The leftovers from our giant Costco package of skinless, boneless chicken (see this post) went to the following night’s dinner–chicken parm.  This is one of my faves.  In the interest of trying to make it a little healthier, I bake it.  It still comes out crispy on the outside and juicy inside, without the added oil.

Really you only need a few pantry items: bread crumbs and a jar of pasta sauce, some parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and an egg.  Pasta on the side and a salad or vegetable. Simple.

I usually cut the chicken pieces in half, as most breasts are quite large.  I don’t want it to bake too long and dry out.

I also find it handy to have my items for dipping and dredging all lined up and my pan lined with parchment.  It’s a little less messy if one hand works on the dry and one on the wet in the meat prepping process.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Dipping, Dredging and Coating:
  1/4 cup of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper (garlic powder is also a nice addition) in a shallow dish
  1 egg, beaten, also in a shallow dish
  1/2 cup of bread crumbs, mixed with a 1/4 cup of parmesan, also in a shallow dish (I use half without cheese for my dairy free girl and my picky cl boy)

• Dredge each piece of chicken with flour, then dip in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

• Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, until juices run clear
• Before removing from oven, spoon spaghetti or marinara sauce over chicken (my cl boy skips the sauce), and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese (my df girl skips this).  Leave in hot oven until cheese is melted.

• Serve with pasta and leftover sauce, and extra parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Add a green salad, and in less than an hour you have a delicious, fancy-ish dinner.