Thank you Dare Crackers for sponsoring this post. Get summer party ready with Dare Crackers - your friends will thank you!
These healthy chicken tenders and tomato poppers are the perfect addition to your summer picnic basket.
Don’t you just love summer? Everything is just more casual and relaxed when the summer season is
underway- including entertaining. All you need is some good friends, good food, and some cold drinks. Simple is best when it comes to summer entertaining. No slaving over a hot stove for hours. I’d rather spend the time outdoors!
As much as I love having people over, I also love packing up a picnic basket and taking a great meal to go. My daughter just turned 3 and has lots of energy! She loves to run around so one of our favorite things to do is to get together with friends and have a fabulous picnic. We have lots of outdoor events at local parks here in Fort Lauderdale- pretty much every week there’s some sort of festival, outdoor concert or food truck event going on. We love to pack a few bags with blankets and supplies and a picnic basket brimming with good eats. That way the kids can run around and have fun and the adults can enjoy some delicious food, drinks and quality time together.
When I found out that I was going to be working with Dare Crackers, I knew I wanted to make a fun recipe, perfect for summer entertaining. Whether prepping for an extravagant party or an impromptu get-together, Dare’s variety of crisp crackers are sure to make each bite better. Dare crackers are the perfect finger food for picnics! I sampled Dare Breton Original Crackers and Dare Cabaret but their whole collection of mouthwatering crackers are loaded with crunch and packed with flavor to make inventive summer canapés better. My daughter Sienna loved munching on them and she can be a tough critic!
I wanted to do something different and use Dare crackers in a creative way so I used them to put my own spin on a classic picnic dish- fried chicken. Fried chicken is a picnic basket staple but it can be a bit messy and greasy so I decided to make an easier and healthier version using boneless chicken tenders. To up the flavor factor, I first marinated the chicken tenders in a spiced yogurt marinade with curry powder and aromatics. This technique infuses the chicken with flavor and the yogurt also tenderizes it- perfect!
Then, I crushed up Dare Breton Original Crackers in a food processor and tossed the crumbs with some warm spices. Just look at those beautiful golden crumbs!
Next, I dredged the chicken tenders in the crumbs and gave them a quick spray with olive oil before
popping them in the oven. If you have a wire rack that you can place on a baking sheet, it will help make them even crispier. After a short time in the oven, the tenders emerged a beautiful golden brown color, crispy and smelling delicious! And because they’re baked, they’re so much healthier than traditional fried chicken!
popping them in the oven. If you have a wire rack that you can place on a baking sheet, it will help make them even crispier. After a short time in the oven, the tenders emerged a beautiful golden brown color, crispy and smelling delicious! And because they’re baked, they’re so much healthier than traditional fried chicken!
To balance out the savory spices in the chicken, I made a quick mango dipping sauce using jarred mango chutney and Greek yogurt. The combination of sweet and savory is something your guests will rave about!
Because I loved the breadcrumb mixture so much, I was inspired to make a second dish with them!
I came upon some adorable red and yellow cherry tomatoes at the market. Cherry tomatoes are always a staple ingredient in my picnic baskets because they’re simple, delicious, and easy to pop in your mouth. I sliced off the bottom of each tomato, turned them upside down in a baking dish and then topped them with a little bit of the breadcrumb mixture. A quick turn under the broiler to crisp up the crumbs and voilà- a lovely second dish for my summer picnic was done! And it only took a few extra minutes!
I came upon some adorable red and yellow cherry tomatoes at the market. Cherry tomatoes are always a staple ingredient in my picnic baskets because they’re simple, delicious, and easy to pop in your mouth. I sliced off the bottom of each tomato, turned them upside down in a baking dish and then topped them with a little bit of the breadcrumb mixture. A quick turn under the broiler to crisp up the crumbs and voilà- a lovely second dish for my summer picnic was done! And it only took a few extra minutes!
Recipe
Curried Chicken Tenders
These healthy chicken tenders are the perfect addition to your summer picnic basket.
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Servings: 16 tenders
Calories: 93kcal
Ingredients
Curried Chicken Tenders:
- ½ cup plain low fat yogurt
- 3 teaspoons curry powder, divided use
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds chicken tenders (about 16 tenders)
- 36 Dare Breton Original Crackers
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Olive oil
Mango Dipping Sauce:
- ½ cup jarred mango chutney (such as Major Grey’s)
- ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
Instructions
- Mix the yogurt, 1 teaspoon curry powder, garlic, ginger and salt together in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir to combine. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish (or marinate overnight).
- Process the crackers in a food processor until finely ground (you should have about 2 cups of crumbs). Place in a dish. Stir in 2 teaspoons curry powder and the cayenne pepper.
- To make the sauce, puree all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Heat oven to 425°F.
- Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and spray or brush with olive oil. Take each chicken tender and dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture until completely coated. Place the tenders on the baking sheet and spray or brush with olive oil. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 15 minutes. Serve with mango cilantro dipping sauce.
Notes
Mango Dipping Sauce (2 tablespoons): Calories 48; Fat 0g (Sat 0g); Protein 0.9g; Carb 10.3g; Fiber 0g; Sodium 141mg
Nutrition
Serving: 0g | Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.1g | Protein: 13.4g | Fat: 1.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg
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Recipe
Crispy Tomato Poppers
This simple side dish is perfect for summer!
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Servings: 6
Calories: 18kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumb mixture (see previous recipe)
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Turn on the broiler.
- Slice the bottom off the tomatoes. Turn them upside down and place them in a baking dish, sliced side up. Season them with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix the breadcrumbs with the oil. Sprinkle a small amount of the mixture on top of each tomato.
- Place the dish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until topping is toasted. Be careful not to let it burn. Remove from oven and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.2g | Protein: 0.7g | Fat: 0.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 40mg | Fiber: 0.8g
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Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
These look amazing! I am married to a huge kid (HA!), and I know these would go over well in our house!
sonaliruder says
Haha! Thanks Laura!
Natalie says
Oh my! I wish I wasn't gluten free because I want to eat this all up! Totally a recipe I'm making for my husband, looks amazing!!! I love the idea of using crackers for breading too!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Natalie! Breton makes some awesome gluten free crackers too so you should totally give this recipe a try with those 😉
Alisa says
Your daughter is too cute! I'd never thought to use crackers as a coating - it's such a good idea and they look perfect this way.
sonaliruder says
Awww, thanks so much Alisa 🙂
Lindsey says
Those cherry tomato poppers are so cute!!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Lindsey!
Deanna - Teaspoon of Spice says
What a SUPER fun recipe - love this for kids and the adults in their lives:)
sonaliruder says
Thanks Deanna, I really did have fun with this one 🙂
Kristy Sayer @ Southern In Law says
This is a brilliant idea! These chicken tenders would have so much flavour!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much Kristy!
Sarah Grace Spann says
Ahh I've made a yummy crispy salmon with those crackers, so good!! But like I said on IG, too funny that you made these delicious looking guys, because I've been chowing down on my own healthy chicken tenders this week, but with lemon sauce! Chicken tenders are the best 🙂 But those poppers look YUMMY too!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Sarah! I love that we're so often on the same wavelength 🙂
Farrah says
Those tomato poppers are the cutest thing ever, and I love mangos! That dipping sauce is perfect for those chicken tenders! *-* Such a great way to use those crackers! :]
sonaliruder says
Aren't they so cute? Thanks Farrah 🙂
Amanda RunToTheFinish says
Curry is such a great spice for our health, I really need to use it more!! I love this idea for the chicken tenders and I bet my family would be all about the tomoatos!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Amanda! I love using curry! Those tomatoes came out really good 😉
Elizabeth Shaw says
Seriously, you are brilliant! I too put yogurt on everything, and love the idea of your marinade with the curry and dipping sauce of mango! I've definitely had Dare before so I will have to whip up these the next time I get them in my pantry!! Your daughter, #priceless!!!
sonaliruder says
Liz, you always say the nicest things!!! Sienna really has become a master "funny face" maker 🙂
Sara Haas says
Chicken fingers are so delicious and I love that you've crafted this version with curry! 🙂 Awesome recipe Sonali! I hope my daughter's smile is as big as your's when she tries them!!!!
sonaliruder says
Aww, thanks Sara! I hope your daughter loves them too!