BBQ Chicken Chippers (Don't Call Them Fingers!)

There once was a very little girl who was very opinionated. We'll call her...oh, let me see...how about Kimber? On a family outing to cheer on her sister (just for haha's, we'll call her Mieke) who competed for the Central Michigan University gymnastics team, we found ourselves in Ohio. Kent, Ohio to be specific. 

Following the meet, a family dinner was in order. Lo and behold, around a bend a sign said "Mike's Place - Country Food." Sounded good to us! As this very curious and obstinate little girl heard the words "country food," she was as horrified as a 4-year old could be. Kimber promptly told us, "I HATE that country food!" 

Yeah, she was 4. She was outnumbered. It was 7 to 1 against her and besides, I did mention she was FOUR, right? Really, should she even have had a vote? So in we went.  

The place was cavernous and the menu was massive. How could a 4-year-old NOT find something she liked? Right there, prominently in the kids' section of the menu was every kid's dream dinner - chicken nuggets. Whew. 

Only they didn't call them nuggets, they called them chicken fingers. Little did we know this very little girl would be horrified (again) by the thought of eating chicken FINGERS! Apparently the child had visions of "chicken fingers" being feet and toenails! What did she know from chicken fingers?  

Apparently entirely too many McDonalds visits had her convinced chicken only came in nuggets. If only we had thought with a 4-year-old's mind and had recognized the potential for trouble. 

Lovely planks of golden chicken strips arrived at the table. Nope she wouldn't eat them, she wouldn't even touch them. Clearly this adamant tyke was not going to budge an inch. She KNEW she wouldn't like that country food! And she didn't.
 
Which brings me to a recipe for chicken fingers even Kimber would like.  What kid, or even grownup, wouldn't love tender chicken, dipped in sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, breaded in salty, crunchy potato chips mixed with crisp smoky bacon, oven-fried and served with a even more BBQ sauce?  What's not to LOVE?!

 BBQ Chicken Chippers 

(Don't Call Them Fingers!)

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 cups potato chips, crushed fine in the food processor
• 3 slices bacon, thick sliced, cooked crisp, minced fine in the food processor
• 1 - 1 1/2 pound chicken tenders, approximately 12
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, your favorite bottled brand - be sure it's gluten-free if you want to make these GF - PLUS extra to drizzle & dip

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 
Put BBQ sauce in a shallow bowl. Mix crushed potato chips and minced bacon together and spread on a plate. Dip each tender well in BBQ sauce. Dredge well on all sides in the chip/bacon mixture. As each tender is done, place on a plate until all are done.
 
Spray a baking sheet with a rim all around with Pam. Put it in the oven to heat, but watch carefully so it doesn't smoke. Lay each tender on the baking sheet keeping space between them. Spray the tops of the tenders with more Pam.
 
Bake 15 minutes, turn each one over and bake another 10 minutes or until browned, crisp and crunchy.
 
Remove to plate and serve with additional BBQ sauce for dipping.
NOTE: I used baked chips to help reduce the fat & calories.




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