Deep Fried Bacon Stuffed Chicken

I've been eating so much "healthy" food recently, I nearly forgot what's really healthy. Bacon! So, I thought- "How can I make bacon really HEALTHY". Deep fry it, of course. I've already used wonton skins for such a thing, and I wanted to do something different. That's when the lightbulb turned on. What if I stuffed the bacon inside chicken? What if I also added cheese, and some spiced jam? What if I took all that, rolled it up, then breaded it in a cornflake crust? That sounds healthy to me.

Chicken Breast
Bacon, pre-cooked
Apricot Jam
mixed with a small amount of crushed hot pepper
Smoked Gouda Cheese
2 Tbs. Flour
4 Tbs. Milk
Cornflake Crumbs

Pound a chicken breast to about 1/4 inch thickness. Spread a bit of the spiced jam on top of chicken, then a layer of cheese, and finally, top with pre-cooked bacon. Roll the chicken tightly, and hold together with toothpicks.

In a small bowl, combine flour and milk. Dip rolled chicken in mix, then roll in cornflake crumbs. If you have time, let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Fry at 365 for 6-8 minutes, depending on how thick your roll is.

*If you don't have corn flake crumbs, you can use bread crumbs. Add a bit of salt and sugar to flour mix if you do.

Panko Fried Chicken

Chicken Breast, pounded to medium thickness
3 Tablespoons Flour
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 Teaspoon Each Salt & Sugar
Panko
Lemon
Italian Parsley, chopped

Panko is a wonderful, course, Japaneese breadcrumb. Light and lovely, it provides a killer texture to breaded dishes. You should be able to find it at nearly every supermarket.

Begin by mixing flour, salt, sugar, and milk. Dip chicken into mixture, then dip coated chicken into panko. Coat evenly. Let rest 15 minutes, then fry at 360 for about 6 minutes. Use your eyes and ears to tell you when it's done.

Remove chicken to cooling rack or paper towel, let cool for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze lemon onto crispy chicken, then top with chopped Italian parsley.

Fried Chicken Cutlets, Conflake Crust

Chicken breasts, pounded thin
Cornflake Crumbs
Flour
Milk
Pinch each: salt & sugar
Lemon, or other sauce

This is a quick and easy deep fry. Pound the chicken breasts fairly thin, to about 1/4 inch. Mix flour, milk, and a pinch each of salt and sugar. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Dip chicken into the mixture, coating both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate covered in cornflake crumbs, and bread the chicken.

Deep fry chicken at 375 degrees until golden brown. The fry should last about 4 minutes. Don't over fry! If deep fryer not available, can be done in cast iron skillet, or lightly dressed with olive oil and baked in oven. However, as always, deep fryer is best.

Remove chicken to cooling rack, season with salt/spice rub, transfer to plate, and squeeze fresh lemon juice on top. Or, season however you want- this preparation is very versatile!