The Recipe Critic

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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Posted: 27 Feb 2022 05:00 AM PST This chocolate chip banana bread takes a family favorite and brings it to the next level! It’s moist and packed with flavor. I bet that you won’t be able to stop at just one slice! Everyone loves banana bread! And it’s even better when you can spice it up with some additional flavors! If you want to try some other banana bread recipes, then start with this classic banana bread, this strawberry banana bread, or this blueberry banana bread! Chocolate Chip Banana Bread This isn’t just regular banana bread. It’s chocolate chip banana bread! This recipe is the best because it creates a thick and smooth batter with buttermilk. Yep, creamy buttermilk is what takes this recipe to the next level! This means that in every single bite, you will taste delicious melted chocolate, a hint of banana flavor, and moist and delicious bread. This chocolate chip banana bread makes a great after-school snack for kids, and my kids LOVE it! Plus, it also freezes well! So I will usually make a few batches. One or two to eat immediately and then another that I will freeze for later. Eat this up at breakfast, brunch, or a late-night snack. It’s delicious anytime and anywhere. GIve it a try. It’s going to become a family favorite! Ingredients You Need to Make It The list of ingredients to make chocolate chip banana bread is pretty simple. Gather them all up and keep them on hand because you’re going to want to make this again! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements. Shortening: This is what makes the bread moist. Granulated Sugar: The sugar is what makes the bread have a sweet taste. Eggs: The eggs bind the batter together. Vanilla Extract: This enhances all of the sweet flavors. Bananas: Your bananas should be very ripe (with some brown on the skin) Buttermilk: You can use store bought butter milk, or if you don’t have any then you can easily make it using this recipe. Salt: This brings out all of the flavors in the banana bread. Baking Soda: Baking soda is used to make the bread light and not chewy or dense. Flour: I used all purpose flour for this bread. Chocolate Chips: Feel free to use regular or mini chocolate chips. I used semi-sweet but milk chocolate chips work great too! How to Make Homemade Chocolate Chip Banana Bread This bread only takes 10 minutes to whip up, and the rest of the time just requires some patience while it bakes. Luckily, it fills your house with the best smell while you wait! Preheat Oven and Prepare the Pan: Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, and lightly sprinkle granulated sugar in the pan for added sweetness. You can also line the pan with parchment paper to make removing the bread easier if you prefer. Cream with Mixer: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar using a handheld electric mixer. Mix: Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until just barely incorporated. Mash Bananas: Remove the banana peels and mash bananas in a medium sized bowl using the back of a fork. Add in Bananas and Buttermilk: Add mashed bananas and buttermilk to the bowl of ingredients and mix until incorported. Mix in the Remaining Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Be careful not to over mix the batter. Just mix until you no longer see white flour. Fold in Chocolate Chips: Fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.  Pour: Pour into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips on top of the batter.  Bake: Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and Slice: Allow the bread to cool before removing from the pan and slicing! Toppings and Mix-ins You can add anything to this chocolate chip banana bread, and it will just make it taste even more delicious! The options are endless and have so much flavor to each of them. Here are a few ideas that you can try! Nuts or seeds: I love walnuts, almonds, pecans, or even sunflower seeds! Dried fruit: Cranberries, blueberries, raisins or apricots change this banana bread into something fresh and fruity! Toppings:  Add on some cream cheese frosting, maple syrup or simply some butter on top when it’s warm! How to Store (and Freeze!) Chocolate Chip Banana Bread This chocolate chip banana bread is the bread that keeps on giving. It stores so well! Remember to make an extra loaf of this to freeze for later! You will be so glad that you did! On the Counter: Place your bread in an airtight container and you can snack on it all week! It will last up to 4 days! Freeze the Whole Loaf:  Once the breac has cooled, wrap the entire loaf tightly using plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Then, put it in a ziplock bag (don’t forget to label it with the date!) and put it in the freezer. It will last for about 6 months. When you’re ready to eat it then thaw it in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Freeze Individual Slices: Sometimes I like to freeze the brad in slices so that we can have a quick snack on hand without using up the entire loaf! Once the bread is completely cooled, slice the loaf and individually wrap each slice with plastic wrap. Place each slice in a ziplock bag and lay it flat in the freezer. When you are ready to eat it, take out a slice at a time and place in the refrigerator or on the counter at room temperature. More Delicious Bread to Try Quickbreads are so delicious and Il love cooking them in my house because they make it smell so delicious! I’ve gathered up some more quick breads for you to try. I’m sure that there are enough that you will find something that you love! Happy baking! Bread Cranberry Orange Quick Bread Breakfast Lemon Almond Poppyseed Quick Bread Breakfast Cream Cheese Swirled Banana Zucchini Bread Bread Blueberry Zucchini Bread with a Lemon Glaze Print Chocolate Chip Banana Bread This chocolate chip banana bread takes a family favorite and takes it to the next level! It's moist and packed with flavor. I bet that you won't be able to stop at just one slice! Course Bread, Breakfast, brunch, Dessert Cuisine American Keyword banana bread Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 50 minutes Total Time 1 hour Servings 8 Calories 503kcal Author Alyssa Rivers Ingredients 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 ripe bananas (1 cup mashed) 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 3/4 cups flour 1 cup chocolate chips (or mini chips) Instructions Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, and lightly sprinkle granulated sugar in the pan for added sweetness. You can also line the pan with parchment paper to make removing the bread easier if you prefer. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar using a handheld electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until just barely incorporated. Remove the banana peels and mash bananas in a medium-sized bowl using the back of a fork. Add mashed bananas and buttermilk to the bowl of ingredients and mix until incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Be careful not to over mix the batter. Just mix until you no longer see white flour. Fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips using a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips on top of the batter. Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool before removing from the pan and slicing! Notes The batter can be used to make muffins perfectly!  Follow the directions and bake muffins for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Nutrition Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Posted: 26 Feb 2022 05:00 PM PST This instant pot shredded chicken is the solution to all of your chicken needs! It’s seasoned, moist, and easy to shred, which makes it the perfect go-to recipe when you need shredded chicken for any dish. You need to have staple recipes on hand like this one to cover you no matter what your needs are when you are cooking! Use this shredded chicken in these egg rolls, this soup, or in this yummy pasta! Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Instant pot shredded chicken is a recipe that you must file away somewhere that you have easy access to because you will be making it all the time! You know how some recipes call for shredded chicken? And then you cringe because you don’t have the time to cook chicken on top of cooking the actual recipe? That’s where this recipe will swoop in and save the day! This instant pot shredded chicken takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish and is SO easy! It only takes 5 minutes to prepare the chicken. Then, you put it in the pot, and all that you have to do is wait. No more cooking required. This chicken turns out to be the juiciest, most delicious chicken that’s perfect for any recipe! You can start cooking up whatever you want for dinner, and this will cook in the background on its own! Ingredients to Make Chicken in the Instant Pot The best part about this recipe is that it’s not only fast, but it only takes FIVE ingredients to make these. And you probably have them all on hand! See the recipe card below for a list of exact measurements. Chicken Breasts: You can use frozen or fresh for this recipe. Garlic Powder: This adds a slight hint of flavor. Paprika: The paprika adds a sublte sweetness. Salt and Pepper: These season the chicken and enhance it’s flavor. Chicken Broth: The Instant Pot always needs at least a cup of liquid in it to work properly. The chicken broth is great because it adds to that delicious and juicy flavor. How to Make Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot Trust me when I say that you will use this recipe over and over again. This shredded chicken is the best to have on hand because you can use it in basically any recipe. You will love how easy it is to make. Add Rub: Rub the chicken with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Put Broth in Instant Pot: Add the chicken broth to the bottom of you instant pot. Add Chicken and Cook: Place the chicken into the instant pot. Set the instant pot in the sealing position and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. (The instant pot will take about 10 minutes to get to the temperature and then the timer will start. Instant Release: When the chicken is done, release the pressure and carefully open the lid. Shred the chicken with two forks. When is Chicken Fully Cooked? Safety first! When you are cooking meat, it’s always a good idea to make sure that it’s cooked all the way through before you eat it. Use an internal meat thermometer to check and see when it’s done. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. How to Freeze Shredded Chicken Shredding your instant pot chicken and freezing it for later is a great way to ensure that you have this on hand for every recipe that might call for it! So make a few batches and stick them in your freezer! Cool and Divide: Once your chicken has cooled down then you can divide it into portions. I like to do about 2 cups when I freeze chicken because I find that most recipes will call for that amount or a little bit less. Put each portion in a plastic bag, seal it up and write the date on it. Place it in your freezer. I like to lay mine flat so that it takse up less room. Thaw: When you know that you will need your chicken, you can thaw it overnight in the fridge and it will be ready to go the next day! How long does froen chicken last? This shredded instant pot chicken will last about 4 months in your freezer! What to Cook with Shredded Chicken Like I said before, this recipe is going to be a go-to recipe because there are so many recipes that call for cooked, shredded chicken! In fact, I have rounded up a few of my favorite recipes that call for that. There is a wide variety so I’m sure that you will find something that you love! Enjoy! Salads The Best Chicken Salad Soup Recipes Literally the BEST Chicken Noodle Soup Dinner Chicken Tortilla Soup Dinner Broccoli and Rice Chicken Casserole Print Instant Pot Shredded Chicken This instant pot shredded chicken is the solution to all of your chicken needs! It's seasoned, moist, and easy to shred, which makes it the perfect go-to recipe when you need shredded chicken for any dish. Course Appetizer, Dinner Cuisine American Keyword instant pot chicken Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Time to Get to Pressure 10 minutes Total Time 25 minutes Calories 542kcal Ingredients 1 pound chicken breasts 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika salt and pepper 1 cup chicken broth Instructions Rub the chicken with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken broth to the bottom of your instant pot. Place the chicken into the instant pot. Set the instant pot in the sealing position and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. (The instant pot will take about 10 minutes to get to the temperature and then the timer will start. When the chicken is done, release the pressure and carefully open the lid. Shred the chicken with two forks. Nutrition Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 98g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 290mg | Sodium: 1389mg | Potassium: 1925mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 633IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3mg

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