Maple-Mustard Baked Chicken

After a week down at Shane’s parents’ house, my housesitting duties are finished so I’ll be heading home today. I’m going to miss the cats, the sunsets, and having free reign of their amazing kitchen, but there are a few things I’m looking forward to. I’ve only seen Shane once this week, and just for a few hours, so I’m eager to spend more time with him once I get back. Also? I miss sit-down dinners with someone to talk to besides a cat 🙂 When I’m here I spend all day cooking and baking for the blog, and just pick at that stuff as I go instead of sitting down for an actual meal. It’ll be good to get back into a more regular routine at home!

All that said, as much as I’ve missed the dinner ritual there are definitely still nights I dread making dinner at home. Even with a meal plan laid out and the ingredients waiting in the fridge, it can feel like a chore. That’s where recipes like this one come in handy. Over the past few months we’ve made this Maple-Mustard Baked Chicken more times than I can count. If it’s not the easiest dinner recipe on this site, it’s definitely in the top 3!

Simply grab a baking dish and throw in a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts then top them with a sauce comprised of just 4 ingredients: spicy brown mustard, maple syrup, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar. While the chicken bakes you can whip up a side dish or two, and just like that dinner is on the table in under 30 minutes! I’m not even a huge mustard fan but the sweet and savory flavors going on with this dish totally won me over. My rosemary is pretty much the only one of my herbs still alive; I love running out onto the deck to grab some to finish this dish. As Mel noted in her post, the rosemary really is more than just a garnish here so don’t skip it!

Maple-Mustard Baked Chicken
barely adapted from Good Dinner Mom via Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

{Note: be sure to use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup here.}

3/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lb)
chopped fresh rosemary, to garnish

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a 13x-9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar until well combined. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, then place in the prepared baking dish. Pour the mustard mixture over the chicken.

Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and spoon some of the sauce from the bottom of the pan over the top of the chicken. Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (it will register 160-165 F on an instant-read thermometer). Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes, then garnish with fresh rosemary and serve!