It’s Shake ‘n’ Bake…

…and I helped! 🙂

How many of you remember those commercials? I tried searching for it on YouTube, and this is the closest I came:

But this one is pretty cute, too 😉

I’ve never bought the actual Shake ‘n’ Bake mix, but I do like to employ the “Shake ‘n’ Bake” method to boneless, skinless chicken breast; thick, lean, boneless pork chops; fish fillets; and sometimes veggies. It’s hubby’s fave way to have pork chops — which is what we had for supper last night.

It’s quick and easy enough to make your own “oven-fry” coating mix at home. The trick to success with oven-frying is pre-heating your pan with just enough oil (or oil and butter) to lightly cover the bottom of the pan to keep food from sticking while also crisping it.

And of course, by making it yourself, you’re controlling the quality — and quantity! — of ingredients, as well as adding in the flavors that you’re wanting.

To make your own, homemade “Shake ‘n’ Bake”:

Basic Mix: Mix together equal parts cornmeal and all-purpose flour I like to do this in a large, plastic Ziploc-type bag — that way, you can shake before you bake! ;-). Season to taste with salt (I like to use seasoned salt), coarse ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

If using on pork, I also add in some sage; if using on chicken, I often add in some poultry seasoning and/or sage. To give it a hot BBQ flavor, add in some chili powder and cumin and even some cayenne pepper, also, if you like.

If baking fish this way, add a bit of dried parsley or lemon-pepper seasoning to the mixture.

Heat oven to 425F. Partway through the pre-heating process, add some oil or oil and butter to a pan and place the pan in the oven. The pan needs to be large enough that the food can lay on it in a single layer; for a 13X9X2″ pan. The key thing, though, is that the pan and oil need to be hot when you’re ready to put in the veg or meat.

For vegetables (onion rings, okra–this makes an awesome “fried” okra from fresh okra — potato, eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms–whatever floats your boat), beat a bit of water or milk into an egg. Coat vegetable in egg, then in seasoned flour/cornmeal mixture. Place in a single layer into HOT pan and bake. The length of time will depend upon the thickness and type of veg, but anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes; then turn veg over and bake until the other side is browned and crisped, as well, another 10 to 15 minutes.

For pork or chicken: Soak meat in a bit of milk, then shake in cornmeal/flour mixture. Bake as directed above, turning part-way through to brown/crisp the other side. Length of time will depend upon the type and thickness of the meat cut. For example, for boneless, skinless chicken strips, I’d bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 to 15. For thick (like 3/4 to 1″) pork chops or boneless chicken breast, I’d bake for 30 to 40 minutes, then flip and bake them for another 15 to 20 minutes. You could also do bone-in meat, as well, of course — the bone would help keep the meat moist, but you’d need to adjust the cooking time to a bit longer.

For fish fillets:  Coat fish fillets lightly in a mixture of light Miracle Whip (or light mayonnaise) and a bit of milk before coating (NOT shaking — fish fillets are too delicate for shaking!). Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Whatever it is you “Shake ‘n’ Bake” — be it meat or vegetables — it will smell (and taste!) YUMMY, whether you have a helper or not. 😉