I'll be the first to admit, my kiddo loves chicken nuggets. Newsflash...from time to time, her Mama does, too. Sure, said kiddo requested a filet for her birthday meal a few weeks ago, but she'll still go for the "kid standard" meal of chicken nuggets just the same.
Fortunately, the palate that allows her to enjoy steak also allows for her to devour these chicken nuggets as readily as she can plow through 4 from Wendy's (ugh!). This version is super easy to throw together (read: it's saved our bacon a time or two when meal planning/life hasn't gone as planned) and they're much healthier than the fried nonsense served out of cardboard. It's fast food at home---and probably comes together in less time than it'd take for one of us to run out, hit a drive thru and make it home. Never timed it out, but I'm guessing....
Okay, yes, they're dunked in butter, but 1 stick for 2lbs of chicken chunks isn't sooo bad. Plus, I tend to shake off the extra "goo" anyway....I try.
What You'll Need:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1/4 pound), melted
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or 2/3 cup if you are using a Microplane zester)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
A large pinch of Italian seasoning (herb mix)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 lbs of skinless, boneless, chicken meat, cut into pieces no larger than 2x2 inches
In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter.
In another bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into crumb mixture to coat.
Place coated chicken pieces on to a 9x13 (or larger) roasting dish. Try to leave a little room between each piece.
Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and bake uncovered 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Note that the chicken will get much more browned on the bottom side than on the top.
Serve with marinara sauce and veggies, a salad OR some oven baked potato wedges...call 'em fries and watch them disappear!
Writer's note: This isn't a post meant to judge anyone's choices---so please don't read it that way. I'm not perfect and I don't always make the best choices. Even when I have a healthy lunch/snack packed for the pint-sized wonder, I sometimes forgo it in exchange for shared giggles over chicken nuggets, fries and milk....
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