Pecan Crusted Chicken & Maple Mustard Sauce

This. Is. Amazing.  I don't know how to describe or portray in pictures just how amazing this dish is.  I can't.  And I wasn't the only one in love with it.  My family couldn't stop raving, in between bits, about how amazing it was.  They only wished I had made more of it.  Before dinner was over, I already had one request to make it for a birthday dinner.  Her birthday isn't until September, but it never hurts to plan ahead.  Especially when this is on the menu.  And the sauce.  Let's talk about the sauce for just a minute.  You put some dijon mustard on the chicken before baking it.  When I saw that it pairs with a dijon mustard sauce too, I was skeptical.  Dijon mustard is good and all, but it sounded like too much of a good thing.  But the thing you've got to realize is that you're not just dipping it in dijon mustard, it's a MAPLE mustard dip.  Throw that maple in there with it (which I wasn't so sure about either) and it makes the best, most perfect sauce for this chicken.  There was a little sauce left over and I'm saving it in the fridge to use for chicken nuggets or something.  It is just way too good to throw out.  So start cooking, mixing and dipping.  And prepare yourself to be amazed.

Ingredients:
Chicken:
1½ cups pecans
⅓ cup mayonnaise
1 TBS dijon mustard
coarse salt and fresh black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 TBS dried parsley

Dipping Sauce:
¼ cup maple syrup
3 TBS Dijon mustard
1 tsp rice or white vinegar
2 TBS mayonnaise

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with sides or a 9 x 13 pan, set aside.  To chop up the pecans, you can use a food processor or place them in a ziplock bag and crush them up by rolling over them several times with a rolling pin.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Mix 1/3 cup may and 1 TBS dijon mustard.  Use a spoon to cover the chicken with the mayo/mustard mixture.  Cover the chicken with the crushed pecans, using your hand to press them in making sure that they stick.  Sprinkle on dry parsley.  Place on the baking sheet pecan side up.  Bake 25 minutes or until cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, whisk the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar and mayonnaise together until well mixed. Add a couple dashes of salt and pepper. Refrigerate.  Let the chicken sit 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle the sauce over it or serve on the side for dunking.  Or both because it's that good.

Source:  Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice