Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan was not supposed to be on the menu last night but when I got home and discovered I was out of rice, I had to improvise. You gotta love those days when pay day is approaching but not quite here yet and you notice that you are running out of EVERYTHING. I almost claimed defeat and sent the hubby out for take out but am proud to say that this time I persevered.

I'm not usually one to toot my own horn but this time I feel it is almost warranted. I know I know Chicken Parmesan is not rocket science but the fact that I put this together with no recipe and it tasted so good makes me proud.

I hadn't made chicken parmesan in so long. It seemed like every time I tried to make it, my bread crumbs would always fall off the chicken breast, burn in the bottom of the pan in the oven and typically I was left with a dried out chicken breast covered in semi-burnt marinara sauce...NOT yummy. What made the difference this time you say? It is all in the non-stick pan my friends. Believe it or not I had never and I mean never had a non-stick pan until this past November when my in-laws bought me a new set of pots and pans for my birthday and oh how I LOVE them. It is amazing how if you have the right tools you really can produce a better meal. Thanks Sandy! I will forever be indebted to you and that non-stick pan I love so much!

Nats Chicken Parmesan

3 thawed chicken breasts
1 egg beaten with a fork with a touch of milk to coat chicken breasts
about 2 cups of plain breadcrumbs
1 tsp of garlic salt
2 tsps of dried Italian herbs
dash of pepper
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
your favorite marinara sauce (just enough to spoon on top of the chicken breasts)
1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

First prepare the chicken breasts:
As I said above I was pretty much out of everything. So to tenderize my chicken breasts I actually placed them one at a time between two plastic supermarket bags and pounded on them with my rolling pin (this part was fun!)

Once the chicken is tenderized (oh and don't go too crazy with this, I got a little carried away with one of the breasts and kind of smashed it to oblivion- I should have taken a picture of it) dip the chicken in the egg and milk wash.

On a separate plate, mix the bread crumbs, garlic salt, Italian herbs, pepper and about 1/4 of a cup of the parmesan cheese. Coat the chicken in the bread crumb mix and fry in a non-stick (this is essential) fry pan/skillet until golden on each side- I used olive oil to fry them in. I also cooked them one at a time. One thing I have learnt when frying anything covered in bread crumbs is not to mess with it once you put it in the pan. Don't turn the chicken breast until the side down is sufficiently cooked. This helps seal the breadcrumbs and helps eliminate them falling off etc.

Once all the chicken breasts are cooked place in an oiled glass dish. I used a 9x13 pan and brushed the bottom with a little olive oil. Place chicken breasts in the oven for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes is up, spoon enough marinara sauce onto each chicken breast so that they are covered and sprinkle with remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven for approximately 10 minutes to allow for sauce to heat through and cheese to melt. Serve over pasta.

ENJOY!