Weeknight chicken parm

Name: Weeknight chicken parm
Total time: 3000 s
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 chicken breast halves of even thickness, boneless and skinless; 1 cup AP flour; 2 large eggs; 1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, plus a few tsp for sprinkling; 2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning; 1-648 ml bottle high-quality marinara sauce; 3 cloves whole garlic, crushed slightly and peeled; 3 tbsp tomato paste; Small handful fresh basil, whole; 1 cup grated mozzarella; 1 cup grated parmesan

Robert Gonzal @robert

Vancouver BC

What do you do when you're feeling under the weather, and yet have a craving for chicken parm? If you're me, you pop an extra cold pill, then brainstorm for ways to cut back the work required by the recipe. I came up with two ideas. First, cook the chicken entirely in the oven rather than the usual fry-then-bake, and zhuzh-up store-bought sauce instead of spending 30 to 45 minutes (or more) making homemade marinara. The biggest key to this admittedly lazy recipe was buying chicken breasts that were all about the same thickness. Breasts with differing thicknesses means you'll have to butterfly and/or pound them out, which defeats the purpose of an otherwise quick, no-fuss weeknight meal.

Robert Gonzal @robert

Saved

Ingredients

50 minutes

4 servings

4chicken breast halves of even thickness, boneless and skinless
1 cupAP flour
2large eggs
1 1/2 cuppanko breadcrumbs, plus a few tsp for sprinkling
2 tbspdried Italian seasoning
1-648 mlbottle high-quality marinara sauce
3 cloveswhole garlic, crushed slightly and peeled
3 tbsptomato paste
Small handful fresh basil, whole
1 cupgrated mozzarella
1 cupgrated parmesan

Saved

Steps

50 minutes

1

Season the chicken with salt, then prepare three dredges. The first is flour, seasoned with some salt. Second is egg, beaten and loosened with a splash of water, and also seasoned with salt. And third is panko breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
2

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Run your chicken through the dredges (flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs) and lay them out on a baking sheet. Pop them in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping them over at the midway point.
3

While waiting for the chicken, add a good glug of olive oil to a small pot on medium heat. Toss in the garlic and squeeze in the tomato paste. Let fry for about 2 minutes, then pour in your jarred marinara and add the basil. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low.
4

If you're planning to eat your chicken parm with pasta, now's a good time to get it started.
5

Once the chicken's done, turn them so the prettiest, brownest side is facing up. Sprinkle on the cheese, then pop them back in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes to get oozy. Pull them back out and add a ladle full of sauce on top, then sprinkle with more panko for crunch. Return the chicken to the oven and bake a final 15 to 20 minutes, or until they reach 165 F internal temperature. Use your leftover marinara to dress your pasta (remove the basil and/or garlic first) and serve.