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For a meal, serve the chicken with French fries, waffle fries, or sweet potato fries. Steamed broccoli or fresh sliced tomatoes would go well with the chicken or serve them with a green salad or broccoli salad.
The recipe is easily doubled or tripled for a crowd, and it is perfect for a game day gathering. Also, you might want to make the strips a little smaller if you're serving them as an appetizer. Take a look at the dip suggestions below the recipe for some ideas and some quick recipes.
Bacon and Cheddar Chicken Strips
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon
- 1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese (sharp, shredded)
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts (boneless)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large eggs
- 2 tbs milk
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard (or a similar gourmet mustard)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 F (200 C/Gas 6).
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet, such as a jelly roll pan or half sheet pan, with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Fry the bacon or bake it until crispy. Drain well on paper towels.
- Put the bacon, panko crumbs, and cheddar cheese in a food processor and pulse a few times, or until the mixture is fine. Transfer the crumbs to a wide, shallow bowl or a pie plate.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the milk and Dijon mustard.
- Add the flour to another wide, shallow bowl or plate.
- Remove any excess fat from the chicken breasts and then slice them into strips.
- Dredge a chicken strip in the flour and then dip it into the egg mixture; roll it in the crumb mixture, pressing to help the crumbs adhere to the chicken. Repeat with the remaining chicken strips.
- Arrange the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the chicken strips for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning about halfway through the cooking time. Check for doneness with a food thermometer, if desired. Chicken must be cooked to the minimum safe temperature of 165 F (73.9 C).
Dip Suggestions
- Prepared Ranch dressing is great with these chicken strips
- Blue cheese dressing is another good option for a dip
- For a spicy mayonnaise dip, combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with a tablespoon or two of Sriracha sauce, or to taste. Add a teaspoon of sambal chili paste for extra heat, if desired.