Parmesan Crusted Chicken

My friend Christen posted a Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe a few weeks ago and I thought it looked great. So last week when we begged, pleaded, and bribed my parents to come help us set up our new bed I figured it was the perfect occasion to try what I was sure would be a fantastic recipe. It definitely didn't disappoint! The chicken was juicy and tender and the spices and crust made it very tasty. I normally cook with chicken tenders and so to use chicken breasts was different but I think this recipe wouldn't be nearly as good with tenders. I did go with the broiler pan like Christen did and I think that worked fine, but I agree that a cookie sheet should work just fine too. I hope you like it as much as I did! And, if so, make sure you let Christen know!

 

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

 

12 multigrain saltine crackers
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons finely chopped Parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper
1/4 cup buttermilk
4 boneless skinless chicken breast

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place baking rack on a baking sheet/broiler pan.
2. Place crackers in a large zip lock bag and crush. Add parmesan, parsley, basil, paprika, salt and pepper. Shake to combine. Pour crumbs in a shallow dish like a pie plate or breading trays.
3. Place buttermilk in a shallow dish (again with the breading trays). Dip chicken in buttermilk, then coat both sides with cracker mixture.
4. Place chicken on rack on baking sheet.
5. Bake @ 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese and Black Bean Chicken

I got this recipe off of Magnolias, Marriage, and Manhattan and I made it last week. It was SO GOOD and SO EASY! I am loving my crock pot so much these days because it makes cooking a healthy meal really simple. And the good news is that we found out Charlotte's a huge fan of salsa because she was downing the salsa and black beans and when she had sucked all the salsa off she was spitting out the black beans. As a sidenote, I'm afraid my child is never going to eat any table food veggies! :) Also, I would have had a picture but I realized when I checked the picture after dinner that my memory card was in the computer and not the camera when I was taking pictures with it. Sorry!


Cream Cheese and Black Bean Chicken
4-5 chicken breasts
2 cans of rinsed and drained black beans
4 oz cream cheese
2 cups salsa (I used mild)
Spice Options: taco seasoning, chili pepper, garlic powder, crushed red peppers
Throw salsa, chicken and beans into crock pot for 6-8 hours until chicken is falling apart. At the very end, add cream cheese until it melts (about 15 minutes). Stir. Serve.
We served ours plain, but you could use it as a filling in a tortilla or over rice.