Small Batch Suppers: Honey Walnut Chicken with Brie

Here's what you need to know:

This meal will make 2-4 servings. Depending on how many chicken breasts you like to eat, it will work perfectly as a date-night dinner and may leave some leftovers. Maybe.

This meal pairs well with evenings when the sun sets before five. It should be calling your name when you rush inside to escape the coming darkness; it's a labor of love when you crush the walnuts from your meticulously-sorted trail mix and carefully press a butter knife through your $4 wheel of brie. When the fully-baked chicken breasts thunk onto your ceramic plates, equal parts crispy and gooey, you should be ready to lose yourself in the lightly spiced honey sauce the same way you lose yourself in the green-flecked irises of your own honey sitting across the table. You should probably also pair it with a side. I would recommend leafy greens, maybe, to balance out the richness of the entree.

This meal also pairs well with white wine. My personal favorite is Reisling, but whatever you choose should be on the lighter (or drier) side to avoid competing with your meal.

Finally, I got this recipe from Tieghan Gerard's Half-Baked Harvest. No part of it is my own creation, but it's too good to not share here. Half-Baked Harvest's from-scratch comfort foods have never let me down, and the book itself swiftly worked itself up to my favorite recipe book on the shelf as soon as I got it.

You should probably use:

1 lb chicken breasts, or about 4 individual breasts

1/2 c. buttermilk

1.5 c. raw walnuts, finely chopped

1 TBS flour

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 c. honey

1 TBS Dijon mustard

4 oz. brie cheese, cut into wedgest

pinch of salt and pepper

my two cents on ingreditents: This recipe also calls for fresh chopped thyme leaves, to mix in the crust along with the rest of the spices. If you're also too cheap to purchase fresh herbs of any kind, you can live without it. I'm not a huge fan of thyme, anyways, so I never miss it. I also substitute ingredients I already have at home in place of purchasing an entire carton of buttermilk: you can combine 1 TBS of vinegar (white or apple cider) and 1 c. of milk (I use oat) for something similar, if not exact. Finally, the BEST part of this recipe is that it does warrant purchasing an entire block of brie cheese. Although it's not customary, I cut the rind off of my little wedges and bake the leftover brie with jam on toast for breakfast throughout the week.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. In one bowl, combine the chicken and buttermilk. Make sure the chicken is fully covered; toss carefully if necessary.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the crushed nuts, flour, and spices/salt and pepper.

4. One at a time, dredge the chicken through the walnut mixture and press to adhere. When each piece is fully coated, place on the baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, make the honey sauce using the honey and Dijon mustard. You'll want to cook this in a small saucepan over medium heat until it pours easily.

6. After 15-20 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven and drizzle with the honey sauce. Place a small wedge of cheese on top of each piece, and bake for another 3-5 minutes. (If you removed the rind on the cheese, it will not hold together when it melts. Consider cooking for 2-3 minutes instead.)

7. Finally, remove from oven and serve drizzled with the remaining honey sauce.