Make This Chicken, Thank Me Later

Not kidding about the title-

I have found myself in a bit of a chicken rut these days. But hey, who hasn't? I've also been searching the World Wide Web over to find a good 'un'fried chicken recipe. Yes, I said 'un'fried. I want the crunchy texture- but not the greasy mess of having to cook in 1000 degree oil. And, let's face it- that's a trip to the ER that I really don't have time for. ::sigh::

Anyway- I found a recipe that sounded promising, but there was one problem.

Shake 'en Bake... you aren't a friend of mine.

But, fear not! The intrepid cook/blogger got creative last night and a tasty meal came forth from the kitchen & will now and forever more be on my chicken cooking rotation! And now, I share this masterpiece with you.

I call it....

Ridiculously Easy, Yet Marvelously Tasty 'Un'Fried Chicken
(catchy title, huh?)

chicken (duh)- I used a mix of breasts & legs
1 bottle Ranch dressing- I used Buttermilk ranch, but use whatever you have on hand.

Breading Mixture:
Panko- Japanese bread crumbs... trust me.
basil
oregano
pepper
garlic salt
(I played fast and loose with the measurements here. Go with your gut, but go easy on the garlic salt- a little goes a long way.)

Throw the chicken and the ranch dressing into a ziploc baggie & refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. I mean it, no less.

Set your oven to 400 degree & get the breading mixed in a shallow pan. Snag a baking sheet (or 2) out of your cubbord and spray with some PAM. When the chicken has marinated long enough, dredged the chicken and place on your greased baking sheet. Into the oven it goes for 40-45 minutes, turning the chicken once.

**I turned the chicken 20 minutes into the cooking time & flipped the baking sheet around cause I have a freaky oven that cooks hotter on the back side than the front.**

Depending on where your oven grate is, the breading might start to burn a little (mine was on the middle rack), just lower it if that starts to freak you out a little like it did me.

The chicken came out yummmy, moist, & nice and crispy all the way around. No soggy, nasty real estate on these birdies. Next time I make this, I'm thinking of adding a little Parmesan cheese to the panko breading. :-)

OH! and I almost forgot! Here's something that has changed my brownie making life FOREVER! FOREVER, I tell you. On a suggestion from another, I poured my brownie batter (thank you, Mr. Hines.) into cupcake baking cup & baked them in muffin tins. Brilliant, I tell you! They are the perfect serving size and they have their own little cuppies to keep the mess in place! I may never make brownies in a pan again.

Happy Monday, InterPeeps!
And- if you have a moment, say a prayer for the Parkers. They are trying to get their son out of Haiti. It's been hell.