YOU’LL CRY FOR CRISPY MUSTARD CHICKEN

This chicken recipe is one of my all-time signature dishes …Crispy Mustard Chicken with a Sweet and Tangy Mustard Sauce.

When you start thinking about what to serve for a dinner party and you want to make a dish that will please almost everyone, I’ve got you covered. One of my all-time signature dishes…my Baked Crispy Mustard Chicken with a Sweet and Tangy Mustard Sauce! Yes, you would NEVER know it’s baked! I almost hesitated to put “Baked” in the name because I don’t want everyone to think…..”oh, baked…that’s boring….” I assure you it’s everything BUT boring! Kids and adults alike CRY for this chicken! And you must make it with my Sweet and Tangy Mustard Sauce! To die for! I found it in the June Fete Fare Cookbook (more on that in my story). When I say my friends and family went nuts over it, I am NOT kidding! Everyone asks me to make it when I have a party or get together, and they have asked for the recipe, too. I use it as my base for Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Saltimbocca, and just as plain old Chicken Fingers for the kids (well, and the adults, too)! 

You make a marinade of olive or avocado oil (or a blend if you’d like), and some fresh basil, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, fresh lemon juice and garlic, pour over the chicken, and marinate for 8 hours or overnight. Make a bread crumb mixture of seasoned panko and grated cheese, bake until crispy and voila! Amazing! AND, you must serve it with my Sweet and Tangy Mustard Sauce!

For those who love a story, here’s how this one came about….. As always, the recipe is here for those who can’t wait to get at it, but I hope you will read the story too! 

My dear friend, neighbor, and kind-of sister-in-law, Pat, (I have to tell you all that story another time…..my sister married Pat’s brother, and yes, Pat and I were responsible for that happy union in 1996)…..gave me a copy of the June Fete Fare cookbook which changed my life! It was one of those fundraiser cookbooks that local churches, hospitals, and community causes create to raise money for their initiative. But this is one killer cookbook! So many of my fabulous recipes come from this book…the June Fete Fare Abington Memorial Hospital cookbook. 

My copy has been through the kitchen war and back! Food stains, marker smears, post-it notes in multiple colors, hand-written scribbles that I can’t even understand anymore…I know you are all nodding your head because you all know you have one or more of those cookbooks in your kitchen! If someone said to you that you must leave your house and go live on an island, and you can only take 5 things with you, this book would be one of them for me! At one time, I think I would have sacrificed one of my children or my husband for this cookbook! (Just kidding guys!)

Well, the funny thing about this treasured book is that it almost challenged my friendship with Pat! (Not really, but I’m building the drama here.) All true, though! Pat is the most talented and creative person I know. Whatever she touches she turns into gold! I’ll share more about her talents later. Now we’ve been living next door to each other for 30 years, and about 20 years after we moved in, Pat comes over and asks me “Do you have my June Fete Fare Cookbook?” Now I am as possessive as it gets when it comes to anything that has to do with food, décor or entertaining, but I KNEW I did not have her book. She asked, “Are you sure?” So, I pulled out my copy, with all my gusto, and showed it to her. She still hesitated hoping that somehow my copy was hers. And then it hit me! I knew how I can prove to her that my copy was mine and mine alone! She signed the book when she gave it to me…..”To Madeline, for all you do…Love Pat and the girls.! Booh Yah! In your face! (Just kidding. Pat knows I love her to pieces!) I was trying to be the bigger person here and did offer to “LEND” it to her, but I was smart…..I put a tracking device on it so I would make sure I never, ever lost my most precious cookbook! 

So many food gems that I’ve tweaked come from this cookbook, and I promise you this chicken dish is a winner all around! Try it and please let me know how you made out! It’s a family and friend favorite in my household! 

Until next time….

Enjoy!

Madeline 

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Crispy Mustard Chicken

A “to cry for” chicken marinated in mustard, olive oil, garlic, lemon and basil, breaded with panko and grated cheese, and baked to crispy perfection!

Cook Time1 hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: baked chicken, basil, bread crumbs, Chicken, coarse salt, cracked black pepper, crispy, Dijon mustard, garlic, GE Cafe Range, juicy, Kirland Organic No-Salt Seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, panko, Peccorino Romano cheese, tender

Servings: 10

Equipment

• 2 medium size mixing bowls
• Shallow baking sheet
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• 8 boneless chicken breasts gently pounded and sliced thin
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tbsp Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
• 1 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh basil set aside a few full leaves for garnish - or 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning Costco's brand of seasoning that I use on just about everything
• 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 cup seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
• 1¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use Pecorino Romano or Locatelli), and sometimes I do half shredded and half finely grated

Instructions

• Make chicken marinade by whisking together lemon juice, mustard, garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper and Kirkland seasoning.
• Gently toss chicken in marinade making sure to coat all pieces well.
• Marinate chicken at least 8 hours or overnight, turning to make sure the olive oil covers the chicken well.
• Pull chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before you are ready to bread.
• Toss breadcrumb and cheese together in a bowl.
• Dredge chicken in mixture and place on a shallow baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake, uncovered in preheated 400° oven for a total of 20 minutes, flipping over once halfway through until second side is crusty and chicken reaches temperature of 165°.

Notes

I have a GE Café oven that has a Convection Roast setting, which acts as a broiler in a way. If you have an oven with a Convection Roast setting, this works the best! I have also put them in a heavy-duty aluminum pan basted with a little grapeseed oil and put the pan on the gas grill (heated to about 400°), cook on the first side for about 5 minutes, the second side about 3-5 minutes. Changes the texture to even more of a crispier texture. 

Place chicken breasts on a plate, with sliced lemon and basil for garnish.

You must, must, must serve this with the Sweet and Tangy Mustard sauce! 

Let’s Get Cookin’!

Madeline