Baked Chicken, June 16, 2015

Since we were getting up super early to get my sweetie to the airport for an overnight work trip, I wanted to have a simple, but also really homey and comforting dinner for her. Since we spent the weekend at a water park and she'll be eating out (possibly in the airport) the next couple of nights, I wanted her to have just the right send-off meal!

I am not usually a coat-the-chicken-before-you-bake-it kinda girl. However, my wife loves that kind of thing---her pork chops almost always have Shake & Bake on them, unless they're grilled. I'm also trying to be open to cooking and eating new things, so I decided to play around with a corn flake coating on my baked chicken. I made a batch of mashed potatoes and cooked some lima beans to go with it. I couldn't believe how delicious the chicken turned out to be!

I also discovered this morning that I really like corn flakes with milk, something I thought impossible. I had childhood memories of a soggy mess, so I assumed Jeannene would have to finish off the giant box we bought over the weekend. Jeannene had spotted it and said, "Do you need corn flakes for anything?" She really wanted the box, which has Iron Man on one side and Captain America on the other. I did, too, so I said yes. Friends with food manufacturing businesses, never underestimate the influence of cartoon characters on grown folks!

Baked Chicken

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/2 c. mayonnaise (the low-fat version works just fine here)

Generous 1/8 c. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. chopped parsley (1 tsp. dried)

A healthy shake or two of grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2-2 c. crushed corn flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix mayonnaise, Dijon, parsley, & parmesan. Coat each chicken breast in the mixture, then dredge in corn flake crumbs. Place in a greased 13x9 pan (I used cooking spray). Bake 30-35 minutes. Serves 3.