real mom recipes: Crispy Chicken Thighs
Oh man, guys.
I don’t know what happened.
But somewhere in the last week, I woke up to a full-fledged toddler.
Don’t get me wrong. Jonathan will be 2 in May, so I’m fully aware that he is already a toddler. But what I am saying is… he turned into a TODDLER. A meltdown-having, unplugging everything, lightswitch flipping, bookshelf emptying, playroom destroying, food refusing, running awaying, throwing, whining, defying TODDLER.
I’m so tired and weary that it took me a full 30 seconds of mental reasoning on my part to even figure out what day it is today. I can tell you that my husband came home from work a couple days ago, and I was already in a very hot bubble bath, lights off, with a glass of wine. He didn’t really bother to ask how my day was- it was MORE than evident. I’m pretty sure that was the day that he (Jonathan, not my husband *wink*) fell asleep for 90 seconds in the car, then refused to nap. I went in and got him as soon as I checked the baby monitor, saw his leg up over the side of the crib as he attempted to hoist himself out. He had also thrown his pants and diaper across the room. Sweet.
The wine consumption has gone up in this house this week. A lot.
Bottom line is, I haven’t been the most “together” in my dinners recently- that is, with a predetermined plan in execution by 6 PM. Its been more like me looking in the fridge while inwardly despairing and figuring out what I can put together super fast since somehow I entered a time-traveling dimension and its 7 PM already.
This is why I think a well-stocked pantry is essential. While this dish is simple, easy, and pantry-ready, that doesn’t mean that you are losing out on ANY flavor. The addition of the salad dressing to the egg mixture ramps up the flavor (bonus points for you if you actually marinate the thighs in some dressing overnight!), and cooking at a high heat gets you a super crispy outside and a juicy inside.
Not too shabby at all.
Crispy Chicken Thighs
GO GO GO GOURMET for THE WISE BABY
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
- 1/4 cup italian salad dressing
- 1 egg
- 2 cups Italian-seasoned panko
- Preheat oven to 425. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Beat together the salad dressing and the egg in a shallow bowl. Spread the panko on a dinner plate.
- Dredge the chicken thighs in the egg, then coat with panko. Add to the prepared baking dish. When all chicken has been coated, spray the tops with cooking spray.
- Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until outside is golden and crispy.
You can find my other recipes for TWB HERE as well lots more on my site, GO GO GO GOURMET.
Keep fighting the good fight out there!
real mom recipes: Crispy Chicken Thighs
Jacqueline DiNuoscio
