Maple Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Apples

I cook a lot of chicken, so I know how difficult it is to make chicken taste interesting. Bland and boring describe a lot of chicken recipes, but not this one! I took a pork tenderloin recipe from Dinner with Julie and made it with chicken, which I prefer. The flavors reminded me of dishes we had while in Normandy. It was savory and sweet with a tartness from the apple, and the mustard gives it a great, but subtle, undertone of flavor. My favorite part of this dish, however, was the maple syrup. How can you ever go wrong with a dish made with real maple syrup? The answer: you can't!

Maple Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Apples

*Adapted from Dinner with Julie

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon butter

3-4 chicken breasts

Black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

1 tart apple, cored and sliced

1-2 teaspoons grainy mustard

2-3 tablespoons real maple syrup

1/2 half and half

In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken generously with pepper and thyme.

Cook chicken for about 5 minutes each side, or until no longer pink in the middle. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Sauté the apples in the pan for a few minutes, until they start to soften and turn a little golden. They will pick up some bits of chicken from the pan, which adds to the flavor.

Add the mustard and maple syrup to a bowl.

Mix in the half and half.

Add the mixture to the apples and stir. Simmer and let it thicken.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. Enjoy!