chicken fried junk

my aunt calls it "candy." my mom calls it "death by cholesterol." i don't care what it's called, i call it; it's mine. step away from the chicken pan and no one will get hurt. now before you all gag and put up the little guy, let me explain.

i am an omnivore, but i am not a bone-picking animal-skinning kind of girl. i buy my meat boneless, skinless and mostly cut the way i want it so the less i have to touch it, the better. i also tend not to deep fry anything except the occasional batch of indian fry bread or fritters. so when i talk about my fried chicken, i'm talking about a seasoned, breaded chicken breast baked in the oven with salt-free butter. but when the chicken has been served and eaten, when the leftovers are put away, when it's time to wash the dishes, you'll find me picking the fried seasoning stuck to the butter in the edges of the pan. oh my goddess, it is soooooo awesomely good. my teeth close on that satisfying little crunch of bread crumbs, seasonings and butter....

excuse me. i need to be alone with my chicken pan.

**golden oven fried chicken**

by popular demand, the kater-modified version of an iowegian favorite....

1/2 C unsalted butter, divided
1 tsp minced garlic
1 C dry bread crumbs
1/4 C grated parmesan
2 Tbsp parsley
1/2 - 3/4 tsp garlic salt (to your taste)
1/4 tsp thyme
dash pepper
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

*sometimes, i slice them into chicken "fingers" or halve the breasts so they cook more evenly). i also measure my dried green herbs into my hands and "press" them as i sprinkle them into my recipes...it brings out more flavor in the dried spices...or so i've been told.

1 - heat oven to 400*. melt 2T butter in a 9x13 glass pan (to coat the bottom for "frying"). melt remaining butter with garlic in a bowl for dipping.
2 - combine bread crumbs, parmesan, and spices in a flat or wide bowl. dip chicken into melted garlic butter, coat with crumbs and place in glass baking dish. drizzle any reaming butter atop the breaded chicken and sprinkle with any remaining crumbs. DO NOT re-use crumbs later.
3 - bake for 45min to an hour (depending on the thickness of the breasts,) or 15-25 minutes for sliced chicken "fingers".
4 - pick the fried bits out of the edges of the pan after dinner when nobody is looking.

*note - it's gooey as a leftover, so only make what you need.