Baked Oat-Crusted Chicken Fingers with Sweet Mustard Sauce

Baked Oat-Crusted Chicken Fingers with Sweet Mustard Sauce
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Baked Oat-Crusted Chicken Fingers with Sweet Mustard Sauce

Fiber-heavy oats mixed with whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs make both a crunchy and healthy alternative to chicken fingers. This coating can also be used for zucchini “fries,” as explained in the cooking tip. For adults, add the optional kick of horseradish to the sauce. To be kid-friendly, skip the horseradish—or make two batches, one of each sauce version.

Ingredients

Servings  6  

  • 2 cups quick-cooking oats (also called instant oats)
  • 3 teaspoons sodium-free Italian seasoning blend
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • 1 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
  • 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 2 packets no-calorie sweetener (about 1/2 teaspoon)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)

Directions

Tip: Click on step to mark as complete.

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a wire baking rack onto a medium-sized baking sheet; coat the baking rack with cooking spray.
  2. Into the bowl of a food processor, add oats, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pulse until finely ground, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer oats to a large Ziploc bag, and add in panko breadcrumbs. Seal Ziploc bag and gently shake to combine.
  3. Into a shallow dish, add egg whites and water. Whisk together with a fork to combine.
  4. Bread each chicken tender: Working 2 to 3 chicken fingers at a time, add into the oat mixture, coating both sides; dip into the egg whites making sure to let excess liquid drip off, and then dredge again in the oat mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken tenders are coated.
  5. Bake in the oven until chicken is fully cooked and crust is golden and crunchy, around 20 minutes. To check for doneness, cut into the thickest chicken tender to make sure there is no pink.
  6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add sour cream, mustard, Splenda, and (optional) horseradish. Thoroughly mix together with a spoon.
  7. Remove chicken tenders from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve with the sauce.

Cooking Tip: This oat-coating technique can also be used to create a healthy side dish of zucchini “fries.” Trim the ends of 3 to 4 medium zucchinis. Cut each one in half vertically and then quarter each half horizontally so each zucchini yields 8 wedges. Bread as directed in the chicken recipe, placing cut side down onto a baking sheet. Cook until tender in 450 degrees F oven, about 15 minutes depending on size.

Keep it Healthy: Yellow mustard has the lowest sodium of all the mustard varieties. It's the best choice, especially when using in large quantities in a recipe, like potato salad.

Tip: While the food processor is being used to grind up the oats and spices, consider grinding all the oats in the container. Transfer ground seasoned oats back into the container to have on hand when any breading needs arise for a quick way to go a healthy route.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Oat-Crusted Chicken Fingers with Sweet Mustard Sauce
CaloriesCalories
263 Per Serving
ProteinProtein
31.0g Per Serving
FiberFiber
2.9g Per Serving

Nutrition Facts

Calories 263
Total Fat 4.7 g
Saturated Fat 0.9 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.4 g
Cholesterol 75.9 mg
Sodium 274 mg
Total Carbohydrate 23.5 g
Dietary Fiber 2.9 g
Sugars 2.0 g
Added Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 31.0 g

Dietary Exchanges
1 1/2 starch, 3 lean meat

 
Fiber-heavy oats mixed with whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs make both a crunchy and healthy alternative to chicken fingers. This coating can also be used for zucchini “fries,” as explained in the cooking tip. For adults, add the optional kick of horseradish to the sauce. To be kid-friendly, skip the horseradish—or make two batches, one of each sauce version.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Oat-Crusted Chicken Fingers with Sweet Mustard Sauce
CaloriesCalories
263 Per Serving
ProteinProtein
31.0g Per Serving
FiberFiber
2.9g Per Serving
×
Calories 263
Total Fat 4.7 g
Saturated Fat 0.9 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.4 g
Cholesterol 75.9 mg
Sodium 274 mg
Total Carbohydrate 23.5 g
Dietary Fiber 2.9 g
Sugars 2.0 g
Added Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 31.0 g

Dietary Exchanges
1 1/2 starch, 3 lean meat

Ingredients

Servings  6  

  • 2 cups quick-cooking oats (also called instant oats)
  • 3 teaspoons sodium-free Italian seasoning blend
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • 1 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
  • 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 2 packets no-calorie sweetener (about 1/2 teaspoon)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)

Directions

Tip: Click on step to mark as complete.

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a wire baking rack onto a medium-sized baking sheet; coat the baking rack with cooking spray.
  2. Into the bowl of a food processor, add oats, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pulse until finely ground, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer oats to a large Ziploc bag, and add in panko breadcrumbs. Seal Ziploc bag and gently shake to combine.
  3. Into a shallow dish, add egg whites and water. Whisk together with a fork to combine.
  4. Bread each chicken tender: Working 2 to 3 chicken fingers at a time, add into the oat mixture, coating both sides; dip into the egg whites making sure to let excess liquid drip off, and then dredge again in the oat mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken tenders are coated.
  5. Bake in the oven until chicken is fully cooked and crust is golden and crunchy, around 20 minutes. To check for doneness, cut into the thickest chicken tender to make sure there is no pink.
  6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add sour cream, mustard, Splenda, and (optional) horseradish. Thoroughly mix together with a spoon.
  7. Remove chicken tenders from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve with the sauce.

Cooking Tip: This oat-coating technique can also be used to create a healthy side dish of zucchini “fries.” Trim the ends of 3 to 4 medium zucchinis. Cut each one in half vertically and then quarter each half horizontally so each zucchini yields 8 wedges. Bread as directed in the chicken recipe, placing cut side down onto a baking sheet. Cook until tender in 450 degrees F oven, about 15 minutes depending on size.

Keep it Healthy: Yellow mustard has the lowest sodium of all the mustard varieties. It's the best choice, especially when using in large quantities in a recipe, like potato salad.

Tip: While the food processor is being used to grind up the oats and spices, consider grinding all the oats in the container. Transfer ground seasoned oats back into the container to have on hand when any breading needs arise for a quick way to go a healthy route.

 

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