Prep 10 mins Cook 25 mins Eat 35 mins (More time if you’re making spaghetti sauce.)
Do you order Chicken Parmesan at the corner “Italian red sauce” restaurant in your neighborhood? This very satisfying meal can be enjoyed right at home for a fraction of the cost and very little time, provided you have some good spaghetti sauce on hand.
Follow my step-by-step directions for making Chicken Parmesan and you will be glad you did. Hey, if you’re vegetarian, follow along with a thick slice of eggplant in place of the chicken breast and use plenty of olive oil.
First have at the ready, some thin spaghetti noodles and some good quality spaghetti sauce. Not a jar of Ragu please! If you’re like me, you have containers of home-made spaghetti sauce in your freezer, that you can plop frozen into a saucepan to heat up. See how to make multiple containers to store in your freezer here. I encourage you to make my Spaghetti Sauce and use it after it’s been simmering for part of the time OR if you must purchase it, get a container of high quality sauce that has low or no sugar at a grocery store like Bristol Farms or Whole Foods. You want a tomato-ey, not a sweet sauce.
Preheat the oven to 350° and have a baking dish ready where your chicken breasts will fit in one layer. Boil a pot of water for the spaghetti.
Then, set up a breading station. I like using pie tins for this purpose. Parmesan and bread crumbs in one tin and a couple beaten eggs in another.
Next pound the chicken breasts with a mallet to tenderize them and flatten them slightly.
Heat up a frying pan on medium-high heat and add olive oil. With a pair of tongs, dip each chicken breast into the beaten eggs.
Then coat the chicken breast with the parmesan/bread crumb mixture and into the hot pan of oil it goes. Repeat until you have the two to four chicken breasts in the pan.
As soon as the first side is golden brown, flip it over and cook until both sides of the chicken breast are golden brown, BUT THE CHICKEN IS NOT COOKED THROUGH.
Ladle some sauce into the baking dish. Thin it with a little water so it moves around the bottom. Place the browned chicken breasts into the sauce in one layer.
Place the mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the mozzarella is bubbly.
While the chicken is in the oven, cook your pasta and warm your spaghetti sauce and get your plates ready. Place each chicken breast on the plate. Twirl some spaghetti on the side, topped with the hot spaghetti sauce. OMG! Chicken Parmesan! This will be like the best meal you’ve ever tasted! I feel that way every time I make it! Such comfort food.
Chicken Parmesan or Eggplant Parmesan
1/4 cup + parmesan cheese
1/4 cup + bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper ( to taste)
4 chicken breasts — boneless, skinless OR a large globe eggplant, cut in 1/2″ rounds.
3 Tablespoons + olive oil
3 cups Spaghetti sauce (home-made please)
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 pound Thin spaghetti noodles
1. Preheat the oven to 350° and have a baking dish ready where your chicken breasts will fit in one layer. Boil a pot of water for the spaghetti. Then, set up a breading station. I like using pie tins for this purpose. Parmesan and bread crumbs in one tin and a couple beaten eggs in another. Season eggs with salt and pepper.
2. Pound the chicken breasts with a mallet to tenderize them and flatten them slightly. Heat up a frying pan on medium-high heat and add olive oil. With a pair of tongs, dip each chicken breast or eggplant slice into the beaten eggs, Then coat the chicken breast with the parmesan/bread crumb mixture and into the hot pan of oil it goes. Repeat until you have the two to four chicken breasts in the pan. As soon as the first side is golden brown, flip it over and cook until both sides of the chicken breast are golden brown, BUT THE CHICKEN IS NOT COOKED THROUGH.
3. Ladle some sauce into the baking dish. Thin it with a little water so it moves around the bottom. Place the browned chicken breasts into the sauce in one layer. Place the mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the mozzarella is bubbly.
4. While the chicken is in the oven, cook your pasta and warm your spaghetti sauce and get your plates ready. Place each chicken breast on the plate. Twirl some spaghetti on the side, topped with the hot spaghetti sauce.
Servings: 4 – 1069 calories per serving
Chicken Parmesan or Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 chicken breasts -- boneless skinless OR a large globe eggplant, cut in 1/2" rounds.
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups Spaghetti sauce home-made please
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 1 pound Thin spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and have a baking dish ready where your chicken breasts will fit in one layer. Boil a pot of water for the spaghetti. Then, set up a breading station. I like using pie tins for this purpose. Parmesan and bread crumbs in one tin and a couple beaten eggs in another. Season eggs with salt and pepper.
- Pound the chicken breasts with a mallet to tenderize them and flatten them slightly. Heat up a frying pan on medium-high heat and add olive oil. With a pair of tongs, dip each chicken breast or eggplant slice into the beaten eggs, Then coat the chicken breast with the parmesan/bread crumb mixture and into the hot pan of oil it goes. Repeat until you have the two to four chicken breasts in the pan. As soon as the first side is golden brown, flip it over and cook until both sides of the chicken breast are golden brown, BUT THE CHICKEN IS NOT COOKED THROUGH.
- Ladle some sauce into the baking dish. Thin it with a little water so it moves around the bottom. Place the browned chicken breasts into the sauce in one layer. Place the mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the mozzarella is bubbly.
- While the chicken is in the oven, cook your pasta and warm your spaghetti sauce and get your plates ready. Place each chicken breast on the plate. Twirl some spaghetti on the side, topped with the hot spaghetti sauce.
- ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com
I can almost smell the deliciousness now! YUM.
Glad that it only takes 35 minutes to make, cuz it’s comfort food at its best!
Yum! Yum! This looks so delicious! I choose chicken, but eggplant sounds great also. 🙂