Even though I like to cook and bake, and mostly figure out what we’re having for dinner without asking the family, there are days where input is required. This was one of those days and after mulling it over a while, Chris suggested chicken fried chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes. Since this is not in my repertoire, (I think gravy is gross!) I resorted to a good ol’ fashioned Google search and they all gave me Chicken Fried Steak recipes, but when I landed on the Pioneer Woman’s recipe, I figured I’d simply replace the steak with chicken and it did not disappoint.  The seasoning of the chicken was perfect!

Ingredients:

for the chicken:

• 6 chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps. seasoned salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 3/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• kosher salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. butter

for the gravy:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Preparation:

for the chicken:

On a large baking sheet, pound down the chicken breasts so that they are thin. Season both sides of the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the eggs in a bowl and lightly beat; stir in the milk. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper.

With each seasoned chicken breast, place in flour mixture; turn to coat. Place the chicken into the milk/ egg mixture, turning to coat, and return it back to the flour mixture, coating both sides. Place the breaded chicken on a clean plate and repeat with remaining chicken.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the butter. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it’s sufficiently hot. When the butter sizzles immediately, you know it’s ready. (If it browns rights away, it’s too hot.) Cook the chicken 2 -3 pieces at a time, until the edges start to turn golden brown, about 3 -4 minutes on each side, cut into the center to ensure the chicken has cooked all the way through. Remove the cooked chicken to a baking sheet and cover with foil to keep warm or turn on the oven to its lowest setting and keep in there while you cook the remaining chicken.

After all the meat is fried, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. Without cleaning the skillet, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup of grease back to the skillet and allow it to heat up.

for the gravy: 

When the grease is hot, sprinkle the flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Add more flour if it looks overly greasy; add a little more grease if it becomes too pasty/ clumpy. Keep cooking until the roux reaches a deep golden color.

Pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the seasoned salt and black pepper to taste and cook, whisking until the gravy is smooth and thick, about 5 – 10 minutes. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick.

Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, if you’re into that kind of thing! 😉

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chicken-fried-steak-with-gravy-recipe-1925056