Tonight's dish is Chicken Mozzarella with Marinara Sauce. This is a great dish and is full of wonderful flavor.
To start, I took four (4) Chicken Breasts and split length wise (8 pieces) so that when I pan sauteed I would have even cooking. I took the split breasts and put in them a Ziploc bag to marinate in buttermilk for 4 hours. (Experienced cooks use buttermilk as a tenderizer for chicken.)
The next part of this recipe calls for homemade marinara sauce. To build this sauce, you will need tomato sauce, petite diced tomatoes, onion, and garlic. I also use basil and oregano with salt and pepper as the spices to taste. (You can use store bought sauce, however homemade marinara sauce is so fresh tasting and does not take that much time to make)
I diced a small onion and 6 gloves of garlic. Using a 2 Qt sauce pan and good olive oil, I saute the garlic and onion until they are clear. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes along with the basil (2 Tbs) and oregano (1 Tbs) with 1 Tsp each of salt and pepper.
Simmer Marinara Sauce until reduced by 1/3, it should take about 20 minutes. Check consistency by seeing if the sauce will coat the spoon. Take off the heat and hold for use later.
The next step I dredge the chicken with Panko bread crumbs and set aside after removing the chicken breasts from the buttermilk. I make sure to coat both sides.
Now its time for the pan saute. In a large skillet, I add extra virgin olive oil (I love Costco's Tuscan brand for everyday cooking). I also added a stick of unsalted butter for flavor.
Saute the breasts (medium high heat) until they are golden brown (about 3 minutes a side).
Now, I take the sauteed chicken breasts and place in a baking dish. Cover with the marinara sauce spreading it liberally.
I suggest using fresh mozzarella for the next step. Cut the Mozzarella into pieces that you can place over the sauce so that the chicken is completely covered.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the Mozzarella is melted and bubbling.
I served this over whole wheat pasta with sauteed spinach on the side.
Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts (split in half length wise)
16oz of Buttermilk (to marinate the chicken)
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper to season
Marinara Sauce
1 Large Can of Tomato Sauce
1 Medium Can of Peeled Tomatoes (diced)
1 Small Onion (diced)
6 cloves of garlic (diced)
2 Tbs - Olive Oil
2 Tbs - Basil
1 Tbs - Oregano
1 Tsp - Salt
1 Tsp - Pepper
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