Chicken Parmesan

I love when you can get a recipe that you've never tried before right the first time! <3  Because really, what's worse than spending all that time and expense on something that sucks?  Lucky for you my success can be your success too! An amazingly tasty chicken parm that will keep your family asking for more.

Chicken Parmesan  

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless Chicken Breasts, thawed

1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour

2 large Eggs

2 cups Bread Crumbs

1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Parsley

1 tsp Garlic Salt

Salt & Pepper

1 jar Pasta Sauce

1 cup Mozzarella 

2 tbsp Grated Parmesan

Spaghetti Noodles
Vegetable Oil

Directions:

1.  Place one chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound flat using either a meat tenderizer or a wooden rolling pin. Stressful day? Take it out on your breasts!  The chicken kind, not your own!  Jeez peeps, we do TRY to keep this blog family friendly ;) . Anyway back to the chicken, you want it about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 2 - 3 pieces of about equal size. Repeat for the second and set aside.

2. For the breading you'll need three separate bowls.  In the first, add just the flour.  In the second, beat both eggs well with about 1/4 cup of water.  In the third, add your bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper, mix well.

3. Grab your first piece of chicken and dip it into the flour, then the egg mix (let the excess egg drip off for a few seconds), and lastly your bread crumbs. Making sure both sides are well covered at each station. Continue with the rest of the pieces. Set the chicken aside and discard any left over breading mixes (bread, eggs, and flour).

4. In a large frying pan add about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil and heat until you see small bubbles starting to form on the bottom of the pan. Add 2 - 4 pieces of chicken depending on the size of your pan. Remember to slowly roll them in and away from your body; you don't want to be splattered in hot grease. Fry for about 2 - 3 minutes on each side or until the breading browns to a deep golden colour. Remove from the oil and place on plate with a paper towel on it to absorb the extra grease for a few minutes.  Then transfer to a wire rack or the one side will become soggy. Continue until all pieces are done.

5. Put a large pot of salted water on boil for your spaghetti. As always, cook per package instructions.

6.  Preheat your boiler to 500*F and place all the chicken pieces into a large baking pan and top with the mozzarella & Parmesan, dividing it as equally as you can between each piece.  Broil for about 5 - 7 minutes.  You want the cheese to be nicely melted and bubbly.

7. When your pasta is done, strain and add to a serving dish.  Mix in all but about 1/2 cup of your pasta sauce.  At this point you can serve two ways; first is to dish out the pasta into individual bowls and add the chicken to the top of each or secondly, serve family style and put all the chicken on top of the noodles and dish at the table.

8. Microwave the remaining sauce for 30 seconds so you can add it to the top of your chicken once served.  Garnish with some extra parsley.

You can, absolutely, start this dish ahead of time if you're in a time crunch.  Just stop after you've fried & drained all the chicken. I'd let it completely cool on the rack and then place in a storage container and refrigerate until you're ready to use. Then continue on with adding the cheeses and broiling and preparing the pasta.  

Stay Sweet!

Tammy