Homemade Chicken Nuggets {gluten-free}

Many days being gluten-free and dairy-free is frustrating.  Add to that no sugar, no high-glycemic flours, and not too much rice because it's been discovered to contain high levels of arsenic and I'm growing a delicate little life inside my own....and shew! it can be quite the challenge.  So I spend a lot of time in the kitchen experimenting trying to figure out new things for us to eat and how to make this diet work seamlessly for our family.  I produce many, many flops.  But, every once in a while...success!

I didn't feel the least bit deprived as I plowed through a plate full of these for dinner the other night, and in some ways I think they tasted even better for all the many hours I've labored in the kitchen to no avail.  These turned out so crispy and crunchy on the outside and wonderfully juicy and tender on the inside.  Thanks to A Farmgirl's Dabbles for the idea to marinate them in pickle juice and buttermilk (though I subbed goat milk yogurt), because I think that was a huge part of the success.  I joked with Steven that now our children would love me cause I could actually make them some kind of tasty "kid food", not just healthy, sugar-free stuff.  He assured me they would love me anyway ;)  But y'all, even if you aren't gluten-free, I think you'd really like these!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets {gluten-free}
Inspired by A Farmgirl's Dabbles
Yield: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds chicken breasts
1/3 cup pickle juice
1/3 cup plain goat's milk yogurt (or cow's milk yogurt or buttermilk)
10 cups cornflakes cereal (unsweetened or lightly sweetened)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or oil of choice)
4 eggs  
1 1/2 cups potato starch (or cornstarch)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS:
Cut chicken into small, bite-size pieces, place in a flat dish, and marinate with pickle juice and plain yogurt, in the fridge, for 1 - 2 hours.

Place cornflakes in a large ziploc bag and crush - using your hands or the base of a bottle of oil - until achieving tiny uniform bits (but stop before turning into powder).  Mix with 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, then stir in 1/4 cup oil until evenly distributed.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to the potato starch and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

In three separate, shallow bowls place potato starch, the beaten eggs, and some of the crushed cornflakes mixture.  Refill as needed.  Coat each piece of chicken first with potato starch, then dip in egg, then coat evenly with crushed cornflakes.  On a wire cooling rack atop a baking sheet, place each coated chicken piece, sprinkle lightly with more salt, and bake for 12 minutes or until done.

NOTE:
*This ain't a quick and easy dinner.  However, this list of ingredients makes quite an abundance.  I suggest you either make less at one time, enlist the help of your family and make it a fun activity, or just put in the work and reap the benefits of many leftovers :)

*These taste the best when fresh from the oven.  I'm still experimenting with how long to cook these so that when warmed up as leftovers they still retain their juicy inside.  Will update when I've figured it out!