Quick and Easy Chicken Parmesan

This is absolutely one of my favorite recipes. It is really easy to make and you can usually make around four servings for about 20 bucks. Not bad, considering the chicken Parmesan entree at Olive Garden is about 15 bucks for one serving.

Since we are not making our own sauce, it isn't the absolute cheapest way to make, but it is certainly the fastest. So let's launch into this:

Things you'll need:


1 frying pan (it is better to use a smaller pan with higher sides)
1 small dish (preferably large enough to fit a small chicken breast in)
1 dinner plate
1 glass or nonstick baking dish
1 small pot
1 medium-sized pot
1 strainer
1 stove
1 oven

Ingredients:


1 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (not the crumbly stuff)
1 jar  45 ounces Ragu (or similar brand) pasta sauce (you could go with less, but I tend to get more in case people want more sauce)
1/2 cup olive oil
4 - 5 small raw chicken breasts
1 lb. angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti noodles (or whatever pasta you have on hand)

Step 1.


Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.


Step 2.


Crack the egg into a small dish and add a couple tablespoons of water. This is going to be your egg wash - basically the coating for your chicken breasts to make the bread crumbs stick. You do not have to add the water, but I usually do so that I have enough egg wash for the chicken. Just be sure not to add too much water or else your egg wash will be too thin and won't hold the bread crumbs sufficiently.

Step 3.

Pour the breadcrumbs onto the dinner plate and spread them evenly.

Step 4.


Pour the olive oil into the frying pan. Hopefully you have a pan that is smaller and has higher sides. This type of pan will pool the oil a little better. You don't want too much oil, just enough so that there is between 1/2 and 2/3 of an inch of oil covering the entire bottom of the pan. You do not have to use all of the oil at once, and if you are concerned that you are using too much oil, you can always use less. I tend to use the olive oil liberally because I figure it is better to be 100% sure that the chicken breast won't stick to the pan when I am cooking it.

It is also a little better to use enough oil so that the chicken actually sits down in it a little and actually fries instead of just being seared. It cooks much more evenly if you use more oil.

Now, heat the oil over medium heat. Check on it frequently to make sure it doesn't bur or catch fire. It does not take much heat to cause olive oil to smoke and burn, so be careful.

Step 5. 


Add 4-6 cups of water to your medium-sized pot and add about a teaspoon of salt. Set the pot on the stove and bring it to a boil.

Step 6.


Pour the pasta sauce in the small pot and set it to medium-low heat. Stir it occasionally.

Step 6.


Take each chicken breast and lay it out on a cutting board. Use a large spoon, spatula, or any other kitchen utensil with a flat side and press down on each chicken breast until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick. The meat should start to sort of flake out and get a bit of a separated look about it. Just don't smash it too much or it will come apart. This step is critical in getting your chicken to the right consistency - it also helps the breadcrumb coating to stick.

Step 7. 


Take one chicken breast and coat it evenly on both sides with the egg wash. Then, place it on the plate of breadcrumbs and coat it evenly with the crumbs on both sides. Do this with each of the chicken breasts until all of them are evenly coated with egg wash and bread crumbs.

Step 8.


By now, the olive oil should be hot and you can begin cooking the chicken breasts. You only need to cook them for about a minute or two on each side or until they are golden brown - don't over cook them because we are finishing them in the oven. As you finish cooking each breast in the pan, place it into the baking dish.


Step 9. 

Coat the tops of each piece of chicken with the shredded cheese and then place the chicken into the oven. Cook it for about 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.

Step 10. 


Now you can put the pasta into the water (it should be boiling by now). Angel hair pasta only takes about 4-5 minutes to cook. Spaghetti takes about 8 minutes. In either case, by the time your pasta is done cooking, your chicken should be ready to come out of the oven.

Step 11. 


Take the chicken out of the oven and strain off your pasta, serve the pasta on dinner plates and pour the sauce over the pasta. Place a chicken breast on the side or on top of the pile of pasta.

Step 12. 


Serve hot and enjoy! This dish goes great with a salad and a glass of red wine - if you are of legal age that is ;)