Friends,

If you’ve been missing the recipe portion of CanYouStayforDinner?, the only person I can blame it on is, you know who, my mother.

Though I can’t quite put my finger on what it is exactly, I’m sure there’s some misstep she took as a parent that lead me to my Intermittent Recipe Posting Dysfunction (IRPD).

Working through it,

Andie

The best part about this dish, as with all of my Italian recipes, is the marinara. In fact, it’s not even my recipe; it’s one I openly shoplifted from PJ, my stepdad. And it’s the thickest, sweetest, most full-bodied red sauce. If you love a hearty, rich sauce with a highly concentrated tomato flavor, you will never spend another second fiddling with other recipes once you try this one: My Favorite Meatballs and Sauce

The secret to achieving the authentic taste of your favorite breaded and shallowly fried chicken cutlets- to achieving the rich flavor of that oil drenched crust- is searing it in a thin pool of olive oil and then baking it in the oven to cook it all the way through.  What most baked versions of traditionally fried foods lack is that lovely and satisfying fatty flavor. Here, you don’t have to sacrifice; you don’t have to forego flavor for lightness’ sake.

Another secret? Marinating the chicken in buttermilk. Tender, tender, tender.

Lighter Baked Chicken Parmesan

• Two, 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
• 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of Perfect Marinara sauce
• 1 ounce fresh mozzarella
• fresh basil, for garnish

1. Combine chicken and buttermilk in a shallow bowl or a resealable plastic bag. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk marinade and press each side into the breadcrumbs to evenly coat.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high. Add the chicken breasts and sear on each side for 3 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken and place on a flat baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.
5. Divide the sauce, followed by the cheese, among the two chicken breasts and return the chicken on the baking sheet to the oven to allow the cheese to melt.
6. Garnish with fresh basil and pasta or any low calorie/low carb spaghetti alternative 

Serves 2

Nutrition information for 1 serving (half of recipe): Calories 427.7   Total Fat 16.9 g   Sodium 1,041.6 mg   Total Carbohydrate 20.4 g Fiber 4.0 g Sugars 8.0 g   Protein 47.2 g

Tagged as: baked, chicken, dinner for two, Italian, light