Thrive Chicken Nuggets!

The idea for this recipe has been floating around in my head for quite a while now and I am quite pleased with the results. These chicken nuggets are quick to prepare using your Thrive ingredients and have a great, mild flavor that kids will love. Best of all - they are actually healthy! If you would prefer a more "chickeny" chicken nugget, you could reduce or omit the potato beads and add a little more whole egg powder. Making the recipe as it is listed here will make nuggets that are similar to crab cakes - smooth and tender.

1c Thrive Freeze Dried Chicken
2T Thrive Celery
1T Thrive Onions
3/4c Hot Water (divided)
3T Thrive Potato Beads
1T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
1/4t Salt
3T Thrive Pancake Mix OR Bread Crumbs*
Oil for Pan Frying

Combine chicken, celery, onions and 1/2c hot water in the bowl of a small food chopper. Pulse a few times to chop chicken into small pieces, then let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. Empty chicken mixture into a small bowl and add the rest of the hot water, potato beads, egg powder and salt. Mix thoroughly, then shape into 6 nuggets. Put the pancake mix or bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Dip each nugget into the crumbs, pressing gently to help the crumbs stick to the nugget.

Heat a small amount of oil (several tablespoons) in a skillet. Pan fry the nuggets until golden brown on each side. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

* The coarseness of the bread crumbs will determine how crispy the outer coating of your nugget is. If you prefer a thick, crispy coating, try using Panko breadcrumbs. If you would rather have a softer texture, use the pancake mix.

Stuffed Loaf

Every now and then I make a meal that my 5 year old daughter deems "delicious" - this is one of those meals! You can stuff your loaf with a variety of things - pizza toppings, grilled chicken and vegetables, smoked ham and cheddar, tender chicken breast with alfredo sauce, even taco meat. Just make sure that your fillings are already cooked and your loaf will come out perfect every time. These are even pretty enough to serve company!

 
For the Dough:
(shortcut: use a tube of refrigerated pizza dough)

3c Thrive Flour (white, whole wheat, or a combination of both)
1/2t Salt
1T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
1-1/2c Warm Water
1T Honey or Sugar
1 Packet Instant Yeast

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and whole egg powder. Dissolve yeast in warm water with honey and add to flour mixture. Stir until dough begins to come together, then knead by hand for 5 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

For the Filling:

1c Thrive Ground Beef
1/4c Thrive Mixed Bell Peppers
2T Thrive Tomato Powder
2T Thrive Chopped Onions
1T Thrive Celery
1/2t Thrive Beef Bouillon
1-1/2c Water

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

To assemble loaf, roll dough out to 9x13 rectangle. Pour the sauce down the middle of dough, leaving 1" of dough at bottom and top. Fold the sides of the loaf over the filling, then pinch around the edges to seal. Bake, seam side down, for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Meatball Tacos

1c Thrive FD Ground Beef
1/2c Thrive Instant Pinto Beans
2T Thrive Chopped Onions
1T Thrive Chopped Celery
1T Thrive Red & Green Bell Peppers
1c Hot Water
1c Thrive Cornmeal
1T Homemade Taco Seasoning (recipe below)
4 Flour Tortillas
Taco Fixin's: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, salsa, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9x9 casserole dish or pie plate. Chop the ground beef in a food processor into fine crumbs. In a microwave safe bowl, combine water, beans, onions, celery and peppers. Cover and microwave 3 minutes. Stir well and continue to microwave in 1 minute increments until beans are soft. Add bean mixture and taco seasonings to ground beef in food processor. Pulse until all ingredients are combined, then slowly add cornmeal about a quarter cup at a time. Watch for the dough to start to come together - if you add too much cornmeal your meatballs will be too dry. As soon as you can make it into a meatball shape and have it hold together, you're good. Form into 1" balls and place in greased casserole dish. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp on the outside. Serve cooked meatballs in warm flour tortillas, topped with desired taco toppings.

Homemade Taco Seasonings

4T chili powder
2T ground cumin
1T paprika
1T crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper
1T dried oregano
1T onion powder
1T garlic powder
1T salt (optional)
½T black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Store in an air tight container.