Cornflake Crusted Chicken Fingers with Sweet Potato Fries and Chutney Dipping Sauce

It’s that easy: In order for the fries to cook up tender in the middle and browned on the outside, they must be cut according to the plan. Designate a kitchen ruler and keep it in a handy drawer for measuring. It eliminates guesswork which = stress.

Cornflake Crusted Chicken Fingers with Rosemary Sweet Potato Pan Fries and Chutney Dipping Sauce

Start to finish: 45 minutes
Hands on time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

4 medium or 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks no more than 1/2-in thick
2 branches fresh rosemary, tender leaves stripped from the hard branch and chopped
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil, plus more if necessary, divided
Salt for sprinkling plus 1/2 teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut on the diagonal into 6 slices
1/4 cup Dijon mustard, divided
1/4 cup mayonnaise, divided
1/2 cup bottled chutney
3/4 cup pulverized cornflake crumbs
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F

Arrange the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan.  Drizzle the potatoes with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and toss them right on the pan with the rosemary and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Toss the chicken in a large bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons mustard and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, coating the chicken pieces evenly. Mix the cornflake crumbs and panko in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken fingers into the crumbs, pressing to coat them completely.

Pop the sweet potatoes in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

When the oil shimmers, arrange some of the chicken in one layer. Don’t move the chicken while it browns on the first side, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken to brown the other side, about 3 minutes, adding more oil to the pan if necessary to keep things sizzling. Transfer the chicken as it is cooked to a sheet pan and then into the oven to stay hot. Continue to cook the next batch of chicken in the same way, adding more oil as necessary.

Check the fries and see if they are browned, crispy and tender in the middle. If so, they are ready to go. If not, they might need another 4 or 5 minutes cooking time.

Mix up the remaining 2 tablespoons mustard, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and chutney in a small bowl and mix to combine it well. Set it aside.

Serve the hot chicken fingers and crispy sweet potato fries with the chutney dipping sauce.

Extra Hungry?  A tossed green salad would be a nice accompaniment to this crispy dinner. Just throw together whatever greens you have in the crisper drawer with a squirt of lemon, a glug of olive oil, salt, pepper and it’s done.

In the glass: This feast kind of reminds me of a Happy Meal so in the spirit of happiness how about trying a Gewurtztraminer? Ask the wine expert at Heinen’s for a suggestion. They’d love to help you find a bottle that makes you smile.

Serves 4

Click here to print this page | Recipe created by Carla Snyder

Carla has spent the past 30 years in the food world as a caterer, artisan baker, cooking school teacher, food writer and author of 6 cook books including the James Beard nominated Big Book of Appetizers. Her passion is sharing fresh, cooked-from-scratch weeknight meals that cut prep time and practically eliminate that nightly sink-full of dishes. Look for Carla on Facebook, Twitter (carlacooks), Pinterest and at ravenouskitchen.com where she blogs about everything from cooking for two to easy weekend entertaining for a crowd.