Maple-Mustard Baked Chicken

INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons of Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme (or 1 teaspoon of dry thyme)
3/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
4 Chicken Breast
1-1/2 Breadcrumbs

Since nobody was home today I only had to cook for Jeff and I, but I went ahead and gave the recipe for 4 servings. Breaded chicken just doesn't taste the same when it is re-heated, and I knew that none of us would want a second serving. That would just defeat the purpose of eating healthy!

First, I tenderized the chicken. I usually don't do this step, but after many chicken dishes we realized when you pound out the chicken it comes out perfect. Nice, juicy, and tender. The simplest way of tenderizing is just stick the chicken in a zip-lock bag and pound it with something flat and heavy, in my case it was a flat iron skillet. Pound until the chicken is about 3/4" thick. Make sure the chicken is the same all around.

My camera just doesn't take quality pictures like Jeff's Iphone does. For some reason everything has a tint of yellow. Maybe its the poor lighting in the kitchen or maybe it really is the generic camera I have. Either way, I know to use his phone if he's home. So for the record, our chicken actually was a pink and looked really good.

Next, I whisked the mustard, syrup, 1 tablespoon of the canola oil, thyme, pepper and salt in a bowl. Then I added the ingredients into the zip-lock bag containing the tenderized chicken. I let it marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, but you can leave it in there up to 6 hours.

While the chicken was marinating I decided to make white rice for the side dish. We have a neuro fuzzy rice maker, but I really don't know how to use it. The only time it gets use is when Jeff is around. He has tried to teach me countless times, but old habits die hard. I rather make it like my mom taught me. One cup of rice, 2 of water, and let boil and simmer. Easy!

After the 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. While preheating, combine the breadcrumbs (we used Panko breadcrumbs) and the other tablespoon of the canola oil. Bring out the chicken and dredge it. Both sides should be fully covered.

 Put in a foiled glass baking pan and let bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.

I also decided to make a sauce to drizzle on the top. Just whisk some dijon mustard and maple syrup. About a tablespoon of each.