Frugal Feasting Friday

Shake-N-Bake pork chop / chicken coating was a household staple in my mom's pantry when I was a girl. Yup, my mom was a "modern" cook who utilized ALL the prepared and quick fix products available at the time. (Just for the record I learned all my basic cooking skills while living with my uncle and aunt during my early teen aged years. My aunt J was / is a fabulous home cook. ) As a young girl I LOVED pork chops and chicken baked in shake-n-bake. But once I left my mom's house, I never ate it again. Mostly because my aunt J didn't cook with the stuff and once I was out on my own, I couldn't afford the stuff. As the years passed, I forgot about it.

Recently, I ran across a homemade recipe that claimed one couldn't tell the difference between this recipe and the store bought shake-n-bake. This evening I decided I'd give it a try and after a bit of tweaking (you know me, I can't leave any recipe in its original form), this homemade shake-n-bake REALLY DOES taste exactly like I remember it as a child!!

I don't know if making it yourself is any cheaper than the name brand, but whenever I have every single ingredient already on hand, it makes absolutely no sense in my mind to go out and purchase a boxed product made out of the same ingredients sitting on my own pantry shelf. So, here's my tweaked version of the homemade shake-n-bake recipe I recently came across (sorry, I don't' remember the web-site I gleaned this from - but I don't want anyone to think I've taken credit for a recipe that isn't my own).

HOMEMADE SHAKE-N-BAKE

3/4 c. cornflake crumbs
2 tsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until ground into course powder. Mixture will coat 4 pork chops or 4 pieces of chicken. I think this recipe would double or triple very well.
To Use:
Place homemade shake-n-bake in a gallon sized plastic bag. Add pork chops or chicken. Shake vigorously. Place meat on a lightly greased baking sheet. Lightly spray meat with with olive oil or other baking spray. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear.
Serves 4

P.S. tonight was the first time the littles have ever had shake-n-bake, the big boys have never tried it, and it seems the littles LOVED this stuff as much as I did when I was a kid.