This recipe was one I got from Big Daddy’s House on Food Network. Not for nothing, his recipes rarely let me down! This recipe literally took 20 minutes to make, start to finish.
Chicken Parmesanby Aaron McCargo, Jr2 quarts oil, for deep frying1 Tbsp kosher salt1 Tbsp onion powder1 Tbsp cracked black pepper4 (6 oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breast (pounded thin)2 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley leaves2 cups panko bread crumbs1/4 cup all-purpose flour2 eggs, slightly beaten1 quart favorite, store-bought marinara sauceWhite sauce (recipe follows)8 slices mozzarella cheeseHeat oil to 350 degrees F.Mix all seasonings together then divide into 2 equal parts. Mix one part with the flour, the other with the bread crumbs and freshparsley. Season chicken breast with flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Fry chicken until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Simmer the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Place 2 slices of mozzarella cheese on each breast. Pour the warmed marinara sauce over the cheese, drizzle with White Sauce and serve.White Sauce1 tsp chopped fresh garlic1 cup heavy cream1/4 cup butter1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leavessalt and pepper to tasteHeat the garlic and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Turn off the heat, add butter and whisk vigorously until fully incorporated. Add 1 Tbsp fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Okay… my notes:
I don’t have or use powdered onion powder. I just don’t – nothing against it. I’m sure it’s a perfectly nice thing. So I substituted a Tbsp of Italian spice blend here.
Instead of pounding chicken breasts, I just bought the thin sliced chicken breast. Saved time and they are a nicely consistent thickness, which is hard to get (at least for me) when pounding out chicken. I always end up with one too-thin straggly side.
I hate panko bread crumbs. I’m sure that makes me some kind of cooking rube. I just hate them and their consistency. They are like fish flake f
ood. I don’t know. I used regular store brand bread crumbs and they were fine.
Instead of mozzarella slices, I used shreds that I had on hand. If I were going to get fancy, I’d use fresh mozzarella, because there is just nothing better than that. For a first time recipe, though, I’m not putting out the money when I have some nice organic mozzarella shreds in the fridge.
When I popped open the store-bought sauce, I added a splash of good red wine and some fresh garlic. Nothing makes store-bought sauce taste as good as that!
I served my chicken parm over spaghetti. Cause that’s how we roll here.
Made this for dinner tonight, everyone loved it, thanks for posting it and the changes you made.