For whatever reason, this meal reminds me of my childhood. Truth? I didn’t even like chicken parmesan as a kid. I know, I’m a weirdo. I instead stuck with more basic stuff like fettuccine Alfredo. Although, my brother liked it which is definitely why it reminds me of being a kid. As I got older, I had a life changing bite of chicken Parmesan and the rest is history. Ever since then, I’ve loved it. Still trying to figure out why I didn’t like it? A fried piece of chicken, cheese and marinara… what the hell is not to love about that combination? It’s Italian food heaven. I think you can truly tell if an Italian restaurant is good by ordering their chicken parmigiana. Trust me, if it’s good then the restaurant is good.
There are a million different way to make this meal, but I’m going to share with you my way. It’s simple, it’s easy and there’s no deep frying involved. I like to bread mine in a panko/flour mixture so the crust isn’t too thick or crunchy. Then I pan fry it in some olive oil. The sauce? A simple combination of San Marzano tomatoes, garlic and onion. Then I like to top it with three different cheeses – parm, provolone and fresh moz. Throw it under the broiler and it’s done. Serve with spaghetti and done! Plus, this is fairly quick if you’re fast in the kitchen!
I could eat this on date night or literally any night of the week. We ate this last night and my husband nearly peed his pants with excitement. I love making something my husband can’t get enough of. As cheesy as it sounds, it really does make me feel good knowing how much he enjoys my food. So here’s a heads up to all my ladies out there – all men seem to love this meal.
CHICKEN PARM
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 3-5
INGREDIENTS:
For pasta:
- 1 lb spaghetti pasta
- 2 tbsp butter, salted
- Reserved pasta water
For chicken:
- 3 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Olive oil
For sauce:
- 1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 tbsp butter, salted
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, small chop
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp Parmesan
For assembly:
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 slices provolone cheese
- 8 oz ball fresh mozzarella, sliced into thin rounds
DIRECTIONS:
For pasta:
- Cook pasta in salted water till al dente. Reserve about 1/4 cup pasta water. Drain pasta but do not rinse. Transfer back to the pot and toss with butter and pasta water. Set aside.
For chicken:
- Place each of the chicken breasts on a flat surface, like a cutting board. Place a layer of plastic wrap over and under each individual piece of chicken. Use a rolling pin to hit each breast in order to flatten the chicken to about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat till each breasts are done.
- Place the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk.
- Place the flour, panko, parmesan and spices in a separate large bowl. Whisk.
- To bread your chicken…dip in the egg mixture and then into the flour mixture to coat the chicken. Repeat till all the breasts are breaded.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet (or other large oven proof pan) to medium heat. Add in enough olive oil to generously coat the pan, about 6 tbsp. Add in the chicken and cook about 5 minutes a side. Make sure the heat is not too high or the crust will burn and the chicken won’t cook through. Once done, your chicken should have a golden crust. Once cooked, remove from the pan, sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- Rinse the skillet and place back on the burner.
For the sauce:
- Place San Marzano tomatoes in a blender and pulse until smooth.
- Heat the skillet to medium. Add in butter and onion. Cook for a couple minutes until the onions are tender. Add in garlic and cook till fragrant, about a minute.
- Add in the remaining ingredients to the skillet and let it come to a soft boil. Mix. Cover with a lid and turn heat down to low. Let cook for five more minutes to allow the flavors to marry and then turn off the heat.
For assembly:
- Preheat the oven to a high broil.
- Place the cooked chicken into the sauce.
- Cover each piece of chicken with a sprinkle of Parmesan, slice of provolone and 2 slices of mozzarella.
- Place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and serve hot with spaghetti.