Honey Mustard Panko Crusted Chicken, Game 4

Posted by Judy | Bebe Love Okazu on May 25, 2010 in Blog, Chicken, Lakers | 9 comments

Arrrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh!

After a disappointing Lakers vs Suns Game 3 of the Western Championship Finals, I decided to go back to making non-Japanese food on game night.  (I’m superstitious when it comes to the Lakers.)  After a Game 1 win with lasagna, and a Game 2 win with enchiladas, but a Game 3 loss with mom’s gyoza, I thought honey mustard chicken would bring magic to Game 4.  (Somehow, that didn’t sound very “magical” when I wrote that – and there was definitely no magic tonight.)

The other reason I wanted to make honey mustard chicken is because I thought it would be well-received for another meals-on-wheels dinner for our friends.  We wanted to help my BFF (best friend forever) who is fighting a cold (and conveniently lives across the street from us), as well as our friends who recently had a newborn baby girl on Mother’s Day.  Awww…. I remember when our own bebe E was just a teeny tiny thing.  Now look at her.  She’s almost 10 months old and she’s now a b-i-g baby.

Bebe E was squealing in this photo… such a happy bebe and proud to be a Lakers fan.

Bebe Dada and I had a “serious” discussion after Game 3 over the fact that bebe E and I were not dressed properly for Game 3.  We felt this might have contributed to the Lakers loss on Monday night – not missed shots, lack of defense, or bad calls.  You see, on game day, bebe E wears her Laker onesie and I wear my Laker t-shirt.  We always wear Laker gear on game day. Because the game went drastically wrong on Monday night, yesterday, we dressed bebe E in her Laker onesie (even though there was no game), and yet another Laker onesie today for good luck.  (They are sold at Staples or online in packs of 3 in case there are any Laker fans who might be interested in joining our bandwagon.)  And you don’t even have to ask… the answer is YES, I am wearing my Laker t-shirt today.

Yet, the Lakers STILL lost.  :(

To say that I am down about tonight’s game is an understatement.  I am, quite frankly, DE-VA-S-TA-TED and very deeply saddened.  The Western Championship Final series is now tied 2-2, after tonight’s Laker loss against the Suns 115 – 106.  That’s two losses in a row!  Immediately after the game, my phone rang… It was my very close family friend and he was equally devastated, calling to commiserate about our Lakers.  Sadly, we both agreed that if the Lakers can’t win on the road, when and if they reach the NBA Finals, they’ll have a very difficult time beating the Celtics.

But there is still hope…  and in the meantime, to help me get over tonight’s horrifying Lakers loss, I have Marie Callender’s pie.  We are very fortunate that our friends generously gifted two pies to us tonight.  That’s right, 2, T-W-O.  My friends and family who are reading this know me personally as being quite petite, but they also know that there are times when I can really pack away good eats.  Tonight was one of those nights, as I drowned my Lakers sorrow in pie.  Let there be no doubts that I indeed ate one slice of each pie, and I cleaned my plate.

There’s not much to say about tonight’s honey mustard panko crusted chicken dinner, other than it was pretty tasty and both bebe dada and big onechan really enjoyed it.  I also received a text from the BFF and she too enjoyed dinner.  The scalloped potato gratin I made earlier in the day as a side dish, also turned out well.

Honey Mustard Panko Crusted Chicken

for marinade:

• 1 1/2 cups honey
• 1 1/2 cups dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Splash of shoyu (soy sauce)
• dash of pepper

for chicken:

• 24 skinless chicken thighs
• Approximately 6 cups of Japanese panko breadcrumbs
• Pam cooking spray (canola oil or olive oil)

1)  In a large bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients until fully incorporated.

2)  Coat chicken with marinade and store in a ziplock bag in the fridge for a few hours (I marinated it for about 3 – 4 hours).  I think the marinade is strong enough to give adequate flavor to the chicken even if it’s just coated in the sauce before baking if you don’t have time to marinate the chicken.

3)  In a deep bowl, add panko and dip each chicken in the panko, coating it evenly.

4)  Line baking dish or pan with foil and spray with Pam cooking spray to prevent chicken from sticking.  Bake at 375 for 1 hour, uncovered.

Please Lakers, let’s get it together…  LET’S GO LAKERS, LET’S GO!

Judy | bebe mama

Recipe inspired by Joy’s Misadventures