Chicken Parmigianahicken Parmigiana, while popular in American restaurants, is not an authentic dish but actually an Italian-American creation. It is delicious anyway and a pretty easy meal to make that will please the whole family. Cut down the cooking time by using thinly sliced chicken breasts or pound them thin with a meat mallet.
Ingredients: Preheat oven to 350ºF Using your meat mallet, place the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and pound the large pieces to flatten them a bit. The thinner you make them, the faster they will cook, but I wouldn’t go thinner than ½ inch. Season the chicken with salt & pepper, then dredge the breasts in flour, shaking off any excess. Place the breadcrumbs on a sheet of wax paper or in a large, flat bowl. Beat two eggs in another large, flat bowl. Coat the chicken pieces with the egg mixture and then with the breadcrumbs. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. When it is hot, add the chicken and sauté until they are browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. If your skillet is not large enough for all of the chicken, cook only what will fit so that they are not on top of each other. Add more oil if necessary. Spread ½ cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 12 inch baking dish, and arrange the chicken on top of the sauce. Cover with the rest of the sauce, then place the mozzarella slices and top of each chicken breast and sprinkle with the Parmigiano. Bake for 20-25 minutes. You can broil for a minute or two to just brown the cheese. Transfer to a platter and serve with freshly cooked pasta and vegetables.
|