Whole Wheat-Crusted Chicken Breast Cutlets

Ingredients

• 24 ounce chicken-breast halves boneless skinless (if they weigh more than 6 ounces, halve and reduce cooking time by 5 minutes)
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard 
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 
• 4 servings olive oil for brushing
• 4 servings salt and pepper black freshly ground to taste
• 1.5 cups bread crumbs whole-wheat homemade store-bought

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• baking sheet
• paper towels
• oven
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush the foil lightly with the olive oil. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and season them generously with the salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, blend together the mustard and mayonnaise. Coat the top of each chicken breast evenly with about 1 tablespoon of the mixture.
3. Spread the bread crumbs on a shallow plate.
4. Roll the chicken breasts in them gently, pressing down firmly to coat them evenly.
5. Transfer the chicken to the foil-lined baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Adjust oven temperature to broil and cook until the crust is golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes more. For a healthy alternative to chicken fingers, serve the cutlets sliced into 2-by 4-inch pieces.
6. To make bread crumbs, first preheat oven to 325°F.
7. Cut 4 slices of whole-wheat bread into 1-inch cubes and spread them in an even layer on a cookie sheet.
8. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes.
9. Remove and let cool, then transfer the cubes to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until the bread forms coarse crumbs.