“Mom, I’m hungry!�  That seems to be the Battle Cry of the Child during March break.  For the week that my two boys have off during March, it seems like no matter how much I feed them, they still insist they are hungry.  True enough my 9 year old can out eat me right now but it’s probably more to do with the increase in activity they experience during this week than anything else.  This is a week where they are not chained to their school desks and are free to run amuck doing what little boys do, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.  In order to get them to sit still for 28 seconds while I clear the rubble, I serve them Crispy Chicken Chunks with Honey-Mustard Dip for a snack or with a salad for dinner.  This homemade version is a fantastic alternative to the pre-packaged frozen variety as you can control the salt and fat content.  Enjoy your time with your kids this March Break, I’m told these years go by fast….yeah, right!

Crispy Chicken Chunks with Honey-Mustard Dip
Makes 8 servings
Preparation Time:   20 minutes
Cooking Time:        10-12 minutes

  Ingredients
• 1/2  cup low fat or regular mayonnaise
• 4  teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1  tablespoon honey
• 1  pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts
• 1/4  cup all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2  teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1   slightly beaten egg
• 2  tablespoons milk
• 30   whole wheat crackers, finely crushed (1-1/4 cups)
• 1/8  teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper

1. Stir together mayonnaise, mustard and honey in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425F. 
3. Cut chicken into 1-1/2-inch pieces. Combine flour, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. Add chicken pieces, a few at a time, to the flour mixture. Close the bag; shake to coat chicken pieces. Set chicken aside.
4. Combine beaten egg and milk in a bowl. Place crushed crackers in another bowl. Dip flour-coated chicken pieces, one-fourth at a time, into the egg-and-milk mixture. Roll the pieces in crackers. Place in a single layer on a large ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.
5. Serve with dip and your child’s favourite cut up vegetables or salad.

Nadine Hughes is the creator and owner of, The Cook’s Companion and The Menu Companion, through which she offers kitchen consultations, menu planning services as well as private cooking classes for adults and teens throughout Southern Ontario. She is also an award winning author.  Pick up a copy of her latest cookbook “The Groove Mamma Goes Gourmet – Easy Ways To Put The Fun Back Into Entertaining� (awarded Best Canadian Entertaining Cookbook at the 2009 Gourmand Cookbook Awards) for $7.98 at www.groovemamma.com

© Nadine Hughes 2011

Tags: baked, children, Crispy Chicken Chunks recipe, family, homemade, honey mustard dip recipe, kids, March Break, meals, nadine hughes, playdates, snacks