Spiced Up

Whether you are in a rush to get dinner put together or you’re just in the mood for something simple, yet fun, this is the perfect recipe. After all, football season is coming up and many of us will be in need of finger food that fills you up, but not out.

As a child growing up in a town of only 2,000 people, the idea of getting a Happy Meal at McDonalds was very foreign, so when we did learn of it, it was a treat that my parents would every once in a great moon allowed us to enjoy.  Looking back, I think it was more the novelty of it more than anything that I enjoyed so much which is a lesson in itself, but I’m going off track.  I would always order Chicken McNuggets and of course, dip them in honey.  This particular recipe brought it all back to me, but with a little extra punch.  Giada de Laurentiis’ Spicy Chicken Tenders with Honey-Mustard dipping sauce is easy (it takes 15 minutes to cook and about 10 minutes to put together) and tasty.

Key Things to Keep In Mind:

*Use cornmeal as Giada suggests rather than bread crumbs for a lighter, finer effect.

*The dip is the easiest thing in the world to mix up, just make it to taste. If you taste too much mustard (spicy), add more honey and visa versa.

*If you’re not a spicy eater, decrease the amount of cayenne pepper you use, as well as the hot sauce.

*Be generous with the extra virgin olive oil, as it is what gives the toasty brown color to the chicken tenders (as you can see, I didn’t use enough).

Spicy Chicken Tenders w/Honey-Mustard

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil cooking spray

Honey-Mustard:

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup Dijon or whole-grain mustard

Breading:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, halved lengthwise
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet liberally with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Honey-Mustard: In a small serving bowl, mix together the honey and mustard until smooth. Set aside.

3. Breading: In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and 1 tablespoon salt. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and hot sauce. In a third medium bowl, mix together the cornmeal, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour and then into the egg mixture. Allow any excess egg mixture to drip off and coat the chicken in the cornmeal mixture. Arrange the breaded chicken in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, to taste. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 to 17 minutes.

4. Arrange the chicken on a platter and serve the honey-mustard alongside.

Images: (1) Decor Pad (2) Simply Luxurious