a few weeks back, craig and i entertained 12 for dinner. the menu? chicken with mustard cream sauce, spanakopita and a garden-fresh salad. it's not always simple to cook for a large group, but with proper planning...and the right recipes...it can be stress-free.

enter "chicken for a crowd". growing up, i always loved when my mom would make chicken with mustard cream sauce. there was just something about the simple goodness of chicken paired with the decadent creaminess of the sauce - yum! so, when it came to cooking for a dozen, i defaulted back to my childhood favorite.

what you'll need...

1 quart heavy cream (not a low-cal recipe, by the way...)
1 13oz jar of grainy dijon
4 lbs chicken tenders
salt & pepper

preheat oven to 375

1. whisk together cream and mustard in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat. bring to a gentle simmer.

2. arrange chicken tenders in 2 large oven safe dishes and season with salt & pepper.

3. pour 2/3 of sauce evenly over chicken and roll the chicken in the sauce to fully coat it.

4. reserve final 1/3 of sauce to put out when serving.

5. bake for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbly. allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. (and remember to put out the extra sauce!)

this recipe is extremely simple and totally delicious - can't beat that! also, you can prep this dish up to a day in advance and just cover it with foil and keep it in the fridge. if you've had it in the fridge, i recommend bringing it out of the fridge 30 min prior to cooking to take the chill off before putting it into the oven.

mmm...mmm gooood!