RECIPE FROM THE CHEF
Baked Chicken with Tomato Bacon Relish
INGREDIENTS :
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme , divided
• 1 / 2 teaspoon salt , divided
• 1 / 2 teaspoon pepper , divided
• 1 / 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg , beaten
• 1 pound chicken tenderloins
• 4 bacon strips , cut into 1 / 2-inch pieces
• 1-1 / 2 cups grape tomatoes , halved
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
DIRECTIONS :
1 . Preheat oven to 425 °. In a shallow bowl , mix breadcrumbs , 2 Tbsp . thyme , and 1 / 4 tsp . each salt and pepper . Place flour and egg in separate shallow bowls . Dip chicken in flour ; shake off excess . Dip in egg , then in crumb mixture , patting to help coating adhere . Place chicken on a greased rack in a 15x10x1-in . baking pan . Bake until a thermometer reads 165 °, about 15 minutes .
2 . Meanwhile , in a large skillet , cook bacon over medium heat until crisp , stirring occasionally , about 5 minutes . Remove with a slotted spoon ; drain on paper towels . Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in pan ; discard remaining drippings .
3 . Add tomatoes , vinegar , sugar and remaining salt and pepper to drippings ; cook and stir until tomatoes are tender , 2-3 minutes . Stir in bacon and remaining thyme . Serve with chicken .
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