GF Chicken Tenders and Double-Baked Crazy-Crisp Oven Fries

I had two chicken tenders/nuggets recipes that I’ve wanted to try – one from The Baking Beauties and one from Jessica Seinfeld – so I decided to combine my favorite parts of each recipe and see what happened. Combined with my cooling rack/baking sheet tip from Rachael Ray, the outcome was a good, crispy dinner! I served with Rachael Ray's Crisp Oven Fries seasoned with Old Bay and a green veggie.


GF Chicken Tenders

·½ - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
·1 cup sweet potato puree
·2 egg whites
·1 cup GF cornflakes, crushed (I used Southern Homestyle Corn Flake Crumbles)
·½ cup ground flaxseed meal
·1 TBS grated Parmesan
·½ tsp salt
·½ tsp pepper
·½ tsp paprika
·½ tsp garlic powder
·½ tsp cayenne
·½ tsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400°. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and set aside. Cut chicken breasts into thin strips. In a shallow dish, mix egg whites and vegetable puree with a fork. Set aside. In another shallow dish, combine crushed cornflakes, flaxseed meal, parmesan cheese, and spices. Set aside. Dip chicken, one strip at a time, into the egg mixture, then into crumb mixture, until totally coated. Place chicken strip on cooling rack on top of baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the chicken. Bake for 30 minutes, or until done.

Rachael Ray’s Double-Baked Crazy-Crisp Oven Fries

·6 starchy medium-sized Idaho potatoes
·EVOO
·Salt and pepper
Optional flavorings (pick one):
·Minced garlic and lots of minced fresh rosemary
·Old Bay seasoning or Cajun Seasoning
·Minced garlic, parmesan cheese, and oregano

Preheat oven to 400°. Place a cooling rack on top of two baking sheets and set aside. Peel the potatoes lengthwise, leaving a patch of skin on each end of the potatoes. Cut each potato into very thin fries lengthwise, no more than a quarter-inch thick – the thinner they are, the crispier the end product will be. In a large bowl, dress the fries very lightly with EVOO – a couple of turns of the bottle. Season with salt and pepper, then arrange the fries in a single layer without crowding the baking sheet. Place the fries in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the fries and increase the heat to 425°. Toss the fries in large bowl again with the seasonings and optional flavorings of choice. Return the fries to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until very crisp and brown.

Notes: Placing a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet allows an even heat flow through the chicken tenders and fries. Next time I make the chicken tenders, I think I'll pan-fry them in EVOO for a few minutes before placing them in the oven. That may help make them crispier due to the sweet potato puree. Also, be sure to watch the cooking time on the fries. Some of our thinner cut ones were extra, extra crispy! :) After the fact, we think cutting the fries into Wendy's fries size would be best.

I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sundays