March 12, 2007

Work Day Chicken Parmesan

We had Work Day Chicken Parmesan for dinner tonight, and as I was pulling it out of the oven 25 minutes after starting dinner it smelled and looked so good I thought "I should share this." I was going to call this Cheater's Chicken Parmesan, but when I told Alex that he said it rated a better name. So, I settled on Work Day Chicken Parmesan because I always think it's such an easy dinner to toss together after work. And we actually like it better than traditional Chicken Parmigiana.

So, since I said I was sharing, here's what you do:
Shopping list: aluminum foil, chicken breasts, good quality spaghetti sauce, sliced mozzarella cheese, bag salad, and salad dressing.

Steps:
(1) Set oven to Broil on High.
(2) Line pan with aluminum foil (for ease of cleaning) and place chicken breasts in the pan.
I usually add Seasonall, oregano and basil to each side of the breasts at this step, but not always. You DO NOT need to beat the breasts thin, dip them in egg and bread or otherwise mess with them. Just toss them in the pan, sprinkle on some spices and call it ready for the oven.
(3) Broil on one side for ten minutes or so, until chicken is about half done.
(4) Flip breasts over and broil for another eight to ten minutes.
Meanwhile, set the table.
(5) Cover in spaghetti sauce, being generous, and then cover each breast with mozzarella slices. (I usually need two slices to cover a typical breast.)
(6) Put the covered chicken back under the broiler while you open the bag of salad and put out the dressing. By the time you've "made" the salad, the cheese will likely be browned and bubbly.
(7) Serve.
(8) Accept the compliments gracefully.

I do get compliments from Alex on this meal, almost every time I think to make it. (I don't make it that often, for reasons that elude me.) Tonight he told me it smelled really good, and then told me he was afraid to tell me my dinner was good because I'd blog about it. Hee hee. Actually, I'd already thought about posting my technique (certainly not recipe) here before he said anything. No, really.

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