Chicken Parm

Last night after reading my friend's blog Stirring up a Dream, I decided to make my very own version of low fat Chicken Parmesan served over Whole Wheat Spaghetti.  The result was truly blog-worthy and will definitely become a weeknight staple.

Low Fat Chicken Parmesan Served Over Whole Wheat Spaghetti

This recipe serves 2 with leftovers for lunch the next day:

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thinly sliced)

3 egg whites, 1 whole egg, whisked together

1/2 cup cornflake crumbs

1/2 cup panko

salt/pepper

1 16 oz jar good quality marinara sauce (I think I used Bertolli and it was great)

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup low fat mozzarella cheese

*1/4 cup grated parmesan

*You can also add some low fat grated swiss cheese

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti

Clean the chicken, removing excess fat (I use a pair of meat scissors which makes the process extremely easy). You can keep the chicken as breasts or else cut them into smaller pieces (like 4-5" squares to cover the bottom of your baking dish). Season with salt pepper.  Have the egg mixture in a bowl ready to go as well as another bowl with the breadcrumbs/panko mixed together.  Dip the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture first, then the eggs (let the excess drip off), and back into the breadcrumbs. You can do this in advance and refrigerate the chicken breasts (covered in foil) until they're ready to be cooked.

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil along with half a tablespoon of butter.  When the butter melts, add the chicken and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side (making sure not to burn the crust).  Flip the chicken and continue cooking until done (about another 3-4 minutes).

In a small glass baking dish (I used Purex), place a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom, and then the chicken breasts, and another layer of marinara and then the cheese.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until heated through. 

About 5 minutes into the baking, boil your pasta which takes 10-12 minutes to make. Reserve a quarter cup of cooking liquid.  Place the finished pasta into a bowl and season with salt/pepper and half the cooking liquid.  Serve on a plate topped with chicken parmesan with extra sauce.  Sprinkle more parmesan on top and enjoy!

Here's an image of last night's dinner (not as pretty as the Food Network's image above):

And if you don't own any pyrex dishes, be sure to invest in the following pieces.  The one in the front is the perfect tool for cooking for 1-3 people and the larger one in the back is a must have when it comes to entertaining. The one on the left is great but not as important (at least to me).

If you're extra ambitious, why don't you cook a few servings of chicken and freeze the leftovers for future use?  Just move the chicken from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before you plan to use it (or else early that morning).  Then all you'll need to do is heat up some marinara and sprinkle with cheese.

PC: Food Network, Pyrex