Pretzel Crusted Chicken + Creamy Cheddar Mustard Sauce

Who doesn't love a good pretzel with cheese sauce.  I was at a work outing last week at World of Beer and they had the most delicious hot pretzels with a warm cheese sauce.  Hot pretzels have always been on my list of things to make at home, but I just haven't gotten around to it.  Plus, you all know I am a little timid when it comes to making homemade breads! 

Enter this dish.  It was my easy way out to get the pretzels with cheese at home.  This chicken is insanely crunchy and the sauce was soooooo cheesy with a hint of mustard.  Lovely I tell you.. just lovely! 

Well, I am exhausted right now and as much as I want to write more, I think you get the point.  Pretzels and cheese are so good together.  Plus, a friend taught me how to knit this weekend and I have 2 knitting needles and some yarn that are just begging to be looped together :)  

Pretzel Crusted Chicken

4 cups pretzels, crushed

1 cup flour + 1/2 t. salt + 1/2 t. pepper + 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 eggs + 1/4 t. salt + 1/4 t. pepper + 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 T. Dijon Mustard

3 chicken breasts, pounded very thin and cut into 2

vegetable oil and butter for browning

Prepare the breading stations.  Crush the pretzels.  Add spices to the flour.  Add spices and mustard to the eggs and beat.   Pound out each chicken breast until each piece is a uniform thickness and then cut into two.  You will have 6 cutlets. 

Cover a sheet pan in foil so you can place the cutlets on it when finished breading.  To bread, coat the chicken first in flour, then egg, then pretzels.  You will have to press the pretzels down on the chicken in order to stick.  Place pan in fridge for at least 10 minutes so the breading can set and dry out a bit. 

Cover the bottom of a large non-stick skillet with oil and drop 2 tablespoons of butter in with it.  You don't want the oil to be deep, just a thin coating and enough to brown the chicken.  Preheat over medium heat.  

Once oil has come to temperature, brown each piece of chicken on both sides, adding more oil and butter if necessary.  Drain chicken on a paper towel lined sheet pan and when all chicken is finished, place in a 275 degree oven to keep warm.  

 Serve with Creamy Cheddar Mustard Sauce.  

Creamy Cheddar Mustard Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups of milk 

1 1/4 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard

healthy pinch of each salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika

Over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour.  Cook for a few minutes and then slowly whisk in milk, adding 1 cup at a time.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, sauce should thicken.  Add cheese, mustard and spices.  Lower heat and cook until a creamy sauce forms.  

To reheat sauce, add a little milk to thin it out.