Baked Chicken Parmesan

I made this last Friday night. It is sooooooo good. It's easy to make. Tastes great. And it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. PLUS you probably have most of the ingredients on hand. Those are my favorite recipes.  It's a home run. Which is what SF Giants will hopefully do tonight. Geez Louise. They're making Don nuts. They better win!!!!! But back to this winner of a chicken dinner.

Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.

Crunchy chicken. Sweet, flavorful tomato sauce. It doesn't get much better than this. I know the picture is not doing it justice. I was in a hurry. No time for getting fancy. I had hungry people to feed.

I made a few of the chicken breasts without the breadcrumbs for Elli and her friend. One, I wasn't sure they would like the mustard, and two, her friend has Celiac disease. So I just sauteed the chicken for them. No crispy panko breadcrumbs for her.

Don and I immediately knew this was something we would make again. For one, my hubby with his southern roots is a SUCKER for crispy chicken. And the mustard gave it a mysterious delicious flavor that you couldn't quite identify. But it worked so well with the sauce. It was awesome!

So whatever you do, don't leave out the secret ingredient. I used this mustard from Trader Joe's. I highly recommend it.

Now. For those of you that don't like mustard, like my mom who's going to read this and say "yuck." And my dad will read this and say "yum." Don't dismiss the recipe because of the mustard. Don't do it! I say go for it mom. You just might be surprised! If you don't like it you can give me a razz in the comments.

So here's the link to the recipe. The only thing I did that is different from the recipe (and HIGHLY recommend) is using Panko instead of regular bread crumbs. You can find them in the Asian section at the grocery store. They might be in baking section too, with regular breadcrumbs. The Safeway here has it in both places.

The recipe is from Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes. She has amazing recipes. Some of my favorites from her are Lemon Bread recipe and Chicken Piccata. Her Lemon Bread is sooooooooo yummy. Oooh. I wish I had some now.


Chicken Parmesan

Tomato Sauce:
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Salt and ground black pepper

Chicken:
3 T. whole grain Dijon mustard
1 T. white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 T. unsalted butter, melted

1. In a large saucepan, heat the garlic and oil together over medium high heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until sauce thickens, about 10-12 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

1. Cut each chicken breast half in half for smaller pieces. With a meat pounder, pound the chicken pieces to flatten them to an even thickness - between 1/4 - 1/2 inch.
2. Whisk together mustard, vinegar, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl, add the chicken pieces, tossing to coat well.
3. In another bowl, mix together the panko, grated cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix well and add in the melted butter. Transfer to a shallow plate. Dredge the chicken pieces 1 piece at a time in the crumb mixture, coating completely. Press the crumbs in gently to adhere and transfer to a stick-free baking sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
4. Serve with a side of rice or pasta. Ladle sauce over the chicken.