Chef Boy I Be Illinois Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipes

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Using kitchen shears, trim off any white tendons at the ends of the tenderloins. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even ¼-inch thickness. Season the chicken all over with 1¼ teaspoons of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper.
• In a large shallow bowl, combine the panko, ¾ cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, the oregano, the thyme, the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix well, making sure there are no clumps of cheese.
• Place the flour in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a third bowl. Set up a breading station in this order: flour, eggs, panko. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up. Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating evenly; dip in the eggs, letting any excess drip off; then dredge in the panko mixture, turning and patting to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point, covered, and refrigerated up to 8 hours ahead of time.)
• Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack about 4 inches from the heating element. Bring the marinara sauce to a simmer over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking (with store-bought sauce, I find a generous pinch of sugar and fresh basil go a long way). Cover and keep warm.
• Line another baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment for easy clean up; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about ⅛ inch of oil over medium heat until shimmering. Place 5 or 6 tenders in the pan in a single layer and cook until the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Place the cooked chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner, adding additional oil only if necessary. You may need to lower the the heat as you go, so that the chicken doesn't brown before it is cooked through.
• Sprinkle the fontina and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano over the center of the chicken tenderloins, leaving the sides bare so that they remain crispy. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the marinara sauce over the cheese, again leaving the sides bare so that they stay crispy. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The chicken tenders can be breaded and refrigerated up to 8 hours before pan-frying. The chicken is best and crispiest when fried right before baking, but it can also be fried up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated. Reheat the chicken in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes, before adding the cheese and proceeding with the recipe.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The breaded chicken tenders can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze the chicken on the baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag or layer in an airtight container with sheets of parchment between the tenders. Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.

CHEF-BOY-I-BE-ILLINOIS' BAKED COD CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Combine cod, tomatoes, wine, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in medium sauce pan. Simmer until fish flakes easily, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice potatoes and onion.
• Place half of the potatoes and onion in bottom of greased 10 inch square baking dish, lightly sprinkling with salt and pepper.
• Place flaked cod evenly over the top, and lightly salt and pepper.
• Pour one half of tomato sauce over this.
• Place remaining potatoes and onion on top, sprinkling lightly with salt and pepper, and then the remaining sauce.
• Cover with foil and bake approximately 45 minutes until potatoes are tender.
• Combine breadcrumbs and cheese and sprinkle over top of casserole and bake uncovered 15 minutes more. Can broil for a couple minutes to brown the top if desired.
• Let stand five minutes before serving.

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Season chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper.
• Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and set aside.
• Mix bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl, set aside.
• Place flour in a sifter or strainer; sprinkle over chicken breasts, evenly coating both sides.
• Dip flour coated chicken breast in beaten eggs. Transfer breast to breadcrumb mixture, pressing the crumbs into both sides. Repeat for each breast. Set aside breaded chicken breasts for about 15 minutes.
• Heat 1 cup olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
• Place chicken in a baking dish and top each breast with about 1/3 cup of tomato sauce. Layer each chicken breast with equal amounts of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and provolone cheese. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese on top and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned and bubbly, and chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CHEF-BOY-I-BE-ILLINOIS' BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Whisk together the sour cream, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce and anchovy paste in a wide, shallow bowl (a pie plate works perfectly). The mixture will be quite thick, but that helps it adhere to the chicken and for the crumbs to adhere as well.
• Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and oregano in another wide shallow bowl.
• Season both sides of breasts with remaining salt and pepper.
• Coat both sides of each breast first in the sour cream mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture.
• Place on a wire rack that is over a foil lined baking sheet that will accommodate the size of your rack.
• Spray both sides of each breast with olive oil cooking spray.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 450F until coating is nicely browned, then turn down to 400F and continue baking for approximately 30 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 165°F.
• You can use the time your chicken is baking to make some polenta to go along with it, and maybe some nice cauliflower gratin Recipe #360354.