Foody Friday - Chicken Parmesan

Fridays have been crazy around here recently, so I haven't participated in Foody Friday for the past few weeks. This week Jenny has selected Company Food as the theme, so I am joining in with Chiseled Chicken Parmesan. I first saw this recipe being made on the show called Healthy Decadence with Devin Alexander, and I like it because it is relatively healthy. As usual, I always tweak it to suit our taste....I think that the breadcrumb mixture needs A LOT more flavor, so I usually throw in paprika, red pepper, garlic salt, whatever I can grab to jazz it up.


Chiseled Chicken Parmesan


Olive oil spray
2 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoons flour
1/2 tablespoon reduced-fat Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg white
1/2 tablespoon fat free milk
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup low-fat marinara sauce (or more to taste)
1/2 cup finely shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 ounce reduced-fat Parmesan cheese or 1 ounce finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly mist a non-stick baking sheet with spray.
Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and, using the flat side of a meat mallet (a heavy rolling pin will also work), pound them until they are an even 1/3-inch thickness working from the center outward. In a medium, shallow bowl, mix the flour, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.

Make sure the chicken is as dry as possible (without actually drying it) and dip one piece into the flour mixture until it is coated on all sides. Shake off any excess flour and place the breast on a dinner plate. Repeat with the second breast then place it on the plate next to the first breast. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a second shallow bowl, use a fork to lightly beat the egg white with the milk. In a third, shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the parsley. Dip the floured chicken breasts, one at a time into the egg mixture. Allow any excess egg to drip from the chicken (this is important or breadcrumbs will clump) then coat it with breadcrumbs. Dip it back into the egg then back into the breadcrumbs. Place them side by side on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer the dish to the oven and cook the chicken 7-9 minutes per side until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
Just before the chicken is cooked, heat the marinara sauce in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove top until just hot. Top each breast with 1/4 cup marinara sauce followed by the mozzarella then Parmesan cheese. Then bake the chicken for an additional 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve the chicken hot with a side of pasta and/or a large green salad.
Makes 2 servings.

Each (1 Chicken Breast) Serving has: 301 calories, 37 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 79 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 776 mg sodium Traditional Chicken Parmesan made with a 4-ounce chicken breast has: 613 calories, 65 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 32 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 176 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 1000 mg sodium