Recipe: Panko-Crusted Baked Chicken

Chicken, chicken, chicken! Sometimes I feel as though that's all I cook lately. It's either that or one of my frozen Greenwise pizzas I've recently mentioned. Not so adventurous in the kitchen, I know.

Looking for a spin for my trusty bird, I recently baked chicken using a panko crust. Yum! Familiar with it? It's essentially Japanese breadcrumbs that are becoming increasingly popular (though has been available for eons). While they're often used when frying, not for this healthy gal. Check out my tasty meal:

You can often get a great taste for a lot less calories just by baking so why do it? Even with french fries! I LOVE slicing potatoes and putting them in a 400 degree oven to crisp up. Yum! And, use those extra calories for a nice glass of vino.

For this easy peasy dinner, just roast broccoli or veggie of your choice (400-degree oven, 35 minutes, flipping around 20 minutes and keep an eye on it based on size of veggie) and cook rice. You could make a fried rice, but I went simple with white for this quick meal after the chickie went to sleep.

{Ingredients}
panko (find near breadcrumbs or Asian food aisle)
chicken
season to mix with panko, if desired
salt and pepper
egg whites (or egg beaters)
flour (I used whole wheat)

{Directions}

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly coat the chicken with flour, and set up your stations to keep the process moving (see pic): Chicken, then egg wash, then panko with some salt and pepper, followed by your greased sheet pan.
Simply take each cutlet and coat it first in the egg and then in the panko. (tip: use one hand with the egg and another with the panko so your hands don't get coated.). You can't go wrong when doing this so liberally coat. Some might fall of during transfer.
Wheh, the hard part is over. Place the pan in the oven and cook for approximately 15 minutes, checking based on cutlet thickness.
DONE!

TAGG tip: once you've made this once, integrate different spices and fresh herbs into the panko for a flavor all your own.