Make Ahead Freezer Chicken Parmesan Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD FREEZER CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Pound chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thickness or less.
• Place beaten egg in a bowl. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in another bowl. Dip each chicken breast in egg, then roll in bread crumb mixture to coat evenly. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, about 10 minutes more. Let cool, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Freeze in a 1-gallon resealable bag with smaller bags of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
• To serve: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat chicken at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until heated through and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Top chicken with tomato sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, an additional 3 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLETS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Spray large rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Transfer to shallow bowl.
• Between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, place each chicken breast; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick. Season chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.
• In shallow pan, stir together flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In shallow bowl, mix eggs and water with whisk. Coat both sides of chicken with flour mixture. Dip chicken into beaten eggs; turn to coat. Dredge in browned bread crumbs, coating completely. If there are any bread crumbs left in bowl, pat them on top of chicken breasts to cover any bare spots.
• Place chicken breasts on cookie sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F).
• To freeze: Arrange unbaked breaded chicken breasts on two large cookie sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; freeze 3 to 4 hours or until frozen solid. Wrap each breast in plastic wrap, and store together in 2-quart freezer bag up to 1 month. To bake: Heat oven to 450°F. Place desired number of frozen breaded chicken breasts in 1 layer on cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Turn over; bake 8 to 10 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F).

WEEKNIGHT CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Pound the chicken breasts between double pieces of plastic wrap. Pound using the flat side of a metal meat mallet. Cut each breast in half, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Break the egg into a pie plate. Add the water, salt, and pepper and mix to combine. Place the chicken breasts in the egg mixture to coat.
• On a plate, mix together the Italian seasoned bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and the grated cheeses.
• I like a 50/50 mix of bread crumbs and cheese. Keep this in mind if you adjust the recipe for more people. You may want to adjust the mixture.
• Using one hand, coat both sides of each piece of chicken in the bread crumb mixture.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan, over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the breaded chicken breasts.
• Cook until one side is browned. Turn the chicken and continue cooking until golden brown.
• Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Coat the bottom of a baking dish with the prepared tomato sauce. Add the breaded chicken breasts.
• Top each breast with additional sauce and the shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Cover first with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, covered with foil, until bubbly and heated through. Serve with your favorite pasta and a green salad.