Weeknight Chicken Parm
Here’s the deal. It’s chilly enough and my body constantly wants delicious and comforting things. However, these dishes tend to require more time and effort to prepare and that’s not always reasonable after work.
One of these dishes? Chicken Parm. It’s so good at home and at restaurants, right? HOWEVER, sometimes you don’t want to make your own sauce. Or marinate meat. Or do any other extraneous steps. What I’m saying is, know when you need to cut corners and cut away.
Casual Chicken Parm
Serves 2
2 thinly sliced chicken breasts, or 1 cut in half horizontally and pounded thin
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup unseasoned panko breadcrumbs
Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
Your fave pre-made marinara sauce, I love Rao’s
4 slices provolone cheese, or shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Grated parmesan cheese
How to make it
Season your chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
Prepare your breading stations: Add flour to a plate or shallow dish, season with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs with garlic and onion powder + 1/2 TSP salt and 1 TBS water in a bowl or shallow dish. Add panko to a plate and season with salt and pepper.
In that same order, dip each piece of chicken in the flour, then the egg and finish with the breadcrumbs.
Preheat your oven to about 450-475 degrees Fahrenheit, or you can get your broiler ready if it’s safe to use (mine is a hazard).
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and coat with olive oil so there’s a thin layer, but it’s completely covered. Add both pieces of chicken when the oil is hot and cook about 5 minutes on each side, or until beautifully golden all around. Monitor the heat so it doesn’t burn or cook too fast on the outside.
When the chicken is golden and basically cooked through, turn off the heat. Top each piece of chicken with an even coat of marinara sauce, then the sliced provolone cheese and grated parmesan.
Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is spotted and bubbly.
Optional: Serve with your favorite pasta and leftover marinara sauce and a fresh green salad. I do olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried oregano to taste.
