I use to judge a restaurant by its Chicken Parmigiana. In fact, there are a few places, none of which can I even recall their names now, that I have not been to since having a bad experience with this dish. As 2020 was "that" kind of year, I decided it was time to develop my own recipe of my favorite dish. This is that recipe! Once you've made it, feel free to judge my culinary skills!
Ingredients
- 4 skinless chicken breast halves (I typically cut a chicken breast in half like I would when doing a butterfly cut; except all the way through. So 2 large chicken breasts is what I use.)
- freshly ground salt and pepper to taste (Does not need to be freshly ground. I just think it tastes better that way.)
- 2 large eggs ()
- 1 cup(s) crackers mashed into crumbs (I use club crackers. You can also use bread crumbs. Club crackers just have that taste I was going for!)
- 1 cup(s) grated parmesan ()
- 1/4 cup(s) Italian seasoning ()
- 1 cup(s) olive oil ()
- 16 oz(s) jar pasta sauce ()
- 1/4 cup(s) parsley ()
- 1/4 cup(s) basil ()
- 1/2 cup(s) shredded mozzarella ()
- 1/2 cup(s) shredded parmesan ()
- 16 oz(s) pasta (Optional. Spaghetti goes well. But any side works!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F
- Place the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them until they are about 1/2 inch thick
- Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste
- Beat eggs in shallow bowl and set aside
- Mix cracker crumbs, grated parmesan, and Italian seasoning in another bowl and set aside
- Dip chicken in eggs, then in cracker/parm/seasoning mix and set aside
- Preheat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat
- Cook chicken in olive oil for 1-2 minutes each side to crisp up the breading
- Place chicken in baking dish and spoon some pasta sauce over each piece
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes
- While the chicken is baking, heat up remaining sauce and boil pasta
- Pull chicken out of the oven and turn broiler to high
- ayer each chicken breast with equal amounts of shredded mozzarella and parmesan, parsley, and basil
- Sprinkle 2 tsp of grated parmesan on each chicken breast and drizzle olive oil
- Broil chicken until cheese is bubbling and golden
- Serve each piece of chicken with a small pile of pasta with a topping of sauce
Notes
This serves 4, or 2 really hungry people. Substitute spaghetti for any pasta type, or omit the pasta if you prefer the chicken parmesan by itself. For a low carb alternative, you can substitute pork rinds for the crackers and zucchini, or similar, noodles.