Currying For Flavor

This has become one of the favorite dinners in my family, and what makes it even better is that it's something that my whole family can eat and enjoy. That's right kids, this one is completely CSID friendly! And what makes it even better, is that there are only 4 ingredients—count 'em, FOUR—so it's also super easy to make.

I can remember eating this as a kid, and loving it even then. All five of my siblings loved it too, and that was no easy feat let me tell you. There were only a handful of meals that my entire family liked, and this happened to be one of them. Then one night I was talking to my mom, asking her for dinner ideas that might be suitable for Jayson, and she mentioned honey-mustard chicken. I can't believe I hadn't thought of that, so of course I asked her for the recipe, which she gladly sent to me. I couldn't wait to see the ingredients that had made my childhood chicken so delicious.

Imagine my surprise when I pulled up the recipe and read the secret ingredient, the tantalizing flavor that perfectly married the tender sweetness of honey and the sharp bite of mustard—curry powder.

Really, curry powder? As a kid, I knew that I didn't like curry, so that came as a shocking revelation. On the other hand, curry powder was a simple enough ingredient. And because there are only 4 ingredients, I knew that this was certainly a CSID friendly recipe. The fact that it is delicious is just another great bonus.

Skip the tutorial and go straight to the recipe.

Step 0:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Step 1:

Season 3 or 4 large room temperature boneless, skinless chicken breasts liberally with kosher salt and black pepper.

Step 2:

Melt 1/4 cup butter or margarine and combine with 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, and 1/4 tsp curry powder.

Wow, lots of ingredients in one step. Use any type of honey you like, but remember that delicate nuances of high-end honey will more than likely disappear in this recipe. Dijon mustard—again, use whatever you like. To be honest, if you aren't at all picky about your mustard, the recipe will even work with yellow mustard or whole-grain mustard, but at the same time, those flavors will definitely overpower the flavor of the honey. As far as the curry powder is concerned, again, if you have a favorite brand, use that. I use whatever is cheap and whatever I have on hard.

Step 3:

Coat both sides of each chicken breast with the honey-mustard mixture and arrange in the prepared 9 x 13.

Step 4:

Bake the chicken, uncovered, until the internal temperature reaches 160° to 165°F, about 30-45 minutes.
Make sure you are going by the temperature when cooking chicken, not only for food safety reasons, but also because it makes the chicken so tasty.


Allow the chicken to rest at least 5 minutes before attempting to cut into the chicken and serve over rice.

Or you can stick the chicken in a mixer for a few seconds to shred it, stir in the sauce, and serve it for your CSID toddler.

Honey Mustard Chicken:  Yields 3-4 large chicken breasts
3-4 large chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, thawed
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp curry powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Combine melted butter, honey, mustard, and curry powder in a small bowl. Completely coat chicken with the mixture and place in the prepared 9x13. Pour the remaining honey-mustard mixture over the chicken. Bake uncovered at 350° until the internal temperature reaches between 160° and 165°F, about 30-45 minutes. Serve alongside rice and steamed or sauteed vegetables.