Chicken Strips and Potato Salad

So, tonight I was supposed to have chicken strips and roasted red potatoes, but I got home late from work, and the potatoes take 40 minutes to cook, so I substituted potato salad that I made on Sunday.

I should have said in my first food related blog entry that almost none of these recipes are mine in full or in part. Ha. That said, tonight's chicken was really my recipe - as is obvious in it's simplicity.

To start, I cut chicken breasts into strips, rinsed them in water and coated them with crushed crackers, Parmesan cheese and garlic herb seasoning. We found these 12-grain crackers at Trader Joe's that make the best chicken coating. They are like Ritz, but much better for you.

Then, I sprayed a cookie sheet with olive oil spray and put it in the oven for a few minutes to heat it up (so the chicken would not be soggy on the bottom) and then baked the strips for about 12 minutes. It was pretty easy.

The potato salad is one of my new favorite side dishes. Here is the exact recipe:

• 1 lb red potatoes
• 1/4 cup light zesty Italian dressing
• 1/3 cup Miracle Whip Light Dressing
• 1-1/2 tsp. Grey Poupon
• 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
• Sliced green onion - to taste
  

Boil potatoes just until tender
Drain, rinse with cold water until cooled completely
Mix dressing and mustard, add potatoes, eggs and onions; mix lightly
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (the longer the better)

I like to serve side dishes in a glass - an idea I stole from a restaurant in Chicago (thanks Lauren). I used barbecue sauce (also from Trader Joe's) for dipping.

Here are the results:

Pros:
- The breading had great flavor
- The chicken was juicy
- Very quick to make
- I love the potato salad

Cons:
- The top of the chicken was not as crispy as I would have liked

Overall grade: A

I will add it to my regular menu.

Tomorrow: Fettucini Carbonara