.: Dinner at the Bradleys :.

Tonight, we had a last minute dinner party at Chase and Mindy's. I had this chicken dish by Food Network Magazine (June 2010), and this casserole featured in Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook planned for Chris and I, but it was easily duplicated to accommodate a larger group! The peppers between the two dishes tie it together, and the smells coming from the oven alone will make it worth your while! Enjoy :)



Honey-Lime Roast Chicken

 Ingredients:
* 1 small bunch fresh thyme (our store didn't have any so I used a few dashes of the dried stuff)
* Juice of 2 limes (I used 3 for extra flavor)
* 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
* 3 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons honey (add more if you want to dial down the heat of the jalapeno)
* Kosher salt (I used the regular stuff)
* 3 half chickens (I used a package of chicken legs)
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

To do:
* Strip thyme leaves off the stems, combine with the lime juice, garlic, jalapenos, olive oil, honey, and 1 teaspoon salt. I threw this into a large bag with the chicken breasts. It says to leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. I threw it into the fridge for 5 hours until it was time to cook.
* Throw into the oven at 425F, skin-side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour the marinade on top, and add the pieces of butter on top and sprinkle with salt (I added ground pepper too)
* Roast the chicken, until the skin is amber. I left mine in for about half an hour, but if you use the half chickens, you'll need to go for at least 45 minutes. Thigh meat should register 160F with a meat thermometer.
* Serve on platter with drizzled pan juices and perfectly cooked jalapeno strips (which are yummy on their own, according to Mindy, who ate most of them!)

Remember: Jalapeno soaked fingers do not feel good in your eye- wash your hands after handling- trust me!

Creamed Corn Casserole

Ingredients:
* Nonstick cooking spray
* 2 16-oz bags of frozen whole kernel corn. (I used one 8 oz bag yellow corn, and one 8 oz bag sweet white corn)
* 2 cups chopped red and/or green sweet peppers (I used both)
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 can condensed cream of celery soup
* 1 8-oz tub cream cheese spread with chive and onion flavoring or garden vegetable flavoring. (I used 4-oz of both- it was a great combo)
* 1/4 cup milk

To do:
* Coat 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Place corn in colander and run it through water to thaw.
* In saucepan, melt butter and add chopped onion and peppers. Cook until tender. Add corn and black pepper. (See picture above)
* In large bowl, combine the soup, cream cheese spread, and milk. Once combined well, add corn mixture. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
* Bake, covered, at 375F for 50-60 minutes until it is bubbly and heated through. (I let it sit and let the sauce thicken for about 5 minutes afterwards)