Chicken Nuggets

Preface
I'm really getting tired of not being able to use our camera.  The downstairs computer isn't able to handle the photo software without shutting down, so until we are able to replace our good computer, I stuck without pics.  That's a bummer because this would be the optimal post for pictures!

I like the idea of chicken nuggets.  They're quick to fix, portable, great in a lunchbox and all that fun stuff.  The downside is that they are usually full of preservatives and many times milk.  Since we're trying to be as dairy free as possible, eating chicken nuggets in front of Baby Girl isn't very nice.  Usually I cut chicken breasts into chunks, dip them in egg, then flour and fry them up.  Many times they end up very dry. Today, I tried my hand at making a more commercial type version of them.

I purchased boneless, skinless chicken thighs (on sale).  I broke out the food processor and essentially pulverized the meat into goo.  Then I added salt, pepper and a handful of coursely ground oats (had no bread crumbs and thought flour would be too fine).  I pulsed it again to mix the seasonings up. 

Using a small scoop (about 1 tablespoon), I scooped out a glob of the mixture and dropped it in a bowl of more ground oats.  Once it was coated front and back, and smooshed a little into a chicken nugget shape, I placed it on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray.

When the tray was full, I sprayed the tops with the olive oil and slid it into the oven to bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.  Once finished, I flipped them over and baked another 5 minutes.

This is a work in progress.  The meat flavor and texture was spot-on!  The breading could use a little work.  I'm planning on using bread crumbs the next time and will consider pan frying the nuggets.  The question on that is whether or not I can fry them long enough that they are cooked through without burning the coating.  Only experimentation will tell!

Hopefully by the time I get around to making them again, I'll be able to take pictures. :)

Oh, and we were able to retrieve everything on our hard drive, so YAY on that one!  Now, we just have to fund a used laptop.