#WellnessWednesday Recipe Re-Dos: Oven Fried Chicken

The holidays are great for a lot of things but healthy meals is not one of them. Eat all the turkey you want but in my family, pasta and carbs are the main event. I am not complaining by any means but there comes a point where you need to just take a step away from the creamy mashed potatoes and cook something a little less...heart-attack inducing? So for the next few weeks, I'll be sharing a recipe for #WellnessWednesday that is a little bit lighter but still comforting. This week's main even is Oven Fried Chicken, a tasty dish that is much better for you compared to fried chicken and a crowd pleaser. 

Start by setting up an assembly station. Three bowls and a baking sheet covered in tin foil should do the trick. The secret to lightening these up is using whole wheat flour instead of regular and using panko bread crumbs instead of traditional. Another plus is that because they're baked, there is not oil involved. 

I served these up with roasted potatoes and veggies for a quick, easy, one sheet dinner. It would also be great chopped up over a salad or served with a side salad by itself. I used chicken tenders but you can also use regular chicken breasts, thighs or whatever you prefer. Get the chicken crunchy all around by placing a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and cooking the chicken on that. The heat will circulate all around leaving you with 100% crunchy chicken and no soggy side.

Oven Fried Chicken
Ingredients
1 lb. Chicken Tenders
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Egg, beaten + 2 tbsp. Water
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Coat one chicken tender at a time well with flour, dip in the egg mixture and coat generously with bread crumbs. Shake lightly to get rid of any excess bread crumbs and place on the baking sheet or cooling rack if you choose to use one. Bake for 15-20 minutes. If you are using breasts, make sure to cook longer. Serve!