Copycat McDonald's Chicken Nuggets(Baked) and Gluten Free version

4 largish boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 c all purpose flour
2-3 eggs(may be omitted)
water and salt
*see bottom for gluten free

Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces and place in food processor or kitchenaid food grinder attachment.

Process until it is a fine paste(about 1/2 way there stop and add in seasonings, these measurements may require some adjustments for your personal tastes)









Next measure out your flour and cornmeal( I did 1/2 c white flour, 1/4 c cornmeal and 1/4 c whole wheat flour at a time to separate it into "batches") mix thoroughly

If you do not want to use eggs a water and salt solution is wonderful!

Take a small spoonful and make a small ball of chicken, dip in egg(or water) and then dip in flour mix. Coat thoroughly, then repeat in liquid, then flour mix again, place on well oiled baking sheet and press flat.

Bake at 400 degrees 6 minutes and flip, bake 6 minutes on the other side...








I got 2 batches of approx 20 nuggets



To Freeze:
Place cooled nuggets in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for 3 hours, transfer to a freezer bag and place back in freezer
To cook from frozen , bake on baking sheet at 400 for about 17-20 minutes.


















To make Gluten Free I subbed out the wheat flours with this recipe in addition to the above listed seasonings:
1 cup rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 cup cornmeal

then just continue as directed above!
(this was for a pretty large batch, 4 big breasts)

Freezer Burritos!

Soak your beans the night before!


These are very good with store bought tortillas too so just omit the first recipe to make it a bit easier:
For a nutritional boost use whole wheat tortillas!







4 cups all-purpose flour(you can use 1/2 or ALL whole wheat flour for a nutritional boost!)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening(or lard if you can get it)
1 1/2 cups water

Instructions with KitchenAid mixer:
if you dont have one you can mix this by hand

Stir the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. With Whisk attachment Mix in the shortening with until the flour looks like cornmeal. Remove whisk and add paddle attachment. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; remove paddle and add dough hook attachment and allow to knead until smooth and elastic

Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla.
Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

Refried Beans
1 lb. dried pinto, pink, or black beans plus soaking water
6 cups water
2 onions, chopped (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup fat (hot bacon drippings, butter, margarine, or lard)
Salt to taste
plus any seasonings to taste....cumin, chili powder, cilantro, coriander...what ever you like. My kids prefer them plain.

Soak beans overnight or by quick method.
Drain and Rinse Add fresh water and onions.
Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer slowly until beans are tender, about 2-3 hours.
Drain any extra liquid if you want thicker beans, leave it if you want it a bit thinner
Over medium heat, mash beans well , (I use an immersion blender, not to a puree so leave some good chunks.

Add fat and salt(and seasonings). Mix well; continue cooking, stirring frequently until beans are thickened and fat is absorbed.



Burritos


If your tortillas are fresh and still warm perfect! If not heat them slightly so they are easier to work with.
Spoon on about 4 TB refried beans and sprinkle on some cheese, whatever kind you like, dont go too much though.
fold over ends of tortillas then roll it up, kind of tight but not TOO tight. Place it in a 9x13 pan seam side down....repeat until full, you can place a piece of wax paper over the first layer and start again.
When you are done freeze over night then pull them out and wrap individually and pop them back in the freezer. To heat, microwave 1 minute and check...turn if needed and microwave in 30 -45 second intervals until hot enough for you. Serve with salsa and sour cream .....YUM!