Recipe: Chicken Parmigiano

One meal I haven't made in years is Chicken Parmigiano. It was one that my mom made often and one of my favorites, however, it is also one that just kind of slipped through the cracks. A week ago we were at a birthday party and the host wanted to make chicken parmigiano for the guests. Hubby and I arrived early so I could help him get ready (he was throwing it for his wife). He had a recipe but it also brought to mind the way my mom made it (which was very similar) so we embarked on the journey of re-creating it. It was so good I made it last night for my family. Again, it turned out so good, so I thought I'd share it here. 

Family recipes are wonderful. Sometimes we forget about them, sometimes they no longer fit our "diets", but maybe they can be re-vamped. Whatever it is, family recipes should have a special place, even if it is only enjoyed or remembered on paper. Totally off topic, but a great way to display old family recipes is to put them in a picture frame, either by themselves or in a collage and hung in your kitchen. I have several recipes that I plan to do this with.

So, this recipe is actually fairly easy and can be ready from start to finish in 30-40 minutes. We served ours with a side of pasta and a green salad. I think it would also be good with mashed potatoes.

I made homemade bread crumbs. When made at our friends house we used Franz Gluten Free Bread. When I made them my local store didn't have that bread so I just bought a loaf of Italian bread from the bakery, broke it up, toasted it in the oven and then put it through the food processor. I then seasoned them with garlic powder, salt, pepper, some italian seasoning and onion powder. You could obviously use store bought bread crumbs, but I liked the texture these gave to the chicken.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
2 eggs
1/8 c. water
2 c. bread crumbs (more or less)
3 Tbs. Canola oil or other oil for pan frying
1 jar marinara sauce
shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Slice chicken breasts in half across the center to create two thinner pieces of chicken.

2. Beat together water and eggs.

3. Dip chicken in egg mixture then in to bread crumbs.

4. In a non-stick skillet heat oil on medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until breading is browned slightly and chicken begins to turn "white", anywhere from 3-4 minutes on each side should do it.

5. Place in a baking dish. Bake in a 350-375 degree oven for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Pour sauce over the top of each breast and sprinkle with cheese. Place back in oven until sauce is warmed through and cheese is melted. 

Note: You could melt the cheese on the chicken and serve the sauce on the side if you want. 


With Joy UNquenchable,