Parmesan Chicken Bites

My wife mentioned these Parmesan chicken bites the other day. I made them a long time ago and posted them on our old blog, Crossroads of America, and somehow had forgotten about them. That’s a shame because they’re really great. They aren’t nuggets like you might think. And they aren’t crunchy because they aren’t fried. They have a light coating, with a great herb-and-butter flavor. They are very addicting. Bite after bite, you’ll find yourself unable to stop eating them. The flavors are amazing. So make a double batch. You’ll be glad that you did.

Parmesan Chicken Bites

Flavor-Packed Nuggets Of Happiness

I continued the herb theme and served these Parmesan chicken bites with a cool Ranch dressing for dipping. A Dijon dipping sauce also works great, as does blue cheese dressing. These little yummy morsels are a great alternative to deep-fried chicken nuggets. They are a bit more difficult to pick up with your fingers, so be prepared to serve them with small appetizer forks.

I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.

Want ’em crunchy? Try my homemade chicken nuggets.

Parmesan Chicken Bites
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5 from 1 vote

Parmesan Chicken Bites

These aren’t nuggets like you might think. And they aren’t crunchy because they aren’t fried. They have a light coating, with a great herb-and-butter flavor. They are very addicting.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken nuggets, Parmesan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 173kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breast halves boneless skinless, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • Your favorite dipping sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.
  • Combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil and spread out in a pie plate.
  • Working in batches, dip the chicken pieces into the melted butter and shake off the excess. Roll in the breadcrumb mixture.
  • Place chicken on foil and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the thickest pieces are cooked.
  • Serve with your favorite chicken nugget dipping sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 425mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 393IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Garlic Parmesan Wings

Visit my other site, For The Wing, for all things chicken-wing!

These savory garlic Parmesan wings were just fantastic. Nutty Parmesan cheese pairs well with earthy garlic. For me, just a little bit of cool Ranch dressing for dipping is all that is required. I want to enjoy the flavor of the wings, so I just dip a bit, if at all. These wings have some of the best flavor of any wings I’ve ever made or had. I regret not making more when I made them for lunch the other day!

Garlic Parmesan Wings

I cooked these garlic Parmesan wings on my Weber charcoal grill using the Vortex insert, which gives me that great crunchy skin and fantastic grilled flavor without a lot of effort. In fact, just about no effort whatsoever.

If you want a bit of a kick, add a few pinches of red pepper flake to the sauce.

Also try my easy-to-make and quick-to-devour grill master wings. If you’re in a hurry, grab a bottle of Kroger’s Parmesan Garlic wing sauce and devour some wings!

Garlic Parmesan Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Garlic Parmesan Wings

These savory garlic Parmesan chicken wings were just fantastic. Nutty Parmesan cheese pairs well with earthy garlic. For me, just a little bit of cool Ranch dressing for dipping is all that is required.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword garlic Parmesan, wings
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 488kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

For the wings

For the sauce

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 4 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese freshly grated, divided

Instructions

For the wings

For the sauce

  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in the garlic powder and 4 tablespoons of the cheese.
  • Heat until the garlic has dissolved and the cheese and melted.

Nutrition

Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 548mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 692IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Parmesan Peas

I’m on a never-ending quest to find recipes that jazz up canned or frozen vegetables. I stock up on them before winter hits because you just never know when you might get stuck in the house for a while because of a blizzard (at least here). Once winter has passed I then rush to use up all the cans and bags and boxes of veggies. These Parmesan peas are an outstandingly good way to use frozen peas. And once fresh peas are available again, I’ll make this recipe with fresh ones. But either way, frozen or fresh, these peas are great!

Parmesan Peas

Ready In No Time

You really have to watch these Parmesan peas when you cook them. They’ll go from bright green to yellowish in a heartbeat. Once they are all bright green, get them off the heat! I was dangerously close to crossing the line when I made these. Not that they’ll taste bad if you do let them cook too far, not at all. But they do get a bit softer. If you’re not into soft peas, pay attention and don’t over-cook them!

I made these peas in my cast iron skillet. But, any good ole skillet will do!

Also try my penne pasta with peas.

Parmesan Peas
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5 from 1 vote

Parmesan Peas

hese Parmesan peas are an outstandingly good way to use frozen peas. And once fresh peas are available again, I’ll make this recipe with fresh ones. But either way, frozen or fresh, these peas are great!
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword Parmesan, peas
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 121kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the shallots along with a pinch of salt. Cook until the shallots are soft and translucent.
  • Add the peas and another pinch of salt. Cook until peas are soft and bright green, 2-3 minutes at most. Do not overcook or the peas will change color and no longer be bright green.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
  • Serve sprinkled with the cheese and a pinch or two of pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 728IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Parmesan Chicken Zoodles

This absolutely fantastic pasta-free dish reminds me of one we made years ago, but with pasta. It has all the great flavors, but uses zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead. I recently picked up a zoodler (spiralizer… spiral slicer… I’ve been making up names for it as I go), and just love how they are such a great low-carb substitute for pasta. Parmesan chicken zoodles combine some of my favorite tastes in one bite. First, cream. Gotta have cream. Second, chicken thighs. I love chicken thighs. I prefer them over chicken breasts. Sure, thighs aren’t as lean so if you want, you can substitute chopped chicken breast instead.

Parmesan Chicken Zoodles

Sun-Dried Tomatoes For The Win

Next up? Sun-dried tomato. Sun-dried tomatoes were not something I was exposed to growing up. They were a new flavor experience to me when I started cooking. I really like them. They have such a great texture and deep flavor. The oil they are packed in is absolutely great for cooking (so don’t ever toss it out!).

If you know me or follow this blog at all, you know I gotta have some kick. Some heat. It doesn’t have to be much, but a little something to offset the sweetness of the cream is necessary in this dish. Use a little or a lot.

Finally, zoodles. Thinly sliced zucchini. Cooked so they have just a bit of crunch. Almost like pasta, and essentially carb-free. Perfect!

Looking for the perfect spiral dessert? Try my apple zoodles!

Parmesan Chicken Zoodles
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4 from 1 vote

Parmesan Chicken Zoodles

This absolutely fantastic pasta-free dish reminds me of one we made years ago, but with pasta. It has all the great flavors, but uses zoodles.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken, noodles, Parmesan, zucchini
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 457kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ pound chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut into strips or chunks
  • 1 7.5 ounce sun-dried tomatoes julienned
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • pinch dried basil
  • pinch dried red pepper flake
  • 2 large zucchini or 3 medium, made into zoodles or just sliced thin/julienned

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Season the chicken with salt and add it to the pan. Stir to coat then cook until golden brown on all sides.
  • Lower the heat to medium.
  • Add the sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the oil they are jarred in along with the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to low and stir in the cream.
  • Add the cheese and stir until melted.
  • Season with salt and add dried basil and red pepper flake.
  • Add the zucchini, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes or until al dente.
  • Serve with additional Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 397mg | Potassium: 645mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 780IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 313mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.