A Kansas Tradition -- Fried Chicken

A Kansas tradition is fried chicken dinners. Most towns -- especially the little towns have their fried chicken "joint" where locals (as well as travelers) would enjoy, most often, Sunday dinner.

A winner of the James Beard American Classic Award, one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas -- food, the Brookville Hotel has been serving chicken dinners, family style since 1915. The menu has not changed much since 1915 --

Pickles, relishes and Pennsylvania Dutch coleslaw

Fried Chicken

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Creamed Corn

Biscuits with butter and jelly

All served family style on Blue Willow Dishes.
The chicken -- one half per diner which always assures that there will be some to take home for lunch the next day.

The Brookville Hotel was in Brookville, Kansas and has been feeding travelers since 1870. Brookville was about 15 miles Southeast of Salina, Kansas, and for a long time was on Highway 40 -- a main east/west artery. That, however, was supplanted by Interstate 70 and so, like many towns, Brookville was too far off the interstate.

But they still came -- from Salina and from little towns within driving distance. And highway travelers found them as well . . . . but . . .the owners felt that it would be better to move to the interstate.

And so, in 1999, they moved from Southwest of Salina, Kansas, to a spot within eye distance of Interstate 70 in Abilene. They replicated the old hotel and the food remains the same.

They generously share their recipes. For the coleslaw, corn and biscuits. They are easy recipes and old recipes as well. I've made the coleslaw for a long time -- it's similar to one that my grandmother made --

With our leftover chicken from Saturday night, we enjoyed a favorite Sunday night meal -- cold fried chicken, coleslaw, bread and butter. It always followed the Sunday Fried Chicken dinner when I was a child. The bread was often German rye bread picked up at a Jewish Bakery on the way home from church.
Since we were gone most of Saturday, I took the easy way out and used coleslaw mix rather than shredding cabbage so I have a bit of carrot in mine. We liked it -- my grandmother would have thought it heresay! Coleslaw was cabbage!
And the recipe -- freely handed out by the Hotel -- it's easy and just calls for 5 ingredients. It's sweet and creamy and not for those watching calories or fat!

It's Monday which means that it is Blue Monday at Smiling Sally's. Since the dinner (and my day after coleslaw) was served on Blue Willow (and blue transferware), I'm joining the party. Please visit Sally to see other Blues this Monday!