Cornflake Chicken

I wasn’t initially intending to blog this meal but I received  requests from my sis for the recipe and besides being on the healthier side, it was pretty darn tasty so I figured why not. This was actually my first attempt in making cornflake chicken which is surprising because in college it was one of my favorite meals served at my sorority house (besides breakfast-for-dinner night there and who can argue with that).

My sophomore year of college I lived in my sorority house. It was a great experience, the perfect transition between the overcrowded personalities in the dorm and the lonely independence of apartment living. My favorite memories were a mix of wonderful and bittersweet. Heading out to class on jersey days. Friends crowding in my room during rush breaks to catch an episode of Sex and the City. Groups getting ready to go out, the electric excitement running through the house before a mixer or party. Girls packed like sardines into the downstairs hallways during tornado warnings. Everyone sitting in the living room, locked in shock, watching as 9/11 unfolded before our eyes. And through all that we had an amazing group of women who day in and out would prepare all our meals, would laugh and cry along with us, and solidified that it wasn’t just a house, but a home.

Cornflake chicken was a fan favorite, butterflied chicken breasts covered in a crispy cornflake crust and usually some mashed potatoes and other sides. The cornflakes gave it that fried look and texture while actually being healthier, but still providing that comfort meal feel. After a freshman year spent homesick for my Mom’s cooking that resulted in a negative freshman 15, it was this cooking that reversed that. I still have a long way to go, many more cornflake chicken nights until I can get it close to what I remember, but at least I didn’t start too far off.

Marinade

2 c. buttermilk

Dash of hot sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. paprika

3 chicken breasts- butterflied in half

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large zip lock bag or  bowl. Add in the chicken pieces, cover and let marinate for 8-14 hours. Remove chicken pieces and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Cornflake Chicken

Buttermilk marinated chicken pieces

2 c. cornflakes crushed (DO NOT use Special K)

1 egg- beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400. Put the cornflakes in one shallow bowl and the beaten egg in another. Coat the chicken in the egg then dip it into the cornflakes, trying to cover all parts of the chicken.

2. Place chicken on a baking rack with a cookie sheet beneath to catch any cornflakes that fall. The rack will help keep all sides of the chicken crispy.  Repeat with all pieces. Bake at 400 for 22-25 minutes until tops are just golden brown. Remove. Serve with cream gravy.