Easy Cheesy Baked Chicken Parmesan
Easy cheesy baked chicken parmesan, crusted in toasted panko and perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Ben and I love this for those busy nights, and when we need comfort food that doesn’t make us feel guilty!
There are three things I am absolutely terrified of. Okay fine, four. One of them I am doing today, or more accurately, probably right now – flying, to Houston no less. But the other three of the other fears came together and slapped me in a way that only the universe could a couple of days ago…
Fear one involves being humiliated in front of others.
Fear two, slugs.
And nothing can render me utterly helpless, whiney, and leave me wanting my mommy so much as scraping my knee.
Then Wednesday it all happened. It all started off well and good, with a gentle run to see how Huck would be as my new running partner. At 6 years old, he’s mature enough to handle the responsibility of being my protector on the pavement and cheer leader for every step. How wrong I was.
Just as only the universe could do, we had picked up the pace to a gentle jog when out of nowhere, five cars came whizzing by, I tripped on the lip in the concrete sidewalk and Huck decided that that tree, that one right there was the perfect tree to take a leak on and yanked me in the other direction.
Somehow that one second happened so quickly, yet took an eternity – and there I was realizing I was on the ground with a dog at the end of his leash, peeing on a tree, and with hands and knees that looks like burger, five cars full of witnesses – and a slug right next to me. A SLUG.
Lip quivering, voice shaking, and sitting on the wet concrete with slug by my side, giving me a side eye and a casual “Hey, what’s up”, I got up, whispered “mommy”, and just trudged home sniffling and bloody. Have you ever seen Emperor’s New Groove and a sniveling llama Cuzco? Think that, in Megan form.
So, once it all heals, I’ll be back at it again with Huck. Maybe it will go better next time. I’ll just make sure the sidewalk is level and there are no trees around. Or slugs.
This easy cheesy chicken parmesan is one of Ben’s and my favorite chicken dishes. It’s quick for a week night dinner, healthy, and not fried, and still covered in cheese. I love this dish – it’s equal parts cozy and healthy, and perfect for any mood.
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Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Easy cheesy baked chicken parmesan, crusted in toasted panko and perfect for busy weeknight dinners. It’s comfort food without the guilt!
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 2 cups Panko crumbs
- 1 ½ Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 3 Tbsp Milk
- ¼ cup Flour
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ cup Spaghetti Sauce
- ¾ cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a non-stick skillet, add in olive oil. When heated, pour in panko crumbs and stir to coat in olive oil. Stir until the crumbs turn golden brown. Remove from heat and pour into a shallow bowl or a plate.
- In two other dishes or plates, to one add in flour and stir in the cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and garlic powder. To the other dish whisk together the eggs and milk to form a mixture.
- Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken breast into two fillets, cutting it horizontally. If there are thick sides, use a meat tenderizer to ensure that the chicken is of even thickness.
- Then, dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture, then the egg wash, and then coat in the panko. Place each chicken breast on to a non stick baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes until the chicken reaches 160 degrees. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, remove the chicken and top with spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese. Then place back in the oven to finish cooking.
- Serve immediately.
Oh no! I’ve tripped over a couple of times in the last few years and grazed my knee and there is nothing more painful! I hope you make a speedy recovery. Definitely putting these chicken parmesan on the ‘to make’ list – it looks like something we’d really enjoy!
My husband is obsessed with chicken parm and wants it pretty much every night, so I am definitely going to try this lighter version!!
If there is easy and cheesy in the title…I am ALL in. 100% in. This looks fab, and I love that it’s lighter! You win.
Oh no!!! I’ve gotten to the point now where I am super paranoid and cautious when taking my dogs out because they are just SOO unpredictable. 🙁 Hope you’re not too sore. I’m sure this cheesy dinner helped!
Oh my gosh, THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE! That’s only, like, one of my top 3 movies of all time. 🙂 Ok, sorry to hear though about your knee. This chicken parm sounds like the perfect medicine to me.
And Kuzkotopia is now going on my weekend watch list. 🙂
Oh NO! I hope you recover fast my friend! Ps.. this is one of my favorite meals ever!
Oh my gosh! That story is terrible! What a way to welcome you to jogging.
Ryder is such a good jogging partner except for the fact that he likes to pee about 15 times!!! I love boy dogs but damn it gets old! Sometimes it’s almost comical how many times he’ll pee on a walk/jog. I feel your pain, girl.
This looks fab-u-looo!
The way you wrote that story was so great, and made me giggle a little {not at you of course}. It’s awesome that you’re taking your dog on runs with you. When I take my dog out and lets say fall {which has happened quite a few times} instead of coming over to me immediately to see if I’m ok like i’d like her to, she jerks the leash in the other direction and side steps away, so then I have to worry that she’ll run away – not helpful! haha
The recipe and photos look awesome, can’t wait to try them!
I ran with my dog 7 years ago and that was the last time. She’s tiny though and pooped out after two blocks.
Ugh so sorry to hear you tripped! I’m famous for tripping on my runs, I’ve never had the pleasure of doing it with a dog though. The recipe and photos look awesome can’t wait to try it!
You poor dear. I’ve been in a similar situation, only with bees. I. Hate. Bees. This chicken parm looks like it could make everything better. Mmm, cheese!
Isn’t that always how it happens, everything happens all at once! Hope your knee is recovering well :)This chicken parm is just perfect for those crummy days – comforting and cheesy, that’s all I need to put a smile back on my face.
This looks incredible!! I so wish this could be dinner!
Hope your knee is recovering. I saw the instagram pick. OUCH!
Seriously, I got the best ab workout from reading this post. I hope you are OK, but you tell this with such humor, I’m dying laughing.
You are not along in your fears–I took a mega spill last summer while (barely) jogging and still have the scar to prove it!
I hope you are feeling better after that fall! This is how I like to make my chicken parm too, so tasty!
Awww, you definitely deserved yummy comfort food after that! I love Chicken Parmesan too; my recipe is from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. I’m not sure if you’ve already done this, but your recipe is easily adaptable to make homemade chicken fingers but just cutting the chicken into strips before you coat it. Anyway, this looks delicious!
Aren’t Panko bread crumbs the best?! This recipe does seem easy 🙂 Love that you admitted your fears coming true! We have all been there right?! I always say to myself it could always be worse 😉 haha Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
This chicken dish is right up my alley! In case you round into any more slugs..Beer left in a dish with a lip will give any slugs lights out!
A friend told me that when you take the dog for a walk, it’s for him. When you take him for a run, it’s for you and that they need to learn when it is your time and their time. Our sheltie is still learning and a similar incident with tripping and humiliation is somewhere very near in my future. Sorry that happened, it sucks! But at least there is this chicken parm to come home to! It looks fab!
Hope your knee is recovering! This is one of my all time favorite dishes for sure!
I HATE slugs, too. Gross!! But I LOVE this chicken parm…just printed it off to make for my family soon!
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You poor thing…I enjoyed your story as you wrote it so well and had me laughing and cringing at the same time (not at you but with you). As this happened last year, I hope you’ve recovered 100% from the ordeal. 🙂
I luv chicken parm but don’t make it enough – next time will be trying it your way. 😉
hahah I am fully recovered – and with a new vehicle haha
Ouch! That sounds like a nasty fall! Your quick comfort food sounds like the perfect meal….but if I were you, I might have taken a pass on cooking that night!
I usually fry my chicken parm on the stovetop, but this looks much easier! I need to give it a try next time.
The perfect comfort food! Love this simple oven-baked rendition!
I could so go for this right now. Healthy and baked is a plus! Love the color on that plate. I just found a baking sheet in that color!
You made a classic into a simple weeknight dinner. Good job!
Slugs? 🙂 I hope the scrape wasn’t too bad and that you’ll be out on the road with Hank again soon! In the meantime, I think you picked a perfect comfort food to help you recover. It looks delicious.