What can I say?  March Madness, the month when all basketball fans become fanatical!  This year March Madness turns 80!  March Madness is a tradition that has been around since 1939 when the first NCAA Division 1, men’s basketball tournament was played.  The crowning champion of the very first NCAA tournament was the Oregon Ducks. In the 1939 season, the Ducks went 29 wins and 5 losses.  Ducks went on to play and beat Ohio State 46-33 to win the first NCAA tournament, and, the rest is history!

Where did the phrase “March Madness” come from? According to the NCAA, March Madness was used to refer to basketball by an Illinois high school official, Henry V. Porter in 1939.  Henry Porter coined the phrase March Madness, however, it wasn’t used as the official NCAA tournament title until CBS broadcaster, Brent Musburger used it when covering the 1982 games.  Since then, March Madness is synonymous with NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball.

The NCAA has many great basketball players from around the world, most notably, there is a record 133 Canadians playing in this year’s NCAA D1 men’s basketball tournament. Quite an impressive feat.

So with all of the March Madness hoopla, there will be many parties to attend and many different appetizers to eat.  So without further ado, let’s try out one of my favourite recipes that make chicken tenders the focal point of the table.  Add a delicious honey mustard sauce for dipping.

These juicy, yummy, crispy chicken tenders aren’t fried, they are baked, so no need to worry about your waistline!

March Madness Crispy Chicken Tenders Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 1-1/2 lbs. chicken tenders
• ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
• ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. mild paprika
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp.  onion powder
• ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a jelly roll pan or your Le Creuset cast iron oval baker. I usually grease with butter, but you can use cooking oil or a cooking oil spray. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt and, pepper.
3. Dip chicken tenders into the egg mixture and let sit for 30 minutes in the refrigerator while preparing crumb mixture. OPTIONAL: Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours if time permits.
4.   Finely chop rosemary.
5.   In another bowl, combine both breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary and, Parmesan cheese.
6. Dredge the egg coated chicken in the breadcrumb/Parmesan mixture, lightly pressing to evenly coat.
7. Arrange tenders on the jelly roll tray or baker and lightly spray with cooking oil spray.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Flip and bake for a another 5-10 minutes or until cooked through. (Broil the last 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy)

Honey Mustard Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of whole mayo (do not use low fat)
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup of honey or agave
• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. paprika

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into your Vitamix blender and place lid on container.
2. Turn onto Variable 1 speed for 5-10 seconds. You want to mix it just enough that it doesn’t begin to separate or get runny, or if you don’t have a Vitamix blender, you can use a whip (whisk)  to mix well.

Place sauce into a bowl and serve with chicken tenders.  Now sit down and enjoy March Madness and may your team win!

Recipe inspired by cafedelites.com