Orange-Crumbed Baked Chicken

My friend Megan brought me a bunch of squash today. She gave me one big white squash that looked like the Starship Enterprise. I had never seen such a squash. My mouth immediately started watering for buttery, cheesy squash casserole. Since the side dish is straight up butter & cheese, I decided to make a more waist-friendly entree. I pulled out my trusty Weight Watchers cookbook & landed on orange-crumbed baked chicken. Voila!

Orange-Crumbed Baked Chicken

Makes 4 Servings

2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
*3/4 cup whole-wheat cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (can substitute lemon juice)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Four 3-ounce skinless boneless chicken thighs (I use 2 breasts)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, mustard and soy sauce. On a sheet of wax paper, combine the cracker crumbs, orange zest, onion powder and pepper. Brush the chicken on both sides with the mustard mixture, then dredge in the crumbs, firmly pressing the crumbs to coat both sides. Place the chicken on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes; turn over and bake until cooked through, 15-20 minutes longer.

*One note on the whole-wheat cracker crumbs. Yeah, I don't use those. I use a mixture of Publix brand original style bread crumbs & Kikkoman panko bread crumbs.