Saucy Make Ahead Parmesan Chicken Food

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.

EASY CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• Slice each chicken breast carefully in half lengthwise. Place each halved chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or in a freezer bag. Carefully flatten the chicken breasts with a rolling pin to achieve uniform thickness, about 1/2-inch thick. Don't pound the breasts too hard. It could tear them apart.
• Pat dry each breast completely with a paper towel and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
• In a shallow plate, whisk together Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside. Add beaten eggs into another shallow plate.
• Dip both sides of each halved chicken breast into the eggs to evenly coat them, and then dip it into the breadcrumb mixture. The breadcrumbs will stick to the egg wash.
• Heat oil in a non stick cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil is sizzling and shimmering. Pan fry the chicken breasts for about 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Set aside on a plate. The chicken should be almost fully cooked and the internal temperature should reach above 155 F.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the hot oil in the skillet. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes until soft and tender. Add garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, parsley, and salt. Stir well to combine and bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn to low heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer sauce into a bowl.
• In the same skillet, or in another cast-iron skillet or baking dish, evenly spread 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom. Place the chicken breasts spaced evenly apart over the sauce.
• Cover each breast with 1/4 cup sauce, and top each breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle finely chopped parsley on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 425F for 15-20 minutes until the cheese melts and turns golden brown.
• Serve with spaghetti and garnish with more parsley on top.

MAKE-AHEAD FREEZER CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Pound chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thickness or less.
• Place beaten egg in a bowl. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in another bowl. Dip each chicken breast in egg, then roll in bread crumb mixture to coat evenly. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, about 10 minutes more. Let cool, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Freeze in a 1-gallon resealable bag with smaller bags of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
• To serve: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat chicken at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until heated through and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Top chicken with tomato sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, an additional 3 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN-PARMESAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Place 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup pasta sauce in separate freezer-weight containers; place in freezer. Mix remaining mozzarella and pasta sauce with all remaining ingredients just until blended; shape into 4 loaves. Place on baking sheet. Freeze 1 hour or until firm.
• Transfer meatloaves to large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Freeze up to 1 month.
• When Ready to Serve
• Heat oven to 375�F. Place (frozen) meatloaves in 9-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 45 min. or until done (165�F).
• Meanwhile, transfer (frozen) mozzarella and pasta sauce to separate microwaveable containers. Microwave on MEDIUM-LOW (30%) 2 to 3 min. or just until thawed.
• Top meatloaves with pasta sauce and mozzarella; bake 3 to 4 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

WEEKNIGHT CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Pound the chicken breasts between double pieces of plastic wrap. Pound using the flat side of a metal meat mallet. Cut each breast in half, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Break the egg into a pie plate. Add the water, salt, and pepper and mix to combine. Place the chicken breasts in the egg mixture to coat.
• On a plate, mix together the Italian seasoned bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and the grated cheeses.
• I like a 50/50 mix of bread crumbs and cheese. Keep this in mind if you adjust the recipe for more people. You may want to adjust the mixture.
• Using one hand, coat both sides of each piece of chicken in the bread crumb mixture.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan, over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the breaded chicken breasts.
• Cook until one side is browned. Turn the chicken and continue cooking until golden brown.
• Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Coat the bottom of a baking dish with the prepared tomato sauce. Add the breaded chicken breasts.
• Top each breast with additional sauce and the shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Cover first with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, covered with foil, until bubbly and heated through. Serve with your favorite pasta and a green salad.

SAUCY BAKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place chicken in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients; pour over chicken., Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165°, basting occasionally. Remove chicken from dish and keep warm., Transfer sauce to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 12-15 minutes or until sauce is reduced to 1-1/4 cups., Freeze option: Cover and freeze cooled chicken and sauce in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a foil-lined 13x9-in. baking dish in a preheated 325° oven until heated through, covering if necessary to prevent excess browning.

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.

THE BEST PARMESAN CHICKEN BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic and hot red pepper flakes.
• Arrange the chicken breasts in bottom of the dish, and pour marinara sauce over chicken. Sprinkle basil over marinara sauce, and top with half the mozzarella cheese, followed by half the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on the croutons, then top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese and croutons are golden brown and the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 35 minutes to an hour, depending on the shape and thickness of your chicken breasts. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken breast should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).