Easy Crusted Baked Chicken

Chicken can get a little old after a while; my husband accuses me of making chicken, rice and beans every, single, day. This is totally not true, but he's right that sometimes chicken can be a little monotonous.  To spice it up, try this simple crusted dish.  Crusted chicken is a family-friendly comfort food that will win over everyone at your table, and done right, doesn't have to be terrible for you.Here's a perfectly balanced meal on Slimware Portion Plates; Crusted Baked Chicken with Oat Risotto and a simple salad.For all you vegetarians out there, I think you could make this with firm tofu instead of chicken.  Try it and let me know!My best friend's daughter is allergic to dairy, and I know she is patiently waiting for this recipe, so with her in mind I set out to see if you could make a non-dairy buttermilk.  I found a recipe that uses a non-dairy milk alternative mixed with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or cream of tartar.  So, anyone with a dairy allergy or eating vegan, let me know how that buttermilk substitution works out.Easy Crusted Baked Chicken (or fish, or tofu)

• 1-2 cups buttermilk
• 1 pound antibiotic free chicken (or wild fish, such as cod or haddock, or non-GMO tofu), cut into strips or 4 thin and equally sized pieces
• 2 cups  Nature's Path Mesa Sunrise cereal (or any bran flake cereal)
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay spice blend, more or less, as desired
• Cooking spray

1. Place chicken in the buttermilk and store in an airtight glass container to marinate overnight.
2. Make seasoned crumbs out of the cereal and Old Bay in a blender or food processor; transfer crumbs to a large bowl (this can be done in advance or in bulk; store crumbs in the fridge or freezer).
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.
5. Remove the chicken from buttermilk; let the milk drip off and then dip the chicken pieces into the seasoned crumbs; mix around until the chicken is well-coated and then place on the rack.
6. Spray chicken with cooking spray.
7. Bake 35-40 minutes until chicken is cooked through (poke chicken with a fork and the juices should be clear).

I struggle to get the crust to "stick" to the chicken, so I bake the chicken on a cooling rack rather than on a baking sheet where you lose half the crust of the chicken.Nutrition Details:Makes 4 servings; per serving:Gluten-free, may be modified to be dairy-free or vegetarian200 calories, 3.5 grams fat, .5 grams saturated fat, 140 mg sodium, 16 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams added sugar, 25 grams protein