Chicken Parmesan: Make the Takeout

2 Comments | Written on January 24, 2012 at 9:00 am, by

Chicken Parmesan by Tyler FlorenceWe’re always in the mood for breaded chicken cutlets rich with tomato sauce and melted cheese—it’s hard to resist the call of chicken parmesan. And it’s also hard to resist making that call for takeout. But with these two chicken parmesan recipes, both of which take about an hour from prep to serving, and whose ingredients will cost you a fraction of what you’d pay a restaurant, you may break the chicken-parm-takeout habit for good.

 

Our first recipe is the more traditional. This Chicken Parmigiana starts with cooking up an easy sauce of onions, garlic, tomatoes (along with their juice), and a touch of sugar.  (For a real shortcut, you can use a jar of pasta sauce.) Pound the chicken breasts (placed between two pieces of plastic wrap) with the flat side of a meat mallet until they’re about a quarter-inch thick. Then dip the chicken pieces into a mixture of egg, bread crumbs, oregano, and grated parmesan cheese, and cook them up in a skillet of hot oil for two to three minutes per side. When they’re cooked, place them on a serving plate, cover them with sauce, and sprinkle on mozzarella and parmesan cheese. When it melts, dinner is served (with a side of spaghetti or with good Italian bread).

 

Tyler Florence’s Chicken Parmesan (pictured above) is essentially the same, but with the twist of adding olives, a bay leaf, and basil to the mix. The olives and herbs pump up the flavor, and give it more color on the plate. Chef Florence bakes his chicken parm for about 15 minutes to finish the dish, with the result a beautiful bubbling cheese.

 

Want Chicken Parmesan in a hurry?

 

• Saucy Chicken Parmesan (uses a corn-flakes breading and store-bought pasta sauces, and takes just 30 minutes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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