Elaine- Could it be that your mom marinated the chicken in Italian dressing and then dipped the chicken into whatever her breading recipe was? That would probably keep the coating on the chicken when it is cooking. We used to cook in logging camps and sometimes my groceries were a little limited. More than once I ground up either corn flakes or our favorite rice crispies and then added flour poultry seasoning, sage,salt,pepper, cayenne,granulated garlic and even some dry chicken soup base and whatever else may interest you in your cupboard. I always soak my cut up chicken in cold water, baking soda and salt for about an hour before I cook it, so never have trouble with the coating sticking. I'm not exactly sure what the soda and salt do but it sure makes the chicken moist and tender. Anyways, have fun experimenting.
Pat