Chef Boy I Be Illinois Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipes

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.

QUICK BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Whisk water and egg together in a bowl until smooth. Combine bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic powder in a separate bowl.
• Dip each chicken breast in egg mixture, allowing excess egg to drip back into bowl. Coat each chicken breast in bread crumb mixture, shaking off excess. Repeat dipping each coated chicken breast in the egg mixture and the bread crumb mixture for a double-coating and place in the prepared baking dish. Spray breaded chicken breasts with cooking spray.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Pour spaghetti sauce over each chicken breast and top each with mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese. Continue baking until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the cheeses are melted, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

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).

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Using kitchen shears, trim off any white tendons at the ends of the tenderloins. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even ¼-inch thickness. Season the chicken all over with 1¼ teaspoons of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper.
• In a large shallow bowl, combine the panko, ¾ cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, the oregano, the thyme, the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix well, making sure there are no clumps of cheese.
• Place the flour in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a third bowl. Set up a breading station in this order: flour, eggs, panko. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up. Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating evenly; dip in the eggs, letting any excess drip off; then dredge in the panko mixture, turning and patting to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point, covered, and refrigerated up to 8 hours ahead of time.)
• Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack about 4 inches from the heating element. Bring the marinara sauce to a simmer over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking (with store-bought sauce, I find a generous pinch of sugar and fresh basil go a long way). Cover and keep warm.
• Line another baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment for easy clean up; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about ⅛ inch of oil over medium heat until shimmering. Place 5 or 6 tenders in the pan in a single layer and cook until the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Place the cooked chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner, adding additional oil only if necessary. You may need to lower the the heat as you go, so that the chicken doesn't brown before it is cooked through.
• Sprinkle the fontina and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano over the center of the chicken tenderloins, leaving the sides bare so that they remain crispy. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the marinara sauce over the cheese, again leaving the sides bare so that they stay crispy. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The chicken tenders can be breaded and refrigerated up to 8 hours before pan-frying. The chicken is best and crispiest when fried right before baking, but it can also be fried up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated. Reheat the chicken in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes, before adding the cheese and proceeding with the recipe.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The breaded chicken tenders can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze the chicken on the baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag or layer in an airtight container with sheets of parchment between the tenders. Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.

BASIC ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the inside of the chickens liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff each bird with 3 sprigs thyme, 2 cloves garlic, the bay leaf, onion and lemon. As the chickens cook, this will help keep them moist and also flavor the bird from the inside.
• Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together of each bird, and then tuck the wing tips underneath each body so it cooks evenly. Place the birds on a roasting rack over a roasting tray then sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the joint between the leg and thigh registers 165 degrees F, approximately 1 hour more. When the chicken is done, the skin will be crispy and golden and the juices of the chicken will run clear. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

CHEF-BOY-I-BE-ILLINOIS' BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Whisk together the sour cream, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce and anchovy paste in a wide, shallow bowl (a pie plate works perfectly). The mixture will be quite thick, but that helps it adhere to the chicken and for the crumbs to adhere as well.
• Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and oregano in another wide shallow bowl.
• Season both sides of breasts with remaining salt and pepper.
• Coat both sides of each breast first in the sour cream mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture.
• Place on a wire rack that is over a foil lined baking sheet that will accommodate the size of your rack.
• Spray both sides of each breast with olive oil cooking spray.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 450F until coating is nicely browned, then turn down to 400F and continue baking for approximately 30 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 165°F.
• You can use the time your chicken is baking to make some polenta to go along with it, and maybe some nice cauliflower gratin Recipe #360354.