Tropical Granola Encrusted Chicken Tenders with Orange Dijon Dipping Sauce

We just returned from a two week vacation in Florida, and it was a little hard to return to the mid-west.  In the winter, I love our snow covered evergreens, but there's nothing like Florida palm trees surrounded by a gorgeous sunset!  So, when Golden Girl Granola announced their Blogger Recipe Challenge and offered me a complimentary bag of Truly Tropical Granola for my recipe, I was all in!!!  I decided to spruce up my ordinary chicken tender recipe and give it a tropical twist.  Coconut milk, orange peel, and this delicious granola with mango, coconut, and cashews gives these tenders their day in the sun!  Dip them into the orange dijon dip, and you'll feel like you're on a tropical island getaway (even if you're in your really sitting at your kitchen table, like me!)  
Golden Girl Granola comes in a variety of flavors- blueberry, forest maple, and chocolate decadence,  just to name a few.  Their granola is sweet, crunchy, flavorful, and gluten-free!  Here's the yummy flavor that I used for these tropical tenderloins:

Here's how I made these sweet and tangy Granola Encrusted Chicken Fingers with Orange Dijon Dipping Sauce:
Ingredients
Chicken: 1 pound chicken tenderloins; 1 cup coconut milk; 1/2 tsp. orange peel; 1/4 tsp. sea salt; 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
Dip: 1/3 cup orange marmalade; 1/4 cup dijon mustard; 2 tablespoons honey
Directions
Chicken: Place tenderloins in a large resealable plastic bag,  Add the coconut milk.  Seal the bag and place into the refrigerator for at least one hour.  Remove from fridge.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Use a food processor to puree granola on high speed for one minute.  Place the granola into a small mixing bowl. Rinse the chicken and pat dry.   Roll the tenderloins into the granola.  Use your hands to press the granola firmly onto the chicken.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place tenderloins on pan and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until chicken is opaque and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  
Dip: Place the orange marmalade, dijon mustard, and honey into a small mixing bowl.  Whisk until smooth.  Serve alongside the tenderloins, in a small serving dish.  ​