Amazing Chicken Parmesan

Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

Sauce:

· 2 Tbsp Tomato paste

· 2 cloves of garlic, sliced

· 1 small yellow onion or shallot, minced or grated

· 1 15oz. can or jar of tomato sauce

· 1 28oz. can or jar of crushed tomato

· ½ Tbsp dry Italian seasoning

· 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

· Salt to taste

· Optional: ½ Tbsp white sugar

· Optional: 1 or 2 sprigs of fresh Basil

Chicken:

· 2 large eggs

· 1 Lb. of chicken breast (either pre-sliced thin or two breast for you to cut in half and pound thin for 4 pieces)

· 1 ½ cup Italian Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs

· 16 Oz. Fresh Mozzarella sliced into 1/8-inch pieces

· Piece of Parmigiano Reggiano for grating

· 1 box of pasta of your choice

· Salt for pasta water

· 1 cup frying oil (vegetable)

· Optional: parsley

Instructions:

1. Start with the sauce, get a large saucepan or Dutch oven, and heat over medium-high with the 3 Tbsp of Olive Oil.

2. Add the onion or shallot and stir for 1–2 min until translucent and starting to soften.

3. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for 30 seconds to a minute

4. Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomato, dry seasoning, optional sugar, and optional basil.

5. Stir to combine and bring to a bubble!

6. Reduce to a simmer and cover partially with a lid to let the steam out and thicken the sauce for 40 minutes to an hour, taste and add salt as needed.

7. Preheat the oven to 425F(218C), boil a pot of salted water for the pasta, and heat a pan over medium-high with the vegetable oil.

8. Set up a plate with breadcrumbs on it, and whisk 2 eggs into a bowl next to the plate.

9. Dip the chicken in the egg mix and thoroughly coat the chicken.

10. Hold up the chicken above the bowl to allow excess egg to run off, then put the chicken on the plate with the breadcrumbs, press to coat both sides thoroughly, and place on a second empty plate while you repeat with the other 3 pieces of chicken.

11. Place 2 pieces of chicken into the hot oil, lay the chicken down away from you, and shallow fry for 3–4 minutes per side and place onto a baking sheet.

12. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel to remove excess oil, and repeat step 11 with the other two chicken pieces.

13. Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook as directed on the package

14. Add a spoonful of your homemade sauce onto each piece of chicken and smooth it out over the chicken to make a thin layer, exposing the edges of the chicken to get extra crispy.

15. Grate as much or as little of the Parmigiano Reggiano as you like over the top of the chicken, about a Tbsp per piece.

16. Add 2–3 pieces of mozzarella to each piece of chicken and place the baking sheet in the oven for 4–5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

17. Turn your oven on High-Broil for 2–3 minutes or until you see the mozzarella start to create a speckled golden-brown top, and then remove it from the oven.

18. To plate, put down some pasta and add your homemade sauce to the pasta, then gently lay a piece of your chicken on top of the pasta and finish with a piece of basil, some Parmigiano, and some fresh parsley, and enjoy!

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. It balances being an incredibly simple and easy recipe to follow with the quality of restaurant-style food. It's perfect for a weeknight or weekend if you feel like doing something special without hours of fuss. If you want to make it even easier, use a high-quality store-bought jarred sauce, but I've always found the extra little touch of the homemade sauce makes a big difference in the result. It does leave you with a lot of cleanup at the end of the night, but hopefully, you have some grateful guests who've just filled up on a fantastic dinner, or at least you have a dishwasher. You can use aluminum foil or baking paper on your baking sheet to save you at least one thing to clean. I hope you can try this recipe sooner rather than later!