Honey Dijon Chicken

This post is a part of Tuesday Twister Blog Carnival at GNOWFGLINS

It used to be that boneless skinless chicken breasts were the majority of our chicken meals.  Since I  started insisting on humanely farmed chickens I have been buying whole chickens & roasting them.  This month I felt like something besides the same old roast chicken.  I decided to try my hand at cutting up the chicken, and I also happened to see a couple of different blog posts recently about cutting up your own chicken.

However, when I went to cut up my chicken, I did not have any of that information in front of me.  I can't exactly cut up a chicken on my desk.  (Has anyone invented a laptop computer that installs under your kitchen cabinets?  I think they really should- and make sure I get credit for the idea!)  Plus my son was using the computer, and I decided to let him stay occupied while I hacked my way into this chicken!  I got the wings and drumsticks off, that was easy enough.  But after that I kept flipping the bird over & over- everything looked the same.  I also got off - what are those?  thighs?  drumettes?  And I cut the breast meat off (quite a bit there).  I am not sure what all I did to this poor chicken, but I think it may be a crime somewhere...

What you see in the glass jar there in a honey Dijon marinade/cooking sauce.  Last time I made Honey Baked Chicken* for dinner there was plenty of sauce left in the pan, so I froze it & reused it one more time for this dinner.  I've had this recipe for a long time- it is so good & so easy.  A great company dish as well because it fills your home with yummy smells!  (My daughter actually asked, "Who's coming over?" when she smelled it baking.) 

Honey Baked Chicken
4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup honey
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 whole bone-in chicken breasts, halved (OK, this is funny- how many chickens have 3 breasts?  HA!) OR
    one 3 1/2 lb fryer (cut) OR boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. Turn on oven to 350.  In a 9x13 dish, melt butter in oven (while it is pre-heating).  Remove dish & mix in honey, mustard, curry, & salt.
2. Coat chicken pieces in butter mixture.  Bake skin side down 30 minutes.  Flip pieces & bake for 20 to 30 minutes more until browned (optional: basting occasionally- I never do though).  Reduce cooking time if using boneless chicken breasts.

*I think this recipe may have originally come from menu mailer @ Saving Dinner...

This is all I have to show you, because my family dug into it before I could get the camera out.  Some suggested go-alongs for this are green beans & cornbread (with honey butter) or salad & scalloped potatoes.  There is a super easy recipe for Cream Scalloped Potatoes at Heavenly Homemakers.  You will not believe how easy they are- just cream & potatoes- and my husband said they are "delectable"!  You could cook them at the same time/temp as the chicken & they should all be ready at the same time.

That same night I started marinating the chicken breasts for dinner the next night.  First I pounded them down (thinner pieces cook faster & also makes for more servings).  The recipe for Baked Chicken Breasts Supreme is another favorite of our family & great for company because the marinade makes the chicken really moist.  And making your own bread crumbs is another great use for failed (sourdough) bread!  I will share that recipe with you in my next post!

Enjoy,
Lisa