Grape Jelly Chicken

I am posting my recipe early, because I don't want a chance to actually change my mind. Once something is written on my blog, I usually stick to it. For better or worse. As you can probably guess, I am skeptical about this recipe. Judging from the title alone, it does not sound appetizing to me. In fact, I think it sounds...well, strange. Then why try it you ask???? Because I am intrigued, despite myself. It is like a train wreck...I am trying not to be interested, but I just can't help it! I found this recipe on a random website, and I was encouraged by all the comments saying it sounded gross, but really, it was great. It is all about the marketing. Also, my mom recently told me that she sometimes cooks with grape jelly. Apparently, she has some sort of BBQ sauce recipe that's main ingredient is grape jelly. Huh. Allegedly, her grape jelly BBQ sauce is fabulous. I don't know...it still sounds weird to me.

I think I will serve this...ah-hem...dish, with either some cauliflower or zucchini, and rice for the starch component. That is about all I have to say about that. So without further commentary, here is my dinner choice.

Grape Jelly Chicken

Ingredients:
1 cup grape jelly
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 lbs skinless chicken thighs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a small saucepan,combine grape jelly,ketchup,onions,vinegar,& dry mustard.
3. Heat over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil and jelly is melted.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Arrange chicken pieces in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
6. Pour sauce evenly over chicken and turn pieces to coat both sides.
7. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, until chicken is very tender.

Jen's Notes:
I am going to use chicken breasts, instead of thighs. I think I will cut the cook time down, since breasts cook differently...usually faster. The chicken breast can easily be overcooked, so I don't want to take any chances. I will try 30-45 minutes and then see if they are done. I want to give this recipe the best possible scenario for being yummy, since I don't have high expectations as it stands. Ugh. Wish me luck!



The Result:
To my surprise, this was good. Nothing truly "special"...but good. Very tasty, and not funky (in a bad way). Really. I would not say it was good if it wasn't! The grape jelly mixture basically tasted like Sweet and Sour sauce. I think this recipe could easily be adapted to use on a pork roast or meatballs. If you like sweet and sour flavor, I recommend giving this a try to see for yourself.
I served this dish with cauliflower and a brown/wild rice mix. The sauce was really good over the rice, and the cauliflower was a perfect vegetable side dish. I think because the sauce was so distinct, it made me appreciate the mellow flavor of the rice and cauliflower.

So, the final verdict is that I am glad that I tried this recipe. It was pretty easy to put together, although the cook time was a little bit long. I am relieved that it did not suck! Actually, it was better than not sucking...it was good! If I ever get a hankerin' for sweet and sour flavors, I will make this dish again.