It was just another afternoon during lunch when I was having a conversation with my youngest son. He asked me regarding the upcoming Christmas and if Santa will be able to receive the letter he wrote this year.

I asked him, “Why not?” to which he answered, “With the pandemic and all the restrictions going around, maybe my letter won’t reach Santa after all” Hmm… I am unsure what to answer so I asked him, “What do you actually wish for this year?”

He looked at me for a moment before answering, “I told Santa I wish to have the biggest chicken nugget in the shape of a heart”.

I burst out laughing, hugging him while asking, “Why does it have to be the BIGGEST chicken nugget and why must it come in the shape of a heart?”

He answered, “Because I’ve not eaten nuggets since MCO (in March) this year and the heart shape just makes anything better,”

Aww… It never occurred to me that my boys actually missed eating fast food. They have been eating home-cooked food since the start of the pandemic and though I try adding lots of varieties to our meals to make it more interesting, I have not make nuggets for them yet.

I did make smiley potato fries (the baked version) for them which they enjoyed a lot so why not continue with nuggets?

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serving size: 36 bite-sized pieces

INGREDIENTS

500g minced meat
4 slices bread
2 cloves garlic
An inch ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon chicken stock granules
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Egg solution:

1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
Pinch of salt
Dash of pepper

The basic ingredients to make nuggets: Minced meat, bread crumbs and egg.

METHOD

Cut away the edges of 4 slices of bread.
Slice the bread into smaller pieces and toss into a blender jug.
Throw in 2 cloves of garlic and an inch of ginger.
Blend the bread, garlic and ginger.
Pour the crumbs out into a large bowl.
Add 500g of mince meat and mix thoroughly.
Season with 1 teaspoon chicken stock granules, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and ½ teaspoon pepper.
Mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine an egg, 1 tablespoon milk and a pinch of salt.
Whisk.
Flatten the minced meat into 1cm thickness.
Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Dip into egg solution.
Thoroughly coat with breadcrumbs.
Repeat until all the bite-sized pieces are coated with breadcrumbs.
If you don’t intend to fry all, you may keep some in an airtight container and freeze for later use.
Fry in hot oil until golden.
Remove and drain off excess oil.
Serve with your preferred sauce.

Yes, I know that I did not make the biggest nugget in the shape of a heart (yet) because I am saving it to surprise my youngest son this coming Christmas!

Homemade nuggets are so easy to make and very delicious to eat. These bite-sized finger food with its dry crispy coating is an instant hit with my boys as they are easy to eat with minimal mess.

Watch this video to see how to make your very own bite-sized crispy nuggets. Now that you know how easily they are made, you won’t need to go for a drive-thru to get nuggets for your kids anymore.