Homemade Shake ‘n’ Bake Chicken

I don’t specifically recall eating shake ‘n’ bake as a kid. I don’t know if we ever had it or not. But I do remember trying it as a semi-adult, when I was newly on my own and trying new things, like how to make pork chop that was baked and not dry as a bone. Shake ‘n’ bake was involved in that effort. I eventually just gave up on pork chops – they just don’t ever seem to work for me. But I digress.

I love baked – everything mostly – and I love being able to have baked meals that resemble their fried counterparts, since we don’t typically eat fried food at home. So, when I saw the opportunity to make crispy baked chicken, with cornmeal crusted okra, mashed potatoes and gravy, I was all over it. Made me remember the days as a kid eating Church’s fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and fried okra. Oh my word. Love.

And, another digression…why is Church’s the only (chain) fried chicken place that has fried okra?? KFC and Popeye’s do not. It’s a shame, really. Because…fried chicken, fried okra, and creamy mashed potatoes and gravy = perfection. I mean, if you eat at those type of fast food restaurants, that is. I can’t tell you the last time I did, but obviously I have fond memories. So, my solution? Make a healthier version of that at home!!

J has opposition towards eating the skin on chicken – any cut – so sometimes that limits or majorly alters what recipes I can use for anything that calls for “skin-on” chicken pieces. Sometimes I feel like we miss out on trying some deliciously, crispy-skinned chicken recipes, but I adapt them the best I can. This recipe, however, needed no adapting. Because it actually wants you to remove the skin from the drumsticks!

So…no skin, crispy baked crust, and juicy meat inside?? This, my friends, is the healthier version of a country-fied meal. And it was insanely delicious. And you need it in your life, immediately!!