A method for making a cooked food product comprises blending an uncooked protein source (e.g., chicken) and at least one dehydrated ingredient (e.g., pasta) to form a mixture, and cooking the mixture to form the cooked food product. The mixture is cooked under conditions that cause at least some of the water that is released from the protein source upon cooking to be absorbed into the dehydrated ingredients, so that the dehydrated ingredients become “hydrated” or softened, instead of all of the water being released from the mixture. The cooked food product may be in the form of a nugget and may include a breading composition coated on the exterior surface of the nugget. The absorption of water from the meat into the dehydrated ingredients inhibits moisture from seeping out through the breading, keeping the outer breaded layer relatively crisp.
