Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders

I was browsing through a few cookbooks over the weekend and found a recipe for “Crisp Garlic Chicken” in Southern Livings Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites – think, Chicken Parmesan without the cheese (no cheese??).

Despite being appalled at the lack of cheese, the recipe did catch my eye for something else. Something I’ve never tried before. Instead of using egg to act as a binding agent with the breadcrumb crust, it used warmed olive oil with garlic.

So, with my next breaded recipe, I had to try it too.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×11″ baking sheet with olive oil; set aside.

Combine the 1/2 cup olive oil and the garlic in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, pepper, salt, oregano and dill together on a large plate. Sprinkle the chicken tenders lightly with salt and pepper, and then dip each one in the olive oil, followed by the breadcrumb mixture. After each chicken tender is evenly coated with breadcrumbs, place it on the baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the coating is golden brown. Serve with Tangy Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (below).

Whisk the mustard, honey and sour cream together. Serve with Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders.