Easy Chicken Parmesan

There are so many good things about this recipe that I don’t know where to start.  But let me begin by saying, I learned how to make this from my neighbor Kathy Bratt in Tahoe.  She made it for a house full of people on her birthday with such ease I could not believe it.  She had learned it from her neighbor who was from Italy.  I decided to make it on Martin Luther King weekend after teaching skiing all day.  I had inadvertently invited 29 people to dinner after working all day!  Luckily, my friends are helpful and our cabin has a big great room so I had lots of help with the pounding and sautéing and the evening was a big success.

I’ve made this on weeknights and I must admit I adore the pounding of the chicken.  You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin, but either way it’s fun to pound the chicken believe it or not. The kids also love to help with this.

Ingredients:
– 2 pounds of chicken breast
– 1 cup of flour
– 1 cup Parmesan cheese
– 2 egg whites
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 teaspoon pepper
– 1 jar of good quality red sauce (marinara)
– One large ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
– 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
– Sprig of basil for garnish (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse chicken and pat it dry with a paper towel. Wrap one breast at a time in saran wrap and pound until thin, but not torn. Separate egg white from yolk and put into a shallow bowl.  In a separate bowl add flour, cheese, salt, and pepper.  Dredge each chicken chunk in the egg white and then coat with the flour mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and brown each breast on both sides (about 2-4 minutes per side). Let drain on a paper towel as you brown each breast. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through because you will be baking it as well. Once each breast is browned place them in a baking dish and cover with the red sauces and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Grate fresh Parmesan on top and serve with the pasta noodles of your choice. Spaghetti, penni or rigatoni all work well.