Economical Dinner Party Recipe~Chicken Parmesan

Short notices from family or friends can cause me to rush around in frustration trying to find ways to entertain. Luckily this time I had more than 24 hours notice. Still...it's a daunting task to plan a small dinner party within a small time frame AND still keep it economical and easy. 

So how do you plan a fabulous dinner party on short notice and still remain in your weekly budget? First, you quickly raid your pantry and refrigerator for items on hand. Unfortunately, beyond baking items and staples, I'm not very savvy at keeping a stocked pantry. It's something I strive to improve. This time however, the news of impending guest struck at the right time. What I had...chicken breast, bread crumbs, tomato sauce, herbs, various shredded cheeses, pasta, and of course salad items. The results, delicious and easy Chicken Parmesan. 

This may not be a traditional Chicken Parmesan but its pretty awesome and received multitudes of raves reviews from our guest. I doubled this recipe for a party of 12.

*Note* I strive not to use prepackaged items, but in a bunch this is what I had on hand for quick dinner fixes in the pantry. Please substitute the jarred sauce for homemade if you will. 

Easy Chicken Parmesan

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

6 cups Italian bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

5 large eggs

3 tablespoons milk

Oil  for frying (I used vegetable)

Olive oil

2 jars prepared Marinara Sauce, your preference

16 oz package of Italian shredded cheese

14 oz package of Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded

 

Cute each piece of chicken in half, then pound each chicken half between two sheets of plastic wrap until its approximately 1/3 inch thick. This helps cut back on messy counters and raw chicken spatters while tenderizing the chicken.

 

In a large bowl, combine salt, pepper and bread crumbs.

 

In a pie dish or large bowl whisk the eggs and milk. *I prefer to use a pie dish for this because it gives you more area room for the meat yet still contains the over spill.

 

Place flour in a plate (*pie dish).

 

Dredge a chicken breast in the flour and shake off any excess. Then dip the chicken piece into the egg/milk mixture and then dredge in the Italian breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any of the excess breading and place to a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

In a large skillet, pour your frying oil until it is 1/2 of an inch deep. Heat over medium heat. Once the oil is heated (sprinkle a tiny drop of water into the oil, if the drop sizzles it is heated, if the oil pops turn down the heat). Fry two breast at a time until golden brown on both sides. Place on paper towels to drain off excess oil.

In a large baking dish, brushed with a small amount of olive oil, pour 1 jar of marinara sauce and cover the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange chicken over the sauce, side by side making sure not to overlap. Sprinkle the Italian shredded cheese over the chicken. The cover with remaining jar of sauce. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until your sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle your mozzarella cheese on top. Place back into the oven just enough for the cheese to melt and slightly brown.

Serve with your favorite pasta, bread sticks and salad.