For the final project as my intern, my son made chicken parmesan for dinner.  I’m a fan of taking a classic dish and creating a lighter, healthier version. The chicken is baked instead of pan-fried, in this recipe. Panko, a Japanese style breadcrumb that is light and crunchy, makes a great coating for the chicken. If you’re short on time and can’t make your own tomato sauce, a canned or jarred version is perfect. I often make extra chicken because the leftovers taste even better.

 

• 2 cups bread crumbs (Panko makes gluten-free breadcrumbs)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 eggs (or whites)
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, coconut or white rice flours are also good gluten-free substitutes)
• 4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves pounded to 1/2 inch thickness (you can purchase chicken cutlets that have already been pounded)
• Cooking spray
• 1 jar or 3-4 cups of good quality marinara sauce (I like Rao’s Homemade Marinara sauce)
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese ( I add some extra cheese to the bread crumb mixture)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, toss the crumbs with the oregano, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. In a third bowl, stir together the flour, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Dip each piece of chicken, 1 piece at a time, in the flour, shaking off the excess, then the egg mixture, then the bread crumbs, shaking off the excess.

Place the breaded breasts in a glass baking dish or on a sheet tray and spray each side with cooking spray (this helps them brown). Bake the breasts until cooked though and crumbs are browned, about 20-25 minutes (the internal temperature should read 165 degrees). Top with marinara sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Serves 4.

Inspiration: Food TV