For a grown-up chicken tender meal, I decided to bread my tenders in crushed fig and olive crackers mixed with grated parmesan cheese.  I love these crackers and I buy them at Trader Joe’s.  When I was there last, I picked up a box intending to include them in a dinner recipe.  This is what I came up with.  I set up my flour, egg, and breading stations and had at it.

I sprinkled the tenders with kosher salt and pepper before first dropping them in flour.  After they were coated with flour, I dipped them in an egg and water wash (two eggs to one tablespoon of water) and then into my breading.  For my breading, I placed one and a third boxes of fig and olive crackers into a plastic bag, sealed it and had my husband take any frustration he’s had from the last week and smash them with a rolling pin.  He must have had an easy week because he just wanted to roll them into crumbs.  I showed him how to really smash those crackers! After he was done, I poured my crumbs into a dish and added 3/4 cup of romano/parmesan grated cheese blend and rolled my tenders into this mixture.  I placed them on a rack on a baking sheet that I had sprayed with non-stick spray (the rack and the pan).  I baked them in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes and they turned out perfectly moist.

I wanted a sauce that seemed a little more “grown-up” and flavorful than just plain ketchup.  I mixed together dark cherry balsamic vinegar, fig butter, crushed garlic, whole grain dijon mustard, honey, dried thyme, and kosher salt.  I mixed this together in a measuring cup, transferred it to a small sauce pan and brought it to a boil over medium-high heat.  I immediately turned the temperature down and poured the sauce into a bowl.

We served our chicken tenders with baked sweet potato fries that I baked in a preheated 425 degree oven for 30 minutes, turning half-way through.

For the fries, I cut two large sweet potatoes in half cross-ways, then cut each half in half lengthwise.  I then cut that half in half, so was able to get 12 slices out of one potato.  I placed them on a baking sheet that I had sprayed with non-stick spray and drizzled a few tablespoons of olive oil over the potatoes. I mixed together kosher salt, pepper, dried thyme, cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkled this mixture over the potatoes.  I tossed it all together with my hands and put them in the oven.  After the 3o minutes of baking time, I finished them off under the broiler (set to high) for 5 minutes.

A simple green salad was all that was needed to complete our Sunday dinner.

Ingredients

Chicken Tenders

• 1-1/2 pounds chicken tenders

• 1-1/2 box fig and olive crisps

• 3/4 cup romano/parmesan grated cheese blend

• 2 eggs, plus 1 tablespoon water

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1/4 tablespoon pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place flour in one dish.  Whisk two eggs and water in second dish. Crush fig and olive crisps in a plastic bag and pour into a third dish.  Add romano/parmesan cheese to the fig and olive crisp crumbs and stir together.  sprinkle kosher salt and pepper over your chicken tenders. Place each chicken tender first into the flour, then into the egg, and last into the cracker crumbs.  Place on a rack on a baking pan that you’ve sprayed with non-stick spray (rack and pan).  Bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1/4 cup dark cherry balsamic (any balsamic will do if you don’t have dark cherry)

• 3 tablespoons fig butter

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic (jarred, refrigerated garlic)

• 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn down temperature and simmer for a minute or so.  Pour into a bowl to dip your tenders in.

Ingredients

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

• 2 large sweet potatoes

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1/2 tablespoon pepper

• 1/4 tablespoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes in half cross-ways and then in half lengthwise.  Lay each length wise half potato on it’s side and cut in half.  Take each 1/2 inch piece of potato and cut into thirds. You will get three strips out of each quarter of the potato, resulting in 12 fries per potato.  Lay your potatoes on a baking sheet that you’ve sprayed with non-stick spray and drizzle with olive oil.  Mix together kosher salt, pepper, thyme, cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle over potatoes.  Toss together with your hands and bake for 30 minutes, turning half-way through.  After the potatoes have baked for 30 minutes, turn the broiler on high and broil for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Until next time, Kris