Chicken Parmesan on a Monday Night

We're back! I stayed up late last night and came up with a list of dishes to make this week and I decided to start it off with Chicken Parmesan. I had made this recipe before, but it was before the New Year, so the blog had not been created yet. This recipe is delicious and doesn't require too many ingredients. It does require patients and a careful eye (my fire alarm tends to go off if I am broiling anything or if anything starts to even slightly get crispy - like panko bread crumbs).

Here are the ingredients for this dish:

• 1 large chicken breast (we had an extremely large chicken breast and were just cooking for us)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg white, beaten slightly
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (or more depending on how sauce-y you are feeling)
• 6 slices of mozzarella (from a fresh mozzarella 'ball')
• Basil leaves (fresh or dried) - optional

And here is how you bring it all together:

• Preheat the broiler
• Place the chicken breast(s) in a ziploc bag and seal. Place a sheet of waxed paper on the counter, place the ziploc bag with the chicken onto of the waxed paper, and then place another sheet of waxed paper on top. Use either a meat mallet or something else as effective (I use my rolling pin) and pound the chicken until it is uniformly 1/2" (or thinner) thick. Season with salt and pepper
• Place the egg white in a shallow bowl and beat lightly
• Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan and Italian seasoning on a large plate
• Dip the chicken breast(s) in the egg white, coat both sides, and then place in the bread crumb mixture, patting the crumbs so that they completely cover the chicken
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on the first side before turning (or the bread crumb mixture will just fall off). The crust should be deeply browned and crunchy. Flip the chicken over and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes
• Transfer the chicken onto a baking sheet (I prefer to cover my baking sheets with tin foil because it helps make the clean up that much easier)
• Spoon the tomato sauce over the chicken breast(s), then top with mozzarella and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
• Serve garnished with basil (optional)

This is a fun recipe to try and is not complicated. We love the combination of the juicy chicken, crunchy bread crumbs and the soft creamy texture of the melted mozzarella. I recommend that you give this one a try! Bon appetit!

The original recipe (I have made some changes) is from:
Cook This, Not That! - Kitchen Survival Guide
The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution
David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding
Rodale Inc. 2010
Chicken Parmesan
Page 276