Steph's Sweet and Sour Chicken

So some of the people in my house are notoriously picky eaters. They like what they like and are not willing to branch out. I do not support that attitude and am constantly trying new recipes. Much to my children's disappointment. The other tricky thing is that they all want to eat different kinds of foods. My oldest is a steak and potatoes girl. My son only wants pizza and pb&j, and my youngest would eat breakfast food all day everyday. I do my best to incorporate things they each enjoy as often as possible, mostly because I get sick of listening to them complain about what I cook. But sometimes I get lucky and stumble across a recipe that everyone loves! Sweet and Sour Chicken is just such a recipe. I feel good about it because it is one of the only ways my very skinny and nearly vegetarian son will eat chicken, plus we get some rice in them and they will also eat broccoli or peas with it. It's easy to follow but does take a little bit of forethought as it has to cook in the oven for 45 min. Give it a try, we highly recommend it. The original recipe came from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, thanks Mel.

YIELD: SERVES 4-6

Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the recipe instructions; pour the other half in a small saucepan and cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken:
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup canola, vegetable or coconut oil
Sauce:
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (depending on how sweet you want the sauce)
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken.
3. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet.
4. Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked through (this is where it's really important to have a hot skillet/oil). Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9X13-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
5. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice