Chicken Parmesan

I never knew how much I loved Chicken Parmesan. Its not something I'm quick to order at a restaurant, nor did I grow up eating it. But I deciding to start making it a few years ago and I really do love it. Its a great company meal because you can make enough for 6-8 as easily as you can make it for 2-4. I love that it has those great Italian flavors, but it isn't as plain as something like spaghetti. Its not too much work but it still has a "wow" factor. Make sense? This is a little bit of a "shake it in until it looks right" recipe in places, so bear with me! Your end result should be amazing no matter what!

Chicken Parmesan
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (this recipe is GREAT with brined chicken!)
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 eggs
1 Tbs water
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning, basil, or oregano (opt)
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Marinara sauce (use this one, or make your own)
Spaghetti noodles

Take chicken breasts, one at a time, and cover with a little plastic wrap. Pound breast to an even thickness using a tenderizing mallet or the handle of a knife. Oftentimes, the pounded chicken will be larger than you want to work with or serve as a single serving, so cut in half if that is the case.

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Place flour in a small bowl and shake in a little salt and pepper to season slightly (measurements in list are approximate!). In a 2nd small bowl, slightly beat the 2 eggs and water. In a 3rd bowl, or on a plate, pour bread crumbs out and season with some Italian seasoning, basil, or oregano for extra flavor. When you're done, you can set up a little assembly line of your bowls.

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Take chicken breasts, one at a time through your assembly line, coat in flour, first. Dip floured chicken into egg mixture to coat. Allow excess to drip off for a second, then dredge through bread crumbs. Place chicken in skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side. You may need to add extra oil when you turn them over, they tend to soak it up. You want the chicken to more or less be cooked through. Place chicken in a baking dish. Cover with marinara sauce and lay sliced mozzarella on top of each piece of chicken. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes to thoroughly heat sauce, melt cheese, and ensure that chicken is done. While chicken is baking, cook your pasta. Serve chicken with hot pasta and extra marinara sauce. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Variation: Use this same recipe and method, but substitute eggplant for the chicken!