Chicken Parmesan, as good—or better—than I’ve had at most restaurants.
I have far too may chicken parts in my small, condo freezer. I didn’t intend it that way. It all happened when my Instacart shopper brought me six chicken breasts instead of the two I wanted. (He also threw in three large chunks of fresh ginger, when I only needed one small piece for another dish. My daughter says to just freeze the extra, that it grates easier when frozen.)
Good idea, but let’s get back to Chicken Parmesan . . . .
Time to Get Mean with Those Chicken Pieces
Start your Chicken Parmesan by putting each piece into a plastic baggie and pounding the daylights out of it with a rolling pin or mallet. You want it flat and thin, about 1/4 inch.
Next, bread chicken, by first dipping pieces in seasoned flour, then egg, and, finally, the bread crumbs/grated parm mixture. (I use Italian-seasoned Panko for the most crispiness and flavor.) Cook the pieces in a bit of oil in a skillet for several minutes on each side.
Having no blunt instruments in my kitchen, I used a metal lemon squeezer to smash the chicken breast to size.
Then I set out bowls for dipping and coating the chicken pieces.
This is the messy, fun part.
If you want to test for doneness, stick a meat thermometer in the chicken. It should read 165 degrees. Don’t overcook.
Easy, No Fuss Additions
Top with spaghetti-tomato sauce (you can make your own, but I use Rao). Add a slice of Mozzarella or Provolone to each piece and bake until cheese is melted. Fresh Mozzarella slices also make a nice alternate topping. If this recipe sounds familiar, it’s because eggplant parmesan and veal parmesan are made much the same way.
After adding the sauce and cheese, I wiped out the cast-iron skillet in which I browned the chicken breasts and baked the cutlet in the oven for 10 minutes at about 400 degrees. (Every recipe I read had a different time and temperature. But you just want the inside to be 165 degrees and the cheese melted.) If making more than a few servings, it’s best to use a large baking dish.
Ready to serve over a bed of sauced noodles along with a side salad.
This dish is perfect for freezing. After giving the chicken pieces the flour/egg/crumb treatment, freeze until ready to use. Thaw and brown 3 minutes to a side and bake as indicated above.
Here’s a good post on all the steps. Ina Garten does a slimmed-down version, flavored with lemon, that forgoes the Mozzarella and tomato sauce.
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