Small Talk: Crispy Breaded Chicken with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

In my opinion, the addition of cornflakes to any dish is never a bad idea. They are so sweet and crunchy and make for a great crust. This recipe uses cornflakes as the breading on chicken cutlets, but once you master the breading technique you could use on anything from turkey cutlets to shrimp. The possibilities are endless.

The goat cheese vinaigrette adds a fresh, tangy element to cut through the sweet crunch of the chicken. They're the perfect combo.

Crispy Breaded Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

5 c. cornflakes

3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 c. milk

1 egg

Prepare the chicken first. Place the chicken breasts into a resealable plastic bag and seal well. Use a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken breasts to a consistent thickness, about 1/4 in. thick. Take the pounded chicken out of the bag and cut each chicken breast in half. Set the chicken aside while you prepare the breading.

For the breading process, you'll need three containers. Place the cornflakes in a small food processor and pulse until the cornflakes are finely ground. Pour the ground cornflakes into one container. In the second container mix the flour, salt and pepper together. And, in the third container, whisk the egg and milk together.

Now you're ready to bread the chicken. First, dip each chicken strip into the flour. Make sure you fully coat all sides. Next, set the chicken on a plate in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes. You can make the goat cheese vinaigrette while you wait for the chicken to chill. Don't skip this step, it helps the cornflakes stick to the chicken while cooking!

When the chicken is ready, dip each strip into the milk/ egg mixture and then into the cornflakes. Place the chicken on a cookie sheet and cook at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Flip the chicken after 10 minutes.

Goat Cheese Vinaigrette (this is crazy easy and is courtesy of Real Simple)

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 c. chopped parsley

2 oz. goat cheese

In a small bowl, add the olive oil, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Mix together. Crumble the goat cheese into the oil mix. Stir together and set aside. The flavors will mingle and meld together while the chicken cooks.