Sweet and Sour Chicken

When Grant came home and smelled this cooking, he immediately declared, "I bet this will become a new family favorite."  After he tasted it, he confirmed his suspicion.  He absolutely loved it!  I thought it was excellent as well, and all of the kids gobbled it up but my lone green pepper hater.  It was even good as leftovers, although it's best the first day. 
The chicken is lightly breaded and fried before being smothered with sauce and baked to delicious completion to be served over rice, extra sauce optional.  I think this is a great dinner to take to someone in need, serve to company, or just to have for a weeknight meal.  It's bound to be a crowd-pleaser.

I added a green pepper because I thought it would be good - it was.  We determined that chunks of pineapple would be delicious baked with it also.  Haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it would be good. 

Recipe: adapted slightly from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Note: if you like extra sauce (we did), double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the baking directions in the recipe and pour the other half in a small saucepan. Cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch (I used arrowroot powder, and needed an extra 1/4 cup)
2 eggs, beaten  (I ended up needing 3 eggs - maybe I had larger chicken breasts)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 green pepper, cut into pieces (optional)
Chunks of pineapple (optional)

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Add pepper and pineapple if desired. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for 30 minutes at 350°. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice.