Chicken Croquettes

I borrowed this recipe from one of the girls I met on The Knot, Shelly. Her food blog is partially the reason I decided to make one of my own. I thought these looked easy and wanted to do something different with chicken, so I made this. I copied her recipe from her food blog (I followed it exactly, as Patrick said I never follow recipes exactly) and we both thought they had a good flavor but they were a little dry the first time around. However, we put a little spin on the leftovers. We started with a tablespoonful of salsa and put the croquette on top, then we added a dollop of sour cream. They were delicious! I was so excited about eating them, I forgot to take a picture of the new concoction, but the above is from the first time around with brown sugar mashed sweet potatoes and grilled veggies.

Chicken Croquettes

1. Splash a little olive oil into a large pan on medium high heat and add:

About a pound of fresh chicken (I used 9 chicken tenders)

About 1.5 cups of diced onion

Salt and pepper

Cook chicken for a couple minutes each side until no longer pink in the middle and the onions begin to caramelize.

2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl:

Lighly beat 2 eggs

Mix in 1 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

3. Once chicken and onions are done, remove to your cutting board to cool a bit. Then with a big ol' knife, finely dice the mixture and add to the egg/bread crumb mixture.

4. Stir the whole mess together. If it appears to be too dry and won't stick together, add another lightly beaten egg. If it is too wet, add a little bit more bread crumbs. Divide into 10 balls-o-chicken.

5. Back to the same pan over medium to medium-high heat, add a little more oil, but this time veggie oil. Maybe a tablespoon or two. If you flick a LITTLE bit of water into the pan and it sizzles, you know it is ready. Careful, it might splatter and burn you. Now place 5 chicken balls into the pan and press down a bit with a turner. Fry for about 3-4 minutes until browned. Then flip and repeat. Remove the patties to a plate and pat with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat with the other 5 chicken balls, adding a smidge more oil if necessary.

6. Tada!!! Now enjoy with your favorite side dishes. There will probably be leftovers. I am willing to bet they would be great on top of a salad.