Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Chicken Parmesan 101


I'll be trying some recipes from college cooking books/websites to help students in dorms and apartments to see if they are as easy as they say they are. This chicken parmesan recipe is definitely very simple. I found it in the book College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends, by Megan and Jill Carle. The recipe as follows:

Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan

1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup cornflake crumbs
1 Tbsp water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (1 LB, 10 oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
12 ounces uncooked spaghetti

Preheat oven to 350 degreese F. Lightly coat a baking pan with oil or cooking spray.
Place the flour, egg, and cornflake crumbs in separate shallow bowls (or plates for the flour and crumbs). Add water to the egg bowl and beat well.
Dip chicken breast completely in the flour to coat and shake off any excess. This helps the egg and crumbs adhere. Dip both sides of the chicken in the egg and then immediately place it in the cornflake crumbs, pressing slightly to make sure they stick. Place the chicken breast in the pan and repeat with remaining chicken. Bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken in done (not pink anywhere).
Place 2 Tbsp of the spaghetti sauce on top of each chicken breast and top with mozzerella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook for 10 minutes, or until al dente (not too firm, not too chewy). Drain spaghetti and keep warm.
Heat remaining spaghettie sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Serve chicken with spaghetti and sauce on the side.

If you want a quick Italian dish, this is definitely a good one to try. I thought it was delicious! It was definitely a simple recipe, especially with the prepared spaghetti sauce. But, to make things even easier, I offer these tips:
-If you don't have flour, just dip the chicken in milk or water. The egg can be omitted as well, but keep in mind that the crumbs won't stick as easily.
-Cornflake crumbs are quite a staple in many breaded meats, but if you don't want to buy them, buy either a box or a single serving of Corn Flakes cereal and crunch them up with your hands.
-You don't need both types of cheeses, one or neither is fine, depending on your preferance.

2 comments:

  1. What if someone doesn't have an oven in their dorm? You should try it in the microwave!
    I'm annoying I know :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Most dorms have kitchenettes that have ovens. And apartments usually have ovens.

    ReplyDelete