Today is the start of something new! Something that I hope you will find exciting and interesting. Twelve food bloggers have joined forces to bring you a virtual “progressive dinner.” The virtual progressive dinner was the brainchild of my blogging friend, Barb, from Creative Culinary, who has organized the effort and is keeping us all on track. Bless her. Our plan is to hold a progressive dinner once a month with a different theme and host for each. The host chooses the theme for the party and makes the main dish. The other participants create all the sides, beverages, and desserts.
Maybe you’re wondering “what the heck is a ‘progressive dinner?'” Well, progressive dinners have been around for quite some time. I remember my parents doing them back in the 60’s and 70’s and I did them myself later on. It’s a dinner party with each individual course prepared at a different participant’s home. You’d start with drinks at one home, then “progress” to the next home for appetizers, then on to the next for the main course, and so forth. The evening would end with dessert (and maybe more drinks) at the final person’s home. Sound like fun? We think so! So we’re bringing it to you virtually.
And it’s my privilege to be the host for the very first get together. For this month’s theme I chose “Summer in the South” – what else? And the entree I’ve chosen to cook for you is a southern classic – Creole Style Smothered Chicken. It’s a whole butterflied chicken cooked in a skillet under weights with a creole sauce.
I do hope you enjoy it. And please be sure to “progress” through to each of the other participating blogs to experience all the other courses.
Appetizers
The Heritage Cook – Old Bay Shrimp Boil Skewers
Stetted – Fried Green Tomatoes with Smoked Tomato Basil Aioli
Bread
Savvy Eats – Jalapeno Cornbread + How to Store Cornbread
Salads
Miss in the Kitchen – Creamy Coleslaw
Life’s a Feast – Shrimp, Grilled Peach and Quinoa Salad
Soup
Spiceroots – Maque Choux Soup
Sides
Creative Culinary – Bacon and Caramelized Onion Creamed Corn
Pastry Chef Online – Spicy Succotash
Beverage
Healthy. Delicious. – Watermelon Lemonade
Desserts
Barbara Bakes – Key Lime Pound Cake
That Skinny Chick Can Bake – Banana Cream Cheesecake Pie
Choose a skillet large enough to hold the butterflied chicken without crowding, preferably a well-seasoned black iron skillet. The one pictured is a 12-inch.
Lightly season both sides of a butterflied (or spatchcocked) chicken with salt and pepper. If you’re not sure how to butterfly or spatchcock a chicken, see my last post here. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add the chicken skin side down.
Cover the chicken with a heavy plate or a smaller skillet that will fit inside the cooking skillet (I’m using a 10-inch smaller skillet in the photo). Weight the plate or skillet with several heavy cans. You need about 5 pounds of weight. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 25 minutes or until the skin is nicely browned.
When the chicken has browned, remove it to a plate and set aside.
Without cleaning the skillet, add the onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are wilted. Sprinkle with flour and stir until well blended. Add the tomatoes with their juice. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
Return the chicken to the pan with the browned side up on top of the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with the plate or smaller skillet and weights. Cook for about 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160F.
Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Increase the heat slightly and cook the sauce briefly until thickened. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the chopped green onions.
Enjoy!
Yields 4 servings
Brown, succulent chicken simmered with a Creole sauce.
10 minPrep Time
1 hr, 10 Cook Time
1 hr, 20 Total Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3.5-4 lb. butterflied chicken
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tblsp. butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 tblsp. flour
- 1 14.5 oz. can tomatoes, with their juice
- 2 tblsp. chopped green onions
Instructions
- Choose a skillet large enough to hold the butterflied chicken without crowding. A well-seasoned black iron skillet is preferable.
- Lightly season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin side down. Cover the chicken with a plate or a smaller skillet that will fit inside the cooking skillet. Weight the plate or skillet with several cans. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 25 minutes or until the skin is nicely browned.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Without cleaning the skillet, add the onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are wilted. Sprinkle with flour and stir until well blended.
- Add the tomatoes with their juice, increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Return the chicken, browned side up, on top of the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with the plate or smaller skillet and weights. Cook for about 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches and internal temperature of 160F.
- Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Increase the heat slightly and cook the sauce briefly until thickened. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the chopped green onions.
Notes
A classic southern recipe, the origins of which are obscure. This version is based on Craig Claiborne’s recipe in Craig Claiborne’s Southern Cooking.
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What I was up to…
- One Year Ago: A Milestone – 25 Years Together
- Two Years Ago: Home Canned Tomatoes
- Three Years Ago: Tomato-Zucchini Tian
- Four Years Ago: Layered Mediterranean Salad
- Five Years Ago: Easy Cheesy Mac
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