Easy and Healthy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Meal Monday

For dinner tonight I made stove-top chicken parmesan. This easy recipe is healthy and quick, and most importantly, it's delicious. I like to serve it with an arugula salad to set off the richness of the chicken and cheese. To make it really satisfying, I add a bit of rice or pasta to sop up the sauce.

Most chicken parmesan recipes want you to fry the chicken then bake it in sauce. Some even start with breading the chicken before frying. These steps add calories and extra time, neither of which I need on a busy weeknight. 

Luckily, I found a stove-top version of chicken parmesan in a book by Elizabeth Hiser that I adapted to my taste. It relies on the parmesan cheese and the sauce to provide most of the flavor, so it's worth it to splurge a little on a good cheese, and if you feel really inspired, you can make a tomato sauce from scratch. I usually use sauce from a jar.

Stove-Top Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients

¼ cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 5-6)
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups pasta sauce (use your favorite)
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried

Put the flour on a deep plate and mix in a sprinkle of salt and a grind of black pepper. I use about 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt and a lot of pepper. Drag the chicken through the flour, making sure to coat both sides. Add more flour if you need it.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with a cover over medium heat. Cook the chicken until it is lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Add the sauce to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through.

If you are using dried basil, sprinkle it on the chicken, and then add the cheese on top. Some of the fat from the cheese will melt into the dry basil, enhancing the flavor.  If you are using fresh basil, add just the cheese now, and sprinkle the fresh basil on top after the cheese melts. Fresh basil is best when exposed to less heat.  Cover and cook until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes

Notes on ingredients

• Use whatever amount of salt your diet and preferences allow.

• Chicken breasts are more traditional in this dish, but I prefer the extra flavor of thighs. Use whichever you prefer. If you use breasts, extend the cooking time to 30 minutes.

• Regular olive oil, not extra virgin, is best for this. If you don't have regular olive oil, use canola or rapeseed oil. The temperature in this recipe is too high for extra virgin olive oil.

For a picky eater

If you are cooking for a picky eater, there are two changes that might make this dish work for everyone. If your picky eater prefers food without sauce, you can remove one piece of chicken after the browning step, and cook it under a hot broiler for about 10 minutes while you finish the rest of the dish. Serve the chicken with sauce and cheese on the side and encourage your picky eater to dip the chicken into the sauce. If your picky eater doesn't like green things, make sure to hide the basil under the cheese.

Comments

[medical consultation]

I haven't tasted that Stove-Top Chicken Parmesan yet, I will try that at home for my family and I know they will love that.. Thanks for sharing..