Today's Tip: No Fail Dinner Main Dish...Kid and Grown-Up Friendly!

The other day the kids and I were at the grocery store, and when we were at the deli getting sandwich meat, they commented on how good the big, thick chicken strips looked on the other end of the deli counter. Well, y'all know me - all I could see was the thick breading on the strips, plus the hot oil they had just been dipped into for frying.  So yesterday I decided to find a recipe for chicken strips that I could make at home.  My goal was to find something that the kids would not only eat, but be excited about when they came into the kitchen to help with dinner - and a dish that would be "Jen Niemann-approved"!

Did I find it?  Yes I did.  They walked into the kitchen and one kid said, "mom, those look awesome!"; another said, "man, it smells good in here"; the 3rd said, "who is getting out the ketchup?" These were easy to make and so much better than the deep fried ones from the deli!

Crispy Baked Chicken Strips

1 lb. skinless chicken breast tenders
1 egg, beaten
2 cups finely crushed whole wheat cracker crumbs or 2 cups plain whole wheat breadcrumbs (we used Zesta whole wheat crackers)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

1 Mix cracker crumbs and seasonings well.

2 Dip chicken pieces into egg mixture, then dredge in crumb mixture.

3 Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray or to reduce clean-up time, place a sheet of foil sprayed with cooking spray onto baking sheet.

4 Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, turn pieces over and back another 4-5 minuted or until crispy on outside and lightly browned.

5 Dip into favorite sauce, or enjoy just as they are!

PS Yes, we use ketchup around here...the "Simply Heinz" kind :)