Hummus Crusted Chicken

**Sorry about the darkness of these pictures. Dinnertime = terrible lighting that doesn't do justice to this amazing flavor.

If you know me, you know that I love hummus. I love it to a point that is probably a bit obsessive. I put it on any and everything. And I really do mean everything. It's gotten to a point where my hummus and "other food" combos have been made fun of (I am talking to you, Kenan). But I won't stop...mostly because I can't. It's an addiciton. Phone "Intervention," I'm ready for my 30 seconds of fame.

When I saw this Hummus-Crusted Chicken recipe on Pinterest I nearly fell over and died. How had a combination of flavors so perfect never crossed my mind?! Shame on me.

A week after I repinned this recipe, I was popping it in the oven. The quick turnaround was so worth it. This chicken was to.die.for.

Plopped over a bed of a yummy vegetable medley, the chicken was coated with a generous layer of roasted garlic hummus. Of course, you could use any hummus you'd like, but I thought garlic would give this a nice kick. The hummus stays a bit moist after it's baked, but it forms such a nice layer around the chicken. Plus some oozes onto the veggies and it's a flavor explosion. And healthy to boot!

I cannot wait to make this chicken again. You can use any veggies you'd like (I chose squash, zucchini, cauliflowers, and carrots), as well as any variety of hummus. I am currently FREAKING OUT over this White Bean and Basil Hummus from Trader Joe's (Kenan gets the shoutout once again for getting me hooked on this stuff), and can't wait to use it in this recipe.

This recipe is quick, easy, and healthy. It's simple and divine. Go makeu some.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Hummus-Crusted Chicken
Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven

• 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt & pepper
• 2 small zucchini
• 2 small yellow squash
• 1/2 head of cauliflower
• 6 large carrot
• 1/2 cup hummus
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. McCormick Hot Shot! Black & Red Pepper Blend (or smoked paprika or sumac)
• parmesan cheese (optional) to sprinkle on chicken

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare one large baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Season the chicken breasts with generous pinches of salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, yellow squash, cauliflower, and carrot with olive oil until evenly coated. (You could spray the veggies with olive oil "mist" but they may not cook as thoroughly). Season the veggies with salt and pepper (and other spices if you choose).
3. Place all of the vegetables on the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Lay the 5 chicken breasts evenly on top, then coat each chicken breast with the hummus so that the entire breast is covered. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over top of the chicken and vegetable mixture. Then, sprinkle the entire pan with the McCormick Hot Shot! Black & Red Pepper Blend (or smoke paprika or sumac).
4. Bake for about 25-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.