Crispy Apricot Mustard Chicken

With a new baby, I'm looking for easy meals that don't require a lot of hands-on prep time. Little Elaine is a very good baby...until it's time to make and eat dinner. Then she requires lots of holding and patting and shhhh-ing. And that doesn't take into account the three-year-old hanging from my leg, kindly begging me to crash Matchbox cars with him.

Today's recipe was born out of necessity—a hands-off meal using up ingredients in my fridge. Chicken breasts get a hint of sweetness from apricot preserves that's balanced with a tangy punch of mustard. The curry powder doesn't scream "I'm eating curry!" but rather lends a bit of "hmmm...not sure what this added pizzazz is, but I like it." With crunchy, buttery breadcrumbs to top it all off, it's a delightful dinner.

Want to make it a well-rounded meal? Serve Crispy Apricot Mustard Chicken with Buttered Egg Noodles and Sauteed Peas with Mushrooms.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Crispy Apricot Mustard Chicken
Serves: 4

2 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons honey mustard
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
Salt
Pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside.

In a small bowl combine apricot preserves, honey mustard, curry powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken breasts in prepared baking dish. Schmear apricot-mustard mixture on top of chicken and then flip the chicken over a few times so it's coated on both sides. (At this point, you can cover the baking dish and refrigerate until you're ready to make dinner.)

In a separate bowl, combine butter, bread crumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Evenly sprinkle bread crumb mixture over chicken. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.