Chicken Parmesan

I've been making this recipe for years and years now. Back when my husband and I lived in an apartment, I remember seeing this recipe on FoodNetwork.com and wanting to try it. I was excited to make something special in my "new" kitchen, so I drove to the store and bought the ingredients. I came home, started dinner, waited for it to cook.... the smell was out of this world, just as it is today. Finally, meal time.... huge success. Years later, we're still not sick of this meal.

Even if you're not a rosemary fan, I still suggest you try it. My husband hates rosemary, but he loves this meal. But I firmly believe in the "keep trying it until you grow to like it" rule..... meaning I sneak it into a lot of recipes. hehehe

A few kitchen notes. I do like extra cheese, so you can cut down on it if you want. Same with the sauce, I like plenty of it. You could probably stretch this out over 4 chicken breasts and not change the amount of herbs, but you will need to increase the sauce and cheese a bit (I only made 2 chicken breasts, which is unusual, I almost always make 3). You can also smash the chicken out a bit before you cook it, or cook it completely in the oven and then top it with the sauce and cheese towards the last 15 minutes. There are lots of ways to do this and it's difficult to mess up with this recipe.

Start the sauce first, and let it gently simmer while the chicken cooks.

Rosemary from the garden.... I'm so glad gardening season is back.

The oil and herbs. Just enough oil to coat the chicken breasts.

Saute in a pan over medium heat.

Turn and cook. They do not need to be completely cooked through because they will finish in the oven.

Top the chicken with the sauce. Again, I only used 2 chicken breasts but the recipe below is for 3.

Top with mozzarella and Parmesan.

Top with some fresh basil.

Chicken Parmesan
Serving Size = 3
Adapted From: Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
• 3 chicken breasts
• Roughly 1 cup marinara sauce
• Salt/Pepper
• Roughly 1 tablespoon of mozzarella per chicken
• Roughly 1 tablespoon of Parmesan per chicken
• 1/2 tablespoon or so of butter (optional, I skip it)

Sauce

• 1 cup tomato sauce (canned, or just skin and cook down about 5 or so large tomatoes)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Oil (again, EVOO)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• Pinch of sugar, to taste
• Salt/pepper

1. Start by cooking the sauce. Add some oil to a medium saucepan and cook the garlic for a minute. Then add everything else except the basil (unless you use dried basil, then add about 1/2 teaspoon). Simmer gently. A minute or 2 before topping the chicken with the sauce, stir in the fresh basil.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium. Mix together the rosemary, thyme, and oil. Rub all over the chicken breasts, top with salt and pepper, and then place into the saute pan (if you're worried about sticking, you can add a touch more oil to the pan). Cook until browned on both sides.
3. Preheat oven for 450F.
4. When the chicken is mostly done, remove from pan to a baking dish. Top the chicken with the sauce, then mozzarella, and finally the Parmesan (Giada tops it with about 1/2 tablespoon of butter, cut into small pieces, I usually skip this though). Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the chicken is cooked through. The chicken should be mostly cooked through from sauteing it, so it shouldn't take long.

Linking to: Hearth and Soul, Whole Foods Wednesday, Taking a Timeout Thursday, Full Plate Thursday