Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders

Yesterday I was starving. All. Day.

Do you ever have those days? When you just can’t stop eating? I hate it.

Okay, I secretly love it.

I ate a big breakfast (my usual eggs and whole grain toast) and a big lunch (turkey sandwich and a greek yogurt) and snacked throughout the day. A lot of snacking. And by the time I got home at 5PM I was hungry again!

I knew I had to make dinner – fast – or I was going to start gnawing my arm off. I decided to make one of my favorite fast and easy dishes that I often make during the school year.  These parmesan-crusted chicken tenders are SO easy, require very few ingredients and are ready in no time.

It’s healthy too – you bake it rather than fry it.  I KNOW, I know, baked chicken is dry, right? Yeah, usually it is, but this dish really isn’t. The parm and breadcrumbs add a really yummy crust and the tenders are cooked just right. Trust me. It’s good.

Really simply, you just cut up some  boneless chicken breasts, coat it in some olive oil and thyme (I used dried here because I didn’t have any fresh on hand and it was fine – again, this is something you can make FAST and dried thyme is fine in a pinch).

Then, you dip each piece of chicken into the breadcrumb + parm mixture. Are you seeing how simple this is?

Lay the pieces onto a lightly greased baking dish. (So close to being done! So easy, right?)

Throw it in the oven for about 15 minutes until it looks like THIS:

Done!

MMMmmm! Food! Food! Eat! Eat!

I ate this chicken (no – not all of it, silly!) with glazed carrots (recipe to follow) and it was such a healthy, delicious, and quick meal.  Needless to say, I definitely was not hungry afterwards…

I may have had a cookie later.

I may have had two.

I may have…okay, I just had two…

maybe.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast cut into strips
• 4 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 t. dried thyme (fresh is best, but dried is fine in a pinch)
• ⅓ c. whole wheat breadcrumbs
• ⅓ c. grated Parmesan
• Course Salt and ground pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. On one plate spread the oil and thyme. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place on the plate of oil.
2. On another plate (or bowl) combine the breadcrumbs and the Parmesan. Using a fork or tongs, coat the chicken tenders in the breadcrumb mixture.
3. Place the tenders onto a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Drizzle a little olive oil on each piece and place in top rack of the oven. Cook for about 15 minutes (or until each piece is cooked through and the top crust is a golden brown).
4. Be careful not to overcook because no one likes overcooked, dried chicken!

Notes

*Recipe adapted from Serious Eats

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