Jan here, with a quick, easy meal that most families love....
I've shared this recipe before, but I knew I had to dig it out again when my family protested over a new recipe I tried (we all disliked it, so I'm not sharing it here!) Sometimes, the old stand-by's are the best.
Baked Chicken Parmesan is perfect for a busy day. It takes about 10 minutes to put it together, stick it in the oven for an hour (rack up some more words for your daily word count), and then spend about 15 minutes at the end of the hour fixing the side dishes and setting the table.
Perfect, right?
So here's the recipe:
Baked Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast for each member of your family
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (or bread crumbs with basil, oregano, garlic and parsley mixed in)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (use the powdery kind for this dish - not the more expensive fresh)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Step one: melt the butter - Preheat your oven to 350°. Put the butter and olive oil in a 9x13" baking dish, and put it in the oven to let the butter melt while the oven is heating up.
Step two: prepare the chicken - I buy boneless chicken breasts that are HUGE. Too big for one person. So I cut them in half top to bottom, making two nice sized chicken breasts half as thick as the original.
Step three: prepare the crumb mixture - Measure the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and garlic onto a plate and mix with a fork.
Check the oven - is your butter melted?
Step four: with tongs or a fork, coat the chicken on both sides with the butter/olive oil, then dredge in crumbs/cheese mixture, then place in the baking dish.
Step five: bake - cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more.
And you're done!
If you want to make the prep even quicker, coat the chicken in the butter/olive oil, and then sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the chicken.
This same recipe is also great for chicken nuggets. Just cut the chicken breasts into chunks, put the crumbs in a bag, put your chicken chunks in and shake. Arrange evenly in a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve with pasta tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese, your favorite vegetable and a salad.
Now that supper is taken care of, I'm sure you're wondering about the Black Hills Car Wash.
I have mixed feelings about this one. The attendants work for free, but they don't really do a very good job.
You see, we had a blizzard last week. By Thursday, warm weather had returned and everything was melting. That means that the salt and slush are heavy on the roads...and on the cars! So we headed to Custer State Park in hopes of a free car wash.
We were just in time! The crew was out and ready to work!
This little one is less than a year old. Just beginning to learn the ropes.
Meanwhile, Mama appears on the driver's side, ready to get to work.
She starts in on the back door. Yum!
Then moves to the front door...my dear husband's side of the truck.
Here she is, working away, but suddenly...
Wait! Is that a person inside this moving salt block???
She decides hubby isn't a threat and gets back to business.
We wait patiently while the car wash crew finishes its business (what else are we going to do?), then we go on our way as they move on to the next customer.
The car behind us was a little sub-compact with Texas plates. I wondered what they thought of this impromptu car wash!
Would you want to take your car to our Black Hills Car Wash?
Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.
1 chicken breast for each member of your family
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (or bread crumbs with basil, oregano, garlic and parsley mixed in)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (use the powdery kind for this dish - not the more expensive fresh)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Step one: melt the butter - Preheat your oven to 350°. Put the butter and olive oil in a 9x13" baking dish, and put it in the oven to let the butter melt while the oven is heating up.
Step two: prepare the chicken - I buy boneless chicken breasts that are HUGE. Too big for one person. So I cut them in half top to bottom, making two nice sized chicken breasts half as thick as the original.
Step three: prepare the crumb mixture - Measure the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and garlic onto a plate and mix with a fork.
Check the oven - is your butter melted?
Step four: with tongs or a fork, coat the chicken on both sides with the butter/olive oil, then dredge in crumbs/cheese mixture, then place in the baking dish.
Step five: bake - cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more.
And you're done!
If you want to make the prep even quicker, coat the chicken in the butter/olive oil, and then sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the chicken.
This same recipe is also great for chicken nuggets. Just cut the chicken breasts into chunks, put the crumbs in a bag, put your chicken chunks in and shake. Arrange evenly in a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve with pasta tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese, your favorite vegetable and a salad.
Now that supper is taken care of, I'm sure you're wondering about the Black Hills Car Wash.
I have mixed feelings about this one. The attendants work for free, but they don't really do a very good job.
You see, we had a blizzard last week. By Thursday, warm weather had returned and everything was melting. That means that the salt and slush are heavy on the roads...and on the cars! So we headed to Custer State Park in hopes of a free car wash.
We were just in time! The crew was out and ready to work!
Meanwhile, Mama appears on the driver's side, ready to get to work.
She starts in on the back door. Yum!
Then moves to the front door...my dear husband's side of the truck.
Here she is, working away, but suddenly...
Wait! Is that a person inside this moving salt block???
She decides hubby isn't a threat and gets back to business.
We wait patiently while the car wash crew finishes its business (what else are we going to do?), then we go on our way as they move on to the next customer.
The car behind us was a little sub-compact with Texas plates. I wondered what they thought of this impromptu car wash!
Would you want to take your car to our Black Hills Car Wash?
Jan the first time I went to this carwash it was with your dear son in his little Subaru! I had never been that close to buffalo and it was so much fun. Maybe a little scary at first!
ReplyDeleteOur first time was a few years ago. We weren't quite sure what was happening - the bison usually ignore the traffic. But this time of year, they love us. :-)
DeleteBut Jan, did you tip the attendants? ;) This dish looks yummy, by the way. Comfort food.
ReplyDeleteRules of the Black Hills Car Wash:
Delete1) Leave your windows rolled up at all times.
2) Car wash employees do not receive payment or tips.
3) DO NOT try to pet the car wash employees!!!
LOL!
And yes, this recipe is pure comfort food. You can also make it low-carb friendly by using almond meal or an almond meal/flax meal blend instead of the bread crumbs. :-)
Jan, you're making my stomach growl!! That looks amazing. I think if I had to pick one food I couldn't ever give up, it would be parmesan cheese. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL on the photo captions! :) I bet it was truly shocking for the Texans! haha
I made this dish often when everyone was still living at home. Super easy and super delicious! And not too heavy. :-)
DeleteI've been wondering about those Texans. We had passed them earlier when they were pulled over by the side of the road. They were so excited about taking pictures of some bison about 1/4 mile away - what did they do when they came right up to the car? An unforgettable trip for them!
That is hilarious, but I think I would be terrified!
ReplyDeleteAs long as you don't try to touch them, you're fine! They are awesome, powerful creatures, though. Many visitors think they're docile, like cows, but they aren't. :-)
DeleteI have made this chicken often, my family loves it, Jan! BUT THE CAR WASH!!!! OH MYLANTA. THAT'S THE BEST!!!!! I'm dying laughing because the white tailed deer don't come out and lick salt off our cars.... I think they're missing a big treat!
ReplyDeleteThis is the best!!!!!