Mama Mia's Chicken Parmigiana

The greatest thing about making a sauce is the variation of dishes you can create to go with it. Okay, the chicken parmigiana has got nothing to do with Mama Mia- the broad way show but somehow it just rhymes. Yes, I said so.

Chicken Parmigiana is one of those spin off meal you can easily create once you have a sauce ready.

Chicken Parmigiana, also known as Chicken Parm here is a really delicious concoction of fried breaded chicken cutlets covered with red sauce and cheese, baked in the oven until all cheese is melted.

The premise is really simple. Bread chicken cutlet by coating lightly pounded chicken breast in flour, egg wash and coat in breadcrumbs. 

Lightly fried with a little olive oil in a pan. Nice and golden.

Ladle sauce at the bottom of the baking dish. Place chicken cutlets in the pan. Cover lightly with sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella and bake till cheese has melted. 

Served with pasta of choice or make it into a Chicken Parm sub in between bread rolls.

Easy Chicken Parmigiana

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

2 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3 portions, lightly pounded to 1/4 inch thick

1/2 Cup of flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 Cup of breadcrumbs

3 tablespoon of olive oil

1 1/2 Cup of Sauce

1 Cup of Shredded Cheese (Mozzarella, Monterey Jack or Cheddar)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper.

2. On your kitchen counter, set up your working station. Prepare a dish for the flour, a dish for your egg wash and a dish for your breadcrumbs.

3. Season your flour with salt and pepper. In your egg wash bowl, break the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Whisk till well combined. 

4. First, take a piece of chicken and dredge in flour. Dip in egg wash and coat with breadcrumbs. Placed on a plate. Repeat till all chicken breast is well coated.

5. In a pan, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Pan-fried chicken till it is golden brown. Set aside. Repeat till all chicken pieces is browned.

6. Preheat oven to 375F(190C). In 13'x 9' baking dish or larger, ladle 1/4 cup of sauce onto the dish, Make sure the dish is lightly covered with sauce to avoid chicken pieces from sticking to the pan.

7. Place chicken pieces in a single layer on the dish. Cover with remainder of the sauce. Top with cheese.

8. Bake in the oven for 15 mins till cheese is all melted.

9. Serve with pasta or baguette as a meal.

Variations: The recipe can be used to create eggplant parmigiana or other meat of choice. For other meat, repeat the same process. To make eggplant (aubergine parmigiana), slice eggplant to 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle some salt onto eggplant and let rest for 10 minutes. Wipe moisture from eggplant with a clean towel or paper towel. Proceed to step 3 and continue to finish the eggplant.