Recipe # 5

This recipe comes from "Giada".  When cooked to the right temperature (not over-burnt) these are SO DELICIOUS! You can make the dipping sauce that the recipe calls for but we are actually going to put the chicken tenders over a salad with blue cheese crumbles, dried cranberries, red onion, mushrooms, pine nuts, and poppy seed dressing or raspberry walnut vinaigrette.

This is the first time I'm introducing this to the kids and they aren't salad fans yet so I'll serve their with sweet potato fries.

Crunchy Parmesan Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup buttermilk (I NEVER have buttermilk in my house so I followed a recipe online for a substitute: 1 Tbsp white vinegar OR lemon juice in measuring cup.  Add enough milk to 1 cup line.  Let sit for 5 minutes. Use as much as the recipe calls for.)
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (about 18)
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan 
• 3/4 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over each of 2 heavy large lined baking sheets. Place the buttermilk in a large bowl. Add the chicken tenders and stir to coat. Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the garlic with the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vinegar and then the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with pepper. Transfer the vinaigrette to a small serving bowl.

Stir the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a pie dish. Remove the chicken tenders from the buttermilk and dredge them in the bread crumb mixture to coat completely, pressing to adhere. Arrange the coated chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the chicken tenders and bake until they are cooked through and golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the chicken tenders to a platter and serve the vinaigrette alongside for dipping.