Chicken / Eggplant Parmesan
My mom used to make the BEST pizza sauce growing up, and I always savor every flavorful bite of it. This is why I based my marinara sauce off her original recipe and use it in a wide range of dishes.
The chicken / eggplant Parmesan dinner is a pretty simple one, composed of breaded chicken or eggplant, marinara sauce, noodles, and though I wasn’t feeling it the day of the cook along, there’s a bonus recipe for an easy salad dressing. And without further ado, the recipe:
What you need
Marinara sauce
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz,) canned tomato sauce
1 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh basil
Brown sugar
Spices: Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, oregano, thyme
Breaded chicken / eggplant
~2 lbs chicken breast or 1 eggplant
1 cup bread crumbs (panko, preferably)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Spices: garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper
Egg
1 tbsp milk
Mozzarella cheese
Equipment
Rimmed baking sheet, wire rack as a bonus
Large pot, for boiling noodles
Large saucepan or pot with lid, for making marinara sauce
What to do
Prep tasks
For eggplant
Peel and slice eggplant into 1/4-inch slice
Liberally salt both sides and sweat them for at least 30 min. Wipe away an excess water at the end of the 30 min.
For chicken
Butterfly chicken breast; cut in half, if pieces are big
Use a mallet to tenderize and flatten the meat to ~1/2 inch.
For marinara sauce
Dice 1 large sweet onion and mince 6 cloves of garlic.
Make the meal
Step 1: Make the bread crumb mix
Combine the following:
1 cup of bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme
Step 2: Prep the assembly line for breading
Set up three stations.
Chicken or eggplant slices
Egg wash: 1 egg, mixed well with 1 tbsp milk.
Bread crumb mix
Step 3: Start the sauce, set to simmer
Heat oil, and sauté onions and garlic.
Add canned tomatoes.
Add spices (1 tbs Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp oregano), chopped basil, and 1 tbs brown sugar.
Step 4: Bread the chicken / eggplant
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Dip each slice into the egg wash (both sides),
…then into the breadcrumbs,
…then onto the baking sheet / wire rack.
Step 5: Bake breaded chicken / eggplant
At 400 degrees, bake the chicken for 20 minutes or bake the eggplant at 30 minutes.
Step 6: Fill a pot with water for noodles
Set a large pot, full of water, on the stove to start boiling. Season liberally with salt.
Step 7: Add mozzarella cheese & broil
Pull the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on each piece.
Broil on low for 4-10 min. Keep an eye on the broiler. Pull out when the mozzarella cheese is browned to your preference.
Add noodles to boiling water and cook the noodles to your preference.
Step 8: Final steps
Turn the burner off for marinara sauce.
Plate the noodles, sauce with the marinara, add the breaded deliciousness, and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Bonus Recipe
Lemon-Parmesan Salad Dressing
Mix well together: juice of a lemon, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Not just well, mix super well.
Toss salad greens (I prefer baby kale mix: baby spinach, baby kale, and baby chard) with the dressing.
