Easy Elegant Lemon Chicken

My Anna loves fruit. Put somes apples, bananas, or grapes on her plate, and she is a happy camper. Often, though, she struggles to eat her meat portion of the meal. When we have chicken, I usually put five small bites on her plate. She is expected to eat that much, and it can be a bit of a battle for her to get it done. The other day, I was struggling with what to make for dinner when this recipe came to mind. It is simple enough to make for a weeknight meal, yet pretty enough to serve for company. The recipe is well known at the Methodist church in Sharon Springs --I know of at least one wedding where this chicken was the main course! "How does this story come together," You ask? Well, we put about five pieces of this chicken on Anna 's plate. Not only did it disappear in seconds, but she requested seconds. . .and thirds! The rest of the kids really enjoyed it, too. I will definitely be making it again soon!

Here's the recipe: (adapted from Sharon Springs United Methodist Church Cookbook)

Easy Elegant Lemon Chicken

8 4 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves minced garlic
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt if desired
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped or use 2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 cup very fine bread crumbs (for gluten-free, use almond flour)
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
Paprika if desired
7 T. lemon juice

Mix together garlic, butter, salt (if desired), and parsley in a shallow bowl. Mix together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken into butter mixture, then in the bread/cheese mixture. Roll chicken up and place seam side down in a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Drizzle lemon juice over the top. You can also drizzle any remaining butter mixture over the top of the chicken as well. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until done.