You can use this same recipe/method to make just chicken parmigiana, or just zucchini parmigiana, or eggplant parmigiana, or eggplant and zucchini parmigiana…you get the idea. My kids love the chicken and zucchini combination because it satisfies their meat cravings and the zucchini is mild and slightly sweet.
Serves 8
3-4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch planks
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded into 1/4 inch cutlets
4 large eggs, beaten
3 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Oil for frying — you can use any high-heat oil you prefer
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 cups marinara sauce of your choice
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Place the beaten eggs in another shallow dish.
Dip the slices of zucchini in the beaten egg, then into the breadcrumb mixture, coating thoroughly. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy bottomed skillet, just until a slight sprinkling of breadcrumbs into the oil sends up a steady stream of bubbles.
Working in batches, pan-fry the breaded zucchini until golden on both sides, removing to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. You may need to replace the oil after a few batches if you notice lots of darkening crumbs floating in it.
Repeat the breading and frying process with the chicken cutlets.
To assemble, spread about 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Follow with a single layer of zucchini, another cup of sauce, and 1/4 of the cheese. Top with a layer of chicken, then sauce. (You’ll skip the cheese in this layer.) Now repeat with zucchini, sauce, cheese, and chicken, sauce, no cheese. Continue layering until you’ve used all the ingredients. Finish with sauce and cheese.
Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.
To make this a freezer meal: Assemble, but don’t bake. Wrap tightly in double layers of foil and freeze. I recommend thawing in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using, but if you have to bake from frozen, that’s okay too.
To reheat, thawed: Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the dish is warmed through and the cheese is bubbly.
To reheat, from frozen: Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 1 hour, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the dish is warmed through and the cheese is bubbly.