By Ronan Dolan ‘20

Americans eat a lot of food. Whether it is cuisine from some far-away land or a fake cheeseburger from your local fast-food chain, we will eat it.

However, many people in my generation do not know how to make some very basic meals such as a basic chicken and potatoes meal. That’s where I come in. By the end of this article, you should be able to make your own dinner tonight.

One important thing to mention before I give you my “recipes” though. I do not believe in given measurements or times for making food. The most important part of cooking is experimentation and learning to make the meal your own way.

Chicken and Mini Potatoes

Ingredients:  Chicken Breast, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt, Olive Oil, Butter, Small Potatoes

The type of chicken I like to make is quite typical but extremely tasty in my opinion. First, you must cut the breast down the middle so that it looks like a butterfly. This will allow the chicken to cook faster and more evenly.

One more important tip – be careful when handling pre-cooked chicken. Raw chicken can make you sick, so always wash your hands and your tools used after working with raw chicken.

At the same time, begin heating your pan and put in as much olive oil and butter as you see fit. The olive oil is a healthy alternative to butter, so you can use more of it than the butter. However, you still need a little bit of butter for a delicious taste.

Next, on the same board used to cut chicken on, take your garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and apply it to your chicken. After your chicken breasts are covered to your liking, they are ready to be put into your pan.

The best time to put your meat into the pan is when the butter has stopped sizzling. As soon as the butter is done sizzling, the chicken is ready to go in.

Constantly watch and flip your chicken until the outside has a very fine golden crisp. Once this crisp is accomplished, your chicken should be ready. If you want to be sure though, take one of the larger pieces and cut it in half to check for rawness in the core.

Now that your chicken is done, you can start on your mini potatoes. The way I like to make mini potatoes is by using the same pan with leftover butter and olive oil in it.

First, cut each potato in half and place them in a toaster for around two minutes. This is just so that the potatoes can get a little warm before being placed in the pan.

Next, take your potatoes and put them in the excess olive oil and butter. This will give the potatoes a very good taste. You can also salt your potatoes to your liking during this time.

Once your potatoes are also golden on the outside, they should be ready for consumption. Once you have finished all the cooking, you should have a very tasty meal that should not have taken more than 15 minutes to make.