Pretzel And Parmesan Crusted Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup light olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground thyme
ground black pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
7 ounces hard sourdough pretzels
2/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation

Whisk together olive oil, minced garlic, basil, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper in a bowl.
Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of about 1 inch.
Transfer chicken breasts to the bowl with the olive oil marinade; cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place pretzels and Parmesan cheese into a food processor; pulse until the pretzels are finely crushed and combined with cheese.
Mix in parsley and garlic powder by pulsing once or twice. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
Remove chicken from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
Press chicken into pretzel mixture, coating both sides.
Arrange coated chicken in a baking dish. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon additional pretzel mixture on top.
Bake chicken breasts in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
Cover chicken with a foil tent and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.