Chicken Breasts with Sun-Dried Tomato and Garlic Crust

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread

1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

3 1/2 tablespoons oil reserved

2 large garlic cloves

8 12-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Preparation

1. Combine breadcrumbs, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons oil reserved from tomatoes and garlic in processor. Using on/off turns, process until tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil reserved from tomatoes in heavy large skillet (or my le creuset) over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Spoon breadcrumb mixture atop chicken in same pan, dividing equally and pressing to adhere. Put it in the oven and check after 20 minutes. You can turn on the broiler for a few minutes to brown the breadcrumbs. Bake until chicken is cooked through, generally about 30 minutes.

Place chicken on plates and serve. I threw some asparagus in the pan to cook with the chicken, it worked great. Just don’t let them get overcooked!

adapted from: Bon Appétit | February 2000