Pimento Cheese Potato Salad with Fried Chicken Tenders and Potato Cheddar Dill Biscuits

Ingredients:

Pimento Cheese Potato Salad:

• 2 pounds Idaho® Russet potatoes (I used Norkotah), peeled and diced into 1” pieces
• 1 ½ cups shredded habanero cheddar cheese, or other spicy cheddar
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons pimento peppers, diced
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried mustard
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Fried Chicken Tenders:

• 16 chicken tenderloins
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style breadcrumb)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 3 cups canola oil for frying

Spicy Honey

• 1 cup honey
• 2 red chili peppers (such as Thai chilies)

Potato Cheddar Dill Biscuits:

• 1 - 3.4 oz. package Honest Earth® buttery home-style instant potatoes
• 7 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 large eggs + 1 yolk
• ½ cup light cream + 2 tablespoons for brushing on top
• 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 tablespoon dill
• ½ cup grated extra-sharp cheddar

Directions:

Pimento Cheese Potato Salad:

1. Fill a large pot with cold water and add potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for approximately 12 – 15 minutes, or until “fork tender”.
2. While potatoes are boiling, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
3. When potatoes are cooked, remove from heat and drain. Lay out on a baking sheet for faster cooling and to allow them to dry a bit before adding to mayonnaise mixture.
4. When potatoes have cooled to room temperature, toss them in the mayonnaise mixture and grate a few tablespoons of cheese on top.

Fried Chicken Tenders:

1. Place chicken tenders in buttermilk and refrigerate overnight.
2. Remove chicken from buttermilk, pat dry and set aside. Discard buttermilk.
3. In a food processor, pulse both breadcrumbs together until uniform in consistency.
4. In three separate bowls, set up breading station: In the first bowl - flour, salt, pepper and paprika.  In the second bowl - eggs and in the last bowl – the breadcrumbs.
5. Whisk the ingredients together in the first bowl and then dip the chicken tenders into the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour, then dip in egg and lastly in the breadcrumb mixture.
6. Lay on a cooling rack set inside of a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before frying. This helps the coating to set.
7. Heat oil over medium – high heat. Fry each tender for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.   
8. In a small saucepot, combine honey and chilies over low heat. Let it barely come to a simmer, you do not want it to boil. Let chilies infuse honey for about one hour, then remove chili peppers if desired. Drizzle spicy honey over chicken tenders for sweet heat.

Potato Cheddar Dill Biscuits:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl: combine cream, eggs and yolk.  Whisk to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment: Combine flour and diced butter and let mixer run until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add instant potatoes, baking powder, dill, cheddar, salt and pepper. Mix for a few seconds until it is combined.
4. Pour cream mixture into bowl of mixer and mix until just combined, do not overmix. Remove bowl from mixer and with a rubber spatula, fold dough from bottom of bowl to the top to make sure all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.
5. Using a 3 ½ - 4 ounce scoop, portion 8 biscuits onto the sheet pan. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if desired.
6. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.