Like-Larry's Chicken Strips

I know, I am late posting this, as I promised it weeks ago. I just couldn't come up with a good picture! But this one is decent, barring Melia's bizarre smile.

This recipe is originally from over at Baker's Dozen. She has lots of recipes that I have tried and want to try-- fun kid friendly ones. Crepes are one of Melia's favorite breakfasts-- "the ones that roll up, mommy." I tried the chicken recipe because my friend Brooke said she did and "they taste exactly like Larry's, only baked!" So, I had to try.

Now, I have to relate to you the only other time I have ever tried to cook Larry's. (For those of you who don't know me, my siblings and I all worked at this little drive-in called Larry's that just plain has the best boneless chicken strips anywhere.) I was still living at home, and I bought all the ingredients, heated up the oil, and proceeded to catch the stove-top on fire. And haven't tried since.

But when I read through the recipe from Baker's Dozen, I thought, "that is almost exactly like Larry's." As the following: BD recipe- flour, beaten egg, bread crumbs. Larry's- flour, milk, cracker meal. Basically the same thing. So, my recipe: flour, milk, italian bread crumbs. (Because two giant jugs of italian bread crumbs at Costco is approx. $4.50)

When you bite into it the first time, you will notice the italian seasoning. Maybe even the second bite. If you're really into it, maybe the whole meal. But not one time after that! We are truly enjoying this frugal recipe-- and a cheaper option is to buy the fresh strips when they are on sale, and freeze them up. Locally, Food Pavilion often has them for $1.78/lb when you buy 10 lbs. And yea, 10 lbs is a lot, but when I was stacking them in my freezer, I appreciated that I had several meals worth stored! Oh yea, and to make them even more like Larry's cut the strips in two or three pieces so they're small and skinny, and then beat them a little when you are breading them :-)

And... for those of you who really wish they could find Larry's sauces, I included the ones we have in the picture. Longhorn BBQ sauce and Minors Sweet and Sour, both available at URM cash and carry in Sunnyslope. No, I don't know which ranch he uses, and the tartar is made from scratch. Hope that helps. Ask Darcy or Shaun if they know about the Ranch situation :-) Or better yet, maybe they will comment with an answer!