Want a easy, weeknight dinner (and who doesn’t)? Try making some Baked Chicken Tenders and turning them into Jenn’s Shortcut Chicken Parmesan! It is incredibly easy. James and I have tried this with basic marinara sauce and Alfredo sauce, both were very tasty.

If you would rather use whole chicken breasts, increase the baking time to 20-25 minutes. Save time by preparing breading ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Jenn’s Shortcut Chicken Parmesan 

Preheat oven to 450F and place a large pot of water over high heat.

Prepare chicken tenders and bake 12-15 minutes.

While chicken tenders cook, add pasta to water and cook according to package directions.  Empty a jar of pasta sauce into a medium saucepan and slowly heat over low heat.

By the time the chicken is done baking, the pasta and sauce will be ready. Drain pasta and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place pasta and chicken tenders on a plate and spoon sauce over both. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately and enjoy! Steamed veggies or a green salad on the side completes the meal.

The latest edition of Everyday Food magazine featured a recipe from a reader in Grand Rapids, Michigan for Baked Chicken Fingers. The recipe called for ground flax seed and wheat germ, items I usually have on hand for smoothies. I was excited to try the recipe because it came from a local cook and chicken tenders are one of my favorite foods, but it becomes a little pointless to use lean, skinless chicken breast when its also battered and deep-fried. At least this breading has some good-for-the-heart omega-3 fortified flax seed and also wheat germ, which is a super grain to use.

Unfortunately, these are both fairly expensive items and I would not recommend purchasing unless you are committed to using them in multiple recipes. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup unprocessed bran, which I do not use and deciding to increase the breadcrumbs from 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup instead. Below is my version of the recipe, but feel free to adjust the proportions to suit your needs.

Baked Chicken Tenders
adapted from Everyday Food

1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 tbsp shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt or powder
1/2 tsp onion salt or powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (about 15-16)
bbq or sweet & sour sauce, for dipping (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet.

In a food processor, combine wheat germ, breadcrumbs, flax seed, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pulse until combined. Add olive oil and pulse until ingredients are slightly moist. Place breading mixture in a shallow bowl.

In another shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs with a fork. Dip chicken tenders in egg, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge in breading mixture, patting slightly to adhere breading to chicken. Arrange chicken tenders in a single layer on wire rack and place in oven.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until cooked through completely and breading is golden brown and lightly toasted (place under a broiler for the last minute of cooking time for a crunchier breading). Serve immediately with dipping sauce, if desired.

Here is a great dish to serve on weeknights when you want something quick, tasty, and satisfying. Use any small shaped pasta, such as rotini or penne, and toss with browned sausage, cubed eggplant, and a few pantry staples to make a great all-in-one meal. Basil adds some freshness and feta cheese gives the dish a touch of tang.

Pasta w/ Sausage, Eggplant & Feta
adapted from Cooking Light

1 large eggplant (about 1 lb), peeled and cubed
1/2 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, do not drain
8 to 10 oz (about half a box) small shaped pasta, such as rotini
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, brown sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking into pieces with a wooden spoon. Add eggplant and garlic, cook until eggplant is tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add tomato paste, oregano, pepper, and diced tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in basil.

Toss eggplant mixture with cooked pasta in a large bowl and top with feta. Serve immediately.

Chicken soup is one of those classic childhood dishes we never grow out of as adults. It comforts us when we are sick, warms us when we are cold, and satisfies us when we are hungry (even if there is no other food in the kitchen). Most of us, though, tend to make chicken noodle soup from a can. For Soupified, I wanted to present some options for making chicken soup, both traditional and modern/global takes on a classic.

One of the first recipes I posted for Soupified was Asian Chicken Noodle Soup. This soup uses lemongrass, ginger, red pepper flakes, and green onions to take chicken noodles from ordinary to extraordinary.

MyRecipes.com has joined the game with the featured article Heart Warming Chicken Soup, which features recipes for Classic Chicken Soup, Thai Shrimp and Chicken Soup, Southwestern Chicken Soup, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, and more. “Nourish your soul with these chicken soup recipes that cure colds, mend broken hearts, and erase bad days.”

Is chicken soup really that magical? We have already talked about the Power of Campbell’s Soup in times of economic crisis, but could chicken soup be thrifty enough to hold the answers to all that ails us? 

Even if you don’t think you can make chicken soup from scratch, I encourage you to try. If it helps, I also encourage you to cheat with pre-chopped vegetables, pre-cooked chicken (rotisserie works great) or any other short cuts that will get you in the kitchen and trying new things. Try taking a step outside of the can, you might like what you find!

Like many dishes I have made lately, this recipe can be prepared vegan with a few simple adaptations. The original recipe calls for chicken stock, but Simple Garlic Broth would be a great substitution (vegetable broth with work as well). After that, just omit the cheese and you have a great vegan supper! Even with the non-vegan ingredients, this is an excellent quick and easy dish to make on those busy weeknights, using mostly pantry items.

The original recipe called for grape tomatoes, which I did not have on hand, so I substituted bella mushrooms. Bella mushrooms have a bit more flavor than traditional white mushrooms, but have basically the same cooking time. Also, the original recipe calls for shell-shaped pasta, but any similar shape will work just fine.

Pasta with Garlic-Chickpea Sauce
adapted from Cooking Light

1 tbsp olive oil, divided 
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-ounce) fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups uncooked rotini or similar shaped pasta
1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh basil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 
Shredded Parmesan cheese, as desired

Heat half of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic; saute 1 minute. Add salt, red pepper flakes, chickpeas, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Place chickpea mixture in a blender (remove center of cap to allow steam to escape), and process until smooth.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.

While pasta cooks, heat remaining oil in a small pan. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Add mushrooms to pan and cook until tender, adding additional oil if necessary.  

Combine chickpea mixture, pasta, mushrooms, fresh basil, and lemon juice; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.