For those of us who work or are busy all day and just want an easy meal, Chicken Parmesan is always a good go-to meal that everyone loves. It’s easy to make and doesn’t take too long either. I was craving it earlier today after seeing an advertisement for Olive Garden (go ahead, judge me, but everything always looks good on their commercials) so I decided to experiment and make my own Chicken Parm. You can find most of the ingredients in your fridge/pantry – another benefit to this recipe. I cheated and used jarred spaghetti sauce because I didn’t have the time to make my own, but Giada’s for Target Tomato Basil sauce is actually pretty delicious as far as jarred sauces go (and I’m definitely a snob about that). I made two chicken breast halves (yes, those are halves in the picture…they were huge) but the breadcrumb mixture can definitely go a long way.
Chicken Parmesan
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, chopped
Preheat oven to 400.
Mix together breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Beat 1 egg in a separate bowl. Dredge chicken breasts in egg so they are fully coated and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture until fully coated. Heat olive oil in a skillet; pan fry each chicken breast on both sides until the breading is golden brown (about 2-3 minutes per side).
In a glass pan, spread a layer of sauce and then put chicken breasts on top of sauce. Top with mozzarella, sprinkle with extra parmesan, add a little more sauce and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Bake at 400 for about 15-18 minutes (depending on how thick the chicken breasts are). Serve over spaghetti.
Enjoy!
Life's Precious, Jules 