Stuffed Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• ⅓ cup milled flaxseed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 2 sticks part-skim mozzarella string cheese, unwrapped
• 8 chicken breast tenders (2 ounces each)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat it with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flaxseed and salt in a shallow bowl or pie plate. In another bowl or pie plate, whisk together the panko and Parmesan. In a third bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
• Cut each string cheese stick in half crosswise and then again in half lengthwise to yield a total of 8 pieces. Set aside.
• Insert a paring knife through the middle of one end of a chicken tender. Gently cut a pocket through the length of the tender, leaving both sides and the other end of the tender intact. Repeat with the remaining chicken tenders. Insert one piece of string cheese into each pocket.
• Working with one stuffed chicken tender at a time, dredge the chicken in the flaxseed mixture, shaking off any excess. Dip the chicken into the egg wash, allowing any excess to drip off, then coat with the panko mixture, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with the remaining tenders.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Arrange the tenders in the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown and crisp on the first side, about 3 minutes. Flip the tenders over, moving the pieces around if necessary, and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the tenders to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

Quick tip: Depending on the size of the chicken tenders, it may be a little tricky to tuck the cheese inside. You can slice the cheese in half again to make it easier.

Recipe adapted from: “Half the Sugar, All the Love” by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH.