The leaves are changing color. I’ve put the beach stuff away and lately it seems our lives are so much busier than during the summertime. Several years ago, as I walked around our home soothing our infant son, I would see my neighbor driving up and down our street in her minivan several times a day. She had three children and I thought that I would never allow myself to be that busy.
Today, seven years later, I find myself looking for quick and easy dinners for my family of five. Despite my son and daughters’ involvement in a few activities, I like us to have a family dinner most nights of the week.
With our youngest still dealing with a dairy sensitivity and our desire to eat healthy, we try to avoid fast-food restaurants. Milk is often one of the ingredients in items like chicken nuggets and even french fries. Nonetheless, one of my children’s favorite meals is chicken nuggets. Furthermore, I was disappointed when I discovered a certain dinosaur-shaped chicken nugget, sold in the freezer section of the grocery store, also contains milk. I have her health issue to thank, however, for discovering a very easy homemade chicken nugget recipe.
This recipe calls for flour or crushed cornflakes (our preference). At our local Walmart, I was able to find a box of crushed cornflakes in the baking aisle. This saves me a step, but you can also make them yourself. Just put 2 cups of cornflakes in a sealed plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
These chicken nuggets freeze well so I always make a double or triple batch so I can have some when needed. The first day of my daughter’s pre-K — when the bus driver couldn’t figure out how to get to our house due to construction and my son stepped in dog poop while wearing his brand new sneakers — was one of those days when I reached for that extra batch of chicken nuggets in my freezer.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup unbleached or whole wheat flour or 2 cups crushed cornflakes
Dash of paprika and/or onion powder
1 pound chicken tenders
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use the oil to coat a baking pan. Put remaining ingredients, except the chicken, into a plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake it until the ingredients are mixed. Add the chicken tenders and shake until they are coated evenly. Remove chicken pieces from the bag and place them on the pan. Turn them over to make sure they are coated with oil on both sides. Bake for 25 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Honey-mustard dipping sauce
1 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Combine the honey and mustard. This sauce is best when prepared a day or two ahead. It may be served at room temperature. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Sweet and sour sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Combine all ingredients and heat until hot and the sugar has dissolved. Serve warm or at room temperature. This sauce may be prepared a few days in advance and warmed before serving. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Colleen Lunn Scholer is a freelance writer living in Auburn who likes to cook with her husband and three young children.
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