Chicken Parmigiana

This dish actually came as a request from a friend.  Several months ago, Zac was about to have his tonsils taken out.  I told him that I would like to cook a meal for him before he had it done (and thus couldn't eat solid foods for a little while).  He wanted this.  I looked over several recipes and finally found this one.  I can't remember where I got it, because I when was looking, I never thought I would be posting it on a blog one day. 

This dish is outrageously simple. I would definitely say that anyone can prepare it.  I would like to mention the bread crumbs that I use for my dishes.  When I was at the beach back in May, my friend Danny (who is an amazing cook!) had this huge jug of bread crumbs.  He told me that he bought it at Costco (I love Costco). These bread crumbs are Vigo Italian Style Bread Crumbs with imported Romano Cheese.  They really have a lot of flavor.  If you have a Costco membership and have thought about using them, go for it.  I use them in this dish, meatloaf, meatballs, hamburgers, onion rings, etc.  It's a 5 lb. package, but they go quicker than you would think.

Chicken Parmigiana

1 egg, beaten

2 ounces dry bread crumbs (just eyeball it)

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

¾ (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.

Pour egg into a small shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken into egg, then into the bread crumbs. Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Pour ½ of the spaghetti sauce into a 7 x 11 inch baking dish. Place chicken over sauce, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top and return to the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Normally, I serve the chicken without pasta.  I would serve a side dish of some sort.  I decided to try something a little different tonight.  It was a good change, but I like it alone as well.  If you want to serve with a vegetable, I would leave off the pasta.  Also, you would think that after baking the chicken for a full 60 minutes, that it might get tough.  It's definitely not tough.  The result is a very moist and tender chicken breast that is full of flavor and very delicious. Enjoy!