Any other Sizzler fans out there? Growing up, Sizzler was the fancy place to go on special occasions. Their cheese toast was amazing, and my favorite thing to order was Malibu Chicken. Think of a breaded chicken breast topped with ham and melted Swiss cheese, then served with a sweet mustard dipping sauce. Making this recipe gluten free was a piece of cake! My husband thinks this is way better than the real deal!
Malibu Chicken
Serves 6
6 thin-cut chicken breasts or 12 chicken tenderloins
Salt and pepper to taste
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
6 slices deli ham
6 slices Swiss cheese
Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons honey
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with nonstick foil (or foil lightly greased with cooking spray). Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, stir together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and garlic powder. Dip each chicken into the egg mixture, then press into the bread crumb/cheese mixture, turning to coat both sides. Place the chicken on the baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and layer each chicken piece with a slice of deli ham and Swiss cheese. Try to cover the entire piece of chicken, folding or adding additional ham/cheese depending on the size of your chicken pieces. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. While the chicken bakes, stir together the dipping sauce. Serve the chicken warm with the sauce.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need thin-cut chicken breasts (or butterfly cut 3 large chicken breasts and pound thin). You can also use chicken tenderloins, making two per person. Your other ingredients include gluten free bread crumbs, shredded Parmesan cheese (you can shred your own; I was going for convenience here), deli sliced ham, sliced Swiss cheese, eggs, and garlic powder.
In two shallow dishes, prepare chicken coating. Whisk eggs until smooth in one, and combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and garlic powder in another.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet by covering with nonstick foil or regular foil sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Dry your chicken pieces, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken into the egg mixture, then press into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides. Place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.
Meanwhile, you can make the dipping sauce. You will need Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and honey.
Stir all together in a bowl. This sauce is what makes this so yummy and tastes just like the Sizzler version!
After baking the chicken for 30 minutes, remove from the oven. The cheese and bread crumbs will have started to brown.
Place a slice of deli ham over each chicken piece. You want the ham to cover as much of the chicken as possible. I end up folding the slices in different ways to cover the shape of each chicken piece.
Place a slice of Swiss cheese over the ham. Same thing here, try to cover all of the chicken.
Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted and bubbly.
Serve the chicken with the dipping sauce. This is one of those meals that is special enough to serve when guests come to dinner, but is also easy enough to make our regular rotation. Serve with some fruit and rice on the side, and your family will be thrilled it's dinner time!
Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from a recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe