Maple Chicken

I found this recipe for Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken on Cooking Light and I have been carrying it around for a while.  The incentive to give it a whirl came from a gift of some real maple syrup and the real desire to cook with it.  My wife does not love sweet dishes - so it will not go in quick rotation.  But I tweaked it a bit and loved the way it came out.  I will try to figure out when to make it again - maybe when company is coming over.  This was also a good opportunity to use my cast iron pan (since it need to be ovenproof).  You have to be careful - those things can get hot - and heavy!

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

3 (6-ounce) Chicken breast halves (skinless & boneless)
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
2-3 tsp Olive oil
1/4 cup Chicken broth
1/4 cup Maple syrup
1/2 tsp Thyme, dried
3 tsp Garlic, chopped (or cloves)
1 tbsp Cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt.
3. Heat olive a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and sauté 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan.
4. Add broth, syrup, thyme, and garlic to pan.  Bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar and mustard and stir constantly for an additional minute.
5. Return chicken to pan, and spoon sauce over chicken. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes.
6. Remove chicken from pan and let stand around 2 minutes.  Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Enjoy!