easy weeknight meal :: chicken parmigiana

i am one of those people who loves spending time in the kitchen. whether it’s chopping up vegetables for some homemade chicken pot pie, baking a german chocolate cake for my hubby, or whipping up some cream for my homemade nutella ice cream, i love it all! but due to recent time contraints i haven’t been able to spend nearly as much time in my kitchen cooking and trying out new recipes for my family…we’ve been making a lot of the time-saving and convenient recipes i prepped for and compiled in my busy day menu planner. just a little bit ago, however, when i had a few extra minutes to spend in the kitchen, i decided to made chicken parmesan (aka chicken parmigiana). while i still didn’t have all day to spend cooking, this meal made me feel like i was making a great, homemade dinner for my family without all the time and fuss dinnertime sometimes requires. my husband and kids thought it was fancy and that it had taken me a long time, but between you and me, it took only minutes to put together 🙂

it is simply a matter of compiling the following ingredients: boneless, skinless chicken breasts, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, olive oil, your favorite store-bought jarred marinara sauce (this is the short-cut!), and fresh parsley. note: you’ll also need some fettuccine to serve this all on.

and it just keeps getting easier. first you’ll need a 9″x13″ baking dish in which you will spread a layer of the marinara sauce.

then place the chicken breasts in between two pieces of plastic wrap or in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. using a wooden rolling pin, the flat end of a meat tenderizer, or even the bottom of a heavy can or jar, pound the chicken breasts into thin pieces. this will help dinner to cook even faster! place the chicken breasts directly on top of the sauce.

next, combine the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs (i use panko breadcrumbs) into a bowl…

…and sprinkle the cheese and breadcrumb mixture over top of the chicken breasts.

bake in the oven, and before you know it, you’ve (almost) got a delicious dinner your family will love! all you have left to do is serve over cooked fettuccine and sprinkle some chopped parsley over top. how yummy does this look!? your family will think you spent so much time and effort making it…we’ll keep it our little secret! 😉 scroll down for the complete recipe!

easy weeknight meal :: chicken parmigiana

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5 from 1 reviews

• Author: kate h.
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

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Instructions

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. pour the marinara sauce into a 9″x13″ baking pan and spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.
3. place the chicken breasts on top of the marinara sauce.
4. in a small bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs, italian seasoning, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and olive oil and stir to combine. evenly top the chicken breasts with this mixture.
5. bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and cheese mixture is golden.
6. serve over cooked fettuccine (make sure there is plenty of sauce), and top with chopped parsley.
7. enjoy!
8. note: if you can’t find panko bread crumbs or don’t have italian seasoning, use 1/4 cup of pre-mixed italian bread crumbs as a substitute.

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Category: dinner