Chicken Parmesan

I've decided to start incorporating new recipes into our weekly menus.  We eat the same things pretty often, which works, but then you get tired of certain meals.  I like to make something new, plus, it would make supper less boring sometimes!  :)

Last week:  Chicken Parmesan

Before I get to the recipe, I've seen other bloggers post things about "keeping it real", by showing others the mistakes they have made on projects, etc.  Well, allow me to show you my latest mistake.  I have entitled it, "When Homemade Rolls Go Wrong..."

Notice I didn't add our blog address to this picture!!  ;)

Haha!!  I made a batch of homemade rolls last week, and they were really good, but the dough was super sticky.  I baked a few that night (they were delicious!) and then decided to freeze the rest.  I didn't know if that would work or not, but I love being able to take out just a few rolls for supper without having to cook the whole batch!  Well, I cooked some last night, and once they thawed out, they just became one giant mess.  Then, I asked my husband to pull the plastic wrap off of them, and that made them even worse!  Memo to me:  Add more flour next time!  ;)  They still tasted good, but it was too funny!

On to the point of this post...

I LOVE Chicken Parmesan.  I love chicken, and I love italian food.  What's not to love about this dish?  (I guess I should ask my hubby--he said it was good, but he isn't a CP fan.)

I will warn you, that sometimes I am "that person" who cooks without measuring things.  I followed a recipe for some guidance, but didn't follow it exactly.  My child(ren) will probably hate me one day for it when they're using my recipes and trying to figure out how much "a little bit" really means.  ;)

You will need:

• Boneless Chicken Breasts
• Salt and Pepper
• Italian Seasoning
• 1 Egg
• Milk
• Regular (or Italian) Bread Crumbs
• Panko Bread Crumbs
• Parmesan Cheese (I just used it out of a can)
• Spaghetti/Marinara Sauce
• Butter

I started with four skinless chicken breasts.  I tenderized and seasoned them with salt and pepper.

Next, I made a breading mixture that included regular bread crumbs, Panko Bread crumbs*, Parmesan Cheese, and some Italian Seasoning, which I probably wouldn't have done if I had Italian Breadcrumbs instead of regular.  I would suggest starting with around 1/2 cup of each of the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of parmesan, with maybe a couple of teaspoons worth of seasoning.  You might want to just start there and use your own judgment!  Of course, it all varies depending on how much chicken you're preparing too.  ;)

*(If you don't know what Panko Bread crumbs are, then you should.  ;)  I started using them a couple of years ago on fried chicken mainly, and it makes it SO crispy and yummy!  Try it out next time.)  ;)

Before I started breading the chicken, I put a couple of tablespoons or so of butter in a pan and turned the burner to medium heat.  Of course, I had to watch it to make sure the butter didn't burn!  Next time I might try Olive Oil.

I dipped each piece of chicken in the breading mixture, then, I dipped each piece in a mixture of a beaten egg with a little milk.  (This is what I'm talking about--how do you know how much 'a little milk' actually is??  Probably 1/8-1/4 of a cup, don't worry, I don't think it really matters!)

Then, I dipped each piece into the breading and placed them in the pan.  I browned each side.

Next, I added some good ol' Ragu spaghetti sauce.  I believe it was the "Parmesan and Romano", but go with whatever your heart desires.  :)

Again, I didn't measure out the sauce, but I like a lot of sauce, so I poured it all over the chicken and in the pan until I was satisfied with the amount.

And now, a moment of complete honesty, at the risk of sounding like an idiot.  (It's good to remain humble.)  I have no clue how long I let it cook with the sauce covering it.  (This is what happens when I'm multitasking by cooking multiple things at one time, trying to avoid stepping on the tupperware M has scattered around the floor, and also occasionally having to chase her when she tries to make an escape from the kitchen.)  I tend to be on the more cautious side when cooking chicken, because I'm always paranoid about it not being completely done.  I would guess a time for you, but I don't want to give you the wrong number, so when it doubt, cut one of them open and look!  Next time I make it, I'll try to time it.  Until then, I'm afraid you'll have to once again use your own judgment.  ;)  Sorry!

After *ahem* a certain amount of time passed... I added some mozzarella cheese to each piece of chicken.  I covered the pan and let the cheese melt.  I don't have a lid for my pan, so I just put some foil paper (or aluminum foil.. my husband makes fun of me for saying foil paper..) over the top to trap in the heat.  ;)

Once I did my 'cut open the chicken test', I turned off the heat, and placed a piece of chicken on a bed of spaghetti noodles.  Yum.  This is where the extra sauce in the pan comes in handy, because I just scooped out extra to add to my noodles.  :)  Get your lycopene, people!  ;)

If you're wondering about that yummy biscuit, it's like the Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits.  They are FABULOUS.  I have an actual written down recipe for that, but I think this post is long enough for now.  If you're interested, let me know and I'll post it.

Hope y'all enjoy, and are able to understand enough of these directions to be able to improvise when needed.  ;)  If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them!  Have a fabulous week!

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