Blueprint Recipe: Crumb Crusted Chicken

I always loved Michele Urvater’s “blueprint recipe” concept, in which the basic idea of a recipe is laid out, with variations and suggestions for making it your own. Her Monday to Friday Cookbook inspired me to cook in a more adventurous manner and I eventually gained confidence in creating recipes of my own.

This recipe is a variation on a recipe from that cookbook, which was well-used when I was first married. I’ve “lazied it up” and am just providing a blueprint recipe here. You can cook as much or as little as you want with a recipe like this!

Crumb Crusted Chicken

Makes 4 servings

4 bone-in chicken thighs OR 8 drumsticks
4 TBL creamy salad dressing*
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place chicken pieces on foil. Pour some salad dressing over the chicken and rub or brush it so it coats all sides. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of the chicken pieces) at 400.

*This recipe works with creamy Caesar, Italian, creamy Italian, ranch, and honey-mustard dressings. (That’s all we’ve tried so far. Choose your favorites–you really can’t go wrong!)

Nutrition information will vary depending on salad dressing chosen. Nutrition label below was created using ranch salad dressing.