Katie
Chicken Parmesan is one of my *all time favorite* comfort foods. Ever since I was a little girl, I loved this dish. Tender chicken smothered in marinara sauce and topped with LOTS of melted cheesy goodness…what’s not to love! I have made Chicken Parmesan before, and it can be a bit time-consuming. It also can use almost every pot, pan, and utensil in your kitchen! These are the reasons why I was very excited when I stumbled across this recipe. First, it’s healthier (there’s no frying!). And it has two additional ingredients that I love: ricotta and spinach. Last, it requires way less pots and pans, which means way less dishes!
I certainly changed the recipe up a bit. (I pretty much lost all willpower for a moment and made the recipe slightly less “skinny” and slightly more cheesy!) It was delicious though, so I am okay with the added calories. I also took a shortcut and used jarred marinara sauce (gasp!). If I made this on a weekend, I absolutely would have made my own sauce. But it was a weekday and I’m a busy lady (at least during the school year), so I cut some corners. I mean, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do sometimes!
Start by getting everything ready (aka your mise en place)…
- Preheat your oven to 450°.
- Pour about ½ cup Italian style breadcrumbs onto a shallow dish.
- Add ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese.
- Mix well.
- Crack an egg into a bowl and add a splash of water.
- Whisk the egg well.
- Place ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese into the bottom of a large bowl.
- Add ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese.
- Add 8 tablespoons of ricotta. (I used part-skim to help with the “skinny” aspect of the recipe.)
- Squeeze out one box of defrosted spinach to get rid of any liquid.
- Add the spinach to the cheeses.
- Mix well.
- Coat a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Season 4 chicken cutlets with some s&p.
- Spread the ricotta mixture on top of each cutlet.
- Roll the chicken cutlets up.
- Dip each rolled cutlet into the egg.
- Roll each cutlet around in the breadcrumbs to coat completely.
- Place each rolled cutlet seam-side down in the baking dish.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
- Spoon some marinara sauce on top of each piece of chicken.
- Top each piece with a slice of mozzarella cheese.
- Place back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 3-5 more minutes.
Serve with a nice salad (or pasta if you’re feeling especially devious!). Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
Chicken Parmesan Rollatini with Ricotta & Spinach (serves 4)
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup Italian style breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 egg, beaten with a splash of water
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 box frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry of any liquid
- 4 chicken breast cutlets
- salt
- ground black pepper
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat your oven to 450°.
- Combine the breadcrumbs and half of the Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish.
- Combine the shredded mozzarella, remaining parmesan, ricotta, and spinach in a bowl, mixing well.
- Season the chicken with the salt and pepper on both sides.
- Coat a baking dish with the cooking spray.
- Spread one fourth of the ricotta mixture on top of each chicken breast.
- Roll each chicken breast up.
- Dip the rolled chicken breasts into the egg mixture and coat completely.
- Roll the chicken breasts in the breadcrumb mixture until all sides are coated.
- Place the chicken breasts seam-side down in the baking dish.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
- Top each chicken breast with the marinara sauce.
- Finish each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella.
- Return the baking dish back into the oven and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
