Classic Chicken Parm

Done to perfection!

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

-Pat the chicken breast dry and filet them in half so you end up with 2 equally sized, thin cutlets. -In a small cookie sheet or baking dish, mix the flour, oregano and garlic powder then set aside. In another, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk then set aside. Lastly, combine the bread crumbs with the parmesan cheese. Season all three dishes with a bit of salt and pepper and mix. -Set the dishes out as follows: chicken, flour, egg, breadcrumb. We wil now bread each piece of chicken by lightly dipping it in flour, shaking off any excess, then briefly into the egg mixture. Allow any extra egg mix to fall off the chicken, then dip it into the breadcrumb mixture, patting it well to adhere the coating. Repeat with all pieces and refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to one hour.

Step 2

-In a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium high heat then brown the garlic and onions well, stirring frequently. -Once nicely caramelized, add all the dry seasonings and toast them for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. -Carefully add in the tomato products and the basil, lower the heat to low, and simmer for at least 1 hour. season with salt and pepper and add the balsamic vinegar after one hour, then continue to simmer until ready to assemble.

Step 3

-Set your oven to 350* -In a cast iron or heavy bottomed pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, gently place 2-3 pieces of chicken in and brown nicely on both sides, roughly 3 minutes per side. Work in batches and allow the browned pieces to drain on paper towel while working on browning the remaining chicken. -Once all the chicken is browned, we can assemble the dish. Layer a thick layer of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish, then in a shingled patter, lay one piece of chicken followed by 1 slice of mozzarella and 1-2 basil leaves. Continue layering until all chicken is in the pan. Add as much more sauce as you'd like, or reserve the rest to serve with pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining fresh grated parmesan then bake at 350* for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the chicken is cooked all the way through. -Sprinkle with the remaining torn basil and serve!