Golden-Panko Nuggets

Food Challenge #6

Everyone loves chicken nuggets, but the chicken nuggets from the fast food chains are scary. I've heard many urban legends about the meat inside the nuggets and in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma he discusses the fact that a McDonald's Chicken McNugget is 56% corn. What else is in a McDonald's Chicken McNugget? Besides corn, and to a lesser extent, chicken, The Omnivore's Dilemma describes all of the very unnatural thirty-eight ingredients that make up a McNugget.

I want chicken nuggets with no additives, so I decided to make my own as a healthy, natural quick dinner.

Nutritional Information:

McDonald's Chicken McNuggets (6 piece)

• 280 calories
• 600 mg of sodium

My Golden-Panko Nuggets

Ingredients:

Chicken (boneless breasts) $3

Panko Japanese Breadcrumbs $3

2 Eggs $1

Parmesan Cheese $2

Lettuce $2

Flour

S+P

Olive Oil

Sauce (Optional):

Apricot Jam

Mustard

Total cost: $12

Chicken Bites

Cut chicken into small bite-size pieces.

Eggy Wash

Salt + pepper your flour.

Dredge your chicken bites into the flour then the egg wash.

Shake N' Bake

Mix your panko breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese, olive oil (a tablespoon) and pepper. Drop the battered chicken into the panko and cover with the breadcrumbs.

Juicy, Crunchy Niblets

Lay the chicken bites onto a wire rack and bake the nuggets at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until they are golden brown.

If you want a dipping sauce, I suggest combining your apricot jam with the mustard and some olive oil. Mix it up and serve. This is a great alternative to a sweet-n-sour sauce.