It’s such a cold and windy day I decided to create one of my favorite comfort food dishes.
Chicken Parmigiana is one of those hearty dishes that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy!
Crispy chicken, from scratch tomato meat sauce, pasta and lots of mozzarella cheese.
Yes folks, this is real deal comfort food, Italian style.
First, I whipped up a batch of my famous pasta sauce.
It’s really simple, I use ground turkey and fresh andouille sausage, casing removed.
If you can’t find fresh andouille sausage fresh Italian sausage does the job.
Next, it’s all about the crunchy chicken!
I flattened the chicken using a saran wrapped cutting board and a can I found in the pantry.
Don’t forget to top the chicken with another piece of saran wrap.
You could also use a freezer bag, which BTW is a lot easier.
Lastly, you’re going to dredge the chicken in flour, egg, and panko!
Yes, the crunch comes from the Japanese bread crumbs.
I sauteed the chicken in a little extra virgin olive oil for about 3-4 minutes per side.
Now it’s time to build our dish.
Ladle sauce in the bottom of an oven proof dish.
Top with chicken and top the chicken with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
Now it’s time to serve over hot pasta and even more cheese and sauce if desired.
I like to add sauce on top right before serving because I am all about having a crunch in every bite.
If you top with the sauce while baking you lose some of that crunchy goodness!
Oh, don’t forget the garlic bread and maybe a side salad.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken bread, boneless, skinless, 1 1/2 inch thickness
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon creole seasoning
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- extra virgin olive oil
- ball of mozzarella
- spaghetti cooked according to package directions.
- 3 cups Panko bread crumbs
- 3 cups flour
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 teaspoons creole seasoning
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 lb andouille sausage, fresh, casing removed
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1/2 bunch Italian parsley, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 6oz. can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon creole seasoning or seasoning salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Prepare the pasta sauce first.
- Rinse chicken, pat dry and flatten using a freezer bag or saran wrap and a heavy object such as a mallet.
- In 3 separate bowls add panko, beaten eggs, and flour.
- Mix seasoning blend and divide between the three bowls and mix well.
- Dip chicken into flour, coating well, shake off excess flour, place into egg, coat well and let excess egg drip off, place into panko, coat well and press panko lightly into chicken, repeat with all the chicken breast.
- In a large soup pot heated over medium heat add 2 tablespoon of olive oil, add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add ground turkey and andouille sausage and break apart. Season with 1 tablespoons of seasoning blend and cook until browned about 15 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and mix well, cook for 5 more minutes. Season with 1 tablespoon more of spice blend and mix well. Add tomato sauce and chicken broth, season with remaining seasoning blend and mix well.
- Lower heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chopped parsley and mix well and allow sauce to cook about 15 more minutes.
- Place about 2 cups of sauce in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.
- Top with chicken, and slices of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes while you prepare the spaghetti.
- Top cooked spaghetti with the chicken and ladle more sauce on top if desired.
