Crispy Chicken Tenders

I felt like making the Crispy Baked "Fried" Chicken I made a few months back, but I wanted to add a little twist to it. I thought if I could make these as chicken tenders  I would get a leg up on when I have little ones running around who only want to eat chicken fingers. I think this would be a ball - albeit a bit messy - to make with little kids. Best yet? It's still a healthy chicken meal that is baked and full of whole grain and fiber.  Did you know that a serving of Grape Nut Flakes has half the recommended daily value of whole grains? It has a slightly sweet taste to it, which we loved. I will definitely be making these easy, juicy, crispy chicken tenders again soon! Maybe even to put over a nice salad...

*Note: I didn't take pictures of my making these since it is so similar to the above posted recipe for Baked "Fried" Chicken. It's the same process, just with slightly modified quantities and with chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts. Feel free to check out the pictures from the Baked "Fried" Chicken if you get confused! :)

Ingredients:
*chicken tenders (I used 8)
*2 cups Grape Nut Flakes Cereal
*1/3 cup buttermilk
*3/4 teaspoon paprika
*less than 1/4 teaspoon sage
*a few tablespoons flour

Preparation:
*Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

*Place flour on a plate or in a bowl. Salt and pepper both sides of chicken breasts. Press chicken breasts into flour so all parts are covered. Shake off any excess flour. Discard the flour when you're done and place chicken breasts aside.

*Place Grape Nut Flakes in a plastic bag and seal as tightly as possible. Use a rolling pin to crush the flakes until they are ground well.

*In a bowl big enough to dredge chicken through, mix buttermilk, sage, and paprika. Coat each chicken breast in mixture and then roll in ground Grape Nut Flakes. (You can shake it in the bag or on a plate, but it is messy either way!).

*Place the chicken breasts on a rack in a roasting pan or on a sheet pan (the rack keeps both sides equally crispy, though you could lay them flat on a pan and just flip them to keep it even). Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. After 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 12 minutes.

So yummy! Perfectly crispy on the outside yet juicy on the inside.

As part of a balanced meal...

...or fun with dipping sauces! Might I suggest ketchup, honey barbeque sauce and/or honey mustard?