On the menu.
In an effort to menu plan, the annoyance arose that I did all of the choosing for our dinners. The hubs is a little too easy going when it comes to "what's for dinner?" that I finally told him that it's easier for me, sometimes, if he had an opinion about what to eat. Hey, it's hard always being the creative brains behind our meals!
So, when Sunday afternoon meal planning came around, and he suggested Chicken Parmesan, I jumped at the chance to make this dish for the first time. After reviewing a few different recipes after a quick Google search, I chose to go with the SimplyRecipes.com version.
It's pretty, well, simple.
This recipe calls for making your own sauce, but you could just as easily use store-bought. For the record, this was the first time I made my own sauce.
Here's what you'll need:
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| Not pictured: chicken, salt & sugar |
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Sauce:
- 1/2 large yellow onion
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes (we use Muir-Glen)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Pinch of sugar
Chicken:
- 4 chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total) ((I only made two chicken breasts, but didn't halve the recipe - it was just doubly cheesy and delicious for us))
- Salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (we make our breadcrumbs running pieces of stale French bread through a blender)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
The Steps:
One
Prepare the sauce. Coarsely grate half of an onion. Grating the onion will create smaller onion pieces and release more of the onion's juices, and is faster than chopping ((I bought the pre-chopped kind from the store - that's even FASTER!)). Heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, about a minute more. Then add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, and sugar ((pretty sure I forgot the sugar and didn't even notice)). Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to maintain the simmer. Cook, uncovered while you prepare the chicken (about 10-12 minutes).
Two
Preheat oven to 400°F. Working one at a time, place a chicken cutlet between two layers of wax paper (or plastic wrap). With a meat pounder, pound the chicken pieces to flatten them to an even thickness - between 1/4 - 1/2 inch. (If you don't have a meat pounder, you can use a rubber mallet, an empty wine bottle, or a heavy rolling pin.) Salt the chicken pieces well.
Three
((Skip this step and go to Step Four and read my notes there)) In a shallow bowl (large enough to dredge the cutlets), mix together the breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, and pinch of salt. In separate shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs.
Four
Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. The oil should be shimmering, not smoking ((I couldn't tell if it was shimmering or not. Oil IS shiny! I turned on the stove, made the egg mixture, did Step Three and coated the chicken and then put it in the oil. So, just do that. No need to look for shimmering oil)). Dredge the chicken pieces 1 piece at a time first in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs. Then lay the pieces in the hot sauté pan. Turn the heat to medium, then gently fry the cutlets until they are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Five
Spread enough tomato sauce to thickly coat the bottom of 9x13 casserole pan or baking dish. Once the cutlets are browned on both sides, arrange them on top of the tomato sauce in the baking dish. Place sauce over each of the cutlets ((Use the rest of the sauce here. You can wash this pan while the dish is baking.)). Sprinkle the tops with sliced basil. Then top the cutlets with slices of mozzarella and the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Six
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the mozzarella begins to brown.
Serve with spaghetti ((I use whole wheat)) and the remaining sauce (from the baking pan), or in a large roll.
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| My finished product. |
