Chicken Parmesan with Garden Herbs
Betsy Goldstein raised her family on Scramble dinners and says that this is one of her kids' favorite. She sometimes uses a spoonful of pesto instead of or in addition to the fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup flour (use wheat/gluten-free, if needed)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 - 2 egg
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs or panko (use wheat/gluten-free if needed)
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken cutlets, or use halved chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness
- 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (or use any variety),
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp. pesto sauce (store-bought or homemade) see below for homemade directions (optional)
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup tomato sauce or red pasta sauce
- 2 Tbsp. fresh basil and/or sage leaves minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the flour and salt in a shallow dish, and put the egg(s) and the bread crumbs or panko in 2 separate shallow dishes.
- Lightly beat the eggs.
- Coat each chicken cutlet lightly with the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs, and lay them on the baking sheet. Bake them for 6 - 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the cheeses.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, flip each cutlet, and top each one with 1 tsp. of pesto (optional), 1 Tbsp. of the sauce, spreading it to the edges, and a sprinkling of the fresh herbs and the cheese (make sure to use up all of the herbs and cheese).
- Return the chicken to the oven for 6 - 8 more minutes until it is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Serve it immediately.
Pesto Directions
- To make fresh pesto, in a blender or food processor, combine 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, 4 cloves chopped or minced garlic (about 2 tsp.), 1/2 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Toss extra pesto with noodles or vegetables, use it as a dip with crackers, or freeze it for another time.
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Combine the flour and the salt, beat and refrigerate the eggs, pound the chicken if necessary and refrigerate, shred the mozzarella and grate the Parmesan if necessary, combine and refrigerate the cheeses.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Use aged Parmesan such as Parmigiano-Reggiano and add a little black or red pepper to the bread crumb mixture. Use the pesto.
Tip: You can also serve the chicken over angel hair noodles or on whole wheat buns topped with extra pasta sauce.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 260, Total Fat: 5g, 8%; Saturated Fat: 2g, 10%; Cholesterol: 110mg, 37%; Sodium: 380mg, 16%; Total Carbohydrate: 19g, 6%; Dietary Fiber: 1g, 4%; Sugar: 2g; Protein: 33g
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