March 20th, 2013

Chicken nuggets are the 2nd most requested food by kids right behind cookies.

Now, my kids were not big chicken nugget fans because we didn't eat out at
fast food restaurants a lot when they were little.  I am so thankful for
that because now that I know how some places (like the one with the arches)
make their nuggets will make your head spend.  Or it should
because the reason they are so white, as I am told, is because they use bleach
to make the meat look so white.  There are places that do use real white
meat in their nuggets, I will say this, if we are going to eat fast food it will
be with the cows with real white meat in the nuggets. OK, I did not plan on
getting in the nugget fest when I decided to do my nugget recipe this week. 

This is a basic home made nugget recipe that allows the chicken to be the
star.  If you want to add some onion powder, parsley flakes or oregano
please do so.  I want you to take this basic recipe and add whatever
seasonings your family likes and make it work for them.
 
 
Ingredients: 
   1 lb. ground chicken 
   2 eggs 
   1 T. water 
   1 1/2 teaspoon of salt 
   1 1/2 cups of flour
   1 teaspoon pepper
   2 cups of canola oil
 
  1.Take a small scoop (one that makes balls the size of large gumballs) and scoop ground chicken
     into balls.  This should make about 36 balls. 
  2.In a small bowl beat 2 eggs with 1 T. of water. 
  3.Then in a shallow dish mix flour, salt and pepper. 
(Steps 2 & 3 make up your dredging station.) 
 
Now let’s start dredging.   
1.Take chicken balls and roll in flour. 
2.Dip chicken ball in egg mixture.   
3.Roll chicken balls in flour for the second time.  
4.Place on tray and flatten ball.  
   You now have a nugget. 
5.Repeat until you have done all your chicken balls.
 
  Heat oil to  365’.  Place the nuggets in the oil and cook for about 4 minutes
  and flip and cook 4 more minutes or until cooked all the way thru. 
  Place on cookie cooling rack with paper towels underneath rack to
  drain.  Ready to serve.
 
Just eat plain or pick your favorite dipping sauce, either way they are tasty
little  bites.
 
See, they are not hard to make at all. 
You can make them ahead and freeze them and take out only what you need. 
Just thaw and heat in the oven.  I'm going to go make a pot of
coffee, that ground hog sure did get it wrong.  I don't think these are
spring temps!!