Lemon-Herb Parmesan Chicken

This chicken recipe is so quick and easy that it is a perfect weeknight meal. And it is so delicious that my kids like it almost as well as my Southern Fried Chicken, which is saying a ton, y'all. As you can see from the plate above and the one at the end, it is quick enough for a "throw together" meal, so my plating pictures are not anything fancy. Add a nice salad fresh from the garden and some deliciously chewy naan bread (recipe coming soon :) and you have a people-pleasing meal in no time!

You start out with 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. And they are so huge now, that I cut them lengthwise through the middle to make two fillets. This also significantly cuts down on cooking time, another bonus!

Then you will place your chicken slice in a bag (to prevent raw meat spatters) and pound it out to about 1/4 inch with a rolling pin. Please don't use one of those ridged meat hammers, if that's all you have, turn it to the flat side.

Here I have flattened it, and you can see it is half the thickness and twice the size. And I'll let you in on a little secret- our eyes fool our tummies. I pounded chicken and pork into "paillards" all through the boys growing up and they ate less meat. Seriously, they would say, "Whoa, that's a big hunk of meat!", when they usually would eat two that size. These just looked bigger. You're welcome, moms of boys!

This was originally a Barefoot Contessa recipe, but I do things a tad differently. One of the things is that I don't grate the Parmesan myself. No, this is not because I am one of those people who prefer processed, packaged foods to doing the work myself. A big wedge of real Parmesan from Aldi is a staple in my fridge. But for this recipe I get the jar of already shredded. Remember how this is a time-saver for the last minute meal? This keeps in the pantry till you suddenly need it. This is REAL cheese, but like real tomatoes, and real tuna, when canned it is pantry safe. If you want to grate your own, sugar, you just go for it! I also get the cheap Panko at Walmart. DO NOT USE REGULAR BREADCRUMBS. I know that The Contessa uses them, but in my humble opinion  regular breadcrumbs get soggy and do not make a nice crust. The reason my kids like this, and compare it to fried chicken, is the crunch. Panko is the way to go when you want crispness. And last, you want two lemons- pick ones with nice skins because you want the lovely zest from these. This is also my addition to the recipe and it lightens the richness of the cheese and crust.

Into a baking dish:
zest two lemons
1 and 1/4 cups Seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp of Herb de Provence or Italian seasoning (this is also my addition, I felt it was lacking in seasoning)

In a pie pan or med dish, mix 1 cup of flour with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. In another dish, beat two eggs with 1 tablespoon water till completely combined. Now here is a tip-you can do all this ahead of time. Yep. Put the chicken in a bag, cover the eggs with wrap, and pop in the fridge. Cover the two breadings with cling wrap and leave on the counter. Now you are all set for when you need to throw supper together!

When you are ready to cook, turn the oven on 200 degrees. Lay out a cookie sheet to put the breaded chicken onto. Coat the meat with flour. Then dredge in egg wash. Do it thoroughly, the delicious cheesy breading will not cling anywhere there is not egg. Then press the meat into your pan of Panko mix so that it really adheres, and place on the sheet.

Look at the spices and cheese shreds, yum!! When you have all the chicken breaded, heat a large skillet (mine is a 12 inch cast iron. Cast iron is the greatest!) and add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. The oil helps the butter not to burn and also cuts down on the fat of using all butter. But the butter lends a delicious taste and helps with browning. Fry this on med-high for 2-3 minutes per side.

When both sides are nicely browned, place the cooked chicken on a sheet in the preheated oven to keep warm and continue with the rest of the meat. Add more butter and oil as needed to cook further batches.

Now, the Barefoot Contessa tops her chicken with a mixed salad drizzled with lemon vinaigrette. I did my own plate that way, instead of putting the salad to the side like the topmost picture. But that is not something the rest of my family would go for. Which is one of the reasons why I incorporated the lemon into the breading itself. This recipe is simple, quick, and delicious- though I admit it makes some dirty dishes due to the multiple steps of breading. Always thanking the good Lord for my dishwasher! (No, there is no joking at all in that statement. I literally thank Him for giving someone the vision to make one all the time ;)

But the benefits outweigh the dirty dishes. The meat is rich with nutty cheese flavor, has a great crunch, and a light tang of lemon to cut the fried taste. It is something that everyone at my table has loved, and that is saying a lot, Dear Reader! And because you can prep every step long beforehand, you can spend the extra time making side dishes and desserts. Above I paired it with Smoked Gouda Roasted Garlic Au Gratin Taters. Wow, folks, that one is a stunner for the taste buds! And yes, I have pictures and recipe to share, my hands simply haven't put the two together yet. But back to the chicken... How could I forget to say that it is super moist and tender?! You pound out the meat, which breaks down muscle and tendon, and then you cook it quickly to preserves moisture and tenderness. This chicken is fork-tender bites of yumminess! If you try this, let me know what you think about my changes. And if you switch it up and find it delightful, let me know what kind of magic you worked on it. Thanks for reading, sugar!