Pan Fried Chicken Cakes

I've always thought that crab cakes look so yummy. But since I don't like crab, I've wondered for years if I could make them with chicken. I don't know why I waited so long to try it because they are awesome! Even my seafood loving husband agrees!

Ingredients:

2- boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1- small/med sized yellow onion, finely chopped

3- garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup (may need more) Italian seasoned, dried bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 cup (may need more) plain panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 tbsp butter

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse & pat dry chicken breasts & place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil & season with salt & pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until fully cooked.

While the chicken is roasting, saute the chopped onion in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft. (I use a 10" skillet so I can reuse it for frying the chicken cakes.) When the onions are soft, add the minced garlic & continue to cook 1-2 more minutes. Remove from heat & allow to cool. Once the chicken is fully cooked, allow it to cool, until you are able to handle it. Chop or shred the chicken (similar to how lump crab meat would look.). Place the shredded chicken, garlic & onion mixture into a large mixing bowl & combine. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, italian seasoned bread crumbs, parsley, salt & pepper. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients. The mixture should be wet, so you are just able to form patties without them falling apart. If it's too wet, add some more bread crumbs.
In a separate dish (I use a pie plate) combine the plain panko bread crumbs & the grated parmesan. Make 1/4 cup sized patties out of the chicken mixture & place in the panko & parmesan, coating well on both sides. Place the coated patties on a sheet pan & chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

In the skillet that you used to cook the onion & garlic (wiped clean with a paper towel) melt 1 tablespoon of olive oil & 1 tablespoon of butter over medium/high heat. Once the butter is melted & mixed with the olive oil, pan fry the chicken cakes, in batches. I think I cooked them about 2 minutes on each side, just until browned. Try to only flip once to keep the coating in tact. I wipe out the skillet between batches with a paper towel & add more olive oil & butter to avoid bread crumbs accumulating in the pan & burning.

I cook 2-3 chicken cakes at a time & then place them on a sheet pan, lined with parchment paper. I keep them warm in the oven at 200 degrees while I get the rest of the meal together.

I drizzled homemade ranch dressing over these, but they really don't need any sauce at all. They are delicious just as they are. Even picky Hannah gave them a thumbs up...now THAT'S really saying something!!