you're making mealtime meaningful.
Coming up with unique weeknight meals can often seem tedious, so I typically fall back on convenient favorites that I know everyone will eat. Chicken is a frequent go-to because it’s like a blank canvas in terms of flavor and it’s fairly easy and quick to cook. This recipe for crispy cheddar chicken isn’t a new concept but it is something that will satisfy my hungry crew on a busy weeknight.
Crispy cheddar chicken relies on super simple ingredients, mainly a handful of pantry staples. All we really need is chicken, butter crackers, and cheddar cheese. But it’s also important to add some dimension by building in some extra flavor to keep the finished product flavorful, so some salt, pepper, dried parsley, and garlic powder are an absolute must.
If you’re not already familiar with the process, then you’ll love how easy it is to put together. The crackers are pulsed in a blender along with our seasonings and some melted butter until nice and crumbly, and then an egg mixture to act as a glue for our crumbles.
You’ll dredge the chicken into the egg mixture then into the dry crumbs, coating the chicken evenly. The chicken pieces go into a prepared baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes.
And that’s pretty much it! But, why stop there? A can of cream of chicken soup will make a rich and creamy sauce to pour over top of these crispy chicken pieces and the meal is complete.
Of course, a side dish like veggies or a salad will help round out the dish nicely. I can’t emphasize how important it is to have a few of these simple recipe staples in your cooking arsenal. They can be a great inspiration for a weeknight meal.
Crispy Cheddar Chicken
Yield(s): Serves 4
45 minutes
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken tenders or breasts
- 2 sleeves butter crackers, such as Ritz
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- For the sauce:
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Milk, as needed
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- If using chicken breasts, cut each breast into 2 or 3 large pieces.
- In a food processor, pulse crackers, cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley until fine crumbs are formed.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Place cracker/cheese mixture in a separate shallow bowl.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in the egg mixture, then in the cracker mixture, pressing in crumbs to coat well.
- Place chicken in prepared pan and spray with a thin layer of cooking spray. Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until chicken is golden brown and crispy, 10 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, stir together chicken soup, sour cream, and butter, over medium-high heat. Add milk by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve over chicken and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Let's Dish.