Did you know that poultry is one of the top commodities in Alabama (and Mississippi) and that Alabama ranks 3rd nationally in broiler (a broiler is a chicken that is produced for good eatin') production just behind Georgia and Arkansas. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 8.61 billion head of broilers were produced in the United States (most coming from the Southeast). It is no wonder that we eat so much chicken around here. If you get a chance, check out this article by my friend Caroline Black.
At our house we eat chicken because it is cheap. We usually buy chicken for $1.99/lb. which makes that the cheapest meat in the grocery store. I've found all kinds of recipes for chicken and most of them work out pretty well. One of our favorites has been baked chicken nuggets. It is a bi-weekly favorite for us, especially for me since there are virtually NO dishes to wash. Not having a dish washer is my least favorite things about our sweet little house.
Happy Foodie Friday, y'all!
Baked Chicken Nuggets
(For Two)
2 chicken breasts
Seasoned bread crumbs (I use Italian bread crumbs)
Panko bread crumbs
Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Before I get my hands covered in chicken, I like to go ahead and have everything ready. So, put equal amounts of panko bread crumbs and Italian bread crumbs together in a bowl. Add about a palm full of the cheese and stir it on up.
Next you need to cut your chicken into bite size pieces.
Season with salt and pepper. Then dunk it in a bowl of olive oil. Here's where the breading starts. I like to use one hand to put the chicken in the bowl of wet ingredients and then using the same hand drop it into the bowl of dry ingredients. I use my clean hand to make sure the chicken gets coated and that same hand to move the chicken from the bowl to the pan. It makes your hands pretty much gunk free.
I like to use silicone baking sheets to keep clean up to a minimum. If you use only a pan, spray the pan...just in case.
Throw these bad boys into a preheated hot oven. I classify hot around 400 to 450. I did these at 425.
Cook for about 8 minutes and turn 'em over. You'll want to cook them for another 5 or so minutes until the juices run clear.
**Chicken is always done when the juices run clear. Even if you don't exactly know what that looks like (I didn't when I first heard it), just keep an eye on the chicken. You'll be able to tell. Or you could just wait until both sides are nice and brown like this...
And there you have it. A delightful, semi-healthy chicken dish that tastes so much like fried chicken you can't tell the difference.
I serve these with homemade baked fries. Before you start the chicken while your oven is heating, cut up some potatoes in thin slices, toss in olive oil, and sprinkle seasoned salt over them. Put on a greased baking sheet. Cook about 15 minutes, then turn them over. Keep cooking and turning every 5-10 minutes until they are to the crispiness level you like.
And from a frugal standpoint, let's check how much this costs compared to Chick-fil-a nugget meals. (The nuggets taste a lot like Chick-fil-a nuggets. Yumm!)
**I did not weigh how much of each ingredient I used. This is my best mathematical estimate.
1 chicken breast per person = way over 15 nuggets = ~$1.00
Panko Bread Crumbs = ~$0.15
Italian Bread Crumbs = ~$0.05
Parmesan Cheese = ~$0.17
Olive Oil = ~$0.70
1 Potato = ~$0.10
Season Salt= ~$0.05
Total = ~$2.67
vs.
Chick-fil-a 12 pack of nuggets = $4.15 (not including fries and drink)
I've discovered that becoming a food photographer is much harder than it looks. Please excuse these ol' ugly pictures. I'll work on getting some prettier ones. Until then remember that pretty is as pretty does! Have a wonderful weekend!
-McKenzie
This recipe is slightly adapted from Skinny Taste: Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
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