The baked chicken Parmesan inspiration came from peering into my freezer and refrigerator just long enough to take an inventory of items available and most importantly needing to be used in my preparation of dinner this day, or used to make dog food tomorrow, or thrown out (an option I prefer to avoid).
I love going to Central Market and purchasing organic vegetables. Often purchasing more than I can easily use within their shelf life resulting in cherry tomatoes and bell peppers past their time to be included in a salad. So, I thought, what can I do with tomatoes and bell peppers? I could make Chili, but I did that last week. I could make soup, but I am going out of town in a couple of days and I don't want a lot of left overs. Hm, what else do I have available to me? Whole wheat pasta, 5 cheese tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, I have inspiration! Do I want to follow a recipe or make it up as I go? Make it up! Now off to the store to get a few more items.
The meal was put together while listening to Jazz streaming from KKJZ, Los Angeles public radio and drinking a cup of toffee flavored coffee with honey and cream.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Healthy
- Quick-n-Easy
- Main Dish
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons roasted garlic flavored extra virgin olive oil (Garlic Gold)
1/2 cup onion diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper diced
4 cloves fresh garlic
1 cup tomatoes diced
Whole wheat spaghetti
1 jar Bertoli 5 cheese tomato sauce
1/2 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese, grated
Prepare pasta per instructions. Wash and dry chicken breasts, lay aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking dish with foil. Preheat iron skillet 1 minute, add butter and both olive oils, melt butter and stir together then add chicken breasts and cover. Saute chicken breasts for about 5 minutes, turning as needed. Keep heat low enough to not burn the butter. Remove skillet from heat. Cover the breasts with Italian bread crumbs, place on foil pan and bake in oven 20 to 40 minutes. I always slice into the breasts after 20 minutes, if they are juicy but not pink they are done. If you need to return them to the oven, cover them with foil so they can continue baking while retaining their juices. While the chicken breasts are in the oven, prepare your veggies. Reheat skillet with oils, add veggies (except the spinach) and saute for about 3 minutes, then add the spinach and saute for one minute, add the tomato sauce and simmer until the chicken is done or about 5 minutes. Debone the chicken breast by cutting making 1/2 inch slices straight down the chicken breasts to the bone, then run your knife along the bone and you end up with 5 or so strips of meat. To serve, place the spaghetti on a plate, put your chicken breast on top of the spaghetti then cover both with your sauce mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and enjoy.
