Hey Paisano

Bust out the red-and-white checkered table cloth, because you’re getting a recipe for Chicken Parm, kiddies.

Yes, this is unquestionably kitschy kitschy ya ya Italian-American food.

But, sometimes all a girl wants is some chicken slathered in bread crumbs, mozzarella and marinara with a side of spaghettini, thank you very much.

If that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Anyhoo, you may be under the assumption that you can only get chicken parm at some old-timey Italiano restaurant where Sinatra or Dean Martin is on in the background and the wine is a nameless house red. Or, perhaps you order it at those awful Italian-wannabe chains that shall remain nameless to uphold the sanctity of my blog. But you are way, off dear readers.

So, let me steer you in the right direction:

You can make the Chicken Parm at home in your little old kitchen. Yay!

And you’ll love every minute of it. Plus, it’s not deep fried. And you can use fresh mozzarella and make your own marinara. Cause that’s the way, un huh un huh, I like it.

And yes, you can still play Sinatra and Dean Martin on your Ipod or your stereo. I loves me some Sinatra and Dean Martin.

Chicken Parmesan
(Makes 6 servings)

6 chicken cutlets, thin-cut
1 cup, or a little more of Cento Italian-style breadcrumbs
2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Mean Marinara (See recipe here), or your fav marinara, warmed
1 cup to 1 ½ cups mozzarella, grated

Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.

Place breadcrumbs in a wide dish.

Place eggs in a wide bowl. Beat them lightly with a fork or whisk.

To prepare cutlets, dip 1 cutlet in egg mixture. Transfer to breadcrumbs and dredge until both sides are lightly coated. Set aside. Repeat with five remaining cutlets.

In a large pan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Once heated, place 2 cutlets in the pan. Cook for about five minutes on each side. Repeat 2 more times with the remaining olive oil and 4 remaining cutlets.

Remove cooked chicken from pan, and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Coat the bottom of a large baking pan with warm marinara.

Place chicken side-by-side in the pan. Top with a spoonful or two of marinara. Top with grated mozzarella.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 20 minutes, or until mozzarella is bubbly and lightly browned.

Serve with your favorite pasta and the remaining marinara as well as your favorite salad. And garlic bread, wouldn’t be a bad idea either.