Got grandkids coming to visit?

Skip the frozen-section nuggets and try this down-home recipe which relies on melted butter, along with Parmesan cheese and a few common pantry items.

It’s so simple, you can make it with the grandkids, and you’ll actually want to eat them, too. Really!

BAKED CHICKEN NUGGETS

Ingredients

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

½ cup very finely grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)

1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut chicken breasts into 1 ½-inch pieces.

Whisk together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil in a shallow dish.

Put the melted butter in another shallow dish.

Dip the chicken pieces into the melted butter, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture.

Place well-coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until there’s no pink in the center of the nuggets.

Tips

For best results, use real grated Parmesan cheese without any shreds or shavings. It should look like a fine powder, which works better for breading. Avoid the shelf-stable stuff sold in cans.

Many reviewers recommended broiling the nuggets for a few minutes at the end of cooking for a crispier texture.

Source: We adapted this recipe from allrecipes.com, where it received a cumulative rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on more than 1,000 reviews. Read the original recipe and reviews — and watch a video to see how easy it is to make — at allrecipes.com.