Chicken Parmigiana

Dishes like this one are elegant enough to serve company but unpretentious enough to make everyone feel comfortable. Prepping your ingredients in advance (mise en place) will make this recipe easier to prepare. If you have stale bread on hand, make a batch of your own seasoned bread crumbs, and store them in your freezer, for use with eggs, fish, or other pasta dishes.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash black pepper
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/4 pounds)
• 1/3 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (1 ounce)
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

directions

1. For sauce, in a medium saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot butter until onion is tender. Carefully stir in the undrained tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Stir in basil. Keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, with a meat mallet, pound each chicken breast half between two pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thickness.
3. In a shallow dish stir together bread crumbs, the 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and oregano. In another bowl stir together the egg and milk. Dip chicken breast halves in egg mixture, then in crumb mixture to coat. In a 12-inch skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Transfer chicken to a serving platter.
4. Spoon sauce over chicken. Top with shredded mozzarella and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Let stand about 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Makes 4 servings.
5. Veal Parmigiana: Prepare as above, except substitute 1 pound boneless veal sirloin steak or boneless veal leg round steak, cut 1/2-inch thick for the chicken breast halves. Cut meat into 4, serving-size pieces and pound to 1/4-inch thickness as above.
6. Creamy Tomato Chicken Parmigiana: Prepare as above, except after simmering the sauce for 10 minutes or to desired consistency, slowly add 3 tablespoons whipping cream, half-and-half, or light cream, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 3 minutes more and then stir in the basil. Nutrition Facts per 3 ounces chicken + 1/3 cup sauce: 418 cal., 24 g total fat (9 g sat. fat), 152 mg chol., 715 mg sodium, 15 g carbo., 1 g fiber, 34 g pro. Daily Values: 11% vit. A, 24 % vit. C, 19% calcium, 11% iron. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 4 1/2 Very Lean Meat, 4 Fat.