Chicken Parmesan

From: This recipe came out of a fabulous new cook book that my mom and I have been cooking out of lately.

Anything with the words ”Comfort Food,” in the title immediately got my attention!  You can buy it right here.

Ingredients:

1 extra large egg
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp olive oil
1tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness (although I did not pound mine. I did slice the chicken into half inch thickness)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce:

You'll need:
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes, liquid discarded
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder OR 1 fresh diced garlic
1/4-1/8 cup diced onions OR 1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp basil
Combine all the ingredients and simmer in a saucepan.  

How to:  

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Beat an egg in a shallow dish.  In a separate shallow dish (a pie pan is recommended), combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, olive oil, Italian seasoning and a few generous pinches of salt and black pepper.

Dip each piece of chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumbs, using your fingers to press the crumbs into the chicken.  Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet or roasting pan and bake in the oven on the middle rack for about 2 minutes, until the chicken is firm to the touch and the bread crumbs are golden brown.

Remove the chicken from the oven and set the oven to broil.  Cover each piece of chicken with a good ladle of tomato sauce and a handful of mozzarrella.  Then put the pan back in the oven on the middle rack and broil for about 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Side notes: Serve over rice or cooked spinach with extra tomato sauce.