Why am I making frozen chicken tenders at home?

Well, I have a 13 year old boy

Chicken tenders are pretty trendy these days and my 13 year old loves 'em. He has recently becomes obsessed with Raising Cane's, a wildly successful chicken which like most fast food, is flat out overpriced. I've cracked the code on making Raising Cane's sauce at home. Now it's time to figure out how to make the Chicken tenders at home.

Frozen Chicken Tenders review:

Realgood vs Just Bare

This review happened quite unintentionally. My wife and I separately bought frozen chicken tenders at the supermarket in the hopes of squashing our son's craving for Raising Cane's. We also both went down the internet rabbit hole searching for the best brands. This reddit thread justified my purchase.

Just Bare

Price: $11

I spotted this at Sprouts market. It was on sale, normally marked at $15. But you can get it for around $12 at Target. Reviews on Reddit were strong for this one. It has that look of "healthy and premium" and I did buy it at Sprouts which strikes me as a market in between Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.

Realgood

Price: $8

This is what my wife picked up at our regular grocery store(HEB). Priced at $8, Realgood is cheaper than Just Bare but you get a little less: 20 oz vs 24 oz.

Just Bare cooking notes + reaction

• Air Fryer
• 360 degrees
• 13 minutes

My son took to these tenders real quick. I tried them too and they were pretty decent. It tastes like premium fast food but made at home.

Realgood cooking notes + reaction

• Air Fryer
• 330 degrees
• 20+ minutes

Realgood said to cook their tenders at 330 which was basically a mistake. It took well over the 14 minutes they listed on the bag. These were greasy, the coating tended to fall off and my kid barely touched it.

The winner by a mile: Just Bare

It might cost more but the kid ate these up. FWIW I did cook the Realgood tenders again, at a higher temp and I want to say it came out better. But between the two, I would stick to Just Bare.

Bottom line: frozen food has come a long way

Between air fryers and general improvements, frozen fried chicken has come a long way since I was a kid eating Tyson nuggets cooked in an oven. While it might not be nearly as good as frying chicken tenders yourself, the convenience is clear and these taste about the same as Raising Cane's if it was delivered or even from the drive thru. Can't say dipping into the world of freezer section in the grocery store is a culinary achievement but if it's between dropping $15 for a single meal at a fast food restaurant vs getting a week's worth of Chicken Tenders, viva la frozen foods!

A Seattle Food Tour

If there was a city I wish we went to for Cheap Eats, Seattle is certainly one of them. I first went up to Seattle more than two decades ago and got a taste of the famous salmon, beer scene and local produce. Times have changed and the food scene while venerable is also pretty pricey. Thanks to Happy Hours and general thriftiness, I ate my through 10 restaurants that I'm sharing below.

The Vitals: the spot: Dick's Drive In locations throughout Seattle, tested at the Wallingford location the eats: double cheeseburger, fries the bucks: $ the full nelson: a local burger institution that tastes best if you grew up on it

Locals love Dick's

I've been hearing about Dick's for years now. With locations throughout the city and burgers served till 2am, I had no excuses not to try it. And I'll probably never go back. Dick's isn't bad it's just not that great. Some may say it is better than In-N-Out and they aren't wrong when it comes to the fries(although half were overcooked). Where Dick's fails me is also it's strength: no modifications. The double is simple enough and that is the charm: cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped pickle and mayo. I was fine with the easy going toppings but I would have added a patty or two. I needed two burgers just to call it a meal. And I can find better places to spend $11 in Seattle. Dick's has its charm and its place and no doubt has its fans. But in the current era of Smash Burgers, Dick's Drive In feels like an iPod in a world of iPhones. The Vitals: the spot: Ladd and Lass Brewing  722 NE 45th St, Seattle, WA 98105 the eats: Two Beta IPA the bucks: $$ the full nelson: an excellent brewery in an excellent beer town

Seattle is a beer town

When I went to Seattle, more than two decades ago, craft beer was called micro brewing and Seattle was a West Coast epicenter along with the rest of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Ladd and Lass was walking distance from our hotel and our first taste of the Seattle beer scene. It would be one of many good beers we would try in Seattle. But a special shoutout is due because of the service. We were asked thoughtful questions and steered exactly to the hops we needed. Great beer is everywhere in Seattle but at Ladd and Lass, you also get great vibes too.

The Vitals: the spot: Moto Pizza locations throughout Seattle, tested at T-Mobile stadium the eats: Root Pizza the bucks: $$ the full nelson: My fav version of Detroit style pizza to date

Moto Pizza was a top Seattle food experience

And we had it at the baseball game no less. Pro Tip: sit in the 300 section of T-Mobile park and you will be rewarded with great views of the game, the city skyline and Moto Pizza. With inspiration from Detroit style deep dish pizzas and some serious culinary creativity(dungeness crab was sold out sadly), Moto is the rare bird that makes me think vegetarian pizzas are just as good as meat ones. This one had mushrooms and while I wanted try the the sold out sausage or cupped pepperoni, one bite of this pizza and I didn't miss a damn thing. This is probably one of my fav pizzas of the year. And it was at a stadium. The Vitals: the spot: Taste of Xi'an 4523 University Wy NE, Seattle, WA 98105 the eats: Roasted Oysters, Cumin lamb, dumplings, hand pulled noodle soup with lamb the bucks: $$ the full nelson: Killer Chinese for the college kid district

Seattle has great Asian food

Great Asian places can be found throughout the city. Because we were staying by University of Washington, House of Xi'an was the convenient choice. Given that consideration, House of Xi'an hit the right notes. Just being able to order Cumin lamb skewers are a win, even if they weren't as well charred as I would have liked. Service was great here, very accomodating for our son's peanut and tree nut allergy and sensitive to my wife's hesitation about Szechuan peppercorn. There might be better Xi'an restaurants in town but I certainly wish I had a place like this in Austin. The Vitals: the spot: Schultzy's Bar and Grill 4114 University Wy NE, Seattle, WA 98105 the eats: Beer and Brats the bucks: $-$$ the full nelson: Happy Hour survival in Seattle 101

Happy Hour stop

I think a few beers and a brat makes for a perfect happy hour. It's a little saucey for lunch, maybe a little lacking for dinner but a great setup for Happy Hour. Our primary reason for going to Seattle was taking our kid to Volleyball camp which meant picking him up at 8:30pm every night, cutting into primetime dinner hours. Enter Schultz's Bar and Grill which like Taste of Xi'an, is also in the U District(University of Washington). For $9 you get a large house made bratwurst on a toasted Amoroso roll with grilled onions and schmear of stone ground mustard. Solid all around sammich. Beers were local and most important we got great local insights from the staff at this family owned bar and grill. Good peeps here so check it out. The Vitals: the spot: Matt's Fish Basket 305 Harrison St Seattle, WA 98109 the eats: Cod and Fries the bucks: $-$$ the full nelson: Fish and Chips craving in a tourist food hall

Don't judge a fish and chips by their chain restaurant neighbors

Short on time and heavy with hunger pangs, we rolled the dice on lunch at the Seattle Armory. I was nervous. There were fast food chains in this renovated food hall but I wanted fish and chips. Thankfully it all worked out. Everything seems to be cooked to order. Without much of a line, we waited like 10+ minutes for our cod and fries. And it was worth it. Priced at $17, it wasn't cheap but enough to share. The pieces of cod were large, buttery and the batter was outstanding. Even the thick cut fries(i like 'em skinny) hit hard too. I'd eat here again. The Vitals: the spot: Pho Shizzle 4235 University Wy NE, Seattle, WA 98105 the eats: Pho the bucks: $ the full nelson: Pho for the College kid set

Solid Pho/almost Cheap Eats

Post Volleyball camp my kid was craving Pho. On our way back to the hotel we stopped off at Pho Shizzle for a quick bite. I wasn't even hungry and I still got a bowl. A small combo will run you like $14 and I had leftovers. My kid really like Pho Shizzle because the broth was so aromatic. I'm sure we barely scratched the surface of the Pho scene in Seattle but Pho Shizzle was the Shizzle we needed considering we needed a meal at 9pm on a weeknight in the U district. The Vitals: the spot: Kokkaku 6904, 2208 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 the eats: HH menu the bucks: $$ the full nelson: my fav restaurant in Seattle

The first restaurant I would go back to in Seattle

I love steak and Japanese food. Kokkaku bills itself as a Japanese meat house which is a nice way of separating itself from those Teppanyaki restaurants that bill themselves as Japanese steakhouses. Now onto the happy hour. Oysters were $1.75 each and while they didn't say they were Kumamotos they sure tasted like the prized creamy oyster. The $5 Wagyu sushi was equal parts generous and spectacular to see as they were seared table side with a creme brulee torch. The place resembled a NYC bistro or SF bar in design. They had plenty of whiskey and steaks too. God I want to go back so bad for dinner. The Vitals: the spot: Post Alley Pizza 6904, 2208 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 the eats: Italian Cold Cut Hoagie the bucks: $$ the full nelson: the pizza joint that crushes hoagies with a secret ingredient

My thoughts on a well hyped Seattle Italian sandwich

J. Kenji Lopez's post put Post Alley Pizza in my brain. And it wasn't for the pizza, it was for the sandwich. He hyped the hoagie so I had to try it. The bread is pretty impeccable, as is the sandwich build. I believe the meats are ham, capicolla and salami. They play well together with just enough shrettuce and some provolone as well. For $18 I would expect prosciutto and sopressata but one has to factor in the size which was easily shareable for two. But the secret weapon here is the jazz sauce. The blend of Calabrian chiles, Castelvetrano olives, anchovies and I'm sure magical pixie dust. The stuff is pure gold and I'm so obsessed with it. It's optional but make sure you exercise the option to order it. I'll say this about any pricey hoagie: I want a chef driven sauce. Not something I can find in my fridge or pantry. Post Alley Pizza's Jazz sauce checks that box. The Vitals: the spot: Ludi's 120 Stewart St, Seattle, WA 98101 the eats: Filipino Diner the bucks: $-$$ the full nelson: Seattle staple diner

Yes, Seattle has a Filipino diner

I have a lot to learn when it comes to Filipino food. I've tried a few landmark dishes like Lumpia but I know I've only gotten a small taste of what's in store for me. On our way to the airport we stopped off at Ludi's for a hearty breakfast that would set us up for a long day of travel. Filipino food is stick to your ribs and so is diner food so this seems like a good match. I had a Silog combo which featured a pork chop, two kinds of longaniza(pork sausage), lumpia(a meaty egg roll, eggs and a rice tossed in a garlic oil. Yes it was as good as it sounds. My kid's french toast was a banger too. Best part was the hot sauce station where I double downed on this vinegar that was steeped with chiles, onion, garlic and more flavor bombs. Ludi's is a Seattle legend and man it would have been a perfect place to feature back in the Cheap Eats days.

My Seattle recap

Seattle is a top tier food town that comes with a cost. A cheap meal means $20 a person out the door. That being said . . . the seafood, the beer and Asian offerings are truly great. Personally, I'll be doing my best to replicate Post Alley Pizza's Jazz sauce and do look forward to going back to Seattle. Shoutout to the public transit as well. We used the train and bus pretty frequently and it's a great way to get to and from the airport.

 

My Fav foods at Trader Joe's.

2025 will go down as the year I fell for the Trader Joe's cult. For years I was perplexed by their loyal following. I like to cook and Trader Joe's is far from a full service grocery store. But they have a knack for creating a line of products that are convenient, cost effective and addicting. So here are my fav foods from Trader Joe's. But a disclaimer first: I'm sharing what products I love which also reflects me in 2025: a cost conscious and health conscious shopper. There are a lot foods people love from Trader Joe's but my focus here is more on whole foods and what I can feed my kid and get him off my back.

Trader Joe's Penne Arrabiata

My son eats this at least four times a week. Now before you say "Ali, why don't you just make Penne Arrabiata from scratch?" Well, I have and it's marginally better. Bottom line is my kid eats penne arrabiata so much, we need some frozen stuff on hand. It cooks up in minutes(pro tip: use a good nonstick pan) and the sauce is freakishly delicious.  

Trader Joe's Spatchcocked lemon rosemary chicken

A spatchcocked chicken is when you cut out the backbone and flatten a whole chicken. This allows for a shortened cooking time and you while getting juicy chicken with crispy skin. It's not too hard to spatchcock a chicken yourself, if you have poultry shears or some decent knife skills. But that plus the marinade equals time plus mess. Added bonus: the Trader Joe's spatchcok chicken is the perfect size, usually like three pounds. I know I could come up with a better marinade if I am being honest. But the convenience and the size of the chicken are what is key here. It's actually hard to find a chicken under 4lbs at a typical grocery store and those Frankenstein birds take a lot longer to cook. Trader Joe's spatchcock chicken is a literal time saver and everyone in the fam loves it.  

Trader Joe's Canned Albacore tuna

I eat a big ass salad like 4-5 times a week at least. I like to keep some cooked protein on hand like chicken breast, but half the time I am reaching for canned tuna. By far the best canned tuna I have found for the price is at Trader Joe's. First off there isn't a ton of water. And you get big chunks of tuna. Sometimes canned tuna seems like cat food. And then there is Trader Joe's canned tuna, the best you can get for the price IMO.

Trader Joe's Spanish Rice & Seafood Blend

Don't you hate it when your Trader Joe's discontinues that one product you liked? That's what happened when they stopped selling this frozen paella. We would cook the paella and add this frozen seafood blend of shrimp, scallops and calamari and it made for a simple, solid weeknight meal. Well now we have Trader Joe's frozen Spanish rice which isn't the same as paella but still works. You cook the seafood while frozen and the liquid released makes a nice broth to cook the frozen rice in. The cooking process almost seems like a Chef's reaction video but I swear it's a remarkably tasty meal.

Trader Joe's meatballs cooked in a slowcooker

My kid loves a meatball sub. And I hate spending $15+ on a mid sandwich from some sandwich chain. The solution? Trader Joe's ready cook meatballs. Given the price of ground beef now plus the additional cost of the essential meatball ingredients of parmesan, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic, these meatballs are a great deal. I toss these meatballs with some jarred marinara sauce and a can of crushed tomatoes and let it cook for about two hours or until the meatballs hit an internal temp of 160 degrees. Meatballs simmered in sauce is gold, whether your Nonna is making them all day over a stove or Trader Joe's in a slow cooker.

I'm on team Trader Joe's

I finally see the light. Once you find that meal or product at Trader Joe's you get hooked. My only wish is that the ones in Texas sold liquor. When I lived in LA, you could get decent scotch at Trader Joe's believe it or not. Oh TJ's . . . I see now. It took me almost 30 years but I see you.  

Everywhere I ate on my Chicago Food Tour

Since 2022, I’ve traveled to Chicago every summer to attend the James Beard Awards. It’s a short trip that perhaps not surprisingly is packed with food events. Yet, I still find a little time to try some Chicago's most iconic foods. Many of them are cheap eats too.

The eats I’m sharing on this Chicago Food Tour are those tried and true iconic Chicago food icons. Foods that scream Chi-Town. And I usually kick things off with an Italian Beef. The Vitals: the spot: Johnnie's Beef 7500 W. North Ave Chicago Il 60707 the eats: Italian Beef sandwich ordered "wet and hot" the bucks: $ the full nelson: a local's favorite for Chicago's most revered sandwich

Italian Beef: A Chicago staple

My pal and fellow Food Network host, Jeff Mauro has sung the praises of Johnnie's Italian beef for years. Since he is a born and raised Chicagoan, I had to try it out. Heads up: they are in the suburbs. Which explains why I have only gone once, back in 2019. If you don't know, an Italian beef sandwich is like a French Dip but the au ju is spiked with Italian flavorings of oregano and garlic and the giardiniera, a piquant relish, is a signature. Judging from my son's pic, with fries stuffed in his mouth he was maybe 8 years old. Where does the time go? Anyways all these years later, I still think Johnnie's is as good Italian Beefs get in Chicago. The Vitals: the spot: Xoco 67 West Illinois Street Chicago, IL 60654 the eats: torta ahogada  the bucks: $-$$ the full nelson: a convenient celeb chef Mexican sandwich shop

Don't underestimate Chicago's Mexican Food

Chicago has one of the largest Mexican American communities in the country and the Mexican food scene runs deep. Rick Bayless, an Anglo American chef, has made Mexican food his focus and Chicago is his base.

My family stopped off at one of his restaurants, Xoco, back in 2017. I feasted on a Torta Ahogada: a Mexican sandwich that comes dipped in a chile broth. It's regional specialty from the city of Guadalajara and I don't see it as often as I like. So I jumped at the chance to order one and you should too.

The Vitals: the spot: Au Cheval 800 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607 the eats: Single Cheeseburger with bacon and a fried egg the bucks: $16.99 + $2.99 for the egg and $6.99 for the bacon  the full nelson: an over the top bacon cheeseburger done with class but comes at a price

A viral burger worth trying

I first experienced the well hyped Au Cheval burger back in 2024 with a James Beard nominated chef who also happens to make the best burger in the state of Texas. Then, as is now, the question remains "is Au Cheval more outstanding or overhyped?" The Au Cheval burger is big, decadent, leans into becoming over the top and is pretty pricey. I had zero regrets trying it the first time and I absolutely want to go back order the burger without the bacon and egg, to see how good the base elements are. I suspect it will be pretty damn satisfying and for 1/3 less the cost. Au Cheval may be overhyped and maybe a touch overpriced, but it's really really good too. The Vitals: the spot: Greek Islands 200 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60661 the eats: Gyro the bucks: $$ the full nelson: if you don't go to Greektown in Chicago, you did it wrong Chicago has a strong Greek community and arguably the best Greek food scene in the US. It's distinctively Greek American so get your fill on the comfort classics like a Gyro. Greek Island's is in Greektown and while they offer a lot more than Gyros(great seafood) their gyro does not miss. You can find gyros all over Chicago, and even the late night joints pop just a little more than most gyros outside of Chicagoland. But the housemade gyro from a place like Greek Island's really elevates the vertical rotisserie meat to new heights. The Vitals: the spot: Portillo's 20 locations in Chicago and more nationwide  the eats: Chicago Hot Dog, Italian Beef the bucks: $ the full nelson:  An excellent late night option for Chicago Hot Dogs, Italian Beefs, Burgers, Shakes Portillo's might be a chain but it's reliable and convenient, especially in the wee hours. I've landed in Chicago late and scored a solid meal there with the fam. After the James Beard Awards, one fellow judge was craving a Chicago Hot Dog and so we went at around midnight still decked out in our Tuxedos. And it was nothing short of a glorious time. We double downed on Chicago Hot Dogs and Italian Beef’s but the looks we got from the staff made the whole experience an epic Chicago food tour highlight. Portillo‘s is more so a Chicago eatery of convenience however, if you are only craving a Chicago hotdog, it makes all the sense in the world to just get your fix at a Portillo‘s. For what it’s worth it is a national chain, but I can certainly vouch for the ones in Chicagoland as being pretty damn solid eateries.

Recap

This Chicago Food tour round up frankly barely scratches the surface. If I’m being honest, a lot of these places are more great lunch spots with time and budget as a consideration. Consider the fine dining scene, the Indian food, Eastern European, Chinese . . . the list goes on and on. If you're craving it, chances are Chicago has got it.