Baked Chicken Croquettes with Buttermilk White Sauce

To download a copy of the recipe for Baked Chicken Croquettes with Buttermilk White Sauce, click HERE.

A healthier version of a diner classic, this chicken croquette – a delicious blend of chicken, onion, celery, garlic and seasonings – is baked instead of fried, and crowned with an easy-to-make buttermilk sauce. (If you’ve never had a chicken croquette, think of a crab cake but made with chicken instead of crab, and you’ll have the basic idea.)

Chicken croquettes are meant to be simple to make. Although cooking the chicken is included in this recipe, if you have left-over chicken or even a store-bought rotisserie chicken, that can be used instead. Once you get the general method for making croquettes, there no reason even to limit yourself to chicken.

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin:

• Croquettes can be formed into many shapes: balls, elongated sausage-shape, even cones (formed by using a funnel as a mold). In this recipe I’ve made my croquettes into flat, thick ovals. There’s a reason for this. Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, I ate many a dinner of the frozen chicken croquettes Weaver made at that time. Since those were made in a flat, thick oval shape, that’s how I’ve been conditioned to visualize a chicken croquette. By all means, make yours whatever shape pleases you.

• Although chicken croquettes are normally fried, the ones we’re making are “oven-fried,” or breaded and baked in a way that’s meant to remind the eater of fried. The breading mixture I like best for this uses crushed corn flakes for the breading. Panko works almost as well. I recommend avoiding regular bread crumbs, which are fine for normally breaded items but don’t give oven-fried food the texture you’re looking for.

• Many chicken croquette recipes call for putting the chicken through a food processor. I prefer the mouth-feel of biting into a piece of chicken, so in this recipe we'll cut it into small chunks.

• As part of the buttermilk white sauce, we’ll be making a roux. You might notice, however, that the 1-to-1 flour-to-fat ratio normally used for a roux is changed here to a ½ -to-1 ratio. This is because the buttermilk we’ll be using has its own thickness and texture to begin with, so we need to adjust the thickening properties of the roux we use.

A special note, too, about the number of servings we’ll be making. This recipe makes about 14 good-sized croquettes. How many portions is that? Let’s put it this way: when I served this at home, my wife’s portion was one croquette, and mine was two. With that in mind, you make the call for your family or guests. If it turns out 14 is too many, just reduce all the ingredients in proportion to each other. Note, however, that the cooked croquettes freeze very well, so making some extras may turn out to be a good idea after all.

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the chicken seasoning mix: 2 tsp dried parsley; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried tarragon; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp dried rosemary; 1 tsp celery salt; 1 tsp ground ginger; ¼  tsp white pepper; ½  tsp dried sage.

For the baked chicken: 6 Tbsp butter substitute; 2 lbs. boneless chicken breast (or two lbs. of pre-cooked chicken)

For the croquette mixture: 1-1/2 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth; 1-1/2 cups skim milk; 8 Tbsp butter substitute, divided;  2 medium stalks of celery, fine diced; 1 medium onion, fine diced;  4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 cup AP flour; 1 egg substitute egg

For the breading station: 1-1/2 cups reduced-fat buttermilk; 3 cups crushed corn flakes; 1-1/2 Tbsp garlic powder; 1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper; 3/4 tsp paprika; cooking spray

For the buttermilk white sauce: 2-1/2 Tbsp butter substitute; 4-1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour; 1-1/2 cup reduced-fat buttermilk; 1-1/2 tsp dried parsley; ½ tsp dried dill; ¾  tsp kosher salt; ¼ tsp garlic powder; ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

To make the seasoning you’ll use for the chicken and the croquette mixture:

Combine the Chicken Seasoning Mix ingredients and set aside till needed.

Next, prepare the chicken. (If you’re using left-overs or other pre-cooked chicken, you can skip this step.)

Begin preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Put butter substitute in a baking dish and place it in the oven to melt while the oven is pre-heating.

After the butter substitute has melted, remove the baking dish from the oven and stir 1 Tbsp of the seasoning mix into the liquid.

Rinse the chicken breasts and dry with paper towels. Place the breasts in the baking dish, coating each side with some of the butter mixture.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, turning the chicken breasts over half-way.

When the chicken has finished baking, remove from the oven and let rest in the baking dish for about 10 minutes. After the chicken has rested, cut into small pieces and set aside till needed.

Prepare the croquette mixture as follows:

Combine the broth, milk and 1 Tbsp of the seasoning mix in a small saucepan over medium heat; turn off the heat when the mixture just begins to boil.

While the broth mixture is heating, melt 6 Tbsp of the butter substitute in a skillet. Add the celery and onions and cook over medium heat until just tender, then add the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Reduce the heat under the skillet to low. Gradually stir in the flour, mixing very well, and cook until a lightly browned roux forms (about three minutes). Add additional butter substitute (up to 2 Tbsp) if the mixture appears too dry.

Add the broth mixture and stir until thickened and smooth.

Taste to make sure the floury taste has been cooked out; if necessary, cook for another minute or two.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Gently stir in the cooked chicken, and allow to cool fully. Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the egg substitute egg till combined. (Don’t try to short-cut letting the mixture cool; if it’s warm, it won’t hold its shape when you form the croquettes in the next step.)

To form and bread the croquettes:

Set up the breading station by setting the buttermilk in a bowl, and combining the crushed corn flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper and paprika in a shallow dish. In the steps to follow, spoon out, shape, and bread one croquette at a time.

Spoon out enough of the croquette mixture to form a flat oval about 2-1/2” long x 2” wide x 1-1/4” thick. (Before forming the croquette, it’s helpful to compress it in your hands, similar to packing a snowball.)

Dip each croquette into the buttermilk, letting the excess drain, then into the breading mixture. Coat all sides. As each croquette is breaded, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon baking pad. Once all the croquettes are breaded, refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours.

When you're ready to bake the croquettes:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Apply cooking spray to the top and sides of each croquette. After baking for ten minutes, turn each croquette over, spray the other side, and bake until golden (about another 8 – 10 minutes).

While the croquettes are baking, make the buttermilk white sauce as follows:

In a pan, melt the butter substitute.

Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook over a low heat for about 1 minute till a slightly browned roux forms.

Gradually add the buttermilk, stirring constantly, until a thickened sauce forms.

Add the dried parsley, dill, salt, garlic powder and black pepper, and stir till combined. Remove from the heat.

To serve:

Put one or two croquettes on each plate and top with some of the sauce, being careful not to over-sauce the croquettes. Serve with preferred side dishes.

To download a copy of the recipe for Baked Chicken Croquettes with Buttermilk White Sauce, click HERE.

And there you have it: classic diner food in the comfort of your own home.

Please come back next week for another great-tasting recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Cream of Trinity Soup

To download a copy of the recipe for Cream of Trinity Soup, click HERE.

When the French settled into Louisiana, they brought their famous mirepoix, a mix of celery, onions and carrots that formed a reliable base for a wide range of soups and sauces. Over time, that venerable combination evolved into the celery, onions and green bell pepper blend that serves a similar purpose in Cajun-Creole cooking and that has come to be known throughout Louisiana as the Holy Trinity.

Most Louisiana dishes using the Holy Trinity involve a long, slow cooking process that breaks down the celery, onions and peppers until they are more like seasoning than vegetables. Other vegetables are then added.

This week’s recipe, for Cream of Trinity Soup, involves a much shorter cooking process that allows the celery, onions and peppers to be the dish’s main vegetables that shine as a very flavorful combination in their own right. Some of the cooked vegetables are pureed into the soup liquid, and some are mixed into the soup as is. A third layer of texture is added by garnishing the soup with a bit of the Trinity vegetables, fine-diced and uncooked.

For good measure, we’ll also use bacon – turkey bacon, in this case – both as part of the soup filling and as one of the items pureed into the soup liquid, thereby ensuring the bacon’s goodness is part of the very DNA of the creamy liquid.

Also worth noting: by using fat-free half-and-half to replace the cream normally used in soups of this kind, we make the soup low fat and guilt-free. (In general, I’ve found fat-free half-and-half to be a very valuable asset when making creamy dishes low-fat. It’s definitely an item to include in your low-fat tool box.)

This recipe makes 2 quarts of soup.

We’ll start by sautéing the vegetables.

Heat 1 Tbsp butter substitute and 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook till aromatic, another 30 seconds to one minute.

Place 4 cups of thin-chopped celery (about 1/8”); 2 cups of chopped onion, and 2 cups of chopped green pepper in the pot. (If you’re using sliced mushrooms, add 8 ounces of them now also.) Sauté until the onions are translucent and the remaining vegetables are soft but not mushy.

Set the cooked vegetables aside in a separate bowl.

Next comes our soup base.

Reduce the heat to low. Add ¼ cup of butter substitute. When it has melted, add 6 Tbsp of all-purpose flour and mix to form a roux. Cook till golden, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add 1 quart of vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring till the liquid has thickened, for about 10 minutes.

Add a pinch of red pepper flakes; ½ tsp dried thyme; ½ tsp dried oregano; and ½ tsp dried rosemary. Add 1/3 cup of uncooked white rice and simmer until the rice is softened, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add half of the cooked vegetables, and 1-1/2 ounces of cooked, fine-diced bacon.

Add 2 cups of fat-free half-and-half, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each ¼ cup is incorporated before adding the next.

Using an immersion blender, puree the vegetables till smooth.

Add the remaining cooked vegetables and another 1-1/2 ounces of cooked bacon cut into ½” square pieces. Add salt and pepper to taste.

All that's left is to dish it up!

Serve in bowls, garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and some uncooked, fine-diced celery, onion and green pepper. (For great accompaniments, be sure to add some good bread and a fresh salad!)

To download a copy of the recipe for Cream of Trinity Soup, click HERE.

You’re all set for the chilly weather. Bring on the fall!

Thanks for visiting this site. Please come back next week for another great-tasting, home cooked recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Shrimp on Corn Pudding with Buttermilk White Sauce

To download a copy of the recipe for Shrimp on Corn Pudding with Buttermilk White Sauce, click HERE. 

If you’ve never heard of corn pudding before, you might be tempted to think it must be a dessert item. As it happens, corn pudding is an easy, versatile side dish made with corn and eggs, a great gift from our friends in the south.

In this week’s recipe, we’ll make a meal out of our corn pudding by adding some brined shrimp and topping it off with a buttermilk white sauce. In the photo at the top, I’ve added oven fried green tomatoes – a healthier take on another southern classic – as a side dish. You can see that recipe at Oven Fried Green Tomatoes, and can download a copy of the recipe by clicking HERE.

This recipe makes six servings.

We’ll start by brining our shrimp.

Combine ½ cup kosher salt; 2 crushed bay leaves; and the juice of ½ lemon (about 1 Tbsp) with two quarts of water. Place 1-1/2 pounds of peeled, uncooked shrimp in the liquid and let brine for about 30 minutes. Drain well when done.

While the shrimp are brining, we’ll start our corn pudding batter.

Heat a little olive oil and butter substitute in a large sauté pan and sauté 4 cups of corn; ¾ cup of finely chopped onion; and ¾ cup of finely chopped red pepper. (Fresh corn is best, but frozen will work if fresh is not available. If you do use frozen, be sure you thaw and dry the corn before putting it in the pan to sauté.) When done, set the sautéed vegetables aside to cool.

Begin preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine ¾ cup corn meal (fine grain or medium, not coarse); 1 Tbsp sugar; 1 tsp kosher salt; ¾ tsp fresh ground black pepper; 2 tsp dried parsley; 1 tsp dried oregano; and 1 tsp dried thyme.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup reduced-fat buttermilk; ¼ cup melted butter substitute; 4 egg-substitute eggs; and 2 Tbsp hot sauce.

Add the cooled corn mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Add the egg mixture to the corn mixture and mix till combined.

Divide the corn mixture into two 9” pie pans that were lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Sprinkle a little Panko on top of each corn pudding mixture.

Bake the corn puddings until golden and a knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

While the corn pudding is baking, we can cook the shrimp.

Sauté the brined shrimp until both sides are cooked. Set aside when done.

While the corn puddings finish baking, make the buttermilk white sauce as follows:

In the same sauté pan, melt 1-1/2 Tbsp of butter substitute. Add 3 Tbsp of all-purpose flour and stir to combine.

Cook over a low heat for about 1 minute till a slightly browned roux forms.

Gradually add 1 cup of buttermilk, stirring constantly, until a thickened sauce forms.

Add 1 tsp dried parsley; ¼ tsp dried dill; ½ tsp kosher salt; pinch of garlic powder; and a pinch fresh ground black pepper and stir till combined. Remove from the heat.

To serve:

After the corn pudding has finished baking and has rested for about 10 minutes, top with the cooked shrimp.

Cut each pie pan into three equal portions for a total of six portions, and top the shrimp and corn pudding with some of the white sauce. Serve warm or hot with a vegetable side dish.

To download a copy of the recipe for Shrimp on Corn Pudding with Buttermilk White Sauce, click HERE.

You’ll also probably like knowing the leftovers save very well too!

Hope you enjoy this twist on a great traditional southern comfort food! And that you’ll visit again next week for another delicious, home cooking recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)