Dijon-Kissed Baked Chicken Nuggets - Easy

I may be a legendary* blogger, but I still frequently check out the posts from other fellow recipe bloggers.  Such as Kosher in the Kitch.  A short while back, Nina shared a recipe for Baked Orange Chicken, her version of Chinese-style deep-fried chicken nuggets coated in a gingery orange glaze.  Her secret is the use of corn flake crumbs, held fast to the chicken by a coating of dijon-mustard mayo.  A pretty easy recipe that's hard to screw up.

Unless you are me.

At the same time I was whipping up the nuggets, I was also busy with Indian-style Lentil Rice Soup for the first course**.  Since I can be distracted very easily, I completely forgot to make the orange sauce until after dinner.

Oopsie.

Turned out that the subtle dijon-mustard tang of the nuggets held their own so well that I didn't even notice the lack of orange flavor.

So I renamed them Dijon-Kissed Nuggets.  Mistake?  What mistake?  I have no idea what you are talking about.

My biggest deliberate change was to halve the amount of mayonnaise in the recipe.  One whole cup is waaaay too much, even allowing a little excess for ease of schmearing.

Any leftovers can be gently nuked up at 80% power (to avoid rubber chicken) the next day or two.  The nuggets won't be crisp, but can be served as appys or lunch the next day without shame.

*in my own mind.
** no law against mixing ethnic foods in the same meal.

Dijon-Kissed Baked Chicken Nuggets - Easy
Lightly adapted from Kosher in the Kitch
Yield:  4 servings as dinner, 6-8 as an appetizer

cooking spray
2 cups corn flake crumbs (about 2 1/2 cups corn flakes crushed to small distinct particles, not to a powder)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped scallions (for garnish)

Lightly spritz large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine corn flake crumbs with salt and pepper in one bowl. Stir together mustard and mayonnaise in another. With one hand, coat a naked nugget with the mayonnaise mixture, then drop into the crumb mixture. With other hand, cover nugget with crumbs and pat crumbs gently (so that crumbs adhere better), then carefully remove and place nuggets onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining nuggets. Discard remaining crumb and mayonnaise mixtures.

Very lightly spritz chicken with cooking spray. Place baking sheet in oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until until chicken coating starts to brown and chicken is thoroughly cooked through.

Garnish with scallions before serving.