New Recipe

Okay, so I'll admit that I was a little skeptical about trying this recipe, mainly because it calls for the use of mayonnaise. But I tend to be quite adventurous with my food, and Hector (God love him) will eat pretty much anything I put in front of him, just as long as he doesn't have to be the one cooking it. So, in my desperate search for something new and different to serve my family for dinner, I tried this recipe. And you know what? It was really good! It was easy to make, and it was different, which was really nice since I tend to get into cooking ruts with our meals. The chicken comes out super moist and flavorful. So, I thought I'd pass along the recipe.

Mouth-Watering Italian Chicken

Mix together 1/2 cup real mayonnaise (I used Hellmann's Lite Mayo) with 1/4 Parmesan cheese. Take 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, washing them and trimming off all excess fat. Lay the chicken breasts in a baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Salt the chicken, then spoon the mayonnaise mixture over the top of each chicken breast. Then take 1 - 1 1/2 cups of Italian seasoned bread crumbs, and sprinkle some on the top of each chicken breast. Bake in a preheated oven (425 degrees) for 20 - 25 minutes.

I served this with some angel hair pasta, tossed lightly with olive oil and basil, and Verde Bread (which was a recipe I got from my friend, Robin). Oh, the best part about the Verde Bread is that my kids are totally unaware that they are eating spinach. It really is SO yummy!

Recipe Variations:
Omit the Italian seasoned bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, and instead use a blend of Mexican cheeses (Mont. Jack, Cheddar, Asiago, Asadero, etc.). Use plain bread crumbs, adding in 1/4 teaspoon of each of Cumin, Chili Powder and/or Garlic Powder to the bread crumbs.

OR...

Keep the Italian seasoned bread crumbs, but use Swiss cheese instead of Parmesan, and stuff each chicken breast with ham to make a quick Chicken Cordon Bleu.