Herbed Mustard-Coated Chicken

I used to make this recipe all the time, but it's been years since the last time we had it!  Thankfully I remembered what cookbook it was in after all these years.

This is a simple, delicious recipe that doesn't take long to make.  It comes from the Pillsbury cookbook Chicken, Beef & Pork from August 1998.  I think it might be one of the first cookbooks I ever bought!

Tonight I served it with a boxed pasta and steamed fresh green beans in garlic butter with fresh pepper.

Herbed Mustard-Coated Chicken

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Italian dressing
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dry parsley
2 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dry thyme
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp butter, melted
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a 15x10x1 baking pan (I just use my glass 13x9 pan).  In small bowl, mix salad and dressing.

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, and pepper.  Mix well.  Add butter.  Toss to mix well.  (To save a step, I melt the butter in the bowl first and dump the rest in!)

Place chicken in greased pan.  Spread mustard mixture on both sides of chicken.  Spoon bread crumb mixture evenly on top of chicken.  Press firmly.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear.  If desired, slice chicken breasts diagonally before serving.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

The boyfriend found this recipe, and while I'm not big on Brussels sprouts, I figured I would try it.  I cheated and used bread crumbs instead of buying a loaf of french bread for a two ounce slice.  I also ended up cooking the sprouts longer than indicated in the braising portion because they didn't seem as tender as I would have liked (and since I so rarely cook them, it's harder to judge if they're done!).  Next time I would use the low setting on our broiler (we have "high" and "low" and no recipe seems to ever indicate which), as I used the high setting and the topping ended up slightly overdone.  But, overall, a good recipe, and a much more palatable way to eat Brussels Sprouts!

2 hickory-smoked bacon slices
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 (2-ounce) slice French bread baguette
3 tablespoons butter


1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings; crumble. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to drippings in pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add Brussels sprouts and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil; cook 6 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are almost tender. Uncover and remove from heat. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; toss to combine. Spoon Brussels sprouts mixture into a 2-quart broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Place bread in a food processor, and process until finely ground. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add cooked, crumbled bacon to toasted breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over Brussels sprouts mixture. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and thoroughly heated.