Classic Chicken Parmesan

On March 8, 2016, for the first time, without recipes, I created this awesome restaurant style favorite for Italian-American chicken parmesan, and yes- tastes 100% better then Olive Garden’s! This chicken parmesan chicken is rich, flavorful, and is a delicious dinner entrée.

1- 28 Oz. (1 Lb. 12 Oz.) Can Whole Tomatoes

1-28 Oz. (1 Lb. 12 Oz.) Can Crushed Tomatoes

6 Oz. Can Tomato Paste

1/2 Cup Beef or Chicken Stock, (Fresh Preferably)

2-3 Carrots

1 Medium Onion

2-3 Cloves Garlic

2 Sprigs Rosemary

2 Bay Leaves

5-7 Basil Leaves

1-2 Tablespoon(S) Italian Seasoning

1 Heaping Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar

1 Tsp. Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper, To Taste

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan.

Peel and dice 2-3 carrots, add to the sauce, mixing in. Cook 5 minutes.

Peel and chop 1 medium onion add to the sauce, mixing in. Cook 2 minutes, Don’t brown it!

Peel and mince garlic add to the sauce, mixing in. Cook another 11/2 minutes, Don’t brown it!

Add can whole tomatoes, including juice. With scissors, cut tomatoes into small pieces.

Add the can of Crushed Tomato, mixing in.

Add the beef stock, mixing in..

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add light brown sugar, mixing in.

Add the onion powder, mixing in.

Add the Rosemary. When cutting the Rosemary leaves, I use kitchen shears and cut the leaves into small pieces; directly over the sauce in the pan.

Add 2-3 Bay Lease, depending on their size.

Next, add the Italian Seasoning, mixing in.

Simmer sauce over low heat until thickened, about 11/2 hours. Stirring occasionally.

Turn burner off and remove the pan from heat.

For Basil, gather leaves, on top of one another, roll up… then with scissors, cut the Basil leaves into small slices. Stirring into in the sauce.

Once Basil is and, set pan aside while preparing the chicken.

2-6 boneless chicken breast

3-4 eggs, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

Panko Bread Crumbs

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of Saran wrap on a cutting board.

With the ridged side of the mallet; starting in the center and working out to the edges, pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet until the chicken is even ½” thickness. Keep going back and forth over the meat until it's as thin as you want it to be for the recipe you're using. This is a great method to use before cooking meat using a fast method, such as grilling or frying. Pounding both breaks down fibers in the meat and allows for very fast cooking.

Add about an ½” of olive oil. Turn stove on med/high heat, Heat oil until it’s hot enough. I add a drop of water to test if the oil is hot enough… if it crackles and splatters, it’s ready!

When coating the chicken, coat each piece one at a time.

Pan #1: All-Purpose Flour. Sift the flour to remove the lumps.

Pan #2: Beaten Eggs: In pan 2, beating eggs until the yolks and whites are combined.

Pan #3: add the pkg. Panko Crumbs.

Add chicken to pan #1, with all-purpose flour. Evenly coat each side, gently shaking off excess flour.

Next, add the floured breast to pan #1, with all-purpose flour. Evenly coat each side,gently shaking off excess egg.

Now into pan #3 the Panko Crumbs, add the gooey chicken. First lay on side one, then turn over… pressing the chicken into the crumbs to get a good coating. Then turn chicken back around and do the same.

Get the cheese ready: Thinly slice the fresh mozzarella cheese into even slices.

Add about an ½” of olive oil. Turn stove on med/high heat, Heat oil until it’s hot enough. I add a drop of water to test if the oil is hot enough… if it crackles and splatters, it’s ready!

Add chicken breast to fry pan, don’t crowd pieces. If chicken pieces are too big, fry the breasts separately.

When frying, turn the chicken over a few times, this allows for even browning. Cook, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until chicken is golden brown.

Place the cooked chicken a large broil proof baking dish.

Season the chicken breast with Sea Salt and Pepper to taste.

Sprinkle breasts evenly with Parmesan cheese, lightly coating (about 2 tablespoons) the chicken. I do this to prevent the golden crust from becoming soggy.

Then add about 2-3 tablespoons of Marinara sauce. DO NOT spread the sauce, the weight of
the mozzarella cheese will spread the sauce.

Now, add 2 pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese to each piece of chicken.

Place the baking dish into the oven. Broil until cheese is golden, about 5 minutes.

FYI... These pictures turned out blurry, heat too hot for cell to get to close, afraid I'd crack the screen.

Let cool a few minutes before serving.