Part I of Spicy Panko Breaded Chicken

One of our favorite meals is this chicken breast soaked in buttermilk, sour cream and spices and then breaded with spiced-up panko bread crumbs then baked in the oven. It's soooooooooooooooo good. I cannot tell you how many times we eat this in 1 month.

I got the idea from my sister, who by the way, is an awesome cook. She is WAY more creative than I am. She made this for me one time using crushed corn flakes--also very good but I found the panko is a lot easier to use. For those of you who do not know, panko is a Japanese style bread crumb. It has a really crispy yet airy texture. You can find it in almost any grocery store next to the bread crumbs. I highly recommend it. It would also be good on top of a baked macaroni and cheese dish---ooh--that's given me an idea!


So, onto part 1. Ideally you should let the chicken marinate in the buttermilk mixture overnight. However, if you're in a hurry you can let it sit for just half an hour. Letting it sit overnight though makes the chicken breast really juicy and intensifies the garlic/spice taste.
I do not really have a recipe for this; I just add stuff I think sounds good and that have the same basic flavor profile (yes I watch the Food Network).
This is as close to a recipe as I can get:
1c buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
Add to a bowl and whisk until combined
Add the following spices
1tsp season salt (Lawry's is the only way to go if you ask me)
1tsp paprika
1tsp Tastefully Simple Season Salt (no you do not have to use this--i have it in my cupboard so in it went)
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (be careful! this gets hot)
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped

Whisk together--pour over 4 chicken breasts and let sit over night

I'm finishing the chicken tonight and I'll post more when finished but if you cannot wait here's a high-level overview of the next steps:
bread it in panko using the same spices and bake for 40 minutes at 350 and of course, ENJOY!

BTW--I'm serving this with potatoes and turnips that were boiled with garlic and then mashed with milk and mozzarella cheese--to die for!