Revisiting Childhood Dinners

Hello hello,

Father’s Day is an interesting holiday to work around as someone who not only develops recipes, but also plans those recipes around holidays. We could have gone the stereotypical route- a Bourbon cocktail because people seem to think every dad drinks Bourbon. (Mine does not) Maybe some steaks, because dads love steak and especially love grilling. Or perhaps some ice cream, because every dad loves ice cream (Ok, mine especially does.)

But in honor of Father’s Day this year, I thought it would be fun to take a look back on some of the recipes that my dad would whip up for us five nights a week when we were growing up. My dad expertly filled the role of weeknight cook with simple, hearty, kid-pleasing dishes that we still talk about today. Below are 4 such recipes that I’ve revisited recently and made some… minor tweaks to where needed.

I’d like to wish all the dads out there (including my own!) a very Happy Father’s Day. Onto the recipes! Printable PDFs for each can be found at the bottom of the article.

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 2 tsp seasoned salt

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce

• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp guajillo chili powder (optional)

• 6oz sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced

Instructions:

Start by seasoning the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in a large bowl and sprinkle over the seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Drizzle over the olive oil and toss to coat. Set the chicken aside while you gather the other ingredients and preheat the grill.

Next, make the glaze. In a bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and guajillo chili powder. Whisk together and transfer about a third of the glaze to a separate container- save this for dipping or brushing on a final layer at the end of cooking.

Sear the chicken on the grill over high heat, undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Rotate the chicken to create hatch marks on the grill and cook for 3 minutes more. Flip the chicken and repeat on the other side. After the first flip, begin basting each chicken breast with the barbecue glaze. Continue flipping the chicken and basting each side several times until the chicken is fully cooked.

Shingle the slices of white cheddar cheese on top of the chicken, then turn off the grill and close the lid. Allow the cheese to melt for about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve with the reserved glaze alongside.