Easy Dinner: Shake it Up Drumsticks & Purple Coleslaw

When I was a kid, I loved shake and bake chicken because it gave me a chance to be a part of the action during dinner prep. Today I like to make my own version of shake & bake because the kids like to help and it's an easy pantry meal that the whole family will eat without complaint.

I make my own ridiculously easy breading mixture using Panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, and seasoned salt. V did the measuring and mixing.

Once the seasoning was mixed in, we dumped it into the bag of recently defrosted chicken legs (I bought the value pack on sale last month and split it in half). I sealed up the bag and V shook it up. I followed up with a few more good shakes.

While we shook the chicken, I sang the Cars until V couldn't take it anymore...

I lined a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper (yay easy clean up) and put the chicken legs on and pressed a little more of the extra panko from the bag onto them and baked at 400 for 40 minutes, flipped them, and baked 10 minutes more. Flipping them gives both sides a little crispiness.

Meanwhile, I mixed up the dressing for the coleslaw. I use a very basic recipe that always gets compliments at cookouts and the kids scarf it down in surprisingly large quantities. I think the key to good coleslaw is getting the ratio of dressing to cabbage just right. I add just enough dressing to barely coat the cabbage. For the coleslaw, I did the measuring and pouring, and the kids did the mixing.

SHAKE IT UP CHICKEN

Ingredients
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp seasoned salt
6-8 chicken drumsticks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Combine breadcrumbs and seasoned salt in a bowl
3. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper
4. Put drumsticks in a large zipper bag and pour in the breadcrumb mixture
5. Shake
6. Place drumsticks on parchment and press a few more leftover panko crumbs into legs
7. Bake for 40 minutes, flip, and bake 10 more minutes, or until leg registers 165 degrees with a meat thermometer

PURPLE COLESLAW

Ingredients 
1/4 cup vinegar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste (about 6-8 shakes/grinds for me)
purple cabbage, shredded (one large cabbage with heart removed, or one bag of pre-chopped)

Directions

1. combine all ingredients except cabbage in a small bowl & stir until sugar is dissolved
2. put cabbage in a large bowl
3. add vinegar mixture a small amount at a time, mixing and adding until the cabbage is just barely coated
4. refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine