Cheddar Bacon Chicken Fingers

Trying to find foods that my kids enjoy is an ongoing ordeal in my house. However, there is one food they consistently love. Though I wish this were something healthy like carrot sticks, yogurt, or almonds, it’s not. It’s bacon.

Though bacon isn’t a food I want them eating all of the time, it does give me a place to start when trying some new recipes. These Cheddar Bacon Chicken Fingers are a prime example.

Ingredients

(Adapted from this recipe.)

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups plain panko breadcrumbs
• Several dashes salt and pepper
• 1 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into tiny pieces
• 2-2.5 lbs. chicken tenderloins

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. In a medium bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, shredded cheese, and bacon. Dip each chicken tender into the egg, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Place on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Yield: 6 servings.

Click here for the nutrition facts and a printable copy of the recipe.

Notes

These chicken fingers were a hit in my house! To be honest, I thought they were just okay. They tasted fine, but they were not super flavorful. However, others in my family disagreed and thought they were great. For example, my mother, who will dip just about anything in ranch dressing, decided after trying a bite that she wanted to eat these plain instead of dipping them in the dressing (which she had planned to do). Next time I make these, I will marinate the chicken before breading it or add a little garlic and onion powder to the breadcrumbs. Depending on your family’s taste preferences, you can try these things or prepare the chicken fingers as described above.

I served these with baked beans and sliced fresh veggies. We eat a lot of pasta and casseroles, so this was a really nice change of pace. The chicken doesn’t take all that long to prepare or bake, and cleanup is a breeze (especially if you line your baking sheet with foil).

What recipes have you tried recently that were hits with your families? I’d love to hear about them!

Shared at the following:

Encouraging Hearts and Home, Busy Monday, What’s for Dinner? and Weekend Potluck.