SubmittedPhoto Homemade oven baked Chicken Strips.

There are three words that are perhaps the most daily repeated words in the world–what’s for supper? Even folks who enjoy cooking come up against this daily demand. If you ever want to feel like a hometown hero, just jot down a complete menu for the entire week! Family members will do a twirl, and the over the top fans will do a cartwheel upon seeing this note of joy that was left by the kitchen canisters. There is truly a cook’s advantage of doing this because it gives the list maker the perfect reason to sit down and rendezvous with even more cookbooks for the next list to impress! Those of us who are steeped in over-the-top recipe book collections appreciate this opportunity — honestly!

It is interesting to note that flesh of the domestic hen is one of the most widely used meats and is featured in national cuisines around the world. All breeds are descended from the red jungle fowl of India (where the bird is still found in the wild.) It was domesticated some 5,000 years ago, proving that “what’s for supper?” was a concern then too!

Chicken has been taken by humans to every part of world. At first, chickens were kept for eggs rather than flesh. It was the Roman cooks that knew that they were bound for glory upon discovering that hand-fed birds had tender, tasty meats. It was after this discovery that Roman cooks were able to recline on lovely settees with someone feeding them grapes from above. They no longer had to deal with “what’s for supper” –well, at least for a couple of weeks.

They then served Chicken with Corn Soup, Chicken Cacciatore, Chicken with Tarragon and Mushrooms, and Grilled Garlic and Rosemary Chicken. You get the picture!

In our home when “What’s for Supper” is asked by our fuchsia colored Kitchen Aid mixer, Jan and I have two rushing thoughts…sometime to do with chicken or eggs! We both agree — eggs are wonderful, healthy and fast. It is, however, Lydia that disagrees! Easy egg recipes will be an upcoming column down the road.

I do have a lovely recipe for Coq Au Vin, (love that name!) which is another fine chicken recipe that only takes 30 minutes to prepare and goes well with hot cooked rice, salad and crusty bread. It features dry red wine and lovely mushrooms. The ease of this recipe will give you a couple of options to further delight your hungry souls by setting a lovely table and finishing with a gallant dessert. I write this now because it gives hope to combatting the “What’s for Supper” routine. So, this gem will appear in another column and perhaps in duet with an easy, yet impressive dessert.

We are fans — all three of us — of homemade chicken strips that are oven baked. These are easy to make, thus giving time for a nice salad and dessert if desired. Baking them has a fine advantage and that comes if you should happen to have any lauded leftovers. They will rewarm without an aftertaste. Perhaps making a double batch would allow for another day of cookbook fun…just a thought?

Several years ago, I featured a chicken strip recipe that used mayonnaise as a precoat to the crumb mixture. This recipe used an egg wash to do that and crumbs do hold on easier. We have found in our home that homemade chicken strips are an impressive stride forward in the pursuit of “What’s for Supper” management, and we hope you will too!

Homemade oven baked Chicken Strips

These are a favorite in our home. We prefer to bake them; however, they could be fried if desired. The longer the chicken is allowed to marinate in the buttermilk, the more tender the meat becomes. By all means, you can certainly be creative and add your own selections of spices to please your palette.

1-pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders

1 cup of buttermilk

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup crushed corn flakes

1 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour buttermilk into deep bread pan. Add chicken tenders and let marinate in refrigerate for 30 minute or more. Remove chicken from pan and discard buttermilk.

In a pie plate, combine flour, salt, pepper and seasoned salt.

In another pie plate, blend cornflakes, bread crumbs, and paprika

Flour tender, one at a time, in flour, then in egg mixture, and then in crumb mixture

Place on a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. Bale for 25-30 until cooked through.

Dipping Sauce

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup feta cheese, that has been crumbled

2 green onions that have been finely chopped

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

In a bowl, combine feta cheese, buttermilk, sour cream, onion, garlic salt and chopped parsley.

Blend well and allowed to setup for an hour.