Chicken Parmigiana

My husband requests this for his birthday dinner every year.  (He prefers eating in on his birthday to eating out).  I've made it pretty often in the past, so I don't really need a recipe anymore.  This is an easy recipe, yet it's impressive, too, and very yummy.  I used to make my own pasta sauce, but in the last year or so, I've used a jarred pasta sauce.  It tastes very similar and saves me a lot of time.  (I like the Classico brand of pasta sauces). 

Last time I made this, the only chicken I had on hand was boneless, skinless chicken tenders, and it was so good that way.  It did take a little more time to make, since I had to cook them in batches on the stove, but they were so tender they didn't need pounding, and they cooked in less time.  If you want a really tender dish, and you're using regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts, you will want to pound them before you start cooking. 

Chicken Parmigiana

by What A Dish!

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 7-9 chicken tenders

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

2/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling on chicken

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jar (24-26 ounces) pasta sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

hot cooked angel hair pasta

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  In a large, shallow bowl, beat the egg and milk together.  In another large, shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning together. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the olive oil.  One by one, dip a chicken breast (or chicken tender) into the milk/egg mixture, let drain briefly, and then dredge into the bread crumb mixture.  Make sure the bread crumbs are coating all sides.  Lower the chicken ino the hot pan.  Repeat until the pan is full (but not too full- don't crowd it.  You may have to work in batches).  Cook and brown the chicken about 5 minutes on each side; longer for breasts. 

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray; dump the whole jar of pasta sauce into the baking dish.  Lay the browned chicken on top of the pasta sauce in a single layer.  Sprinkle with extra Parmesan, and all of the mozzarella.  Bake for about 10 minutes, for chicken tenders, and 15-20 minutes for breasts.  Use an meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is done all the way through.  (Should read 165-170 degrees F). 

Serve chicken and sauce over cooked pasta. 

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