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Do your kids love chicken nuggets? Or do you?

Looking for a delicious but crispy recipe to make these delicious bites? I've got you covered with this yummy combo. It's not hard, but yes, there's a little time involved. However, that being said... you can make these ahead (see below), freeze them and make your life a whole lot easier in the future. Your future self will thank you for thinking ahead; just sayin'.  

I love doubling, sometimes tripling certain recipes. It can be labor intensive, but then I'm covered for a while and my freezer is full and my dinnertime is not so rushed and I don't have to think and wonder, what's for dinner? And typically, I'm the only one who answers that question at my house.

These crispy homemade chicken nuggets go with a whole lot of different side dishes; salads, my easy roasted broccoli or my cinnamon sweet potatoes.

Dinner can be delicious and nutritious!

My Easy Roasted Broccoli 

• Broccoli, 3 buds
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Onion powder
• Garlic Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the broccoli buds and cut them into florets. Toss them in a bowl with a light layer of olive oil, until they are coated. Spread them onto a nonstick baking sheet.Sprinkle them with a generous coating of sea salt and onion powder along with a light coating of garlic powder and red pepper flakes.Roast the broccoli for 25 - 30 minutes.  

Serve 'AS IS' or Add Cheese Sauce: 

2 tablespoons butter • 4 oz. cream cheese • 3 tablespoons milk

About 10 - 15 minutes before the broccoli is finished roasting, melt the butter over low heat in a pan small saucepan. Add the 4 ounces of cream cheese and stir until that begins to melt. Add in the milk, continuing to stir as the mixture becomes creamy and all comes together into a thick cheese sauce.Add to the top of the broccoli before serving.

Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2-3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Slice and dice them. Place the dice potatoes into a bowl. Coat them with the canola oil. Stir the cinnamon, onion powder and sea salt together. Sprinkle it into the oil coated potatoes and stir until they are evenly covered with the spiced mixture. Bake for 30 minutes; until the potatoes are tender and start to crisp along the edges.

Crispy Chicken Nuggets

• 1 - 11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken strips
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Instructions:

Cut the chicken into nugget size.

Place the chicken in a glass bowl and cover it with the buttermilk. Place saran wrap over the top and let it set on the counter while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spread the Panko breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet that's been generous coated with nonstick canola cooking spray. Spray the top of the Panko and toast them until they are lightly golden in the oven for approximately 5-8 minutes. Remove and let them cool.

Stir the spices together in a small bowl: onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. 

Once the toasted Panko has cooled, stir the spices into it until evenly distributed.

Whip the eggs and together with the mayo using a fork or small whisk.

Stir in the flour until it's a smooth.

Drain the excess buttermilk from the chicken, stir in the batter. 

Dredge the coated chicken in the seasoned Panko being careful to not bring extra batter over into the breadcrumbs. Push the panko onto the chicken firmly.

Place the coated chicken pieces on a baking sheet generously coated with nonstick canola cooking spray. Coat the top of the nuggets with the spray.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes; until crispy and fully cooked!

Make Ahead: You can actually make these ahead and cook them. Let them cool completely. Once they are cooled simply put them into a freezer bag or other airtight freezer container and then simply heat them up on a busy weeknights for an easy dinner.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce: 
My favorite way to serve these chicken nuggets is with a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce. Stir 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise together with 1 tablespoon of milk, 1 tablespoon of mustard and 1 tablespoon of honey - you're welcome!

Kids in the Kitchen!

Every recipe, even the simple ones, are filled with kitchen lessons for kids. Here are a few to focus on when making your own homemade crispy chicken nuggets.

• cutting
• knife safety
• marinating
• dredging
• baking and oven safety
• measuring ingredients
• following directions

You can always catch what’s going on in our lives at www.JodieFitz.com and facebook.com/jodiefitzcooks, or check out my cook books - available on my website!