PB & J and Chips

Are you thinking .. what the heck is she talking about? She just said yesterday that she's doing more than a week of chicken wing recipes!

Well, I did and I stand by my headline. This is an interesting twist on every kid's favorite lunch. All the same rules apply too except there is no bread involved.  Crunchy or creamy peanut butter?  Grape or strawberry jelly? Jelly or jam?  For me, it's always crunchy peanut butter and either strawberry jam or my new favorite ... homemade four berry spread! And, of course, I'll include a recipe for that as well! 

What goes best with a pb & j sandwich? Chips of course! I have to confess when I first read this recipe for the casserole that I'm going to recommend pairing your wings with, I was a bit skeptical. I mean really, potato chips in a casserole? But, I was pleasantly surprised.  It's very rich and creamy and, the best part, cheesy! I'd say in it's own way, it's kind of a potato version of mac & cheese for me. Totally unhealthy but totally delicious. But, if you want to be healthy, you can with low fat ingredients too.

Four Berry Spread

Ingredients:
1 c blackberries     1 c. blueberries     1 1/2 c. strawberries     1 1/2 c. raspberries 
1 box powdered fruit pectin                7 c. sugar

Directions:

1. Crush berries in a large kettle.
2. Stir in pectin and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.
3. Stir constantly.
4. Stir in sugar and return to a full rolling boil.
5. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
7. Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4 in. headspace.
8. Adjust caps and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Spicy PB & J Wings

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chicken wings     2 c. flour     oil for fryer     1/2 c. chopped peanuts for garnish

Sauce:  1 c. peanut butter     1 tbsp. & 1 tsp. hot chili sauce     1/4 c. soy sauce     1 c. jam    

             3/4 c. coconut cream     1/4 c. hot water

Directions:

1. Toss wings in flour and let rest at least a 1/2 hr.
2. In a small pot, combine all sauce ingredients except water.
3. Slowly whisk in water to loosen the mixture.
4. Bring to a simmer and continue to whisk as it thickens (app. 5 minutes)
5. Fry your wings 12-14 minutes and drain.
6. Toss the wings in the sauce and garnish with peanuts.

Potato Chip Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup     1 c. sour cream     4 medium onions, sliced
5 1/2 oz. potato chips                           2 c. cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Combine soup and sour cream.
3. Arrange half the onions in a casserole dish.
4. Sprinkle half the chips over them.
5. Spread 1/2 the soup mixture over that.
6. Sprinkle 1/2 the cheese.
7. Layer remaining onions and chips.
8. Spread the remaining soup mixture.
9. Bake for 30 minutes. 
10. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Are you still with me? That's a lot of recipes and a lot to remember, but still pretty straightforward in execution. Then, you can say you had a great meal of adult pb & j!

As always, have fun!