jalapeno kettle chip crusted chicken/ spicy jalapeno ranch dip...

I must be having some serious spicy cravings this week, because almost every meal I have chosen has had a kick to it! I saw this recipe on Pinterest and I knew that I just had to try it! Jalapeno Kettle chips are one of my favorites! I would have never thought to use them to bread my chicken, but I am so glad that Tina, over at My Life as a Mrs. was smart enough to think of it! I followed her recipe for the chicken exactly as it was. The only thing I made minor changes to was the Jalapeno ranch dip. To see Tina's full chicken recipe you can go here!

I have my own jalapeno ranch dip recipe that I perfected a long time ago. It is very similar to the one Tina has on her blog, but a few small additions make all the difference in the world...What's my secret? Pickle juice! weird, I know! But for years I would try to make my own ranch because I am not a fan of the bottled ranch you by at grocery stores. My favorite ranch is from Chili's. I love to dip their chips in it! Once again, weird, I know! But don't knock it till you try it. Anyways, I cannot even tell you how many copy cat recipes I looked up trying to get my homemade ranch to taste like Chili's ranch. But it was never quite right, there was always something off about it. Finally, one day I came across a post that suggested putting 1-2 table spoons of dill pickle juice in your ranch. I tried it, and sure enough, it worked! So now anytime I make any form of ranch dip I put in some pickle juice!

Here is my jalapeno ranch recipe...

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayo (use real mayo, not miracle whip, this was another mistake I made for months when trying to perfect my ranch recipe)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup jalapenos, canned

2 tsp. jalapeno juice

1 tbsp. dill pickle juice

1/2 pkg. dry ranch mix

pinch of fresh cilantro

dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth and well blended

2. chill in refrigerator over night, and serve.

suggested pairings for the chicken: steamed broccoli in a cheese sauce, roasted potatoes

enjoy!

-holly