Holiday Entertaining

I love love love to have people over for dinner - especially around the holidays.

I start with a pretty tablecloth (Xochi), add special dishes (my grandmother's pattern "Jewel" by Spode) and use lots of votives for candlelight. Every time I walked into the kitchen and saw this table, it made me happy.

Wouldn't you want to have a Christmas dinner here?

Now for my secret recipe. This simple chicken recipe makes a fancy dish perfect "for company" and has been my go-to main dish for many years.

This recipe is my gift to you. Make it and you will never again worry about having friends and family over for dinner - I guarantee.

Delightful Chicken

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 cups bread crumbs with Italian seasoning
1 can evaporated milk (classic, not 2% or fat free)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dip a chicken breast in evaporated milk, dredge in bread crumbs and then roll the chicken breast up (starting from the thicker end) to make a "hump." Place each rolled breast (resting the weight of the chicken on the tip to keep it from unrolling, also could be described as laying it "seam side down" if that makes more sense) in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle a generous tablespoon of melted butter over each mound of chicken. Bake for 1 hour (until internal temperature reaches 165 F).

Serve with homemade or store bought cranberry relish, chutney or sauce.
Yum!