Chicken fried chicken with milk gravy {Secret Recipe Club}

It's time for another edition of Secret Recipe Club. This month I was assigned Angels Home Sweet Homestead written by April who writes about homesteading, cooking, and gardening on a budget. All topics that I love (especially the budget part)! Normally when I'm looking through someone's blog to pick a recipe it takes me a while, but this time as soon as I saw Chicken Fried Chicken and her gravy recipe, I knew I wasn't going to find anything that I wanted to make more than that!! I have only ever had this dish in a restaurant and was super excited to try making it at home (and my husband was super excited to eat it). We loved it! It turned out light, crispy, and perfectly golden. Served with mashed potatoes and green beans, it was the perfect chilly night meal - total comfort food. Next time though, I'm giving her Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits a try!

I made only half the chicken recipe for us, but I'm posting April's recipe below. If you make the full recipe you will feed a crowd! I slightly modified her gravy recipe. This is a dish you should definitely try. 

Chicken fried chicken
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 sleeves of saltine crackers, crushed
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper, optional, but recommended
1-1/2 cups milk
4 large eggs
oil, for frying

Milk gravy
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap or a heavy duty freezer bag and flatten to about 1/4-inch thick using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

On a large, deep plate, combine the saltine crumbs, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper until combined. On another large, deep plate, whisk together the milk and eggs until combined.

In a large cast iron skillet, pour a 1/2-inch of oil. Heat over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken in batches (don't crowd the pan) and cook about 10 minutes on the first side, turn and cook for about 5 more minutes. Adjust the heat and add more oil as needed. 

Drain the chicken on a paper towel and then place on a baking sheet in a 225 degree oven. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked. 

While the last batch of chicken is going, heat the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. When melted, whisk in the flour. Cook for about one minute and then whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking and whisking until the gravy is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your choice.

  
What was I cooking one year ago?: thick & chewy pan pizza
Two years ago?: butternut squash spaghetti carbonara
Three years ago?: Guinness chocolate cake
Four?: Mexican spiced bean & egg breakfast stacks
Five?: orange-sour cream-poppy seed loaf cake
6?: chicken gyros

Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy plastic wrap, (a gallon-size freezer baggie works great for this) and flatten to 1/4-inch thick using a meat mallet or heavy rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper if using. Set aside. Whisk together milk and eggs and set aside. Begin by dredging chicken in the cracker crumb mixture, dip in milk mixture, then dredge in cracker mixture again. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a frying pan, and heat over medium heat. Fry chicken in batches, do not crowd, for 10 minutes on the first side. Turn chicken over and continue frying for 5 minutes more, or until golden brown. Add more oil as needed. Keep chicken warm in a 225 degree oven as you fry the rest of the chicken. - See more at: http://www.angelshomesweethomestead.com/2013/06/chicken-fried-chicken.html#sthash.j2ecG6zR.dpuf

Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy plastic wrap, (a gallon-size freezer baggie works great for this) and flatten to 1/4-inch thick using a meat mallet or heavy rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper if using. Set aside. Whisk together milk and eggs and set aside. Begin by dredging chicken in the cracker crumb mixture, dip in milk mixture, then dredge in cracker mixture again. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a frying pan, and heat over medium heat. Fry chicken in batches, do not crowd, for 10 minutes on the first side. Turn chicken over and continue frying for 5 minutes more, or until golden brown. Add more oil as needed. Keep chicken warm in a 225 degree oven as you fry the rest of the chicken. - See more at: http://www.angelshomesweethomestead.com/2013/06/chicken-fried-chicken.html#sthash.j2ecG6zR.dpuf

Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy plastic wrap, (a gallon-size freezer baggie works great for this) and flatten to 1/4-inch thick using a meat mallet or heavy rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper if using. Set aside. Whisk together milk and eggs and set aside. Begin by dredging chicken in the cracker crumb mixture, dip in milk mixture, then dredge in cracker mixture again. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a frying pan, and heat over medium heat. Fry chicken in batches, do not crowd, for 10 minutes on the first side. Turn chicken over and continue frying for 5 minutes more, or until golden brown. Add more oil as needed. Keep chicken warm in a 225 degree oven as you fry the rest of the chicken. - See more at: http://www.angelshomesweethomestead.com/2013/06/chicken-fried-chicken.html#sthash.j2ecG6zR.dpuf

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