Mary Ann, "the Church Lady's" Crispy Baked Italian Garlic Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

Mary Ann, "the Church Lady's" Crispy Baked Italian Garlic Parmesan Chicken Nuggets is indeed a longwinded name, but that's the way she was!  This is a quick ten minute prep time with a 15 minute cooking time.  This recipe serves 6.

Mary Ann was an Italian in my church in Miami.  I asked her one time what kind of spaghetti sauce she bought for the church dinners.  Big mistake.  The recipe started with, "First, start two days before the dinner..."  Apparently buying a jar of spaghetti sauce in a jar is an early sign of demonic possession.

For sensitive food issues, you can skip the garlic, and the Italian Seasoning.  Instead, add a bit of basil, oregano, parsley, thyme and rosemary.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into nuggets and patted dry (thighs will stay moisture, but many will prefer the white meat)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs (unseasoned)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (which is a mix you can buy that contains basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

Directions: 

1. Combine the 1/2 cup of melted butter and the minced garlic in a small bowl. 
2. In another bowl, combine the 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. 
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 
4. Dip them into the melted butter.
5. Dredge the chicken in the breadcrumbs. 
6. Prep a baking sheet with some very small oil, or a non-stick aluminum foil.
7. Put the chicken onto a baking sheet. 
8. Drizzle chicken with any of the remaining garlic butter. 
9. Bake in a preheated 450-degree F oven for about 15 minutes or until chicken is crispy and cooked through (165 degrees F internal temperature). 
10. Store any leftover nuggets in an airtight container in the fridge.

 photography.