CAST IRON CHICKEN PARM

Cast Iron Chicken Parm
Serves: 2
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup Bread crumbs
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 jar of marinara (or you can make your own easy tomato sauce)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese (about two large handfuls)
• Freshly shredded parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix the breadcrumbs with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl or shallow dish. Mix with your hands or a fork to thoroughly combine. Set aside.
3. Shred the parmesan cheese (if you have a microplane, break it out! The fluffier the cheese the better.)
4. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron (or other oven safe pan with high walls.)
5. While the oil is heating, beat the egg in a bowl and set aside.
6. One at a time, dip the chicken breast in the egg and let the excess egg run off, then coat the chicken breast with the breadcrumb mixture, and place in the hot oiled pan. Repeat with the second chicken breast.
7. Let the chicken breasts sit untouched for about 4 minutes until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and let the other side turn to golden brown for another 4 minutes.
8. Turn the heat off, and pour the marinara evenly over the chicken breasts, being sure to completely cover and fill all the spaces within the pan.
9. Now for the good stuff. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese – about one large handful each – over each chicken breast creating a small mound of cheese over each (this is so you remember where exactly the chicken breasts are under all that sauce!
10. Now, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over each breast. The parmesan is what will give you a nice slightly brown crisp on top of the gooey melty mozzarella.
11. Transfer the cast iron pan into the oven, set the timer for 12 minutes, and finish your glass of wine.
12. After 12 minutes the parmesan cheese should start to brown and bubble, and you’ll know it’s done. Remove the pan, and let it cool for a few minutes.
13. Using a spatula, scoop each chicken breast out and place on top of a bed of noodles, zucchini noodles, or however you plan on devouring this. Spoon out additional sauce and add around the chicken breast.
14. Sprinkle more freshly grated parmesan cheese and dive in!

NOTES

• If your chicken breasts are on the larger size you might consider adding a few extra minutes in the oven, or pounding the breasts to be a little thinner.
• This could really be called “Chicken Mozzarella” as you can see the ratio of mozzarella to parmesan it literally 80 to 20.. but here we are!