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Ok, maybe this isn't just for kids. I have a life-long love affair with chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, chicken strips, and popcorn chicken. Just give me all the finger edible, boneless, crunchy chicken eats and let me at em!! Sadly, my passion for the fried pollo slowed a bit after I crossed the metabolism slowing 35 years of age.
Currently, I find myself searching daily for healthy foods to feed my toddler who prefers to live on a "pasta only" diet. I had mega luck with these!
I tossed these fast, easy baked, white-devil flourless tenders together in a real 15 minutes. They exceeded my expectations, were easy, fast, virtually guilt free and didn't trash my kitchen! The mustard adds a nice layer of flavor, but is subtle, so it won't spice scare your babe. And don't worry, if your kid doesn't like these, you will, and you can shamelessly eat them all and pretend your offspring did!
*This makes about 1 dozen chicken strips
WHAT DO I NEED?
3 - 4 Chicken Breasts (Go Organic!)
1/2 C Panko
5 T Dijon Mustard (Grey Poupon is my weapon of choice)
S & P
Roasting rack
Baking sheet
NOW WHAT?
Preheat your over to 350.
Cut your chicken into 1 - 1 1/2" strips and place in a medium sized bowl, pour mustard into bowl and mix well to coat each chicken strip with a nice layer of mustard.
In a separate bowl mix your panko with salt and pepper.
Now for the trick! Set up your roasting rack over a baking sheet. By cooking these babies on a roasting rack they cook and maintain crispness all around, no mushy bottom! Dip each chicken strip in the panko/S&P mixture and coat it well. Place on your roasting rack leaving a bit of space in-between each strip.
Place the baking sheet / rack combo in the oven and cook for 25 - 35 minutes. Keep a watchful eye and don't overcook these! Because they are baking on a rack, the chicken needs to retain its internal juiciness so be sure not to overcook them! I served these with agave as a dipping sauce but you can use barbecue, ketchup, sweet chili sauce or even mix some honey and mustard together! I love agave for it's sweetness and low glycemic index.
CHEAP TRICK: After these have cooked, toss em in the broiler for a few minutes or seconds (depending on your broiler’s temperament). This browns the tops a bit and gives an added crunch. These are great to make a large batch of and store in the freezer for an even faster prep, so ditch the processed frozen chicken tenders and make your own.