I’ve said it before: Mr. How Sweet could happily eat the same thing every day.
That was true long before I came into his life and introduced him to more flavorful food.
I still have visions of plain ground turkey and bland egg whites haunting me.
I love getting feedback on my recipes. Whenever I try something new, I grill Mr. How Sweet for about ten minutes.
He’s a man of few words, which drives me crazy—except when he wants to talk about himself, which he does constantly.
The honey ginger chicken nuggets and buffalo chicken fingers were such hits in our house that I couldn’t wait to test another flavor combination.
Many evenings, our conversations go something like this:
He takes a bite and before he’s chewed four times, I ask, “Is it good?”
“Uh-huh,” he says with a mouthful of food, eyes glued to the TV.
“Uh-huh? Well, is it really good? Do you love it?”
“Yes, it’s really good,” he replies, still staring at whatever show is on.
“Is it better than the last time I made it? Is it hot enough? Crispy enough?”
“I don’t remember what I ate for lunch, let alone the last time you made this. It’s good.”
“But just good? Not great? Better than ground turkey?”
“It’s very good! But…I really love ground turkey.”
“Well…is it one of the best meals I’ve ever made?”
“It’s pretty good. But I really liked that crispy sweet-and-sour chicken you made.”
“Wait—I made sweet-and-sour chicken that wasn’t crispy, and I made crispy ginger chicken. Which one do you mean?”
“It’s good! CAN YOU JUST LET ME EAT?”
This is usually when Mr. How Sweet picks up his plate and moves to another spot to finish his meal.
I still don’t know why he does that.
Honestly, the safest place for him might be the coat closet—I’m convinced there are monsters in there.
Crispy BBQ Chicken Fingers
1–2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders
2 cups low‑fat buttermilk
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons McCormick’s BBQ seasoning
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Combine the buttermilk and barbecue sauce in a shallow dish. Add the chicken and marinate for 2 hours or overnight for best flavor.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
In a large bowl, mix the panko, BBQ seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and flour. Dredge each chicken piece in the panko mixture, then place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tenders. Lightly spray each piece with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, flip the pieces, spray or brush again, then bake for another 10–15 minutes until golden and cooked through.
When the chicken is done, brush with additional barbecue sauce for a glossy, flavorful finish.
These chicken fingers easily rank up there with the honey ginger chicken.
Don’t ask Mr. How Sweet—he’ll simply tell you they’re…good.