Unbelievably Easy Chicken Parmesan

Crouton Breaded Chicken:

2 (4-oz) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness

1/3 cup reduced-fat buttermilk

Olive oil spray (from a spray bottle, not a store-bought, prefilled one that contains propellant)

1 oz fat-free herb-seasoned croutons



Unbelievably Easy Chicken Parmesan:

2 prepared Crouton Breaded Chicken breasts (from the above recipe)

1/4 cup low-fat marinara sauce (low-sodium, if possible)

1/2 oz (2 ½ tbsp) finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (no more than 3 g of fat per oz)

1 tsp grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese (look for it in a plastic container or jar – not in the refrigerated section)

Crouton Breaded Chicken:

Hands-on Time: 8 minutes
Hands-off Time: 6 hours (or overnight) to marinate; 8-10 minutes to preheat the oven
Makes 2 servings

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts in a medium resealable plastic bag. Pour the buttermilk over them and seal the bag. Let them soak 6 hours, or overnight, turning once or twice.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly mist a small non-stick baking pan or sheet with olive oil spray. Add the croutons to another resealable plastic bag. Pound them into very fine crumbs with the flat side of a meat mallet. Transfer the crumbs to a medium shallow bowl. Remove 1 breast from the bag and let any excess buttermilk drip off. Dip it into the crouton crumbs, covering the breast completely. Place the breaded breast on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second breast. If crumbs remain, press them into the tops of the breasts.

Lightly spray the chicken breasts with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes. Flip them, being careful not to remove the coating. Lightly spray with olive oil and continue to bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the coating is crisp and the chicken is no longer pink inside. Serve immediately.


Unbelievably Easy Chicken Parmesan:

Hands-on Time: 12 minutes
Hands-off Time: 6 hours (or overnight) to marinate, 8 to 12 minutes to preheat the oven

Makes 2 servings

Directions:

Follow the directions for the Crouton Breaded Chicken, using fat-free Italian or Caesar-seasoned croutons instead of the herb-seasoned ones if you can find them (if you can’t, the herb-seasoned ones are a great second choice).

During the last 2 minutes of baking, top each chicken breast with half of the sauce, half of the mozzarella, and half of the parmesan. Bake until the sauce is warm, the cheese is melted, and the chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately.


Number of Servings: 2

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CTOWNSKINNYB.