Pecan-Crusted Baked Chicken Breast

This was a new recipe I tried from Paula Deen's new cookbook, The Southern Cooking Bible. I admit, Paula has taught me a great deal about cooking in the last few years... I could probably do an entire blog just on her recipes... but then that wouldn't be nearly as exciting. This is probably one of my favorites... and what's crazy, is it's sooo easy to make. The hardest part is crushing the pecans... and that's easy. What's also great is how coating the chicken breasts in mayo, instead of egg yolks, makes the chicken much more tender. A perfect weekday meal for your family!

Pecan-Crusted Baked Chicken Breasts


Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1/2 pound each)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup pecans, crushed
3/4 cup bread crumbs


Directions:

1. Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking dish or coat with cooking spray.

2. Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Coat each breast with1 teaspoon of mayonnaise. In a shallow dish toss the pecans and the bread crumbs together. Dredge the chicken in the bread crumb mixture, pressing firmly to make sure it sticks well to the chicken. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and place in the prepared baking dish. Bake until the crust is nicely browned and the chicken is cooked through, 40 to 50 minutes.