fine cooking's chicken parmesan

see, i told you the heat wave wouldn't last long. last week i was basking in the sun, enjoying the 50 degree weather. this week? it's hovered around 25. this morning my alarm rudely woke me up with a  friendly reminder that yes, it is still in fact winter:"highs today in the mid 20s, it's 7 right now." great. perfect. why can't i have this week off like everyone else?!

good thing i have this chicken parm to keep me warm.

 

i made chicken parm last april, when we were even closer to the warm weather and i was savoring all the cold weather dishes i could get my hands on. the biggest difference between this version and last april's version is the use of homemade versus canned sauce. when i'm really in a hurry, i often reach for a jar of good marinara sauce. but when i have a few extra minutes, i like to take the time to make it from scratch.

sidenote: every sunday jason and i plan out at least four meals we're going to cook the following week - he cooks two nights, i cook two nights. when i'm scanning potential weeknight recipes, the first thing i look for is the start to finish time it takes to cook. we both work all day and rarely get home before 7; so i want recipes ready in under 30 minutes. long story short, i've categorized all of the dinner recipes on this site according to the time it takes to cook them: dinner in 30 or less, dinner in 30-60, dinner in 60-90, dinner in 90+. hopefully this makes your dinner planning a little bit easier too.

fine cooking's chicken parmesan

adapted from fine cooking 107 (oct/nov 2010) 
30 minutes, serves 4 (or 2 if you're really hungry)

this recipe does not make enough sauce for both your chicken and your pasta. double the sauce if you want enough for both.

1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
4 thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts or 2 chicken breasts pounded very thin
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese or 4 slices mozzarella cheese
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup basil, chopped
your favorite pasta, cooked according to the package directions

1. preheat your oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with foil. spray the foil with nonstick spray. set aside.
2. place the flour in a wide, shallow dish or deep plate. season with salt & pepper.
3. in a second wide shallow dish, lightly beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon oil.
4. put the panko in a third wide shallow dish.
5. heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
6. season the chicken with salt & pepper. dip each piece in the flour, tap off the excess and dip in the egg. dip the chicken into the panko, making sure all surfaces are covered. repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
7. once the chicken is all coated, place it in the skillet. (if it doesn't all fit at once, cook in two batches.) cook about two minutes per side until cooked through.
8. transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella cheese. bake until the cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through, about five minutes.
9. while the chicken is baking, wipe out the skillet and put back on medium heat. add one tablespoon olive oil, the onion, and garlic. cook until the onion is soft and light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. 
10. stir in the tomatoes and season with salt. simmer until thick, about five minutes.
11. remove from heat and stir in the basil. season with salt and pepper.
12. serve the sauce over the chicken, with a side of pasta.