Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets can be a point of frustration for many kids on a GFCFSF Diet. They are used to fried, crispy, Micky Dees, or just down right refuse to eat any other than the right brand. We tried a few different recipes until I found one that my son likes. It ended up being an experiment I thought up and it worked out really well for us.

With my son, he was unimpressed by my first few attempts and they were always left on the plate right next to his veggies. He's a sensory seeker and has a history of liking spicy, sour, or sweet stuff. So I decided to look for ways to kick up the flavor and sensory input in an attempt to get chicken into his diet. This is what worked for us and now I make them on a pretty regular basis to keep in the freezer to put into his Bentos. If you're thinking this is the wrong way to go for your child's tastes then check out this link for home made Chicken Nuggets that are supposed to be just like McNuggets. http://gfcfrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/11/quick-and-easy-chicken-nuggets-just.html

I suggest trying my baked recipe first because it's just a ton faster and easier than dealing with deep frying and a healthier option for frequent meals. I've got this chicken nuggets link stowed away for a special occasion. Remember not to use the Fry Daddy that you got for Christmas that one year cause it's probably already been contaminated with Gluten. I know it sucks, just take it one thing at a time.


TLC's Honey Mustard Chicken Nuggets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1 lb. Chicken breasts cut into tenders or strips (make sure to read the label)
Best Foods Canola Mayonnaise
Spicy Brown Mustard (get one that reads like this: Vinegar, water, mustard seed, salt, tumeric)
Some sort of hot sauce (if you're kids into that, if not just omit)
Real Mapel Syrup or Honey
Salt and Pepper to taste
Bob's Red Mill GFCFSF All Purpose Flour
Arrowhead Mills or Bob's Red Mill Corn meal

So I just mix up the mayo, mustard, syrup, salt and pepper, and hot sauce in a bowl. Start at 2 tablespoons of each Mayo and Mustard. Around 1 tablespoon syrup or honey. Add 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper and give it a taste. Adjust any way you want, play with the proportions on the sauce until you like the taste. It's not an exact science and I typically don't measure anything just eyeball it into the bowl to save time then taste.

Mix 1 part GFCFSF flour to 2 parts corn meal and set aside. Dip chicken pieces into sauce then dredge through the flour mixture. Set them to bake on a rack set over a baking sheet and bake at $00 degrees for about 20-25 minutes depending on your oven. This way of using flavor as a base coat keeps the chicken moist and the fat from the mayo helps to crisp the nuggets a bit. If you kiddo is needing something crispier then try finding some GFCFSF corn flakes or crackers and use that in place of the corn meal. Just crumble the flakes up a bit. The best way to freeze them is to cool them slightly on the rack you baked them on and then put the rack in the freezer for about 2 hours. After that I dump them all into a freezer bag for microwaving later.

Let your kiddos try it before you dip in chicken to see if they like the taste, and use this as an opportunity to get them excited about the new nuggets. At our house that looks something like this: "Hey you want to try this special sauce I'm making?, do you want to help cook? I'm making yummy chicken nuggets. Daddy loves chicken nuggets. I bet the dogs like chicken nuggets too but they can't have any because these are just for you!" This is a technique I often use to get him jazzed about whatever new thing it is I'm trying to get him to put into his mouth. I never intro a new food at the table, I always try to get some sort of dialogue going in the kitchen or grocery store that way he can anticipate it's coming. My son gets anxious about new stuff just showing up on his plate and then if it don't look right for whatever reason it ain't coming to the party. This little game of presenting food in a visual and verbal manner is like a double whammy and I'm rounding second heading for home. helps. Sometimes I'll just sit next to him and start eating something I want him to try then act like I don't want to share and that usually gets him interested too. Think outside the box and keep trying things. Persistence will get you closer to figuring out how to get the new foods into them. Remember the hardest part about the diet is finding replacements your kids find yummy but it can be done. Took a few tries at our house but now that we've got this recipe I always have a quick and easy lunch on hand. Next recipe on the horizon for experimentation is Mini Corn Dog Nuggets. I'll let you know how that goes.