Parks & Rec's Tom Haverford explains his food slang: "Zerts are what i call desserts, tre-tres are entrees... I call cakes big ol' cookies, I call noodles long-ass rice. Fried chicken is fry-fry chicky-chick, chicken parm is chicky-chicky parm-parm."
OK, I see a trend of featuring Parks & Recreation cast members and in particular Aziz Ansari, but c'mon, Chicken Parm is classic and delish. The key to making this batch come out sooo good was definitely secret ingredient: Panko breadcrumbs. It sounds silly, but they really made all the difference!
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg thin chicken cutlets - about 4 (obviously you can just slice chicken breasts yourself, or pound them out...but if they already sell that at the market like this, why not just pick up a pack?)
- 1 bottle tomato sauce - warmed or room temperature (I use Classico)
- 1 container shredded Parmesan cheese (never the powdered stuff)
- 1 8oz pkg shredded mozzarella (or two if your friends like to eat it plain while you cook)
- Italian flavored Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs beaten
- Flour
- Olive oil
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and place in oven to heat up.
2. Prepare batter stations, fill 3 shallow trays with the following (or use can use plates):
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1c flour (seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic)
- 1 1/2c panko breadcrumbs mixed with two handfuls of shredded parmesan
2. Season chicken cutlets with a bit of salt/pepper
3. Dip chicken first in egg (wiping off excess), next coat in flour until cutlet is dry to the touch, finally in breadcrumbs (you may need to sprinkle a handful on top and press into the chicken to get it to really stick)
4. Coat skillet with olive oil (be generous) and heat (med/high)
5. Place chicken in (2 at a time) and cook until golden brown on both sides (about 2-3 min each).
6. Remove from heat and place chicken on cookie sheet in oven. (repeat with all chicken)
7. Remove cookie sheet and spoon a generous amount of tomato sauce on each cutlet, cover with mozzarella cheese.
8. Place chicken back in oven until cheese is bubbly and browned.
9. Serve with spaghetti and garlic bread.
