Devilish Baked Chicken

Do you love the taste of fried chicken, but would like to avoid the health risks? A popular alternative to frying is baking or roasting chicken. However, if you really like the taste of breaded chicken, then what can you do? Well this recipe for some fantastic devilish baked chicken will allow you to have the best of both worlds. Instead of frying the chicken you actually bake it, and best of all you can still enjoy the breaded goodness that usually comes with frying. Best of all, this great recipe will allow you to have a nice, slightly spicy, twist that will leave people begging for more.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of chicken (about 12 drumsticks or similar)
• 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup finely crushed bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper
• 3/4 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) of grated Parmigano-Reggiano cheese (you can also substitute this type of cheese for your personal favorite).

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven. Start making your devilish baked chicken by first preheating the oven. Place the rack into the upper third part of the oven, and then set the temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. By the time that you are finished preparing the chicken, the oven should be at the proper temperature for cooking.
2. Butter baking sheet. Grab a stick of butter, and a large baking sheet. Rub the butter around on the baking sheet and then set aside.
3. Clean and dry chicken. Clean the chicken using some warm clean water, and set aside. Using a paper towel, pat dry each piece of chicken, and place on a clean plate.
4. Coat chicken. Pour the Dijon mustard into a large freezer bag, and then place a piece of chicken into the bag. Seal the bag, and then begin to shake the chicken. Continue to shake the chicken until it is completely covered. Remove the chicken from the bag, and place on another, clean plate. Repeat the process for each piece of chicken.
5. Make breading. In another large freezer bag combine the bread crumbs, cheese, cayenne pepper, salt, and the black pepper. Mix everything together until it has been completely integrated.
6. Bread the chicken. Place a piece of the chicken into the breading bag, and then seal the bag. Shake the bag until the chicken has been completely covered. Remove the chicken and place it onto the buttered baking sheet. Repeat the process until all the pieces of chicken have been covered, or until you have no more room on the baking sheet. Do not crowd the chicken (if necessary use more than one baking sheet).
7. Bake the chicken. Place the baking sheet with the breaded chicken into the oven, and allow it to bake. Leave the chicken in the oven until it has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which will take roughly 30 minutes in most ovens.
8. Cool and serve. The chicken will be hot when you remove it from the oven, and should be cooled slightly before serving. Ideally, the chicken will still be warm to the touch when serving, but can be served at room temperature if you are making the dish for a picnic.

This recipe, as presented, will make six servings. However, it is easily modified to create more or less as needed. Simply increase the amount of chicken, and other ingredients for more servings. To get double the servings, all you will need to do is double all of the ingredients.