Easy Chicken Parmesan

While we like ramen noodles just as much as the next family, it was time to do some real cooking in this kitchen tonight. A couple of days ago, I had moved chicken breasts from my freezer to fridge to thaw for a recipe that I've my eye on for a while. I meant to make it last night, but 3 minute ramen noodles sounded like a much better option after a hot, busy summer day. Tonight, as the dinner hour rolled around, we trudged home exhausted and water-logged from the neighborhood pool. Again, I had neither the time or ambition to execute this recipe. A quick check of my fridge and pantry also indicated that I was short a few ingredients too. The familiar "I'm hungry" whines had begun not even 2 minutes after we arrived home and I knew that I had 30 minutes or less until my ravenous kiddos would form a mutiny and storm the pantry door. Plus bedtime was quickly approaching. Dinner needed to happen, like, NOW! What to do? Ramen noodles, again? Nah. I quickly shifted gears and came up with this quick, stovetop version of Chicken Parmesan. I needed to use the chicken and I had spaghetti, a jar of marinara, garlic, flour, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. I was set.

I started some water boiling for the pasta and pounded the chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness, then gave them a sprinkle of salt and pepper.



Next, I mixed together a couple of eggs, a few minced garlic cloves, and a dash of hot sauce. The chicken took a dip in the egg mixture and then...



I coated it in equal parts of flour and Parmesan cheese. I also mixed in some spices. Italian seasoning would work fine here...or parsley. I used a dipping spice blend that we usually mix with olive oil for bread.



Then I heated a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and browned the chicken for 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm.



Since I had some mushrooms that needed to be used, I tossed them into the skillet and sauteed them for a few minutes.



I added a jar of marinara to the mushrooms and brought it to a simmer. Then I added the cooked and drained spaghetti. I returned the chicken to the skillet and tossed it all together until coated and heated through.



To top it all off, I sprinkled the mixture with some mozzarella cheese. Then I placed the lid on my skillet until the cheese melted.



Dish it up and sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Quick, easy, and delicious. My family ate this up!



Easy Chicken Parmesan

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
8-12 oz. spaghetti noodles
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic, minced
dash of hot sauce
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons parsley, or a teaspoon of Italian seasoning or dipping spices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced, fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
additional Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Set aside.
2. Combine eggs, garlic, and hot sauce in a shallow dish. Set aside.
3. Combine flour, Parmesan, and spices in separate shallow dish. Set aside.
4. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet.
5. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then dredge in flour mixture.
6. Fry in olive oil for 3-5 minutes per side until the chicken is browned and juices run clear. Remove from skillet. Keep warm.
7. Saute mushrooms in the same skillet until tender. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add cooked pasta and chicken and toss until coated with the sauce. Heat through.
8. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover until cheese melts.
9. Serve topped with additional grated Parmesan.

Some of you expressed curiosity about Forgiveness Clouds. Would you believe that I forgot to take a picture!? I think we have a few leftover. I'll try to snap a picture tomorrow and post about it tomorrow.