I have a hard time making the same thing with any frequency. For one thing, I really try to cook with what is in season, looks good, and is at the right price point. Also, I have such a huge file of recipes to try, it’s hard to resist picking new ones each week. But most of all, I just get tired of having the same thing over and over again. Whenever J is asked what his favorite meal is, he always replies, “I couldn’t say! Whenever we have something I like, we never have it again, so I can’t choose favorites.” So I do try to make things I know he likes as often as I can. Some are already posted here, like our favorite butter beans and banana bread. Pretzel chicken is another. The pickles totally make this recipe – the sour with the salt from the pretzels is such a great combination. Being a Rachael Ray recipe, it’s pretty quick, about 30 minutes from start to finish. And it tastes good without the cheese sauce, which J avoids. I’ve seen him eat it plain, with ketchup, or even with barbecue sauce. Enjoy!
Pretzel Crusted Chicken Breasts with a Cheddar-Mustard Sauce
Serves 4
4 medium plastic food storage bags
4 small whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 5-ounce bage of salted pretzels, any shape
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Eggs
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups grated sharp yellow Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated extra sharp white Cheddar cheese
2 heaping tablespoons spicy brown mustard
Coarse salt
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large dill pickle, finely chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Directions
Sprinkle a little water into the food storage baggies. Place one
chicken breast in each bag and seal it up, pushing out the excess air.
Use a mallet or the bottom of a heavy pot or pan and pound each breast
until flat, just shy of busting out of the bag. Repeat with the other
3 chicken breasts.
Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and grind until
fine. Transfer the ground pretzels to a shallow dish and add the thyme
and some pepper. Crack and beat 2 eggs in a second shallow dish with a
splash of water. Working with 1 pounded chicken breast at a time, coat
the breast in the ground pretzels, then in the eggs, then in the
pretzels again. Preheat a large skillet with 1/4 inch of vegetable
oil; add the pretzel-coated chicken breasts to the hot oil. Cook in a
single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each
side, until cutlets’ juices run clear and the breading is evenly
browned.
While the chicken is frying, in a medium sauce pot over medium heat,
melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk
in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheeses and
mustard with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper and
remove the cheese sauce from the heat.
Transfer the fried pretzel-crusted chicken breasts to the serving
plates, drizzle with the cheddar-mustard sauce, and then sprinkle with
a little parsley, finely chopped onions, and the finely chopped
pickles. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges alongside.
Makes 4 servings
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