Chicken Parmesan - An Easy Company Feast

I always judge an Italian restaurant on their Chicken Parmesan and frequently find them lacking.  Usually dry and tasteless covered by a sauce to hide their sins. I'm very picky. But I really like mine. This is a modified version a CI recipe called Lighter Chicken Parmesan. It is excellent and not too hard to make at home.

It is a wonderful company recipe and I have used it several times as the evening meal before a major holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Great for casual dining and conversation with wine. 


Rating

Another easy 5. I love this.

Notes:
You can do it. If you are a beginner, try it soon since it goes a lot better if you have done it before. I find a freshly shredded Parmesan adds a lot of taste.
This is one of my favorites and a buff up of one of my first posts with a different sauce and a few other improvements.
Feel free to substitute any marinara sauce you want but this goes well plus is simple and tasty.

Start by making a simple marinara sauce.

Chop one medium onion and over medium high heat with 1 tsp of oil cook until clearing. About 3 minutes. Add 4 cloves of crushed or minced garlic and cook one more minute.

Add one large can crushed tomatoes (28 oz), one small can tomato paste (6 oz) plus 6 oz water,1 t basal, 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper. 1/8 t crushed red pepper optional. Let simmer over low heat until needed.

Preheat oven to 450 convection. Prep baking sheet with aluminum foil and a grate. Spray with PAM. Over medium heat with 2 t oil, brown 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs until brown. About 2 minutes. Remove to cool.

Prepare the chicken cutlets by rinsing and patting dry three large skinless boneless chicken breasts. Trim and then cut into cutlets.

 

In three shallow pans prepare dredge line. In pan one place 1/2 cup AP flour with 1 1/2 t garlic powder, 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper. Pan two: two eggs with 1 T water - whipped together. And in pan three the brown bread crumbs and 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. 

Be sure the chicken is dry and then coat them through pan 1,2 and 3 shaking well after pan 1 and 2. Place on prepared pan. When all are complete, add a little more of the bread/parmesan mixture on top of each piece

Cook until internal temp of 160. About 20 minutes depending on thickness of chicken.

Remove from oven and top with about 2 T of your sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Place back in oven for about 5 minutes until browned. Serve with pasta and the remaining sauce.

Chicken Parmesan - An Easy Company Feast

by DrDan at 101 Cooking for Two November-5-2011

A wonderful company recipe and I have used it several times as the evening meal before a major holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Great for casual dining and conversation with wine. Very straight forward recipe modified from a CI recipe.

Ingredients

Simple Marinara Sauce

• 1 medium medium onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic-crushed or minced
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste plus 6 oz water
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1/8 t crushed red pepper - optional

Chicken

• 3 large skinless boneless chicken breast trimmed and cut into cutlets
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella shredded

Instructions

1) Chop one medium onion and over medium high heat with 1 tsp of oil cook until clearing. About 3 minutes. Add 4 cloves of crushed or minced garlic and cook one more minute. 2) Add one large can crushed tomatoes (28 oz), one small can tomato paste (6 oz),1 t basal, 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper. 1/8 t crushed red pepper optional. Let simmer over low heat until needed. 3) Preheat oven to 450 convection. Prep baking sheet with aluminum foil and a grate. Spray with PAM. Over medium heat with 2 t oil, brown 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs until brown. About 2 minutes. Remove to cool.4) Prepare the chicken cutlets by rinsing and patting dry three large skinless boneless chicken breasts. Trim and then cut into cutlets.5) In three shallow pans prepare dredge line. In pan one place 1/2 cup AP flour with 1 1/2 t garlic powder, 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper. Pan two: two eggs with 1 T water- whipped together. And in pan three the brown bread crumbs and 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. 6) Be sure the chicken is dry and then coat them through pan 1,2 and 3 shaking well after pan 1 and 2. Place on prepared pan. When all are complete, add a little more of the bread/parmesan mixture on top of each piece7) Cook until internal temp of 160. About 20 minutes depending on thickness of chicken.8) Remove from oven and top with about 2 T of your sauce and mozzarella cheese. 9) Place back in oven for about 5 minutes until browned. Serve with pasta and the remaining sauce.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 6 servings

Updated

November 05 2011

DrDan