My favorite movie of all time is Forrest Gump. Go ahead and judge me, but I will never change the channel if I seen Lt. Dan on the screen. Have you seen it? If you have, you must remember the scene where Forrest and Bubba start talking about their dreams of a shrimp boat and the many ways shrimp can be prepared. It’s iconic. I like shrimp too. But do you know what I eat a heck of a lot more of? Chicken.

Chicken parmesan, chicken chili, chicken sausage, chicken wings, chicken soup, chicken cutlets, barbecue chicken, rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, chicken Caesar salad, chicken sandwiches, chicken cheesesteaks — chicken is so damn good and so easy to prepare in a million flavorful ways. (I’m channeling my inner Bubba here) But there is this really fun fact about me that most of my friends and podcast listeners know: I really love chicken nuggets.

When I started dating my husband, the man wouldn’t eat anything. He was so picky it was difficult to get him to try anything new, even at a nice restaurant. It took years to get him to eat onions, bacon, brussel sprouts, you name it. And it used to drive me crazy. But one thing over the last 11 years that I have come to appreciate about him is that even though he will try just about anything these days, the man knows what he likes.

So where am I going with this? Good question. I’ve done so much cooking and child wrangling over the last year and a half of staying home that chicken nuggets are no longer my guilty pleasure. I don’t really care what people think if they find out that I’ve got a wholesale sized bag of dino nuggets in my freezer right now, and they aren’t just for my kids. Those bad boys are great in a pinch.

Quick lunch? Nuggets. Got home too late to cook? Nuggets. Spent two hours and $300 at the grocery store and don’t want to take any food out that just took you 40 minutes to put away? Nuggets. Want to throw some protein on top of your salad and didn’t prep protein for the week? Nuggets. Had a few too many cocktails and craving something comforting? NUGGETS. Chicken nuggets are underrated and underappreciated.

My husband asked me what I wanted for dinner on my birthday this past year. I thought long and hard about it because the takeout options have expanded during COVID and I had a lot of choices. What did we get? Sixty delectable chicken nuggets with 10 different dipping sauces. Kids were thrilled, I was contented, and we ate our nugget feast with smiles on our faces. Happy birthday to me.

So here’s my problem: Not everyone who offers chicken in a casual eatery offers nuggets. Now considering what I do for a living, I know that menu options are carefully planned, selected and priced. I know that you have your reasons. But man, oh man do I wish that more of the places that have the absolute best chicken around also offered those golden, crispy, scrumptious little bites of happiness. Selfishly, I love to eat them. But perhaps more selfishly, my kids will eat them.

Let’s say that we decide to indulge ourselves and go to a wing joint (OMG, yes, I love wings so much). My kids won’t eat wings. Half of the time, my kids won’t eat strips; 75% of the time, half of my kids won’t eat 80% of the rest of the chicken. It’s complicated. But 100% of the time, both of my kids will eat nuggets. And in those times, there is peace in the world. So please, restaurants of the world, here my plea:

Chicken nuggets are so tasty,

They make kids eat and prep is hasty.

Crispy, golden, with sauces aplenty,

They might eat five, I might eat 20.

I know your menu is themed and it’s great,

But I want to visit, and know my kids ate.

So while I mostly dine out for fancier treats,

Please don’t forget a very valuable meat.

It’s nuggets, it’s nuggets, I beg don’t forget,

Serve them, we’ll buy them, and on my business, you can bet.

Phew. I am so glad that I finally have a platform to talk about chicken nuggets. Working mothers and fathers, 20-somethings with limited food budgets and cooking experience, hungry after school teenagers, and tantrum-throwing toddlers: Unite! It’s time we stop pretending that chicken nuggets are optional. I’ve never met a nugget I didn’t like and I am no longer going to hide it. Give. Us. All. The. Nuggets.

I thought I’d have a little fun with this blog after my heavier post last month. And I hope you smiled a little while you read it. Humor me though, would you? Who has the best nuggets, and what is your favorite dipping sauce?

Life’s little nuggets

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