bake ar 400F for 20 minutes.  Flip half way through.

Crispy Curry Chicken Sandwich

Back on the internet looking for recipes

Here’s a crispy oven-baked curry chicken sandwich recipe that’s flavorful, satisfying, and doesn’t require deep frying:

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🍛 Oven-Baked Crispy Curry Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
• 1 cup buttermilk (or ¾ cup plain yogurt + ¼ cup milk)
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• Salt & pepper to taste

For the Breading:

• 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• Salt to taste

For the Sandwich:

• 4 sandwich buns or brioche buns
• Lettuce or spinach
• Sliced tomato
• Pickles or red onions (optional)

Optional Curry Mayo:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp honey or lemon juice

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Instructions:

1. Prep the Chicken:

   • Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 thin pieces.
   • In a bowl, mix buttermilk, curry powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
   • Add chicken to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight for deeper flavor).

2. Prep the Breading:

   • In a pan, toast panko with olive oil over medium heat until golden and crispy (3–4 minutes). Let cool.
   • Stir in curry powder, paprika, and salt.

3. Bread the Chicken:

   • Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment and place a wire rack on top.
   • Remove chicken from marinade. Press each piece into the panko mixture, coating both sides well.
   • Place coated chicken on the wire rack.

4. Bake:

   • Bake for 18–22 minutes, flipping halfway through, until chicken is golden and reaches 165°F (74°C) internally.

5. Make the Curry Mayo (Optional):

   • Mix mayo, curry powder, and honey or lemon juice in a small bowl.

6. Assemble Sandwiches:

• Toast the buns lightly.
• Spread curry mayo on each side.
• Layer lettuce, tomato, crispy chicken, and pickles/onions if using.
• Top with the bun and serve hot.

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Yes, you cook the chicken on the wire rack placed over the baking sheet. Here's why:

✅ Why use a wire rack?

• Even Crispiness: The rack allows hot air to circulate all around the chicken, so the bottom gets crispy too — no soggy breading.
• No Sticking: The chicken won’t sit in its juices and lose that crunch.
• Cleaner Bake: Juices and crumbs fall onto the pan below, making cleanup easier.

🔧 Tip: If you don’t have a wire rack, you can place the chicken directly on parchment paper, but flip it halfway through and expect a slightly less crispy bottom.

Glizzy Bacon

Ok, it caught my attention cause of the word bacon.  But there is no bacon here.

Ingredients 

Hot dogs

Stuff you will need 

Cutting board 

Hot Dog peeler

Air Frier

Tongs

Oven method

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper 

Tongs

Skillet method

Bacon grease

Tongs

Directions 

Get out your Willy Waller Gold Edition, as seen here:  Willy Waller Gold Edition

Or, if you got one, your favorite Hot Dog Peeler.

You can also use a vegetable peeler. (Sigh)

Once you got your hot dog peeled into strips, transfer to your Air Fryer and cook at 350 for about one minute.

Oven method 

Transfer your peeled hot dogs to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Cook at 350 F for about 2 minutes.

Skillet method

Got some bacon grease?  Add that to your skillet and turn the burner on medium heat.  Once the bacon grease starts smoking, add the hot dog strips.  Cook to desired doneness. 

Serve warm with your favorite hot dog condiments.