Well, I reckon if you ever get a hankerin’ for something tasty and easy to make, them chicken croquettes with a good sauce will do ya just fine. Now, you don’t need to be some fancy cook or have a big ol’ kitchen to whip these up. Just a few simple ingredients and you’ll be sittin’ down to somethin’ mighty good.
First things first, you need to grab yourself some chicken. You can use leftover chicken if ya got any from supper, or cook up some fresh, whatever suits ya best. About 2 cups should do it. Then, you’ll mix that chicken up with about 1/3 cup of condensed soup—ya know, like the kind that comes in a can. I usually grab the chicken one, but you can use whatever you like. Add in some bread crumbs too, not too much, just enough to help everything stick together. You might also wanna throw in some finely chopped celery and onion—give it a bit of a bite. If you got some poultry seasoning in the cupboard, add a pinch of that too, about 1/4 teaspoon, should be enough. Mix it all together real good.
Once you got everything mixed up, it’s time to shape ‘em. I usually make mine into little croquettes, but if you’d rather make patties, that’s fine too. Just take a spoonful and roll it in your hands to shape it. Make sure they’re all about the same size so they cook evenly. Now, these little croquettes need to chill out in the fridge for a while. I’d say about an hour is good enough, but if you’re in a hurry, 30 minutes might work too. The reason for this is so they hold together when you fry ‘em up later.
While them croquettes are sittin’ in the fridge, you can get your bread crumbs ready. Take some more bread crumbs, just plain ones, and put ‘em in a shallow dish. When the croquettes are all chilled, roll each one in the bread crumbs so they get a nice crispy coating. You want ’em to be golden and crunchy on the outside when they’re done frying.
Now, onto the frying part. Heat up some oil in a skillet, not too much—just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Once the oil’s nice and hot, drop them croquettes in, but don’t crowd ‘em. You want ‘em to fry up nice and crispy, so leave a little room between each one. Fry ’em for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until they’re golden brown all over. When they’re done, let ‘em drain on a paper towel so they’re not too greasy.
Now, I know some folks like to have a sauce to dip their croquettes in, and that’s a good idea! A creamy cheese sauce goes real nice with ’em. All ya need for that is some butter, flour, milk, and shredded cheese. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour to make a paste, then slowly add the milk, stirring so it don’t clump up. Once that’s all smooth, toss in the cheese and keep stirrin’ till it’s all melty and creamy. Pour that over the croquettes or use it as a dip.
Some folks like to make a nice brown gravy or a simple béchamel sauce with it too. To make a béchamel, you just need to melt some butter, add some flour to make a roux, and then slowly pour in some milk while stirrin’. Cook it on low till it thickens up. You can add a little salt and pepper for taste. It’s all about what you like best, really. I tell ya, they all go great with them chicken croquettes!
Whether you serve these croquettes as a snack, a side dish, or even a quick meal, they’ll fill you up and taste mighty good. And, if you’re lookin’ to save some time later, these croquettes freeze real well. Just pop ‘em in the freezer before you fry ‘em, and when you’re ready, you can fry ’em straight from frozen. Ain’t that handy?
So there you have it! A simple, tasty dish that doesn’t take much effort but sure hits the spot. Chicken croquettes with a nice sauce—what more could you ask for? Get to cookin’, and enjoy!
Tags：[chicken croquettes, easy chicken croquettes, croquettes recipe, chicken croquettes sauce, homemade croquettes, cheesy sauce, crispy croquettes, appetizer, comfort food, homemade sauces, fried croquettes]
