Quick Chicken Potato Bowl

I remember seeing KFC commercials years ago for this little bowl of food. They called it a Chicken Potato Bowl...and I thought they looked disgusting. I have never liked my food mixing together. Everything needs to be on a separate portion of my plate. I still consider using my kiddie airplane plate with the 3 sections every now and then.

While away at college, I finally had my first Chicken Potato Bowl. I fell in love and it became a weekly staple. Every Tuesday was Chicken Potato Bowl day at the dining hall. Boy, was I missing out. My friend and I have started a Tuesday night dinner together. We switch off who cooks and this week it was me. I haven't this since last year (when I was still eating dorm food) so thought I would bring back the tradition. And they are SO easy to make!


Chicken Potato Bowl
- frozen chicken (I used popcorn chicken you just heat up in the oven)
- 1 can of corn
- mashed potatoes
- cheddar cheese
- chicken gravy (optional for me)

1.  Boil a pot of water and peel the potatoes. I went a little potato happy and made 4. Put the potatoes in the water until they start to fall apart when you touch them with a fork.

2.  In the meantime, start cooking the chicken. Follow the directions on the package. Cook the corn in the microwave according to the directions on the can.

3.  Mash the potatoes to your liking. I just used butter and milk this time, with a little garlic powder. I really like mashed potatoes with sour cream. Add the chicken and corn. You can add chicken gravy and cheese to your liking. Just heat the gravy on the stove. I personally prefer mine plain, but if you want it true KFC style, make it with all the fixings.

(I'm still not the greatest with this food photography, so you may be thinking what I thought the first time I saw that KFC ad)


I also made some garlic bread, just because. (OK, because I LOVE bread and eat it all the time)

Just spread some butter on bread, add garlic powder and Parmesan cheese, and pop it in the oven. Yum. So quick and so easy. And a great meal with as few ingredients as possible!

What meals did you think looked disgusting before actually trying them and loving them? 

Eggless Banana Muffins

I always seem to buy bananas and let them sit around. Thank god for banana bread! The ripe bananas were screaming at me, but there was a slight problem - we had no eggs. I jumped on the computer and found several recipes for banana bread that didn't require eggs. I thought I'd try them out. (I turned them into muffins instead, so had to experiment with the time)

Eggless Banana Muffins
1/2 C canola oil or shortening
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 ripe bananas
1-2 tsp vanilla
chocolate chips (optional)
nuts (optional)

I found these pretty easy to make and they didn't take very long.


1) Cream shortening & sugar. Add vanilla. {Don't be alarmed when it looks like a crumbled mess. This is exactly what happened to me, but it will all work out}

2) Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut up bananas and blend them into the mixture. Add chocolate chips and/or nuts at this point.

3) Fill the baking cups about 3/4 full. I used an ice cream scoop to measure the dough out. 

4) Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Really watch them, though. I took them out after about 20 minutes when the tops started to get golden brown, but then the middles started sinking. I put them back into the oven until a toothpick came out clean.

 The end product was a little dense and seem to be missing something, but I can't put my finger on it. They have stayed fresh for about 4 days, which is always a plus when it comes to home baked treats.
Do you have a go-to muffin recipe?

Cooking 101

It's time. I'm trying something new. Not only am I giving this whole blogging frenzy a shot, I'm going to try teaching myself how to cook. No more campus dining or frozen dinners. No more Ramen or Chef Boyardee. It's time to be a big girl. Now don't get me wrong; I'm a pro at cooking on a George Foreman. But it's time to experiment with the dynamic duo - the oven and stove.

The whole purpose of this to find quick and easy meals that I can fit into my hectic college lifestyle. It's not easy finding something healthy to eat between classes, work, and rowing practice. But that's all part of the challenge!

Start dusting off those pots and pans!