Starting with the basics: Episode 5
Chicken Parmesan and Basic Tomato Sauce
Chicken Parmesan is a family favorite at my house.
I actually know the first time that I made this dish. It was 13 years ago and before I met my husband. It’s definitely a cool thing to be able to pin point the exact moment that you did something.
I had just moved into my first house alone. I was prepared to make dinner for friends.
I had already started my cooking journey at this point. I had a lot of the items that were listed on the essentials must have page. I already understood basic flavors, and honestly, I felt good about cooking for friends.
I was going to make Chicken Parmesan for the first time.
I already knew how to make a very basic tomato sauce and how to fry chicken. How hard could it be?
Well, It wasn’t hard. It’s actually the recipe that I still use to this day. My son asks for it weekly. My husband always welcomes it for dinner. Sometimes you do get it right the first time. This recipe has always been a slam dunk for me. It will also be a go to dinner for you too.
I also want to mention….
This recipe was a winner on my Instagram page! It was suggested by a Hockey Mom! I really hope that she can use this recipe to feed her hungry hockey players!
Lets get started cooking…
Edit: To make gluten free- Substitute flour for Gluten Free all purpose flour and substitute Panko bread crumbs for Gluten free bread crumbs OR crushed pork rinds.
Ingredients:
For Chicken Parmesan:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about a pound)
Salt and Freshly ground pepper
About 2 cups of flour
4 Large eggs
2 Cups of Panko Bread Crumbs
Italian Seasoning
Vegetable oil for frying chicken
Tomato sauce (recipe below)
Mozzarella Cheese
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh Parsley to garnish
For Tomato Sauce:
Olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan
1 onion finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 small can of tomato paste
2 28 ounce cans of San Marzano , or plum tomatoes.
16 ounces of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of water
1 bay leaf
A small bunch of Italian parsley
about 4 or 5 fresh basil leaves.
Directions:
We’re going to start with the tomato sauce. If you are in a hurry you can use a jar of quality marinara. However, if you want this recipe to be a quick weekday meal , I recommend making a large batch of marinara and freezing it! You can just pull the sauce out of the freezer the night before and make the chicken the day of. The homemade sauce is definitely worth the little bit of effort.
1) Begin by using an immersion blender or regular blender to process your whole plum tomatoes. My family likes them smooth, but you can leave a few chunks in it if you like. Set them aside
2) Next heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and cook until soft about 4-5 minutes. You don’t want your onions to get much color. You want them to be translucent. Once they have softened add in the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3) Next add your tomato paste. You are going to cook this with the onion and garlic for about 2-3 minutes. Tomato paste is great for making quick tomato sauces. It gives a really great depth of flavor. However, you need to cook the raw, bitter tomato taste out for a few minutes.
4) Now grab those processed tomatoes from earlier and dump them in! Also throw in the crushed tomatoes and the cup of water.
Note: The rule of thumb with adding water to your sauce: Add 1 cup of water for every hour you plan for it to simmer. We are making this sauce quick so we are only adding 1 cup.
5) THIS IS AN OPTIONAL STEP
You can completely skip this step and your sauce will be AMAZING. However, my sister will not eat something if she see’s onions in it. This is a trick that I have adapted for her and it actually makes your sauce great!. I use my immersion blender again and puree the sauce. Just stick it in the pot and puree until all the onions and garlic are smooth with the tomatoes. If you like some chunks, just skip this step!
6) Now you need to season the sauce. Chop your parsley and basil and add it to the sauce with a generous pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Let this simmer for an hour.
While your sauce is simmering away and making your house smell like a little Italian restaurant…..
Make the Chicken Parmesan:
Preheat the oven to 400
1) First thing you are going to do is pound your chicken breasts thin. I place them on a cutting board and place plastic wrap over them. You can use a meat mallet to pound them, or use a heavy skillet. Get all of your aggression out. This is a good meal to make when you had a bad day!
2) Get your breading station ready. You are going to need 3 shallow bowls for this. Your first bowl is going to have your flour in it. Bowl number 2 will have your egg. Bowl number 3 will have your panko bread crumbs. Season ALL THREE BOWLS with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning.
3) Next comes the fun part. Take off your rings and get ready to bread your chicken. First dip it in the flour and shake the excess off , and then into your egg mixture, and last in your bread crumbs.
** Why does one breast look different? I made one low carb with ground pork rinds instead of panko and omitted the flour!!
4) Once all your chicken is breaded, heat the oil in a heavy bottom sauté pan or skillet. You want about 1/2 inch oil to coat the bottom of the sauté pan. Once the oil is hot add your chicken and cook about 2 -3 minutes per side. You might have to do it in batches. The chicken should be golden brown on both sides.
5) Next place your chicken in a glass baking dish (or two if needed.) Top the chicken with a few ladles of tomato sauce, a handful of shredded mozzarella, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan.
6) Bake for 7 minutes. Remove and serve!
If you are nervous about this chicken being cooked all the way through, use a thermometer and check for 165 degrees. However, if you pounded the chicken thin, it shouldn’t take long to cook!
My son’s favorite way to eat this is with a side of spaghetti noodles. This recipe makes MORE than enough sauce to have a pasta side dish. If you want to make it a bit more healthy, serve it with roasted broccoli!
Don’t know what to with the extra sauce? Freeze it for up to 3 months and use it for the next time you make…
Chicken Parmesan
