One of my favourite choices at fast food restaurants is chicken nuggets! They are a tasty, easy-to-eat finger food. What with this summer’s soaring prices, I took it upon myself to test out some recipes to make my own. While not quite as yummy as deep fried, this baked alternative proves to be bit a healthier (and cheaper!). Enjoy!

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 15-20 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings.
3. Place butter in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in butter then roll in bread crumb mixture.
4. Place in a greased 15×10 baking pan. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear (internal temperature should be around 160 degrees).

I was eating alone and figured I’d eat some leftovers. I scanned the fridge to find some leftover pizza, a hamburger, and a half empty jar of Alfredo sauce. I was thinking I could use the Alfredo sauce for something, but since I was eating alone I didn’t want to make such a big hoopla.

Oh well, I pulled out the sauce, grabbed a thawed piece of chicken, and made some Cajun spices. My end product was Cajun blackened chicken Alfredo fettuccine with asparagus, whew. Okay, this dish was so delicious, it was definitely worth the hoopla!

In the end, I decided that even though I was only cooking for one, food should always taste great (or at least, when it’s in your power to make it so), regardless of who you’re serving. Just because I wasn’t making dinner for others doesn’t mean I can’t treat myself to a little delish dish of my own.

Prep: >5 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp. white pepper
• 1 tbsp. black pepper
• 1 tbsp. ground oregano
• 1 tbsp. ground thyme
• 1 tbsp. table salt

Steps

1. Cajun rub is so versatile and tastes great on many different kinds of meat (salmon, steak, chicken, shrimp, etc.).
2. Just rub the meat with a little oil or butter and sprinkle the Cajun spice according to how spicy you want it.
3. Put it on the grill, in a skillet, or in the stove, and voila, yummy deliciousness!

This low carb chicken dish was actually an experimental recipe I got from my mother-in-law. I made it for my brother and his girlfriend last week. Everyone seemed to like the dish. Bacon and ranch are two of my favourite ingredients for sandwiches, wraps, and salads, so I thought I would try it out on the ever versatile chicken dinner dish. It was delicious! I served this dish with asparagus, rice, and a southwestern style dinner salad (for the non-asparagus lover).

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 60 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 package of dry ranch dressing
• 3-4 slices of bacon
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place chicken breasts in bottom of lightly greased casserole dish. Sprinkle dry dressing mix on top. Lay bacon across, and top with cheese.
3. over with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
4. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 min.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45-55 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/3 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/3 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Dash of garlic powder
• Pinch of pepper
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, mix cheeses and spices together, and set aside.
2. Place chicken breast in plastic storage bag (or between two pieces of of plastic wrap). Lightly pound chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet. Work from the center to the edges until the chicken is even in thickness. Remove from bag.
3. Place cheese filling at the center of the chicken breast and roll up chicken piece.
4. In a small bowl, melt butter and then add a dash of garlic powder and pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and mix. Brush chicken with butter mix .
5. Pour any leftover butter on chicken and add any extra seasoning. I like to add some extra mozzarella and a dash of pepper and parsley on top.
6. Bake from 45-55 minutes or until juices run clear. If you have a meat thermometer should read 160 degrees.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30-45 minutes
Makes: around 8 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cooked chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 9oz of egg noodles (around 3/4 of a package)
• 8 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 10-15 baby carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas (or mixed vegetables)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 of an onion
• 1 bay leaf or 1/4 tsp of dried bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. In a large saucepan, boil the chicken until tender and no longer pink.
2. Drain and dice.
3. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil.
4. Simmer on low until desired flavour is reached (around 15-30 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste.

Change it up! I used left over fried chicken pieces (thighs, legs, wings, etc.), without the skin, so I didn’t add any extra salt. Also, I added a some sharp cheddar cheese and crackers to my own personal bowl of soup.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 17-20 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• Dash of garlic powder or one minced clove of fresh garlic
• 1 package of Extra Crispy Shake ‘N’ Bake breading
• 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• Pepper to taste

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Microwave butter in small microwave-safe bowl until melted. Add a dash of garlic powder to butter.
2. In separate bowl, combine breading, parmesan, and black pepper.
3. Grease a 8 x 10 inch pan with cooking spray.
4. Cut chicken into strips (about six pieces per breast). Dip each strip in garlic butter and then coat with breading.
5. Place in pan and bake for 17-20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.