Delectable crispy tenders dip perfectly into garlicky cilantro-basil pesto dipping sauce to make an easy, delicious weeknight dinner

Guys, I have this theory… that if you cut off all her hair she’d look like a British man… just kidding, that’s not my theory. (name that movie) Obviously my real theory is food based, no surprise there. Here it is:

literally any food would taste good with enough pesto

Yup. Let it soak in. Kind of like pesto soaking into a fresh ciabatta roll. Mind you, this theory only works with savory foods, but I think you guys get that. I think I’ve always kind of known this theory all along, I think we’ve all kind of known this theory all along, but it wasn’t really crystalized until the other day when I was making this recipe.

It all started when I was cruisin’ through Target picking up some of Gardein’s crispy tenders for this post. Obviously it had to be delicious, but I also wanted it to be quick and easy. I know I have zero patience when I get home for anything super fancy. Seriously, I can’t make it in less than 30 minutes it’s not happening during the week #endofstory.

I was really torn between a bunch of different ideas. First I wanted to make a quesadilla, then it was a salad, then a sandwich, but nothing felt inspired. 

That’s when it hit me. “IT MUST BE A SAUCE.” (I didn’t actually yell that out loud at Target, but in retrospect it might have gotten a laugh or two, or just some very disturbed shoppers). But what kind of sauce? It was then, the pesto gods struck me with divine inspiration. “IT SHALL BE PESTO.” It was perfect. A dip-able, dunk-able, delectable pesto sauce.

When I went to test the recipe, I had a hunch it would be good, I mean as the theory goes: literally any food would taste good with enough pesto, but OH HOT DAMN. (again this was all in my head I don’t typically yell things out loud)

The crispy tenders dunked into the garlicky basil-cilantro pesto sauce… the flavor texture combo is unreal. Seriously. This stuff is the business. I’m thinking about calling it money sauce… no, that sounds pretty dirty, we won’t call it that. But anyway it’s wicked good my friends. Wicked. Good.

Oh, and bonus – the recipe makes a good amount of sauce so you can just whip it up once, then bake up some tenders whenever you’re ready to dip.

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