Crankys Weekday Chicken Parmesan Recipes

THE BEST CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut two 12-inch sheets of plastic wrap.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, making 4 roughly equal pieces; they should look like large chicken tenders. Place one sheet of plastic on a clean cutting board. Put one chicken piece in the center of the plastic and top with the other sheet of plastic. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken, one piece at a time. Liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Put the flour in a pie plate and dredge the chicken 1 piece at a time, turning to coat and packing the flour into the crevices. Shake to remove any excess and return to the rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Whisk the breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk the milk and egg in a medium bowl until combined. Dip the dredged chicken into the milk mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Then pack the seasoned breadcrumbs firmly onto the chicken. Very gently
• shake off any excess and return to the rack. Refrigerate uncovered at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat 1/3 cup of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook until very fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, basil and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the tomatoes are very tender and the liquid has reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Smash the tomatoes with a potato masher until almost smooth; it's ok if it's a little chunky. Season with salt.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cutlets and cook until the coating is golden brown, about 1 minute per side; the chicken will not be cooked through. Transfer to the foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer 3 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
• Arrange an oven rack directly under the broiler and preheat to high. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart. Top each cutlet with 2/3 cup of the sauce and spread evenly to coat. Sprinkle each cutlet with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Broil until the cheese melts and starts to brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and transfer to the remaining sauce. Gently stir until the sauce coats the pasta. Transfer the spaghetti to a serving dish and top with the chicken. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and serve with torn basil.

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place cutlets between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a kitchen mallet or rolling pin, pound meat to even 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Place flour, eggs and panko into three wide, shallow bowls. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Dip a piece in flour, then eggs, then coat with panko. Repeat until all the meat is coated.
• Fill a large skillet with 1/2-inch oil. Place over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, fry cutlets in batches, turning halfway through, until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle one-third of the Parmesan over sauce. Place half of the cutlets over the Parmesan and top with half the mozzarella pieces. Top with half the remaining sauce, sprinkle with another third of the Parmesan, and repeat layering, ending with a final layer of sauce and Parmesan.
• Transfer pan to oven and bake until cheese is golden and casserole is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

EASY WEEKNIGHT CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.
• In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Shake each chicken breast in bread crumb mixture; set aside.
• In 10-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook 6 to 10 minutes, turning once, until browned. Pour cooking sauce around chicken; sprinkle chicken with remaining bread crumb mixture and mozzarella cheese. Heat to boiling. Cover; reduce heat to medium. Cook 5 to 8 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F) and cheese is melted. Serve with spaghetti.

CRANKY'S WEEKDAY CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in dried basil and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, in a large resealable plastic bag, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, and oregano. Add chicken; seal bag and shake to coat. Refrigerate if making for a future cooking day.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large nonstick skillet coated with non-stick cooking spray, cook half of the chicken in 1 tsp oil for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the is breading is browned and no longer adheres to the pan when lifted gently with a spatula. Remove to an oven-safe dish and place in the oven to cook thruough. Repeat with remaining chicken and oil. Chicken is cooked through when it is no longer pink in the middle when sliced through.

CRISPY PARMESAN ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lemon and place it in a small bowl. (Save the zested lemon for the drippings.) Stir in 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, chopped rosemary and red-pepper flakes, if using. Season the chicken inside and out with salt mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or refrigerate uncovered for up to overnight.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken, breast-side up, in a large skillet, sheet pan or roasting pan. Stuff cavity of chicken with rosemary sprigs. Drizzle breast with a little olive oil.
• Roast chicken for 30 minutes. Sprinkle chicken all over with Parmesan, then continue roasting until bird's juices run clear when skin is pierced with a knife and the skin is golden, 25 to 30 minutes longer.
• Let chicken rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze juice from the zested lemon, to taste, into the pan drippings and season with more salt and red-pepper flakes if you like. Carve and serve with drippings spooned over the meat.

BAKED CHICKEN WITH CRISPY PARMESAN AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the tomatoes in half crosswise and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish along with garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Season with salt and pepper.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until chicken is about halfway cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and grate Parmesan over chicken.
• Return to oven and continue to bake until chicken is cooked through, tomatoes are starting to caramelize and Parmesan is browned and crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes more.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley or basil before serving, if desired, and garnish with shavings of Parmesan.