Pollo Loco

This recipe comes from Hilary's friend, Chrissy, who made this recipe for Hilary's farewell party a few weeks ago. Chrissy got the recipe from a family she babysits for and we modified it a bit to make it our own.

Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Supplies:

2 bowls
1 cookiesheet
1 can cooking spray

Ingredients:

12 chicken tenders (about 2 lbs. of chicken -- drumsticks work well, too)
1 1/2 C. plain, fine bread crumbs
2 Tbs. paprika (be generous)
1 Tbs. Tony's (or another Creole seasoning)
1 pinch salt-free Cajun seasoning
1/2 C. vegetable oil

Note: After taste-testing, we think you should use some more spice. Season to your tastes and even use some hot seasonings if you want to, too. We recommend 40% spices and 60% bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray cookie sheet generously with cooking spray. Pour vegetable oil into a small bowl. Mix bread crumbs and spices in a separate bowl. Create an assembly line for less mess: chicken -- oil -- spices -- cookie sheet. Envelop each chicken tender in oil, one by one. Let excess oil drip off as you dip chicken in bread crumb mixture.* Carefully lay covered chicken tender on cookie sheet. Continue process until each chicken piece has been dipped in oil and breadcrumbs and then placed on cookie sheet. Spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray. Bake in oven for at least 30 minutes. Check to see if chicken is crisping. Bake for another 10 minutes and if necessary broil for the last 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cool and enjoy! Use sauces to your taste (barbecue, honey mustard, ranch, etc.)

*Do not make this too breadcrumby.

Hilary says: Right away, I thought it was too breadcrumby and not spicy enough for my taste. When Chrissy prepared this recipe with drumsticks instead of tenders, it was less breadcrumby. However, this recipe, using chicken tenders, has a great contrast between the crispy exterior and the juicy, tender interior, making it quite delicious.

Sarah says: I insisted upon using boneless chicken because I hate bones. I can admit that perhaps this recipe is better suited for chicken with bone-in. I think this recipe would be an excellent starting point for Chicken Parmesan. Slather it in marinara sauce and top with cheese and you'd have a winner.

-Overall rating: ★★★½☆
-Ease of preparation: ★★★★☆
-Taste: ★★★★☆
-Bang for the buck: ★★★★★
-Ease of cleanup: ★★★★★

Estimated cost:

$3.50 chicken
$1.00 breadcrumbs
$-.-- paprika (on hand)
$-.-- Tony's Creole seasoning (on hand)
$-.-- Cajun seasoning (on hand)
$-.-- vegetable oil (on hand)
$-.-- cooking spray (on hand)
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about $1.25 per serving depending upon the items you have in your pantry