Chicken Parmigiana

Last night my sister and my parents came over for dinner and to see all of the progress we've made in decorating the apartment. We decided to make chicken parmigiana and serve it with broccoli parmigiana, penne and salad.  I think it turned out pretty well.

The chicken parmigiana is pretty standard, but I'll list my recipe below.  The one difference though is that I use panko bread crumbs, which are so crispy and light.  They really make a difference in a dish like this.  Another one of my favorite parts is the broccoli parmigiana, which was inspired by a restaurant in NY that we love to eat at.  The broccoli is sautéed with a little bit of butter and white wine, steamed with some water, and then covered in tomato sauce.  Yum!


Classic Tomato Sauce
- 1/2 white onion, diced

- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced

- 1 tbs butter

- 5 garlic cloves, minced

- 2 cans diced tomatoes

- salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian herbs

- 1 can tomato sauce

- 2 tbs tomato paste

- 1 tbs sugar

- squirt of lemon juice

         In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion and sun-dried tomatoes in butter. When the onion is translucent, add the garlic and sauté until golden brown.  Add two cans of diced tomatoes and stir.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian herbs and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. 
        Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and continue to simmer for a few minutes.  Add 1 tbs of sugar and a squirt of lemon juice, to taste.  Continue to season and simmer as needed and serve.
       This sauce can act as a great base for your favorite fresh herbs to be mixed in as well.  Works great with roasted vegetables, various meats and of course... pasta! 


Chicken Parmigiana
- chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thickness

- salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian herbs

- 2 cups flour

- 3 eggs

- 1/2 box panko bread crumbs

- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

- 4+ cups Classic Tomato Sauce

- 1 cup mozzarella and parmesan cheese, shredded

         Preheat oven to 400.  Trim chicken breasts and pound to uniform thickness.  Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Place flour, eggs, and panko in three separate shallow dishes.  Add 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings to the panko and combine.  
         Take the chicken breasts and dredge them in the flour, to cover completely.  Move flour-ed chicken to egg, then dip into the panko breadcrumbs.  Place the breaded chicken in a pyrex dish and repeat with other chicken breasts.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
         Remove from oven and spoon tomato sauce over chicken breasts and top with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Place in oven and bake for a few more minutes, until cheese has melted. Serve with penne pasta and additional tomato sauce if desired. 


Broccoli Parmigiana
- 1 large bunch of broccoli, chopped
- 1 tbs butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
- splash white wine
- 2 tbs water
- 2+ cups of Classic Tomato Sauce
- shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese
         Sauté minced garlic in butter until golden brown over medium heat.  Add broccoli and white wine, and season with salt and pepper.  Allow to steam and cook off white wine, stirring continuously.  Once wine has cooked off, add water and cover to allow broccoli to finish cooking.  
        Serve broccoli with tomato sauce and covered with some shredded cheese.


Hope you get a chance to try these recipes... enjoy!