So OF COURSE I grew up on fried chicken cutlets as did every other 1st generation Italian. But the modern-day-mom in me is always looking for ways to improve on classic dishes that I grew up on. Truthfully I’m not a big fan of frying anything…my stomach can’t really handle it plus there are ways to achieve the same delicious crunch without all of the added “bad fat”.  My kids love this recipe and I hope yours do too!

Below is the recipe for Honey Dijon Baked Chicken Fingers as well as an easy breezy next day recipe using the leftovers.

Honey Dijon Baked Chicken Fingers

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of organic chicken breast cut into strips
• 1 cup of planko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs with Italian seasoning
• 2 tblsp honey
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1 tblsp of dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup low fat sour cream

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper
3. In bowl, with a fork, mix planko, Italian breadcrumbs, honey, olive oil, and dijon mustard
4. Lightly brush the chicken with with sour cream
5. Coat both sides of the chicken with the breadcrumb mixture. Lay the chicken on the baking pan. Note: Press the mixture onto the chicken to form a nice thick crust.
6. Bake for 2o minutes then flip and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

I serve this with a honey mustard dipping sauce or ketchup. It also pairs well with steamed broccoli topped with a miso butter sauce. Note: Miso butter can be made by whisking together 2 Tbsp of melted butter with 2 tsp of miso over low heat in a sauce pan.

What to do with leftovers??????? Make Baked Chicken Parm for lunch or dinner the next day!

Baked Chicken Parm

Ingredients (quantity varies depending on the amount of leftovers):

• Left over chicken fingers
• Sliced fresh mozzarella
• Ricotta
• Grated parmigiano cheese
• Pasta sauce (homemade or San Marzano)

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 375
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper
3. Lay the leftover chicken on the baking pan
4. Top each chicken finger with a Tbsp of ricotta
5. Sprinkle about a Tbsp of parm cheese onto each chicken finger
6. Top each chicken finger with about 2 Tbsp of pasta sauce and a few pieces of fresh mozarella
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted.