Stuffed chicken breast, broccoli casserole, scalloped potatoes, homemade rolls, cranberry-pecan salad and red velvet cake were on the menu at the Chattanooga Music Club's Christmas luncheon prepared by Bruce Clark and Louella Landreth.Stuffed Chicken Breasts4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts1/2 bag Pepperidge Farm stuffing, either cornbread or herb-seasoned1/2 cup mayonnaise1/3 cup Dijon mustard2 cups Rice Chex cereal2 cups Corn Chex cerealPrepare stuffing in a bowl as directed on package and set aside. Do not bake the mixture.Cut a horizontal slit into the thickest part of each breast creating a pocket. Fill with prepared stuffing mix.Mix mayonnaise and mustard. Salt chicken, then brush on mayonnaise-mustard mixture to coat each breast.Crush Chex Mix cereals together, and roll chicken breasts in crushed cereal.Place chicken breasts on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes or until juices run clear.- Louella LandrethSpinach-ricotta Stuffing1 cup cooked, chopped and drained fresh spinach1/2 cup ricotta cheese1/2 cup Gorgonzola blue cheese4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbledSalt and pepper to taste1 large eggCombine spinach, ricotta, Gorgonzola, bacon and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Add egg, mix well and set aside until ready to stuff chicken breast.- Food NetworkBroccoli Casserole2 10-ounce packages broccoli flowerets1 cup mayonnaise1 cup grated cheddar cheese2 eggs1 can cream of mushroom soup2 tablespoons minced onions1 cup crushed Cheez-Its3 tablespoons butterPrepare broccoli as directed on package.Mix broccoli with next five ingredients. Pour into baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Cover top with crushed Cheez-Its and dot with butter.Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.- Louella LandrethCranberry-pecan Salad2 3-ounce packages strawberry Jell-O2 cans whole-berry cranberry sauce2 9-ounce cans crushed pineapple1 cup chopped celery1 cup chopped pecansDissolve Jell-O in one cup boiling water. Add cranberry sauce and pineapple with juice. Add celery and nuts.Mix and pour into dish. Chill in refrigerator until set.- Louella Landreth
Company's coming! Your home is twinkling in Christmas bling, but what's on the menu?
If you're having friends over for a Christmas luncheon, Bruce Clark and Louella Landreth have an alternative to the standard chicken salad or quiche: stuffed chicken breast. Juicy and flavorful, the beauty of this dish is that it can be "personalized" to suit your taste just by changing stuffing contents.
The pair has prepared lunches for four groups this holiday season, serving stuffed chicken breast along with broccoli casserole, scalloped potatoes, Landreth's homemade rolls, gelatin salad and dessert.
It's a menu that works, they say, for either lunch or dinner, and can be altered to suit the time of day just by changing the side dishes or dessert for lighter recipes.
Best of all, it won't break the grocery budget. The dishes are all staples of Southern cooks, made with basic ingredients, most of which are kept on hand.
Landreth has been the in-house cook at First Cumberland Presbyterian for 15 years, while Clark has been the church's organist for 37 years.
"I started cooking at age 6," says Landreth. "My half-sister and father taught me. I grew up in Meigs County and lived on a farm. Everybody else was in the fields, so I cooked."
Clark has a background in floral design and baking, having worked part-time for Sherrill's Catering in Rossville for 30 years. He says his mother taught him to cook at about age 10 and he helped cook Wednesday night dinners at the former Central Baptist Church in Woodmore, where he was church organist before being hired by Cumberland.
Together, they make a powerhouse team -- he handles table set-up; she cooks, assisted by him. The two only cater parties for the church's groups or outside groups holding their events at First Cumberland.
"Their food is always delicious," says Charlynne Fry, a guest at the Chattanooga Music Club's Christmas luncheon, which the pair catered. "The stuffed chicken breast is really tasty. It's so tender you can cut it with a fork."
For this stuffed chicken breast recipe, she used Pepperidge Farm stuffing (either cornbread of herb-seasoned). However, Clark says other stuffing alternatives might be a broccoli mixture, ham and cheese combo, spinach or crumbled feta cheese. A suggested stuffing recipe from Food Network is included.