BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs

The first time I bought chicken thighs was this year and only because they were on sale for like $.40 a pound!  Over the past few years, I've moved away from the white meat and have fully embraced the dark side (of the chicken).  Anyhow, I baked these chicken thighs in the oven and something magical happened with all that butter, bbq sauce and flour!  Next time I have some chicken breasts, I'll try this recipe and see how it turns out.

Also, don't forget about our giveaway!!

1 c. butter (I know it's a lot, but it's worth it!)
12 chicken thighs

1 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. paprika
Favorite BBQ sauce

Shake the chicken thighs in mixture of flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Melt butter in a baking dish. Arrange chicken skin side down and bake on 350 for 30 minutes. Turn chicken, cover with sauce and bake on 350 40-45 minutes.

A Fun Fall Giveaway!!!

We are so excited to announce our second giveaway! We are going to be giving away another Vera Bradley recipe box with all of the recipes showcased here on Messy Aprons.

You can enter in a few different ways:

• Leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite Fall meal or Halloween Treat
• Become a follower for an additional entry (if you follow-let us know!)
• Blog about this post for (3) additional entries-make sure you comment 3 times

We will use a random number generator on Sunday, Oct. 31st to decide the winner! Good Luck and Happy Cooking!

Please make sure we have a way to get into contact with you, too.

BBQ Chicken Crusted Cheddar Macaroni

I got this recipe idea from the Picky Palate. My neighbor had a baby, so I thought I would try it out. Unfortunately, I didn't taste any but I made the macaroni and the bbq separately for Ben and I and they tasted great.

Mac and Cheese:
2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4c stick butter
1/4c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2c milk
2c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese.

1. Heat Oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook macaroni as directed on package.
3. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in 3-qt saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worchestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stire in milk. heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stire in cheese until melted.
4. Drain macaroni. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-qt casserole. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. **If you decide to add the bbq, follow the directions below and add in chopped chicken before baking the macaroni**

BBQ Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 cup of your favorite bbq sauce

1. Place the chicken in a crock pot.
2. Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken and coat the chicken WELL with the sauce.
3. Cook the chicken on low for 2 hours.

Crunchy Hot Chicken Salad

This recipe comes from Joanna.  She said this is a good meal to take to someone as a meal because it is just good 'ole comfort food.  Well, I added the "good 'ole comfort food" part because that's just how I talk.  I made this for Bible study, but I also made a little mini pan for myself because I wanted to taste a little beforehand. Delicious!

-3 cups cooked chicken, deboned, skinned & chopped (I like to use more chicken because Bart likes things "meaty")
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 cup water chestnuts, sliced (I usually leave these out)
-2/3 cup mayo
-1/2 cup chopped celery
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1/2 cup sour cream
-1 8oz can crescent rolls (get pillsbury over generic -- they separate easier)
-2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 cup almonds, thinly sliced
-3 tbsp butter, melted

combine chicken, soup, water chestnuts, mayo, celery, onion & sour cream. Pour into ungreased baking or casserole dish. Separate crescent rolls & lay over chicken mixture. sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Mix almonds & melted butter & sprinkle on top of cheese. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Coffee Crusted Steak Bites

I saw this recipe on Kevin & Amanda's blog and I was somewhat intrigued. I don't like coffee, but she stated even a coffee lover would like this steak.  Her exact recipe is below.  I actually used little steak bites because I was too nervous to spend money on the ribeye steaks and not like it. The recipe had a very interesting taste. One that my unsophisticated palette can even describe. Perhaps robust, but in a good way...

2 (8 oz) ribeye steaks
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
ground coffee (hazelnut)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter

Season steaks with salt & pepper, then cover with ground coffee. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and add the butter and olive oil, and heat until the butter is just browned. Cook steaks for 3 mins on each side. Let rest on a plate covered with foil for 5-10 mins before serving. Enjoy!