Add the sophistication of Kiev to chicken fingers

Have you ever tried to make a classic Russian Chicken Kiev at home? The dish sounds elegant, but the recipe is actually very simple — essentially fried chicken with butter and herbs. However, by the time you pound chicken and roll it around a lump of herbed butter, secure with toothpicks, dip it in an egg wash, refrigerate for an hour and saute, you've spent the better part of an afternoon.

We might crave the sophisticated flavors and the fun of butter oozing out of the middle as we dig in, but we don't have the energy or time for the real thing. We wondered if we might take the simple flavors of Kiev and apply them to a midweek meal our entire family loves — chicken fingers.

Don't laugh. We learned years ago that some of our best Desperation Dinners recipes involve taking a time-honored classic and paring it down to the essential elements. In the test kitchen, we're constantly asking ourselves what we can leave out (or not do) and still end up with a wonderful meal. In this case, we nixed the egg wash (too messy), substituted dried herbs for fresh (way faster), and included the luxurious butter taste by tossing it with hot egg noodles and serving them alongside.

Today's recipe for Chicken Fingers with Kiev-inspired Flavors is a testament to the method. In just 20 minutes, you'll have golden, crunchy chicken and buttery, herbed noodles — simple enough for your kids yet slightly sophisticated, too.

Menu: Chicken Fingers with Kiev-inspired Flavors

Egg noodles

Steamed broccoli

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CHICKEN FINGERS WITH KIEV-INSPIRED FLAVORS

Start to finish: 20 minutes

8 ounces of yolk-free egg noodles or other pasta

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound chicken tenders, defrosted if frozen

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried chives, optional