Chicken Parmesan From Pasta Roni (Chicken Parmaroni)

We've all been there, you look around your pantry in dismay at all of the boxed foods you loaded up on in the beginning of the pandemic thinking "should I make another box of Pasta Roni or order takeout?"
From my Pandemic Pantry, as I now call it, many hodge podge meals were born, but this one, the Chicken Parmaroni, tops the list.

A flavorful sauce accompanied by decadent breaded chicken rounds out this amazing take on a Chicken Parmesan. It is perfect for the lazy days of winter, as it takes little effort, minimal ingredients, and uses minimal dishes.

Let's get to cookin!

Step 1: Ingredients for the Chicken Parmaroni

Pictured:

2 Boxes Pasta Roni, Parmesan Cheese
1 Box Stove Top Savory Herbs Stuffing Mix
1 Box (24.5 oz) Strained Tomatoes (or pasta sauce)
1 Small box of Cabernet Sauvignon Wine (optional)
1 Bag Sun Dried Tomatoes (a jar would also work)
1 Medium Onion
5 Cloves of Garlic
2 Chicken Breast
One container of basil

Not Pictured:

Salt and Pepper
1/2 tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes
8 Oz Mozzarella Cheese (this one is important, I just forgot)
3 Eggs
Vegetable Oil

Step 2: Chop a Medium White Onion

The first step of any recipe is to prepare all of your ingredients, or Mise en place. If you want more insight, read the link, but the TLDR is: Chop everything before you cook. It'll save you time (and many burned things) in the end. If you think you'll be fast here, I'd recommend to start preheating that oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.

PRO TIP!! To chop an onion, follow these directions (check out the pictures), or watch this video

Cut off the top end (the bottom is the brown part that looks like hair, the top is the part that comes to a point)
Chop the onion in half long wise, and remove the outer layer
Set the onion on it's flat end with the "hair" facing away from you, then make vertical slices all the way through the onion, but stopping short of the backside of the onion by just a little bit
Cut the onion horizontally (your knife will be parallel with the cutting board) almost all the way through, about halfway up the onion
From the top turn the onion 90 degrees (hair is on your left or right), then chop downward all the way until you reach the end.
EXTRA PRO TIP!! When the onion is getting narrow, just turn it on it's longer flat side and continue chopping

Step 3: Mince Garlic Into Garlic Paste

Pick your favorite way to peel garlic, mince it up finely, add salt, then smash it with the broadside of your knife while pulling across to make a garlic paste

PRO KNOWLEDGE!! A head of garlic contains multiple garlic cloves.

PRO TIP!! Using the garlic paste method induces a lot of compact flavor into a dish without as much cooking, and potentially burning, of the garlic

Step 4: Cut Chicken Breasts in Half

Take that chicken breast and reduce it in half by cutting it in half. You could also put it between two sheets of parchment paper and pound it until it's thinner.

PRO TIP!! By reducing the width of the chicken breast, you have a better chance of cooking it all the way through before your breading or cheese completely burns.

Step 5: Scramble 3 Eggs

More prep! Let's get this chicken station ready!

In a shallow dish, pie pan, or anything wide enough to hold your chicken breasts whilst being deep enough to hold some eggs, crack 3 eggs (You could probably get away with 2, I threw away a lot of egg) and scramble until fully combined.

Step 6: Make Breading From Stuffing and Pasta Roni Seasoning

No bread, no breadcrumbs, no problem! Here we are used boxed stuffing mix to make breadcrumbs for our chicken! Keep it in that bag and smash away until everything is into fine pieces. Next, add one packet of the Pasta Roni seasoning and mix to combine.

PRO TIP!! If you want the easy route, you could add all of this into a food processor. If you want stronger hand muscles, I suggest doing it manually.

LESSON LEARNED!! What looks like the crust won't break up easily. Bust out a hammer, wine bottle, food processor, or just leave them as is for more of a crunch!

Step 7: Dust Chicken Breasts With Flour

CHICKEN ASSEMBLE!

Add a sprinkling of flour to the chicken breast, shake the excess off, then dab the other side into the flour. This will help the egg and breadcrumb mixture adhere and create more of that delicious crunch

PRO TIP!! Using a mesh strainer (pictured above) will ensure there is no flour clumps on your chicken.

Step 8: Heat Up Oil

Heat up a generous amount of high smoke point oil to Medium High. I used vegetable here for frying, then avocado for cooking. Now would be a great time to preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

PRO TIP!!! To test if your oil is hot enough, cut a small piece of whatever you're cooking and drop it in.

No sizzle = Too cold

Little sizzle = Almost ready

Solid sizzle = You're ready

Lotta sizzle = Might be too hot

Step 9: Egg Wash and Bread the Chicken

Now that your mise en place is ready, let's get to cooking!

Dip the chicken in the egg and flip to cover both sides. Lift the chicken out of the egg and give it a little shake to get the extra egg off of it.

Move the egg washed chicken to the breadcrumbs and then cover the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Try to get every nook and cranny. Flip it over to make sure it is completely covered.

PRO TIP!! Keep one hand a "wet hand" and one hand a "dry hand". This means that one of your hands will be dedicated to the egg wash, then once you drop it into the breadcrumbs your dry hand will take over. This will ensure you don't get gunky build up of bread crumbs on your hands.

Step 10: Fry Up the Chicken

With your chicken breaded and oil hot, drop those bad boys in for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until it's golden brown.

DOUBLE PRO TIP!! #1 When laying the chicken (or any meat) into the oil, try to lay it going away from you. This will ensure you don't splatter oil towards you. #2, Don't crowd the pan. Take more turns rather than cramming it into one. First of all, this will keep the oil at a good temperature, and secondly it'll ensure the oil is hitting all of the bread crumbs.

Step 11: Add Chicken to a Dish and Add Cheese

Using an oven safe dish, put the chicken in and add some wonderful mozzarella cheese. Don't be shy here, unless your lactose intolerant, then maybe be a little shy. Take a quick moment to marvel at your beautiful creation, the golden brown crust, the wonderful aromas. Breathe. We are almost done. Put the dish into your preheated oven and star the timer for 15 minutes.

Step 12: Sautee Onions and Garlic

Dump out most of the oil from the pan, then put that pan back onto medium heat and add onions, cooking for 3-5 minutes or until they are starting to get translucent but still have a bit of a crunch to them, then add your garlic paste creation and stir for 2 minutes.

Step 13: Add in Red Wine and Reduce

Deglaze the pan with your boxed cabernet sauvignon, and then reduce it down.

PRO KNOWLEDGE!! Deglazing a pan with a liquid will remove food particles that are stuck to the bottom (fond) and utilize them to create a delicious flavorbomb. My favorite deglazing liquids include: wine, tequila, chicken stock, and tomatoes with juice.

PRO KNOWLEDGE X2!! Don't worry if you're using alcohol here, at 172 degrees Fahrenheit alcohol will evaporate. So if it is simmering or boiling, there is no alcohol, just delicious flavors

PRO SKILL!! You can tell when your liquid has reduced enough if you drag your spatula across the pan and it separates for a hot second (note: a hot second is not a real unit of measure).

Step 14: Add in Ingredients for Tomato Sauce

Dump and stir the following ingredients:

Tomato Sauce
Half the bag of sun dried tomatoes
Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 of a packet of the Pasta Roni seasonings
A little fresh basil, sliced

PRO TIP!! When cutting fresh herbs, drag your knife across the herb using a slicing motion so you won't bruise it and turn it into mush

PRO KNOWLEDGE!! Some leafy herbs such as basil (also cilantro, parsley) are best used fresh and not cooked, so only add a little here and save the rest for the topping

Step 15: Put Pasta Roni Noodles in Sauce

Get the tomato sauce up to a simmer, add 3 cups of water, bring back up to a simmer, then add the noodles and cover it in the sauce.

PRO TIP!! When adding noodles to hot liquid, let them cook a little, then twist them into the sauce. If you twist too soon, they'll break and turn into mush.

LESSON LEARNED!! Since this is cooking in the sauce, the noodles will go to the bottom and start to stick. Stir frequently here otherwise you'll burn them.

Step 16: Bake Chicken Until Until 162 and Cheese Is Bubbly

At this time (about 10-15 minutes) your chicken should be done! Using a meat thermometer (seriously, buy one) check your chicken and take out at 162 degrees. Remove and let it rest for 5 minutes.

PRO KNOWLEDGE!! Safe cooking temperature to kill all bacteria in chicken is 165 degrees, but it will continue cooking after you remove it from the oven. Taking it out at 162 degrees and letting it rest will bring it up to or above temperature.

PRO SKILL!! If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can press the chicken with your finger to feel it's doneness (read this for more). If it is firm, it is done, squishy and it's not. If you are worried, please cook extra, or chop the THICKEST piece you have. If there is ANY pink put it back in.

Step 17: Plate. Eat. Enjoy.

Take a portion of the spaghetti, and with tongs you can set it on the plate and twist it together. Top with a piece of chicken and some freshly chopped basil, and dig in. After you take a beautiful picture for a comment on this instructable, or instagram, add more spaghetti and eat until you're in a coma, because this stuff is addicting.

Enjoy!