Simple Baked Chicken Nuggets

Yes, I am guilty of buying chicken nuggets in a bag to conveniently store in my freezer for quick and easy access to a lunch that is guaranteed to be eaten by my two year old. I always buy all-white meat nuggets, but that provides little reassurance to my conscience. My daughter loves chicken nuggets and of all the things she could be eating it is not the worst. Still, it weighs on me to serve them to her. So, today I decided to experiment with my own version of homemade baked chicken nuggets.
I know there are a billion healthy chicken nugget recipes out there and it is always daunting to think of the process of breading and baking or frying your own nuggets. I do not profess to have the greatest tasting or the easiest version. This was really more about an experiment. They turned out pretty good, so I thought I would share.
My plan was simple: to create really easy baked nuggets my daughter will eat. I grabbed a couple of boneless, skinless breasts, pounded them out to about 1/4 inch thick and cut them into 1-2 inch pieces. I tossed the pieces in flour and dredged each piece in an egg mix and finally Panko bread crumbs. Threw them in the oven to bake. The dip is a simple mix of mustard and honey. She asked me for ketchup and I told her this was better. She tried it and liked it! I didn't include salt in my recipe, but you could salt and pepper your chicken pieces before breading for more flavor. If your child likes honey flavored nuggets you can add a tablespoon or two to the egg mixture.
I baked these nuggets on parchment paper for easy cleanup, but sprayed them using my Misto (a handy little tool that no kitchen should be without). Again, I am not really sure what you get with cooking spray so I try to use my Misto filled with either olive oil or grapeseed oil. For extra golden color I broiled both sides of the nuggets for about a minute after baking. To freeze for later just allow them to cool completely, place them in a ziploc freezer bag, and lay flat in the freezer. This recipe makes about 30-40 nuggets depending on the size of the chicken breasts and the size you cut your pieces.
I hope you and your kids will enjoy them. We did!!

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cups Panko Japanese bread crumbs (I used a little more than a cup)
1 egg
1/4 c Milk
1/4 c flour (whole wheat would be a healthy alternative)
parchment paper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your chicken breasts in a large ziploc or between plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut chicken breasts into equal 1-2 inch pieces. Pat dry with a paper towel. Toss chicken with flour in a bowl or bag. Mix egg and milk in a small bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow dish or plate. Dip in egg mix and dredge in breadcrumbs. I just use the assembly line method by lining up all of my plates. Place each piece on a cookie sheet lined with parchment, not touching each other. Lightly spray the nuggets with olive oil. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Remove and turn over. Spray the other sides with olive oil. Bake for about 5-10 minutes. For added color broil each side for about a minute. Serve with homemade honey mustard (mustard and honey).

Red Pepper Turkey Meatloaf

Sorry kids, no picture this time, but here's the recipe. I borrowed this recipe from Real Simple with a few changes. Here is my version.

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
* 1 small yellow onion, grated
* 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/2 cup grated part skim mozzarella
* 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
* 1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, diced
* 3 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
* sea salt and pepper
* 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 cups mixed greens

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Combine the turkey, onion, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the mustard, the parsley, red peppers, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Shape the meat into an 8-inch loaf and place in a baking dish.
3. Bake until no trace of pink remains (internal temperature should be 165° F), about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
4. Whisk together the remaining mustard, the vinegar, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
5. Divide the greens among individual plates and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. Serve with the sliced meat loaf.

I should also point out that the original version says it serves 4. It can easily serve 6-8 thereby reducing the calories per serving substantially. I also used part skim mozzarella instead of parmesan and reduced to 1/2 cup which also reduces fat and calories. I added garlic to my version to make up for some of the flavor lost by not using parmesan.