Baked Chicken Parmesan

Well…I had another one of those days. I had pulled chicken out of the freezer to thaw in the morning with absolutely no plans for said chicken.  The kids were begging for spaghetti and meat sauce, but we had *just* polished off the leftovers from Pastitso (not that the kids would eat it, of course), so I was in no mood for more of what is essentially the same.

So I decided to pull in the spaghetti and the sauce with my chicken and make a baked chicken parmesan instead.

I made a ridiculously easy chicken parmesan a couple years ago, but it’s always been my intention to remake this recipe, but it always takes a surprisingly long time to get back to things!

This was definitely a crowd pleaser.  I wasn’t sure exactly how it would go over since the kids (Dude especially) are pretty partially to Crunchy Onion Chicken Fingers.  But with the spiced breadcrumb coating (you could totally buy seasoned breadcrumbs, but I don’t typically have those on hand, so I made my own), the chicken was flavorful enough for all my little critics.  Plus there was pasta, and they always love pasta!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

¾ cup bread crumbs

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon dried parsley

¼ teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup pasta sauce

Spaghetti noodles, cooked

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

In a shallow baking dish, mix together the breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.

Place the eggs in a separate bowl.  Dip the chicken into the eggs, and then coat with the bread crumb mixture.  Place on the prepared baking sheet. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked to 165 degrees F.  Add a tablespoon of pasta sauce and shredded mozzarella and bake for an additional minute or until melted. 

Serve over a bed of pasta topped with more sauce.