Chicken & potatoes with garlic Parmesan cream sauce

Chicken thighs, bone in, skin on	6
Italian seasonings	1 tablespoon
Salt, kosher
Pepper, freshly ground
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon + ¼ cup
Baby spinach, chopped	3 cups
Potatoes, baby purple, cut in half	16 ounces
Parsley, freshly chopped	¼ cup
Garlic, minced	8 cloves
Flour, all-purpose	2 tablespoons
Chicken broth	1 cup
Thyme, dried	1 teaspoon
Basil, dried	½ teaspoon
Half & half	½ cup
Parmesan, freshly grated	½ cup

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F; grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. 
2. Season the chicken with the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 
3. Melt 2-tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
4. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side; transfer to a platter, and set aside. 
5. Melt 1-tablespoon butter in the skillet. 
6. Stir in the spinach over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to wilt, about 2 minutes; transfer to a medium bowl. 
7. Melt ¼-cup butter in the skillet over medium heat. 
8. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
9. Whisk in the flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. 
10. Gradually whisk in the broth, thyme, and basil.
11. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 2 minutes. 
12. Stir in the half-&-half and Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste. 
13. Place the chicken in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. 
14. Top with the potatoes, spinach, and cream sauce. 
15. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. 
16. Garnish with parsley, and serve immediately. 

Recipe from damndelicious.net.

Building a better banana split

Strawberries, rinsed, hulled, coarsely chopped	1 pint
Cream, heavy	1 pint + 2/3 cup + ½ cup
Half-n-half	1 ½ pints
Eggs, lightly beaten	2 large
Sugar, granulated	1 ½ cups + 1/3 cup
Flour	1 teaspoon
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon
Cocoa powder, Dutch processed	1 tablespoon + ¼ cup
Sugar, dark brown	¼ cup + 2/3 cup
Salt	¼ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Cornstarch	1 tablespoon
Corn syrup	¼ cup + ½ cup
Pineapple, fresh, finely chopped	2 cups
Lemon juice	1 teaspoon
Chocolate, bittersweet, chopped	3 ounces + 3 ounces
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons
Almonds, chopped, toasted	½ cup
Banana, peeled, split in half lengthwise	1 large
Cherries, maraschino	2

1. Set aside about one-third of the chopped strawberries. 
2. Combine the remaining strawberries and 1/3-cup sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. 
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. 
4. Remove from heat, and stir in the reserved strawberries and 1-teaspoon vanilla. 
5. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature; store in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. 
6. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, 1 ½-cups sugar, flour, and 1-teaspoon vanilla until creamy; add 1-pint cream and half-n-half. 
7. Divide the custard equally into three smaller bowls. 
8. Cover one bowl of plain vanilla with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. 
9. In one bowl, whisk in 1-tablespoon cocoa powder; cover with plastic wrap and chill. 
10. In the last bowl, whisk in 1-cup of the strawberry sauce; cover with plastic wrap and chill. 
11. Pour the vanilla custard into your favorite ice cream making machine and churn into a frozen confection, following the manufacture’s instructions; store overnight in an airtight container to make the ice cream freeze harder. 
12. Repeat with the chocolate and strawberry custards, cleaning between batches. 
13. Meanwhile, make the pineapple sauce by combining the 1/3-cup dark brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a saucepan. 
14. Stir in ¼-cup corn syrup and pineapple. 
15. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. 
16. Cook until it starts to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
17. Remove from heat, and stir in the lemon juice. 
18. Cool completely before using; store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. 
19. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the 2/3-cup cream, ½-cup corn syrup, 1/3-cup brown sugar, ¼-cup cocoa powder, salt, and 3-ounces chocolate to a boil. 
20. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
21. Remove from heat, and stir in the remaining chocolate, butter, and 1-teaspoon vanilla, stirring until smooth. 
22. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before using; store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until its pourable but still thick. 
23. Whip ½-cup cream until stiff peaks form; spoon into a pastry bag that has a star tip attached, and chill until needed. 
24. Place the banana in a long boat dish. 
25. Place a large scoop of chocolate ice cream between the split banana in the center of the dish. 
26. Add an equally large scoop of vanilla and strawberry ice cream on either side of the chocolate. 
27. Spoon the pineapple sauce over the vanilla ice cream. 
28. Spoon the strawberry sauce over the strawberry ice cream. 
29. Pour the hot fudge over the chocolate ice cream. 
30. Generously pipe two large blobs of whipped cream between the ice cream scoops, and sprinkle with toasted almonds. 
31. Top the cream blobs with cherries.