Chicken Parmesan with a side of Parmesan and Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Sitting at my desk, completely bored, I began to think about what I wanted for dinner. Comfort food came to mind. Fried chicken? No, not my idea of a well balanced meal. How about something WITH fried chicken? So there it was, Chicken Parmesan. A meal encompassing all of my favorites - chicken breast, cheese, and tomato sauce. What’s not to love about it? Realizing I didn’t have any chicken breast at home, I rushed out of work heading to the local halal meat store. Good thing it’s right across the street. At the butcher, I realized – I don’t have parmesan cheese, no eggs at home, and I most probably didn’t have bread crumbs. Next, I headed over to Wegman’s and got the essentials – off to my kitchen I go.
Sorry about the picture, I didn't take the best one this time. I know!
1 ½ lbs of Boneless Chicken Breast (I just got two single breasts)
Have the butcher clean and butterfly the breast, when you get home put it between two sheets of cling wrap and pound them until about ¼ inch thick.
Out of 2 breasts, I got 4 pieces.
½ tsp Crushed Rep Pepper Flakes
1 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Italian Style Breadcrumbs
First, pat dry the chicken breast. Whisk together the egg whites, salt, black pepper, pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese. Add the chicken to the egg white mixture and let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
Start the Marinara Sauce and Parmesan and Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce while the chicken is in the fridge.
In a medium skillet/frying pan (make sure it’s about an inch deep) add the olive oil and butter. Let the butter fully melt and incorporate into the olive oil. Make sure the oil is nice and hot.
Dredge the marinated chicken in the Italian Style Breadcrumbs – make sure they are completely covered. Fry the chicken until golden brown and put it onto a plate lined with paper towel. Only put 2 pieces of chicken at a time, you don’t want the temperature of the oil to drop.
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
29 oz can of Tomato Sauce, Puree, or Crushed Tomato
½ of a Medium Onion – Chopped
½ tsp Black Pepper (or to taste)
½ tsp Oregano – dried (or handful – fresh, chopped)
½ tsp Basil – dried (or handful – fresh, chopped)
Heat oil and add chopped onion and cumin seeds. Let the onion sweat (you do not want to caramelize the onions)
Add tomato sauce/puree/crushed. Bring to a quick boil. Add all seasonings and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out.
Parmesan and Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic – chopped
½ tsp Black Pepper (or to taste)
½ cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
Sun Dried Tomatoes (Optional)
I have two types. You can either find them dried in similar packaging to craisins or in a bottle of olive oil.
Melt butter and add chopped garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add the flour and whisk until flour is combined and smooth. Cook until bubbly. Add salt and black pepper.
Add milk and cook until the sauce begins to stick to a wooden spoon.
Add the parmesan cheese and incorporate into sauce. Do NOT bring to a boil again. Just incorporate the cheese.
Add sun dried tomatoes and cook on low heat, ensuring it does not come to a boil.
If you feel the sauce is too thick, add water until you get to the consistency you want
In one layer, put the chicken on a baking sheet or pan. Cover with marinara sauce. Cover the marinara sauce with shredded mozzarella cheese. The mozzarella is the only ingredient not mentioned above.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until the mozzarella is fully melted and begins to turn golden.
Boil spaghetti or pasta of choice (use directions on the box) and toss with the Parmesan and Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce.
