Mmmm Mondays: Cheesy Ranch Baked Chicken

When you're shopping on a budget, chicken thighs are the way to go!  The boneless skinless ones are perfect to marinade and grill up for tacos or stir-fry.  This tutorial on how to de-bone chicken thighs is a  game changer for sure--you can save SO much money.  For this recipe, I de-boned the thighs, but left the skin on.  When chicken thighs go on sale for $0.89/lb I stock up my freezer!

Quick Tip: if you buy a large family pack, be sure to break it into smaller portions before freezing.  I like to get two large packs and break them into 5 thighs in each bag.  You can pre-season them, too!

Ricky gets food samples from work--a major perk.  Usually they are products that aren't on the market yet or labeled.  The girls had plain silver juice boxes for the last few weeks of school--they were like "what ARE these?".  With an abundance of Hidden Valley ranch packets on hand from Ricky's work samples, I've gotten pretty crafty with using them.  This recipe is super simple and the kids LOVE it.  You can serve with a side salad, veggie or whatever you have on hand. A baked potato would be tasty too!

The Hidden Valley ranch packets are located in the regular dressing aisle, usually on the top shelf.  If you can't find them there, check by the McCormick's seasoning packets.  I love to make veggie dip with the new Greek yogurt packet.

Cheesy Ranch Chicken
Serves 4-6
Modified from Damn Delicious Ranch Cheddar Chicken

What You Need:

• 8 Bone-in Chicken Thighs, deboned leaving skin on (optional--you can leave bones in, too!)
• Here's the tutorial on how to de-bone
• 1 Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch
• 1/2 cup olive oil Mayo
• 1/2 cup Colby-Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon McCormick's Chicken seasoning (or Italian)
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. After deboned, season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. In a small bowl, mix mayo and ranch packet. Set aside.  In another small bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs with cheese, parsley, garlic powder and chicken seasoning. 
4. Place chicken, skin side up, in the baking dish.  Brush on ranch mixture, making sure to evenly coat all of the skin.
5. Sprinkle with cheesy breadcrumb mixture.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

How do you like to cook chicken thighs?

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