Kid Friendly Dish: Mustard-Baked Chicken with a Pretzel Crust

I have been cooking, but it has been tough to blog with a 4-month-old baby and a full-time job so I have a bit of a backlog of recipes to write up.

Here is a delicious chicken recipe that both you and the kids will love.  I first had the dish at City Bakery, a favorite lunch spot of mine and home of the world’s most delicious hot chocolate.  I then saw the recipe written up on Food & Wine’s website.

The chicken is moist and delicious — great flavor from the mustards and a yummy breading from the pretzels.  For an easy side dish, roast some cauliflower or green beans to accompany the chicken.  Since the chicken needs to cook at 400 degrees, you can cook the chicken and vegetables at the same time.

Now I just need to find the recipe for City Bakery’s Tuscan Kale with Pecorino and Hazelnuts!

Mustard Baked Chicken with a Pretzel Crust
Ilene Rosen from City Bakery as published in Food & Wine

• 1/2 pound hard pretzels, coarsely crushed (4 cups)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup whole-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a food processor, pulse the pretzels until coarsely ground; you should have coarse chunks and fine crumbs. Transfer to a large, shallow bowl.

Wipe out the food processor. Add the oil, whole-grain and Dijon mustards, water and vinegar and process until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

Pour half of the dressing into a large shallow bowl, add the chicken breasts and turn to coat. Dredge the chicken in the pretzel crumbs and transfer to a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Slice the chicken and serve warm or at room temperature with the remaining mustard dressing.