I had planned on preparing boneless/skinless chicken breasts in an entirely different way last night for supper. But Sweet Harold was in the mood for Italian-esque food, so I shifted gears. This is an easy weeknight meal that was ready in less than an hour start to finish. Using jarred or canned pasta sauce cuts down on the time spent when you're in a rush on a Monday, but if you have time to make your own sauce, please do!
Another time saver is to halve the chicken breasts lengthwise instead of taking the time to pound them out into thin cutlets. Baking in the oven makes clean up a breeze.
1 1/2 lb. boneless/skinless chicken breasts halved lengthwise
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup self-rising flour
1 egg lightly beaten with 1 T. water
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 T. dried Italian seasoning
1 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. dried red pepper flakes (optional)
additional Parmesan for garnish
chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a rimmed baking sheet with non stick spray.
Pat prepared chicken breasts dry with paper towels and lightly salt and pepper.
You'll need three shallow plates or aluminum pie tins. Place flour in one and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place egg wash in the second plate, and the breadcrumbs mixed with Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes if you're using those.
Lightly coat one piece of chicken in the flour, then dip in egg wash, then completely cover with bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Serve over your favorite sauced pasta with an additional sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
The leftover chicken is also delicious served on toasted bread as a sandwich with lots of sauce and mozzarella slices!
That sounds good!
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