Sandra's Chicken Parmigiana

Submitted by Leggy Peggy

"I'm posting this recipe on Australia Day 2007 as a tribute to an Australian friend, Sandra Woodhouse. She gave me this recipe in 1981—not long after I married an Australian. Don't let the number of ingredients or steps deter you. This is really easy. Sandra would have loved Recipezaar, but she died too young—and before she 'found' it. She lived in the USA for three or four years and thoroughly enjoyed it."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 4.92 ml salt
• 1.23 ml black pepper
• 3 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, split
• 177.44 ml breadcrumbs
• 118.29 ml vegetable oil
• 425.24 g can tomato sauce (puree, or Italian tomatoes, which you should then crush)
• 2.46 ml basil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 14.79 ml butter
• 118.29 ml parmesan cheese, grated (or more)
• 226.79 g mozzarella cheese, sliced thin and cut into triangles

directions

1. Flatten the chicken breasts with a mallet.
2. Then start to heat the oil in a large frying pan.
3. While the oil is heating, combine the eggs, salt and pepper.
4. Dip the breasts into the egg mixture, and then into breadcrumbs.
5. About now, start to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. When the oil is hot, brown breasts on both sides, then drain them on paper towels.
7. Transfer breasts to a baking dish that will hold them all in one layer.
8. Drain all but 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil from frypan.
9. In the frypan, saute garlic for 1 minute, then add tomato sauce (puree) and basil, and bring to a boil.
10. Turn down and simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in butter.
11. Pour tomato mixture over chicken breasts, and sprinkle with parmesan.
12. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
13. Uncover and put mozzarella slices neatly over chicken pieces.
14. Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.
15. Serve and enjoy.

Reviews

[Chef Ivan M]

Great recipe. Easy enough to make. I took my time making the sauce slowly caramelizing the tomatoes for that rich taste. Topped it with dried oregano for that added rustic aroma.

 

[I'mPat]

I didn't pound out my chicken breasts (they were small weighing about 170 to 180 grams each so just breaded them and followed through with the frying but I didn't use the parmesan due to certain family disliking it when cooked in a dish. Poured the sauce over (used a basil and tomato one by Jensens) after cooking as directed and I added 2 cloves of garlic and about 2 teaspoons of freshly chopped sweet basil for 4 chicken breasts, spooned the sauce on and baked for the 30 minutes (think they would have been dried out if I had pounded out) {oops forgot the butter}, then I added some grated 4 cheese pizza mix and topped with some sliced mozzarella and popped back in the oven (160C fan forced). The chicken came out moist and I and the DS thoroughly enjoyed (the DM declared she wasn't hungry and refused to eat) and the DH thought that the sauce tasted to raw tomatoes wise. Will certtainly give another go but will have to try another sauce (not easy finding any that don't have onion in them as the DH is intolerant to it and unfortunately can no long get Jensens Tomato and Mushroom sauce which had no onion and which I always used to make my parmigiana, bolegnese and lasagna - the tomato and basil good in the last two but the parmigiana is the challenge now). Thank you Leggy Peggy, made for Make My Recipe - Summer Edition.

 

[Kim127]

Fantastic! This was such a wonderful recipe for chicken parm and the sauce is fantastic. I wanted to served this with spaghetti so I added a jar of marinara to the other sauce ingredients. I also sauteed about 1/2 cup chopped onion with the garlic and doubled the herbs. Fresh mozzarella cheese really makes a difference. Loved it! I even hid the leftovers in the fridge for myself, DH was not going to get them!

 

[COOKGIRl]

We thoroughly enjoyed this dish! Fresh local chicken, homemade bread crumbs and a can of roasted tomatoes which I pureed first. The chicken was served over fresh locally made spinach fetuccini with steamed veggies on the side. I tried three types of cheese all freshly grated: Grana padano, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano. Homemade Italian seasoning replaced dried basil. Fresh basil would have been very good on this but I didn't have any unfortunately. Looking forward to making this again very soon! Enjoyed by all! Prepared and reviewed for Make My Recipe Downunder in Australian/NZ forum.

 

[Mr Tender]

Yum. I used less oil that the recipe said, and added a whole basil leaf and some pineapple when adding the mozzarella