Back to School Dinner: Parmesan Chicken

Since it’s the start of the school year, I thought I should post some kid-friendly recipes that will also appeal to adults.  Tonight I made Tim this wonderfully simple but delicious chicken cutlet recipe served over greens with a lemony vinaigrette.

Just a couple of comments…I didn’t have seasoned breadcrumbs so I just added some Italian seasoning to the breadcrumbs.  I also ran out of butter so I just used 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Make sure not to crowd the cutlets when cooking them.  Cook them in batches if you need to.  Lastly, I added some cucumbers and tomatoes to the salad.

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The cutlets were very tasty and went perfectly with the greens.  This will definitely satisfy both kids and adults!

Parmesan Chicken
Barefoot Contessa

  • 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
  • Unsalted butter
  • Good olive oil
  • Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
  • 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Yield: 6 servings



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