Chicken a la Benedum - Recipe Summary

The above pic is not of the actual dish; it's just some photo I found that looks pretty close to what the actual dish looks like.

Chicken a la Benedum

(This recipe serves about 4 to 6 people.)

Ok, you may or may not have read the narrative version of the Chicken a la Benedum recipe. But for the benefit of all, here is the summary version of the delicious recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 chicken leg quarters (using 4 requires a very large non-stick skillet)
• 1/2 large jar of spaghetti sauce
• 1 can of creamed corn
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1 cup of chopped green bell pepper
• About 3 oz. of Coca Cola to sweeten and darken the mix a little
• About 10 slices of pepperoni, choppsed into small pieces
• 1 package of spaghetti noodles
• Optional: Your choice of mushrooms

(Note: The amounts on all the following spices should be "enough to suit your taste.")

• Garlic powder
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Sage
• Salt
• Black Pepper

(Note: Following optional -- but not really!)

• 1 loaf of Italian bread, sliced, along with some…
• butter
• garlic powder
• parsley flakes (all three above are for the bread, to make garlic toast)

Directions:

• Boil meat in pot 30-45 min: In a large pot, completely cover the chicken leg quarters with water, and bring to a boil (using a high heat if they were frozen, or a medium heat if they were fresh). Take note of when the water actually comes to a boil.
• Transfer to skillet, and save broth… After the leg quarters have been boiling for about 30 or 45 minutes or so, turn off the heat and remove the meat, placing it into a large non-stick skillet. (Save the broth in the boiling pot.)
• Note: You can either de-skin the meat at that point, or leave the skin on. (De-skinning reduces fat content. Leaving it on adds flavor, and lets the individual eater have his or her choice.)
• Cut some or all of the meat apart (separating leg from thigh) to make it easier to arrange them in the skillet. Ladle out some of the steaming hot broth (from the large pot) into the non-stick skillet (covering the meat less than half way up.)
• Add/Spice/Season: Liberally cover the meat with garlic powder and oregano, and add some thyme and sage, as well as salt and black pepper (to taste). Add the chopped onion and chopped green bell pepper. Pour in the spaghetti sauce and the creamed corn. Also pour in a little Coca Cola. Finally, toss in the chopped slices of pepperoni. At this point you can optionally add your choice of mushrooms.
• Cook all this on a medium-high or high heat--turning the chicken pieces over occasionally, as needed--until the meat shows as done when you slice down to the bone on the thick parts. As the sauce reduces, if it gets too dry, just add a little more broth from the pot used for boiling. If you cover it with a lid, it will cook faster, need checked or turned more often, and may not need as much broth added.
• Spaghetti noodles: Prepare spaghetti noodles separately: Cook up a batch of spaghetti noodles (al dente, of course).
• Garlic Toast: Don't even think about not having lots of garlic toast (sliced Italian bread covered with butter & garlic powder, sprinkled with parsley flakes, and toasted in the oven).
• Presentation: The delicious meal is served by laying down a bed of spaghetti noodles covered with your delicious sauce, and topped with a scrumptious piece of the chicken, and bordered by the garlic toast. Shake on some Parmesan cheese, if desired. Mmmmmm, Mmmmmm. Serves 4 to 6 adults.