How to Make Chicken Parmesan

Prep Time: ~20 minutes

Cook Time: ~30 minutes

Servings: 4

CAUTIONS:

Hot Surfaces -

• This recipe involves the use of hot surfaces such as stovetop burners as well as an oven. When taking objects in and out of the oven, always be sure to use oven mitts. Be sure not to lean on the stovetop while it is hot. Do not touch any part of the pots on the stovetop except for the handles and turn off all hot surfaces when finished.

Sharp Objects -

• You will need to use a sharp knife to cut the fat off of the chicken for this recipe. When using knives, always cut away from your fingers to avoid injuries.

Raw Ingredients -

• There are various raw materials in this recipe that could cause illness if handled improperly, specifically raw eggs and chicken. Both of these foods contain harmful bacteria when raw which can also spread to other foods if not handled properly. Always be sure to wash your hands before and after working with these raw ingredients.

Background:

Chicken Parmesan is perhaps the most popular Italian-American dish aside from pasta. While no one truly knows the exact creator of Chicken Parm, there are many theories as to who it was. Many people believe that Chicken Parm originated in Italy, but surprisingly this is not the case. It was actually invented in the Northeast United States by Italian immigrants. Shortly after its creation, Chicken Parm became a staple of Italian-American cuisine in the early 1950s. Today it still remains at the top of this food genre, nearly 75 years later. While this may seem to be a fancy dish that is served at high quality restaurants, it is quite simple to make at home. With this easy-to-follow recipe, you will be able to prepare a delicious Italian food staple in around 50 minutes.

Supplies

Ingredients:

• 2 raw chicken breasts
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups of breadcrumbs
• 1 jar marinara sauce (20 oz)
• Sliced provolone cheese (4 slices)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese (~1 cup)
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Pasta of Choice (1lb. box)
• Oregano (2 tsp)
• Salt (2 tsp)
• Pepper (2 tsp)
• Garlic Powder (2 tsp)

Kitchen Supplies:

• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife
• 2 Bowls
• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum Foil
• Oven Mitts
• Cooking Spray
• Timer
• Strainer/Colander
• 1 Saucepan
• 1 Large Pot
• Pasta Fork
• Spatula/Tongs

Step 1: Gather All Materials

Gather all materials in one place to keep the kitchen organized while cooking. Having all your materials beforehand will ease the breading process later on.

Step 2: Preheat Oven

One all materials are collected, preheat your oven to 400°F. The oven will take about 15 minutes to preheat to this temperature, so be sure to do this before proceeding to next steps.

Step 3: Prepare Egg Wash and Breading Stations

CAUTION: Be sure to make the breading bowl before the egg wash bowl since dealing with raw eggs could be dangerous. One you have finished with this step and prepared the egg wash bowl, be sure to WASH YOUR HANDS.

Using 2 separate bowls, you will want to prepare an egg wash station and a breadcrumb station.

In one bowl, fill with breadcrumbs and 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Once all ingredients are added, mix them all together to create an even blend.

The second bowl will be used for the egg wash. The number of eggs depends on how much chicken you have. As a general rule of thumb, you will want to use about 3 eggs for every 1 piece of chicken that you have. This example is using 2 chicken breasts, so 6 eggs will be enough.

Step 4: Cut Fat Off of Chicken

CAUTION: This step of the recipe involves handling raw chicken. Be sure to wash your hands before and after handling raw chicken since it could cause various diseases.

Once you have preheated the oven, open your pack of chicken. Run under cold water and pat dry. Lay raw chicken on cutting board and use a knife to cut off all excess fat off of the chicken.

Once all of the fat is off the chicken, cut in half horizontally to make the chicken thinner. 2 chicken breasts will make 4 servings using this technique.

Step 5: Prepare Baking Sheet

Before breading the chicken, you should prepare your baking sheet so you will have somewhere to place the chicken when you finish breading.

Cover your baking sheet in aluminum foil. This will make the clean-up process much easier as you can just throw the foil away after instead of having the clean the baking sheet. Spray the foil with cooking spray to prevent the chicken from sticking to the foil.

Step 6: Bread the Chicken

CAUTION:This step involves the handling of raw chicken and egg. Be sure to wash hands after and never place your hands close to your face at this time.

Using the 2 bowls you have created in step 3, you will now bread the chicken to make the chicken crispy. Grab one piece of chicken and dip thoroughly in the egg wash bowl, covering the chicken entirely in egg on both sides. The egg will act as a bonding agent and allow the breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken.

Once the chicken is covered in egg, place it into the breadcrumb bowl. Press down lightly on the chicken to help the breadcrumbs stick. Flip the chicken over and repeat on the other side.

Repeat this process of dipping in egg and then breadcrumbs a second time to ensure an ideal amount of breadcrumbs sticks to the chicken. Place the chicken on your prepared baking sheet.

Do this step for all pieces of chicken.

Step 7: Boil Water and Start Simmering Sauce

Once you are done breading the chicken, fill your large pot about halfway with hot water and place it on the stovetop. Turn the temperature of the burner being used up to high to get the water to boil.

Place your saucepan on another burner on the stove and dump the entire sauce jar into the saucepan. Be sure to use a saucepan big enough to hold all your sauce. Turn the temperature of this burner to the lowest heat possible and stir with a spoon every couple of minutes. This is just to heat the sauce for the pasta.

Step 8: Place Chicken in Oven

At this time, the oven should have reached 400°F. Place baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Start a timer for 20 minutes.

Step 9: Cook Pasta

Once the water in the large pot is boiling it is time to add your pasta. Dump the entire box of pasta into the pot. Stir the pasta once it is in using a pasta fork. Keep stirring occasionally every couple of minutes until the pasta is done. The pasta should be firm, but not crunchy. This will take about 8-10 minutes.

Step 10: Strain Pasta

CAUTION: The water in the pot will be very hot at this time, as well as the handles of the pot. Be sure to use a hand towel to grab the handles if they are too hot to the touch. Always pour the pot away from your body to avoid splashing hot water on yourself.

When your pasta is done cooking, place a strainer in your kitchen sink and dump the entire pot of pasta into the strainer away from your body. Run cold water on the pasta in the strainer, tossing periodically, to help keep the pasta from sticking to itself. Place drained pasta back into your large pot.

Step 11: Remove Chicken From Oven and Cover With Sauce and Cheese

CAUTION: The baking sheet will be very hot when opening the oven. Be sure to put oven mitts on before touching any of the hot components of the oven to avoid burns.

At this time, the timer for the chicken has likely gone off and it is time to turn the breaded chicken into "Chicken Parm". Using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet of chicken from the oven.

Using the spoon you used to stir the sauce with earlier, cover the top of the breaded chicken in the marinara sauce that was heating on the stove. Be sure to cover the entire top of the chicken with sauce.

Gather the provolone, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. First, cut the provolone cheese slice in half and place on top of the sauce for every piece of chicken. Next, sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top. Top with a sprinkle of oregano.

Repeat these steps for all pieces of chicken.

Step 12: Place Chicken Back in Oven

Once the chicken has been topped with sauce and cheese, all that is left is to throw the baking sheet back in the oven to brown the cheese on top. Use your oven mitts to place the baking sheet back into the oven and set another timer for ~5 minutes.

Step 13: Final Presentation

While the chicken is finishing in the oven, the pasta can begin to be plated. Scoop out your desire amount of pasta and cover with sauce and parmesan cheese. When the chicken is done in the oven, remove using oven mitts and plate alongside the pasta using a spatula.

After everything is plated be sure to turn off the oven and any burners on the stove that were used before enjoying this delicious meal.

Step 14: Leftovers

If there is extra chicken or pasta, be sure to place all leftovers in Tupperware containers and refrigerate to keep the chicken from going bad.