Chicken Nuggets...

So I made these for the fam last night while I was going to book club.  They were pretty good and healthier than regular nuggets.  I served 'em up with some tater tots and carrots sticks.  Not the healthiest meal, but it could be worse!  Oh, and I also made the honey mustard at the bottom and Matt and Jace loved it. I am not a huge mustard lover, I prefer to dip all my stuff in homemade ranch!

Martha Stewarts Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• Honey Mustard or Spicy Ketchup, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces. Spread panko on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a shallow dish, then add Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon salt; drizzle with oil and stir to combine. Place flour and eggs in separate shallow dishes. Increase temperature to 450 degrees.
2. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet; lightly coat rack with cooking spray. In batches, coat chicken in flour, shaking off excess, dip in egg, then coat with panko, pressing to adhere. Place on rack. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve nuggets with sauce.

Cook's Note

Honey Mustard
Combine 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons each mayonnaise and honey.

Spicy Ketchup
Combine 1/4 cup ketchup; 3 tablespoons spicy chili sauce, such as Sriracha; and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.

PS I cooked them at 425 with the tater tots on the bottom rack.  I put the tots in first for their 20 mins and when there was 12 mins left, I stuck the nuggets on the upper rack.  I turned them and cooked them another 5 mins after their inital 12, just depends on how big and thick your nugget pieces are! :)

The BEST, EASIEST dessert...

 Ree Drummond's Easy Caramel Sauce:

1 packed cup brown sugar
1/2 cup half and half
4 TBSP butter
pinch salt
1 TBSP vanilla extract

Mix the sugar, half and half, butter and salt in a sauce pan over medium low heat.  Cook while whisking gently for 5-7 mins, until it gets thicker.  Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further.  Turn off heat and cool slightly.  Pour sauce in to a jar and refrigerate until cold.

Then, when dessert time, take fresh pears, pealed and halved or use home canned pears.  In a bowl put in a scoop (or lets be honest, 2 or 3) of vanilla ice cream, add a few pear halves and then warm up the caramel sauce and pour some of that over the ice cream and pears.... It's amazing.  Seriously.  So good.  And did I mention EASY PEASY!!!????!