Baked Chicken Tenders

Last week was definitely 'one of those' weeks, where I was so busy I felt like I couldn't even find time to sleep. I desperately needed to go grocery shopping, but I just couldn't bring myself to go back out after getting home from work. I decided it would be a week of leftovers for dinner - until Friday rolled around and I had absolutely nothing left to serve Jake and myself. 

I remembered a recipe for quick and easy chicken tenders I had experimented with in the past. This recipe for Baked Chicken Tenders is from a recipe book my mom's hair salon sold as a fundraiser a few years ago. The best part about this dish is that you likely already have the ingredients on hand, so it's a perfect dish to throw together if you're running low on meal ideas (or are too lazy to go to the grocery store sometimes, like me). Another great thing about this recipe is you can totally customize it to your liking.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips
• About 1 cup of mayonnaise
• garlic powder
• Italian seasoning to your taste
• dried basil to your taste
• 1-2 stacks finely crushed Ritz crackers

How to:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with Parchment paper.
• Combine mayonnaise, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and basil in a small bowl.
• Coat each chicken strip with mayonnaise mixture, then roll in cracker crumbs.
• Place tenders on lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
• Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

 Substitutions & Suggestions:

1. Try different seasoning combinations to change the whole flavor of the tenders.
2. Substitute mayo for greek yogurt for a healthier alternative.
3. Replace the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and basil with Dijon mustard, and the crushed Ritz crackers with pretzels or Flip Sides pretzel-crackers for a different flavor.
4. Garlic-butter flavored Ritz crackers add an extra boost of flavor to these tenders.

The first time I made these, I couldn't believe how much flavor these chicken tenders packed in, considering the small number of ingredients. Needless to say, I'm glad I rediscovered this recipe! It's perfect for those crazy nights where you need a fast meal that tastes great.

Enjoy!