Meg Goes Nom Nom

I don’t often “blog” a recipe more than once. After I prepare it, eat it, and blog about the experience, that’s about it. Yes, if it is really good, I may make it again and possibly add it to our “rotation” of meals, but you probably won’t see a feature post on the recipe again. More often than not I am trying new recipes because, well, 1) I like variety and get tired of eating the same things over and over, and 2) I need new blog content.

What this means is that when it comes time to make my dinner menu for the next week, I am digging through magazines, poring over blogs, and clicking all over Pinterest like a crazy woman for new recipes. Sometimes I probably stress out about it a little too much! But honestly, sometimes dinner is the best part of my day. Both the process of cooking AND eating it! I want it to be good. Two and a half years ago, when I began my calorie-counting weight-loss journey, I quickly learned that if I only get so many calories per day, I better make them worth it! That’s why I put so much energy into my weekly meal planning.

Three years ago, I shared this recipe for Cajun Chicken Nuggets with you. But really, I had been making it since our 2008 NYE Feast. That’s well over four years now that I have been making these dandy little bites. Typically I am just not a fan of chicken breast cooked in a skillet. The texture gets rubbery and weird to me. But for some reason, these nuggets just work. They are the best. They are spicy, savory, juicy bites of meaty deliciousness. I’m sure I have made these over twenty times because they are just so.dang.tasty. The Cajun spice mixture is so flavorful and full of accessible ingredients many of us have on hand.

Given that these Cajun Chicken Nuggets are, well, My Favorite Chicken Recipe Ever, I figure they are worthy of being shared again! My favorite side dishes with this recipe are roasted sweet potatoes and creamed spinach!

The reason these nuggets are my favorite way to prepare chicken is because they meet almost every criteria I have when meal planning:

• healthy/low-calorie
• affordable
• accessible ingredients
• fast & easy!
• husband-approved
• DELICIOUS

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Cajun-Style Chicken Nuggets

Adapted from Food.com

This recipe makes enough seasoning for two pounds of chicken nuggets. Instead, I prepare all of spice the mixture, set half aside in a Ziploc bag for later use, and use half of the seasoning with just one pound of chicken!

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste (I usually add more like 1/2 tsp)
• 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1-2 Tablespoons oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the onion recipe soup mix, bread crumbs, chili powder, cumin, thyme, and red pepper flakes.

Toss cubed chicken in bread crumb mixture, coating well.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté chicken, turning as needed, until done; drain on paper towels.

Serve with honey mustard, or your favorite dipping sauce!

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My rating: 9.5/10