Crispy Chicken Parmesan for Jon's Birthday Celebration

 I have had a long standing promise to Jon Pereira since June that I would make him Chicken Parmesan and have yet to fulfill my promise. Jon reminded me that it was his birthday yesterday and that it was the perfect time to make him this amazing Chicken Parmesan. I’ve been dragging my feet to long on this so Jon will have Chicken Parmesan on his birthday. What a great birthday present!

 

I made my own sauce for this, but you can use jarred if you are in a time crunch. It is really easy to make your own sauce. Hell, I had never even tried jarred sauce until I got to college. It is actually pretty good (I like Newman’s Own Organic.) My sauce is very easy so give it a try.

 

1. Saute a clove of garlic( that I grated) into 2 tablespoons of olive oil. ( I don’t like huge chunks of it so I grate it on a micro-plane.) If you don’t mind the chunks just chop it up.

 

2. Add canned tomatoes (I like whole, peeled and I break them up.) Any kind you are used to buying is fine. Also add a tablespoon of tomato paste. If I have red wine on hand I throw some of that in also.

 

3. Bring to a boil then simmer. The longer the better! Feel free to add ground beef or other veggies if you would like if putting over pasta.

 

Let’s be honest- you can make this sauce in fifteen minutes if you have to. So easy!

Here is the recipe for the Chicken Parmesan:

 Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 7 ounces seasoned bread crumbs
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 12 ounces pasta sauce ( eye ball it)
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella or shredded ( enough to cover top of chicken)

Egg then Breadcrumbs

Frying them up!

Soak up some excess oil

Broil to melt cheese

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Pour beaten eggs into a shallow dish or bowl. In another shallow dish or bowl, mix together the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Dip chicken breasts into beaten egg, then into bread crumb mixture to coat. 
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add coated chicken and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Pour tomato sauce into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Add chicken, then place cheese over each breast, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. You can also quickly broil for 5 minutes also. 

Happy Birthday Jon!

This is a quick recipe you can whip up any night of the week. Buy some crusty Italian rolls and serve it up as a sandwich or with some yummy pasta.