I did not grow up with the country food but thanks to my husband my kids have. I love how my husband and I were raised differently and have brought our pasts together for our children. Our kids get things like crepes in the morning thanks to my upbringing and things like the biscuits and gravy in the morning thanks to his. One of their all-time favorite "Illinois" meals is chicken and white gravy. It never fails to make my husband very happy at dinner to have such a great comfort food. Making the gravy GF and from scratch has been a difficult process but we are getting better and better at it. I'm sure this recipe will continue to change but this is our best at this time.
Chicken:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 cups GF flour
2 tsp seasoned salt
ground pepper
3/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 lbs thin cut chicken breasts
salt
canola oil
1 T butter
Gravy:
1 lb breakfast sausage
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Mashed Potatoes and Corn for crowd pleasing sides
For the Chicken: Begin with setting up an assembly line of dishes. This meal makes a big mess but even bigger smiles. Mix the milk with the eggs in one; the flour mixed with the seasoned salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, paprika and cayenne in another; and the meat in a third. Then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.
Work with one piece of meat at a time. Place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Place it in the flour and turn to coat (dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture). Place the breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with the remaining meat.
Cook the meat in fryer 2 or 3 pieces at a time, until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and keep them warm by covering lightly with another plate or a sheet of foil. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.
For Gravy:
Chop sausage and cook in a skillet. Brown the sausage over medium high heat until no longer pink. Remove sausage and add butter to grease in pan. Reduce the heat to medium low. Sprinkle on half the flour and stir so that the sausage soaks it all up, then add a little more until just before it looks to dry. Stir in flour until a paste forms. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour is a light golden color. Pour in the milk, stirring constantly.
Cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it thickens. (About 10 minutes.) Sprinkle in the seasoning, salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick. If it gets too thick too soon, just splash in a bit more milk. Have family taste test and adjust seasonings accordingly. :) Serve the meat next to a big side of mashed potatoes. Pour gravy over the whole shebang! You can add back in sausage to the leftover gravy and enjoy it as biscuits and gravy in the morning.
Work with one piece of meat at a time. Place the meat into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Place it in the flour and turn to coat (dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture). Place the breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with the remaining meat.
Cook the meat in fryer 2 or 3 pieces at a time, until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and keep them warm by covering lightly with another plate or a sheet of foil. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.
For Gravy:
Chop sausage and cook in a skillet. Brown the sausage over medium high heat until no longer pink. Remove sausage and add butter to grease in pan. Reduce the heat to medium low. Sprinkle on half the flour and stir so that the sausage soaks it all up, then add a little more until just before it looks to dry. Stir in flour until a paste forms. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour is a light golden color. Pour in the milk, stirring constantly.
Cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it thickens. (About 10 minutes.) Sprinkle in the seasoning, salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick. If it gets too thick too soon, just splash in a bit more milk. Have family taste test and adjust seasonings accordingly. :) Serve the meat next to a big side of mashed potatoes. Pour gravy over the whole shebang! You can add back in sausage to the leftover gravy and enjoy it as biscuits and gravy in the morning.
