Chicken Parmigiana

Submitted by Regina Carey

"This is a pounded thin, lightly breaded and sauteed chicken breast topped with an Italian pasta sauce and covered with parmigiano and mozzerella cheeses. This is relatively easy to prepare, and a huge crowd pleaser. Anytime I make this to share at work I am always asked for seconds :)"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 5mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded out thinly
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1⁄2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk
• vegetable oil (for frying)
• 3 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (good quality ie ( Tuttorosso, San Marzano)
• 1 large finely diced white onion
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed then chopped
• fresh basil leaf
• 4 tablespoons mild olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into think slices
• good quality parmigiano reggiano cheese (freshly grated)
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

directions

1. First get your sauce going. Coat the bottom of a large pot with your olive oil. Turn up the heat to a med/hi and once the oil is hot add your garlic. Lightly brown your garlic (be extra careful not to burn) the add the finely diced onion. (if you like a little heat this would be the time to add some crushed red pepper flakes) Let the onion simmer and soften for at least 5 minutes. Add your cans of crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, drop down your heat and maintain a low simmer. At this time add your sugar and salt. Cover the pot half way letting out the steam and let your sauce simmer. Stir infrequently, but often enough so the bottom does not burn. Simmer like this for an hour then add some fresh basil to taste.
2. Now you can start your chicken. In a bowl whisk together your egg and milk. On a large plate combine your flour and seasoned bread crumbs, then have a large empty platter to the side. You're going to dip each indivdual pounded out chicken breast in the egg/milk mixture and coat it well, then lay the breast in the bread crumb mixture and make sure it is completely covered. Once you have it coated in bread crumbs set aside on the platter.
3. You may need to add more egg and milk/ bread crumbs to coat all 2 lbs of chicken. Once all your chicken is breaded and ready to go get a large deep sided pan filled with about an inch of vegetable oil. Crank up the heat and DO NOT add chicken till that oil is HOT. Be extra careful no to splash when you add your chicken. Fry the chicken on each side to achieve a deep golden brown. Then set aside on a platter of paper towels to drain off excess oil.
4. Take a large baking dish and coat the bottom with a thin layer of your sauce. Cover with the chicken with more sauce (make sure to remove the basil leaves) then top of the dish with a nice layer of sliced mozzarella and top the mozzarella with a nice layer of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.
5. Bake in the oven at 350 for approximately 20 min till the cheese is completely melted and the edges are "bubbling" I like to then throw under the broiler and brown the top slightly. (Make sure not to burn).