Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Chicken Nuggets and Cheesy Potatoes

Sometimes one of the homegirlz will come to me and request a particular meal that I haven't made in a while. Kaitlin was whining about chicken nuggets that I hadn't made in forever.
I started making these for the girlz when they were little because let's face it, the pre-packaged chicken nuggets in the grocery store were just flat out gross. I tried to avoid the fastfood variety also. Once your children try these, they won't want any other chicken nuggets but yours. These are so crunchy, tasty and a bit more on the healthier side, but they don't need to know that. Also, you can "grow" this up a bit so Mom and Dad can enjoy a kids meal too. This is a quick and easy weeknight meal that will make the whole family happy!

For Mom and Dad and older children, we need a dipping sauce. Something with a little more punch than ketchup. Mix together 2 tablespoons of mayo, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon horseradish, a splash of white wine, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.

In a re-sealable plastic bag, mix together 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of Emeril's Essence. OR just season the flour any way you like it.
In another re-sealable bag, add about 3 cups of Corn Flakes.

Take your rolling pin and gently crush the cereal to a semi-fine powder. The crushing will greatly reduce the volume, you can always add more cereal and crush.
Slightly beat one egg and mix with 1/2 cup of butter milk in a shallow bowl.
Take 1 lb. of chicken breast tenders and cut into healthy bite size pieces. Place them in the egg/buttermilk mixture. Heat up about 1/2 cup of canola or vegetable oil in a skillet to 325 degrees.
Shake up the chicken in the flour, then dip in the egg mixture again, then shake them up in the crushed Corn Flakes and carefully place the chicken in the hot oil to fry.
Don't they just brown up so beautifully? They are screaming to be dipped in the sauce I have chilling in the fridge!
While the chicken is beginning to fry, empty one package of frozen tater tots onto a foil line baking sheet, sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes remove potatoes from oven, season with salt and pepper to taste and liberally sprinkle with grated sharp cheddar cheese. Return pan to oven for 10 more minutes.
Look at all that melted cheesy goodness!
You can garnish your tater tots with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of crispy bacon and green onions. This kind of reminds the girlz of the Outback fires at Outback Steakhouse. Serve with a tossed green salad or a side of green beans.
I bet your children will pledge their undying gratitude to you!

32 comments:

Donna-FFW said...

OH, My children will devour, DEVOUR, these in seconds. Their absolute favorite thing to eat must be chicken nuggets. They LOVE them. They love to dip them. I must try this for us. It looks so good, and cheesy tater tots. PERFECT!!!!!

Anonymous said...

My daughter would love love love these chicken nuggets and the cheesy potatoes!

Anonymous said...

What a great idea. My boys would love this! The tater tot side dish is so simple and yummy looking. Thanks so much!
-Kim

Lawsy Mercy said...

Forget the kids; I LOVE this! Hehehe!

Jenny said...

Beautiful job recreating the kids most favorite food ever! I am embarrassed to say how many times my boys have had nasty chicken nuggets since we've been on vacation this week. Yuck! I'll have to try your nice recreation.

tavolini said...

oh wow!! Tavo would go absolutely nuts over those tator tots!! And they look easy (my favorite word)

I like the corn flakes--smart!

gigi said...

Besides 'dot dogs' chicken nuggets are the only meat the grand girls will eat. You are right that these would be a big hit around the little ones as well as us adults that just never grow up.

Cathy said...

This is my kids' dream dinner right here!

Jennifer said...

Gorgeous kiddo by the way! and I would eat that every single day of the week,I am making this while my hubby is out of town, I had never thought of cheese on the tots!

April said...

OH my!! This is some great looking comfort food!!! My kids would love these, but so would I!

Sophia Lee said...

every kid will worship you for this awesome recipe. yum, yum, and holy yum.

Debbie said...

My son loves chicken nuggets and these are way better than anything frozen. As far as the tots go, my husband will adore you for posting that. He absolutely LOVES tater tots!!!

Dewi said...

I'm sure Kaitlin is happy now! Because that chicken nugget look so delish.
Cheers,
Era

Joie de vivre said...

The perfect kid meal that pleases parents too! I'm saving this recipe because the thought of Schwan's chicken nuggets makes me sad after reading this! Life will never be the same!

Marjie said...

Cheese on your tater tots - who'd'a thunk!

NKP said...

My guys are hooked on chicken nuggets too - so great that you make your own!

Reeni said...

Those looks so delicious, crispy, and so much better than anything you could purchase. Love the cheesy potatoes, a perfect match. Your daughter is so cute!

Anonymous said...

These look so crunchy and good! The sous chefs would love these. I am a fan of anything involving cheese and potatoes. Together, everyone in our house would be overjoyed!

I love how you do step-by-step pictures, you rock!

Gladys said...

That looks so good. Now I'm hungry and I'm going to have to go cook.

Anonymous said...

I will never be able to outgrow tater-tots, you've done a yummy job of making this a grown-up dish :).

Selba said...

The cereal for the crunchiness, that's a great idea! Yummy...

Femin Susan said...

How awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Blessings to you and your family……

Sara said...

YUM, this looks like great comfort food!

Anonymous said...

I would love to be your child and have a place at your table. I'm well-behaved and I pick up after myself. Think about it, OK?!

Paula said...

Oh. My. Gosh! My oldest daughter, aged 13, would consider you a goddess if she saw this. She loves cheesy potatoes (that's what she calls this), and homemade chicken strips/nuggets are her favorite ever. I should make them more. Now that I have your recipe, I will! :-)

Paula said...

Oops, I meant to say that my daughter calls the potatoes "cheesy tots"! I wish there was an edit button on the comments section!

pigpigscorner said...

I can see why she craved for it so much! They look and sound really good!

Ralonda said...

ditto on what every one else said... kiddos (plus JB & myself) would LOVE this!
Great job!

Peter M said...

If you're gonna feed the kids chicken nuggets, they might as well be homemade! Love the corn flakes crust!

pam said...

The chicken sounds amazing, but those tater tots with cheese are really singing to me!!

jesse said...

Tater tots with cheese? OH MY DEAR LORD, I need some of those now!!!

AndreaLeigh said...

oh geez... looks like I found what I'm making for dinner tonight!