CHICKEN PARM

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:

  1. 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:

  1. 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.
  2. Place the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk.
  3. Place the flour, panko, parmesan and spices in a separate large bowl. Whisk.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Rinse the skillet and place back on the burner.

For the sauce:

  1. Place San Marzano tomatoes in a blender and pulse until smooth.
  1. 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.
  2. 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:

  1. Preheat the oven to a high broil.
  2. Place the cooked chicken into the sauce.
  3. Cover each piece of chicken with a sprinkle of Parmesan, slice of provolone and 2 slices of mozzarella.
  4. Place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
  5. Remove from the oven and serve hot with spaghetti.

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