I'm going to be completely honest and say that competition shows are not my favorite part of Food Network. I find them slightly irritating and can only watch a few minutes at a time before I'm over it. If I want to watch people scramble down grocery store aisles, I'll head to Costco on a Sunday morning.
BUT... there is something about the show Chopped that sucks me in every time. Maybe it's the anticipation of what will be lurking in the mystery basket. Perhaps it's the way the judges deflate the egos of some of the overly-confident chefs that strut in from their top-notch kitchens. I don't know what it is, but I find myself glued to the edge of my seat when I come across an episode.
Will someone lose a finger? How will they use those goat brains in the dessert round?? ARE THEY GOING TO FINISH IN TIME?!
I can get myself pretty worked up, short of yelling at the television screen like I'm watching a high-stakes football game.
I'm almost certain I'd have a meltdown in the Chopped kitchen and find myself in the corner by the ice cream maker curled up in the fetal position while Scott Conant sneers at me from his seat. Something about red onions, he's yelling... :::shudders:::
Anyway, I always thought it would be sort of fun to try my hand at a Chopped-style cooking project... but in the safety of my kitchen. And wouldn't you know it? Sargento® is hosting a friendly little competition called "Chopped at Home", where they're asking you to get creative with their Off the Block Shredded Cheese and come up with a dish worthy of the grand $10,000 prize!
The recipe must contain these items from the "Mystery Basket":
-Sargento® Off the Block 4 Cheese Mexican
-Boneless chicken tenders
-Couscous
-Salsa
Armed with the required ingredients, I headed to the kitchen and came up with this: Mexican Style Couscous-Crusted Chicken Tenders with a Creamy Salsa Sauce. And believe it or not, they were quite delicious!
Tossed together with Sargento Off the Block 4 Cheese Mexican, couscous makes a unique coating on these seasoned tenders. The Though they're flavorful enough on their own, I used the salsa to create a creamy, tangy dipping sauce made with plain yogurt. The best part of this meal might just be the quick prep and easy cleanup -- fabulous when the clock is running out or on any busy weeknight!
So... what would you make with these 4 ingredients? I'm dying to know!
Give it a shot and submit your entries over at the Chopped at Home Challenge page, and you might just find yourself with an extra $10,000 in your pocket!
Meanwhile, make sure to try out my dish... I hope it's one for the dinner table and not the "chopping block!" ;)
Cheesy Couscous-Crusted Chicken Tenders with Creamy Salsa Sauce
For tenders:
1/3 cup cooked couscous {follow package directions}, cooled
1/3 cup Sargento Off the Block 4 Cheese Mexican Shredded Cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 package boneless chicken tenders
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
For Creamy Salsa Sauce:
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt {Greek-style, if you'd like a thicker sauce}
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup favorite store-bought salsa
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 2 baking pans by covering with foil and spraying one with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. On the unsprayed pan, toss together cooked couscous, 1 tablespoon of cilantro and shredded cheese until uniformly mixed. Set aside.
3. Season chicken tenders with salt, onion powder & cumin. With tongs, place each chicken tender in the couscous mixture and roll around until fully coated. This may take a little bit of pressing to adhere the mixture. Place coated tenders on sprayed baking pan. Repeat until all tenders are coated.
4. Bake tenders for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through. The coating should start to become golden in some parts.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise and salsa. Pour into a serving bowl and serve along side hot chicken tenders.
A side salad or avocado & tomato salad would make this a great meal!
Product Info: Available in 30 versatile varieties, unique blends and distinct cuts, Sargento Shredded Cheese is always cut from blocks of 100% real, natural cheese. For more inspiration, check out the Sargento Pinterest page Pinterest.com/sargentocheese/ or visit Sargento.com for more information. The Chopped at Home Challenge gives viewers a chance to create their best recipe using the selected basket ingredients, including Sargento Shredded Cheese, for a chance to win $10,000!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sargento. The opinions and text are all mine.
