Oven-Fried Chicken Breasts

I'm usually a little wary of "lighter" versions of my favorites.  While some of these recipes turn out well, I often end up categorize them as dishes in their own right, rather than healthier cousins of splurges.  So I generally avoid these knock-offs preferring instead to just cook something that originated as a healthy option if I'm being conscious of that.  However, when the deities that inhabit my own personal Mt. Olympus (America's Test Kitchen) e-mailed their versions of Lighter Comfort Foods, I just had to give them a try and thus, I found myself once again with egg whites dripping through my fingers as I attempted their Oven-Fried Chicken Breasts.

I chose to take them up on substituting boneless-skinless chicken breast for their recommended bone-in variety. While the BSCB is a little healthier, I mostly made this decision based on the fact that my freezer is constantly stocked with them.

Likewise, I couldn't find Melba toast at my local grocery store (perhaps there is a lack of grandmothers in my area demanding that they be stocked?) and instead went with something called "Petite Toasts" which appeared to be more or less the same thing.  They also came in the 1-inch pieces that the recipe calls for.  Bonus.

A few thoughts I had when cooking:

1) I had to pulse my toast a little more than suggested.  They recommend twelve 1-second pulse, I ended up doing about twenty 2-3 second pulses.

2) I loved adding the oil to the processed melba toast.  I believe this really helped keep the chicken moist, while controlling the amount of added fat.

3) What's the deal with Dijon lately?  I feel like every recipe calls for it.  I don't really care, but Husband hates Dijon and hiding its use when I'm cooking is becoming increasingly annoying.

The result: a moist, delicious breaded chicken.  I wouldn't necessarily rank this with fried chicken, rather it was more of a gourmet shake-and-bake.  I enjoyed it and would definitely make it again, however when it comes down to it, there is still no substitute for the real thing.

I served this with steamed green beans and their Lighter Mashed Potatoes. 

Summary:
Difficulty Level: Low
Effort Level: Low-moderate
Cost: Low
Results: No substitute for the real thing, but a keeper in it's own right.


This recipe was also featured in their cookbook, The Best Light Recipe.