This chicken recipe has got to be my absolute favorite Parmesan crusted recipe I’ve ever made. My husband loved it so much, he licked his plate clean. That’s always a good sign of a good meal.

When browsing the freezer section of pre-prepared meals, I always squirm a little when I see “chicken” in the ingredients. I don’t have a clue where that chicken is from, what parts of the chicken it is, what that bird was fed or how it was treated before packaging, was it exposed tohormones or pesticides? Uugghhh my mind gets in scrambles.

I looked at the bargaining brand before purchasing my safety go-to so that I can see the difference for myself and to share with you.

Let’s check out a few of the less obvious ingredients.

• Chicken containing Rib meat- rib meat is just a part of the breast meat. Not an additive so, not a bad thing.
• Dextrose- a form of sugar (glucose to be exact) that can spike blood sugar and lead to weight gain.
• Lactic acid- So, in a nutshell, lactic acid can be created in the body naturally and is a factor to the cause of that burning feeling you get in your muscles after an intense workout. There are other factors like hydrogen, pH levels lowered, lactate, etc, but to keep it simple, it’s the burning sensation in the muscles. Now, in the diet, you can receive it naturally from foods or it’s added for flavoring or as a preservative.
• Maltodextrin- This can be formed from corn, wheat, potato starch, etc.  It’s OK with the FDA to consume, however, it can spike your blood pressure which isn’t good especially for those with preexisting health issues such as diabetes.  Most food companies use this as a thickener or preservative.
• Rice starch- Rice starch helps give the creamy texture without effect on the flavor of the product.  This is typically a healthier alternative to use in place of a fat.
• Yeast extract- Used as a flavor enhancer, yeast extract is another marketing loop hole.  Everyone knows by now that MSG’s (Mono-sodium glutamate) are a no-no and should be avoided if possible.  But did you know that if the food contains up to 78% of glutamic acid, it doesn’t have to be on the packaging as “MSG”?  The industry knows it could scare off the consumer if listed MSG so, this is another way of hiding it.

When picking up chicken breast to prepare for me and my family, I always go for Harvestland. When choosing the best chicken for you and your family, there are a few things to look for like the things listed on this label. “All Natural” “No preservatives” “No steroids added” “Fed all vegetable diet” “No added by products” “Raised Cage Free” “No salt added”

Ahhhh like a breath of fresh air.  However, I will point a couple of things out even the marketing used by this heaven sent company.  “Cage Free” could still mean they are all in the same coop, over crowded, but the rest of the promised phrases quoted ensures this is a healthier choice than the competitor.

For this recipe, I fixed a small bowl with egg wash and a medium sized bowl for the ingredients. I sprayed a wire rack with olive oil then preheated the oven to 400*F. While the oven preheated, I began the preparations of the chicken breasts. On a cutting board, I always, no matter how I bake chicken, put a few punctures in it with a fork and rub it down with olive oil. This way, I always come out having juicy flavorful chicken. I then dipped each chicken breast, one at a time, in to the egg wash. Again, one at a time, I coated each chicken breast in the mixed dry ingredients then, put them both on to the greased wire rack. Let it bake once the oven is good and preheated, for 35-40 minutes (depending on how hot and fast your oven cooks). The last five minutes, I move the chicken to the top rack and let it broil to brown on top.

once done, viola! Nice crispy, yet juicy Parmesan crusted chicken.

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2. 1/4 tsp cinnamon
3. 1/4 c Buckwheat flour
4. 1 tsp chili powder
5. 1/2 tsp garlic powder
6. salt and pepper to taste
7. 2 Tbs olive oil
8. 1 egg
9. 2 chicken breast, boneless

Preheat oven to 400*. Beat egg in small bowl and set aside. In medium bowl, mix all 6 dry ingredients. Prepare your chicken by puncturing the breasts and rub with olive oil. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg wash and place in medium bowl of dry ingredients. Coat each side of both pieces of chicken very well.

Spray your wired rack with olive oil and line the drip pan with aluminum foil for easier clean up. Place each piece of chicken on rack and once oven is preheated, place on lower shelf. Bake for 35 minutes. After time is up, switch to broil and bake on top rack for 5 more minutes.

Boom! You’re done and ready to enjoy. Let me know if you have any suggestions or questions in the comments!

xox -C