Little kids usually aren’t too fond of eating their veggies, especially when they’re in a salad. I’ve found one way though that I can fool mine into at least picking at his salad, and that’s to make salads topped with chicken nuggets. This is a trick I’ve been using for years, even before I had my son, I use to make salads like this for my friend’s kids, and it almost always works to at least trick them into trying a little of the greenery on their plate.
The only problem with making tasty chicken nugget salads is the time and mess involved in making deep fried chicken nuggets from scratch. They are incredible, but I don’t always have time to make them. So when Kraft asked me to try their new Fresh Take cheese and breading mix, I knew exactly what I was going to make first.
Kraft challenged several food bloggers with different flavors. My challenge card was for the Cheddar Jack and Bacon. I don’t think I could have gotten a better flavor. But really all their flavors are outstanding: Italian Parmesan, Smoky Mesquite BBQ, Classic Four cheese and Southwest Four cheese, Spicy Chipotle Cheddar, Rosemary and Roasted Garlic, Chili Lime and Panko, Savory Four cheese. With all those amazing flavors, Kraft has something for everyone.
So to make these super quick and easy chicken nuggets, all you have to do is open the package of Kraft Fresh Takes and mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together. Then add in your chicken pieces and coat them well with your hands. Don’t be afraid to get messy! After the chicken is coated well, place it on a greased cookie sheet, or one that has been lined with parchment paper. Then just bake until golden brown.
For the salad, I used tender and tasty butter lettuce. Then I topped it with roma tomatoes and fresh cucumbers. For a spicy kick, I added some radishes to my salad. For the dressing, you can use a pre-prepared honey mustard or ranch would also work really well. I wanted to quickly make a homemade dressing, so I shook up a simple honey mustard vinaigrette in a jar.
I’ve got another amazing recipe coming your way soon using Kraft Fresh take, plus an amazing giveaway you don’t want to miss. Be sure to check in the next few weeks for updates. You can follow the hashtag #KraftFreshTake on Twitter and Pinterest to get some great recipe ideas for this product.
Also don’t forget to visit www.kraftfreshtake.com where you can find additional recipe suggestions for Fresh Take flavors.
You can learn more about Kraft here. Don’t forget to also connect with them on Twitter and Facebook.
Yield: Serves 4
For the salad
1 package Kraft Fresh Take Cheddar Jack and Bacon
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces
2 heads butter lettuce, torn
2 medium roma tomatoes, sliced
2 small cucumbers, sliced thin
honey mustard dressing, prepared or homemade (recipe below)
For the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
Heat oven to 375°. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Open FRESH TAKE bag; pull apart center seal. Mix contents together. Place chicken in bag, 1 piece at a time. Lightly press cheese mixture onto both sides of chicken. (Chicken will not be completely coated.) Place on prepared baking sheet; top with remaining cheese mixture.
Bake for 12 - 18 minutes, or until golden brown and chicken is no longer pink.
While chicken is cooking, prepare saladsd by placing butter lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers on salad plates.
For dressing, add all ingredients to a salad dressing shaker or quart sized Mason jar. Shake well until all ingredients are incorpoated.
Serve salad topped with chicken pieces and honey mustard vinaigrette.
KRAFT Foods is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me and has provided me with a gift of equal value for review. I have also been compensated for my time. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by Eclectic Recipes.
