Chicken Fingers - Baked

I will be posting the stuffed rolls recipe in a week or two - I want to get some photos together for a bread tutorial before I post that recipe. So this week I'm posting the Chicken Fingers. I got this recipe from my sister in law, and it is now my go to recipe for chicken fingers. I usually try to make half with a little tweak to see what difference it makes in flavor, pretty much like any recipe I try. You'll see a few optional substitutions and this is because I have tweaked it a bit - but don't worry I always tell you which I like best! I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine did.

Chicken Fingers

First assemble ingredients for cracker coating - 1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed; 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (the stuff in the can); 1 Tbsp basil; 1 tsp season salt or 1/2 tsp garlic salt (I preferred the garlic salt) and 1/2 tsp pepper.

You can either mix in a food processor or by hand.

I used my hand blender. I got it for a wedding present and absolutely LOVE it - and can't believe I did not know what it was 5 years ago!

Once mixed, set aside.

Melt 1 cube butter (you can use margarine, but butter makes it better) in a microwave.

Cut up 2 chicken breasts into either large or small pieces, depending on the size you want. I usually make mine 2 inches long and 1 inch wide (with some varying pieces...)
Also measure out 1 cup flour and place in a wide container.
Dip cut chicken breasts in flour (not done in these photos but it does make them better!), 

and then drop in butter to coat.

You can coat multiple pieces at a time or do them singly, depending on what you prefer.

Then dip them in the crumb mixture.

So this hand you are seeing is actually my husbands - he volunteered to dip the chicken so I could take the photos. I don't mind looking at his hands - I really love them!

Here's his hand (well fingers actually) holding a coated piece of chicken.

Place onto a cookie sheet.

This is my hand, you can ignore it. When I coat chicken, I usually press it into the crumbs so it coats the chicken thicker and more evenly.

Just like these - and you can ignore this hand as well.

Once the cookie sheet is filled up,

 put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes (depending on size)

Pull out and let cool for a minute. To test if they are done, you can thread a few of them onto a meat thermometer. If it reads 160 degrees (or higher) they are cooked.

Enjoy! (If you want them to be browned evenly over both sides, turn halfway through, otherwise they will be darker on the side that was touching the cookie sheet.)

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