THE WORLD'S BEST CHICKEN

This weekend was a frenzy of Pinterest recipe cooking for me. I made 3 new things, so get ready for 3 new blogs. I am so bad at taking pictures as I go, though...

Anyway, the first one I'm going to write about is a recipe originally pinned as THE WORLD'S BEST CHICKEN. I've had it on my board almost since the beginning and never tried it because I'm really NOT a fan of mustard. I originally found it here on Rachel Shultz's blog, and I'm not sure where she got the recipe.

I give this one 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The original recipe is as follows:

• 4 chicken breasts (I halved mine because they were pretty thick.)
• 1/2 c of dijon mustard (I used almost 2/3 c because I was worried about the extra surface area.)
• 1/2 c maple syrup
• 1 T red wine vinegar (I used Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar.)
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Rosemary (I used dried)

First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Then, in a small bowl, mix together the mustard, maple syrup, vinegar and salt and pepper. I seasoned my chicken with salt, pepper, a garlic pepper grinder, and a little Nature's Seasons. I was a little afraid of what other flavors to add in there, since I'm not used to cooking with mustard. It said in the original recipe to place the breasts in a greased 9x13 baking dish, but I didn't bother greasing it. There really was no need. 

My chicken was still a bit frozen, so I poured the mustard mixture over the breasts and let it sit for about a half hour. I made sure that the breasts were completely coated and let it marinate a bit. This is completely unnecessary; I was just trying to give the chicken a little more time to thaw before sticking it in the oven. I added the rosemary to the top, even though the recipe calls to wait until it's out of the oven. Pop the chicken, uncovered, into the oven for 30-40 min. I put it in for 30 and ended up having to put it back for another 7. I think if my chicken had been completely thawed, it would have been fine after 30. 

I didn't take an after picture... I probably would have been fine using the original measurements as well.

When I took it out, the sauce was very watery, which I attribute partly to the excess water from the breasts being frozen. I do, however, wish it had been a bit thicker. I think if I make this again, I will make a rue and add the sauce to it so it's thicker. The chicken was SOOOOOOO moist. You almost didn't need a knife to cut it.

When I took the first bite, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Like I said, not a huge fan of mustard. But I gave it a chance. By the second bite, it was growing on me. I ended up having two breast halves... lol There was a TON of flavor, and like I said, it was so moist. DS, however, wasn't very interested in it. I think the flavor was just too strong for him. I froze the leftovers, and I'm thinking of using them for sandwiches. Just shred, add some lettuce, red onion, maybe even pickles, and there you have it.  Really, my big qualm with this one is the sauce. It is a bit overpowering, but really good. The issue is how thin it was. I'd have liked it more if it really stuck to the chicken.

Any ideas of what flavors I can add to a mustard dish?