Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Tip: Marinate the chicken in the orange juice for a couple of hours or overnight.

2 T. prepared Dijon-style mustard (heaping)

1 t. paprika
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

½ c. chopped onion
½ c. chopped red pepper
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
½ c. packed brown sugar, divided
2 c. orange juice (or more if needed) (I used Simply Orange brand Orange/Mango)
2 T. butter
2 T. flour or cornstarch for thickening (mix flour with a little juice to reduce lumpiness)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place chicken in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Spread mustard evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with spices, garlic, onion and red pepper, then the pineapple with juice. Coat lightly with ¼ c. of the brown sugar and pour in enough orange juice to just cover chicken. Dot the butter on top.
3. Bake (uncovered) in preheated oven for 45 minutes, then remove sauce from baking dish and pour into a saucepan. (I removed the chicken to a plate, then poured the sauce from the baking dish into a 6-qt. saucepan, then returned the chicken to the baking dish, with a little bit of sauce left in the baking dish for moisture.) Sprinkle chicken with remaining ¼ c. brown sugar and return to oven for the time it takes to make the sauce – about 15 minutes.
4. Whisk flour or cornstarch into sauce in saucepan. Add any leftover orange juice and heat on med.-high until the sauce thickens. Remove chicken from oven and place on a serving dish; pour sauce over the chicken or into a gravy boat, and serve.