Maple Chicken

I very, very rarely venture away from good old-fashioned boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenders; this is one of my only exceptions.  I like to make this recipe with Bone-In Chicken Breasts.  I can't remember the why or when of making this one up, but it's yummy and very versatile. You can slice the meat off the bone after baking and top a salad or serve alongside rice or potatoes.

Here's how I make Maple-Glazed Chicken.  Pull or cut the skin off the chicken breasts - ick.  Now I remember why I like the boneless ones.  Once they are good and naked, rub with a good bit of olive oil and sprinkle with the seasonings so they look almost good.

Since raw chicken juice is super nasty I learned this trick.  I open up all the containers I will be using first thing so that I don't have to open anything while the chicken guts are on my hands.  Actually, I intend to - forget - wash my hands - and then open them up.  Brilliant, I know.

While the chicken is baking with the spices, mix up the ingredients for the maple glaze.  They just hang out on the counter while the chicken bakes.

After the chicken is done baking, take  it out and increase the temp on the oven. Pour the glaze over the chicken and return the pan to the oven.  This is what they look like all finished "pre-slice".  You could serve them just like this.  In fact, after I slice the chicken off the bone my husband stands over the pan and picks out all the little pieces I missed......this is also how we eat ribs.

  

Maple-Glazed Chicken

3 large bone in chicken breasts - 1 (sliced) usually serves 2 people, although tonight 3 barely fed my family of five. Go figure.  You can easily make this with boneless chicken breasts but will need to decrease baking time.

Remove skin from chicken.  Coat chicken with olive oil and then sprinkle with seasoned salt, coarse pepper, and rotisserie chicken seasoning (glue and glittler style).  Bake on a foil-lined jellyroll pan for 50 minutes  or 1 hour at 350 degrees. 

Remove chicken from oven and boost oven temp to 375.  Mix 2 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoon honey mustard, 2 Tablespoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup.  Cover with a paper towel and microwave for 1-2 minutes until melted together.  Stir and pour over warm chicken.  Return to oven for 5 minutes at 375.  Let chicken sit for 10 minutes, then remove from the bone and slice.

Enjoy!