Taste Test Tuesday: KFC Takes the "Fried" Out of Chicken!

Photo: Elaine Magee

The other day I was driving down the street in my town and out of the corner of my eye spotted a big sign on the outside of the local KFC that said something about tasting the "unfried side of KFC". It didn't really click until I watched a commercial later that evening about the new Kentucky "grilled" chicken now being served at the KFC near you.

Well, my family has gotten into a grilled chicken groove lately - every Monday night I buy grilled chicken from a local deli/meat market (so much so that they call me "the chicken lady") and then I throw together Caesar Chicken Salad. Today, we tried out the new grilled chicken from KFC instead.

I had the nutrition information in tow, but I wondered as I ordered a bucket:

• Would there be skin on the chicken breast? (The answer is "YES")
• Would it have many of the same herbs and spices as their yummy signature fried chicken? (The answer is "YES")

Let's compare the nutrition info for the original recipe fried chicken breast and the new grilled chicken breast:

1 Grilled Chicken Breast	1 Original Recipe Chicken Breast
180 calories	370 calories
35 g protein	38 g protein
0 g carbohydrate	7 g carbohydrate
4 g fat	21 g fat
1 g saturated fat	5 g saturated fat
0 g trans fat	0 g trans fat
110 mg cholesterol	120 mg cholesterol
440 mg sodium	1050 mg sodium

Compared to fried, the grilled chicken breast has:

• Half of the calories
• 80% less total fat and saturated fat
• 60% less sodium too!

How did my family like it? Granted my teen girls aren't used to bone-in chicken because I almost always cook with boneless skinless chicken breast - so the bones threw them off a little...but we all definitely liked the chicken.

It's a step in the right direction for the Colonel, that's for sure. But if I had it my way, I would take it one step further and use skinless breast and thighs so you could enjoy the yummy seasoning without the skin. I can dream can't I?

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New 360-Degree Indoor Grill

Oh it's big, all right. It will handle grilling 6 medium-sized burgers or 4 skinless chicken breasts in a single bound. It's the new 360-degree indoor grill by George Foreman. This appliance requires a commitment not only because it costs more than the smaller indoor grills, but because you'll need to clear some major cabinet space for this baby. I think it's worth it though.

The one thing you will also need with this grill is a counter top area with enough cabinet clearance so you can prop the top of the grill up while you are loading on your food to the bottom plate, without hitting something. I have an electrical outlet on my kitchen island so that worked perfectly (no cabinets above this counter space.) When you see the size of this thing, you will understand why I raised this issue.

I have been using my smaller indoor grill for panini sandwiches for a couple of years now so with this 360-degree griller, I can make several sandwiches at a time...definitely a plus when you have several hungry teens in your kitchen.

This grill also comes with upper and lower plates for making quesadillas and a lower plate to make pizzas, which admittedly I haven't had a chance to try yet. One tip on the quesadilla plates though...Use gravity to help you keep your cheese in your quesadilla and not in the drip tray. Set your folded quesadilla so it isn't open on the down side of the 360-degree grill. Using less greasy (and slippery) reduced fat cheese will also keep it in your tortilla too.

One of the biggest differences I can see with this new grill, besides its grilling capacity, are the temperature control options. You can dial in LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH.

Temperature Settings
According to the company that makes and distributes this George Foreman grill, Applica:
LOW works best for reheating fully cooked foods.
MEDIUM LOW works for sandwiches and wraps.
MEDIUM works best for vegetables.
MEDIUM HIGH works bests for vegetables, fish, pizza, quesadillas, pork, poultry and lamb.
HIGH works best for beef.

Here's a recipe for easy grilled asparagus that is designed for any indoor grill!

Easy Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus spears (about 20 spears)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat indoor grill (like the George Foreman) to Medium-High. Meanwhile use a silicon brush or pastry brush to lightly coat the outside of asparagus with olive oil.
2. Lay asparagus over bottom grill (either direction works-going with or against the grooves) and lower the top grill. Cook until asparagus is just tender but still a little crispy and bright green (about 6-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears).
3. Place grilled asparagus on serving plate and sprinkle some freshly ground salt over the salt. Simple but delicious!

Yield: Makes 4 servings
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Members journal as: 1/2 cup vegetables without added fat
Nutrition Information per serving: 36 calories, 2 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat, .3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 147 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 45 percent.

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