Healthy “Cheesy” Chicken Fingers

I don’t like to use the word “healthy” in the name of many of my recipes because I think that people often have their own definition of what healthy means to them.

But… given this recipe is packed with lean protein, quinoa, nutritional yeast, and ground flax, I am confident to say that this is probably a healthy choice for dinner for most people.

I have been prepping and making various versions of quinoa crusted chicken for the last year, but find them all a bit lacking. So, I was forced to create my own! I am pretty sure that adding nutritional yeast to the “crust” is what made this go top notch.

Not only is nutritional yeast a great source of B vitamins, it tastes really good when added to all of the things in life.

Vegans and vegetarians often use it as a Parmesan cheese substitute, and while I am not vegan, nor vegetarian, I can have an appreciation for anything healthy that gives a cheese flavor. I also added Dijon mustard to the egg wash mixture for some extra zing!

These are a multi step production, so I like to make a ton at once, flash freeze on a cookie sheet overnight, and then transfer to a freezer safe container.

Then, I have a weeknight dinner ready to go into the oven with only one baking pan required!

EXPERT TIP – If you are short on time, don’t cut up the chicken into “fingers”, simply coat it whole. You will spend far less time messing around dipping chicken

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Healthy "Cheesy" Chicken Fingers

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 2 -4

Calories 442kcal

Author Confessions of a Meal Plan Addict

Ingredients

• 4 small chicken breasts sliced into "fingers"
• 2 cups COOKED quinoa
• 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 eggs

Instructions

• In a medium sized bowl, combined the quinoa, flax seed, nutritional yeast, granulated garlic, and Italian seasoning.
• In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and Dijon Mustard.
• Dip each piece of chicken into the egg wash mixture, and then over into the quinoa mixture.
• Lay each piece on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• For prep ahead - freeze the chicken raw overnight and then transfer into freezer safe container. Doing this allows prevents the chicken fingers from freezing in one big ball.
• To cook, bake at 375F for 20-30 minutes. Cook time is completely dependent on the size of your chicken. Cook to 165F.
• If you like yours extra crispy, you can spray the chicken with cooking spray and put under the broiler for a minute or two.

Nutrition

Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 7g

So, there you have it, a way to jam pack protein and so many good nutrients into little bites of crispy deliciousness!