Today’s recipe is for one of those days when you just want something different to do with boneless skinless chicken breasts! This recipe gives them a nice smokey flavor and although it looks spicy, it isn’t at all. My kids gobble it right up!

Thank you to everyone for all of the great compliments on the new SouthernPlate.com, I’m pretty tickled with it myself! To finally have a professionally designed website that works efficiently and is as user friendly as this is a real treat for me and I’m thrilled that you are enjoying it, too!

With spring in full swing – at long last – I’ve got my garden in and am anxiously watching all of the sprouts and blossoms on my plants. I even have tiny tomatoes already growing and can’t wait to put them up! Of course, we’ll eat a good bit of them fresh, but I’m specifically planning my garden this year so that I can have food to preserve during the fall and winter.

With the price of groceries set to go up like a small nitrogen propelled rocket, I strongly encourage you to put in a garden if you haven’t already. Grow something. Anything. If you can raise your own meat, even better! If you’re only good at growing one thing, then grow a lot of it and see about trading produce with someone who is good at growing something else.

I’m trying out some new methods myself this year and since I don’t live in an area where I am able to have  large garden, I’ve made contributions to my parent’s garden in order to help them have a greater output. Mama and Daddy have even put in an assortment of fruit trees on their land and this year’s garden is four times the size of last years. This is a great idea if you do have family that has the land to offer and willingness to help. Join forces to make the load lighter on everyone and the yield better than ever.

Where there is a will there is a way, so if at all possible I strongly encourage you to get growing!

You’ll need: Garlic Powder, Smoked Paprika, Black Pepper, Salt, and Olive Oil.

Now you can use regular paprika if you want or just grab a bottle of the smoked kind next time you are at the store.

You can also use vegetable oil instead of olive oil if that is what you have on hand.

You’re also going to need some chicken breasts. Now listen y’all, this recipe is enough for four chicken breasts but you know how some chicken recipes seem to almost expand the chicken? This is one of them. So when I make this, I only make two for my entire family.

Sounds crazy, I know. But we have also started eating more sides and like one reader said, think of your meat as a side rather than an entree. This saves a great deal of money but either way, when I cook two chicken breasts like this by the time they are done it feels like four small chicken breasts – plus three or four bites of chicken is all Katy Rose eats. Clearly, she did not come with the wooden leg component that our teenage son has.

OH, did I mention you want to pound these kinda flat? Well ya do. I have a perfectly acceptable and really nice meat mallet just for this purpose but why dig for it when that spaghetti server is right on top?

whack! whack! whack!

There ya go! Nice and uniform thickness. These are about 1/2 inch thick or so right now. We don’t have to be too particular with it though. You just don’t want this hugely thick chicken breast because it would take forever to cook in the middle.

Now take all of your spices and combine them in a bowl or cup or whatever you grab first.

See how close I had to crop this shot?

This is why. Sometimes, when I measure out spices, it looks as if my dogs helped me.

They didn’t, I promise.

I’m just messy that way.

I used to be a personal chef and one of my clients called me “The White Tornado”. He said “It’s always spotless when you leave, but I’ve learned its best not to even look in the kitchen when you’re here…”

P.S. It may seem like a lot of salt but the salt is what adds sparkle to these flavors. With less, the chicken ends up tasting somewhat bland. Feel free, of course, to add less if you prefer. But if you go rogue and end up with bland chicken, I warned ya

Stir those up a bit.

Add your Olive Oil and stir it up until it is well mixed.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Brush your paste on each side of the chicken breasts.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center.

Let sit for a minute or two before cutting and serve over rice*, adding the pan juices over the top.

Learn how to make your own instant rice from bulk rice by clicking here.

~Tom Peters

Submitted by Cathy Kelley. Click here to submit your own.

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