Chicken Parmesan. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Dip chicken in egg; then in bread crumbs.

And this dish is loaded with mini cooking lessons. With one simple recipe, kids learn how to boil pasta, mince garlic, grate cheese, make tomato sauce, and pound, bread and saute cutlets. Stir the oil and herbs in a small bowl to blend. You can cook Chicken Parmesan using 17 ingredients and 13 steps. Here is how you cook that.

Ingredients of Chicken Parmesan

It's 1/4 cup of extra-vergin olive oil.
It's 1 medium of onion.
Prepare 2 of garlic cloves, minced.
It's 2 of bay leaves.
It's 1/2 cup of kalamata olives, pitted.
You need 1/2 bunch of basil leaves.
You need 2 can of (28 ounce) whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand crushed.
You need 1 pinch of sugar.
It's 1 dash of salt and black pepper.
Prepare 4 of skinless, boneless, chicken breast (about 1 1/2 lbs).
You need 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour.
Prepare 2 large of eggs.
It's 1 tbsp of water.
It's 1 cup of dried bread crumbs.
Prepare 8 oz of ball fresh buffalo mozzarella, water drained.
It's 1 of freshly grated parmesan.
Prepare 1 lb of spaghetti pasta, cooked al dente.

Brush both sides of the cutlets with the herb oil. Pound the chicken thin: Place the chicken cutlets one at a time between two layers of plastic wrap or wax paper. The main components of this dish, the sauce and the chicken, can be prepared in advance. When you're ready to eat, simply assemble and bake.

Chicken Parmesan instructions

Coat a saute pan w/ olive oil and place over medium heat. When oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft..
Add the olives and some hand-torn basil. Add tomatoes, cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower heat, cover, and keep warm..
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Pound the chicken breast w/ meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick..
Put flour in a shallow platter and season w/ fair amount of salt and pepper; mix and distribute evenly..
In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy..
Put the bread crumbs on a plate, season w/ salt and pepper..
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high flame in a large oven-proof skillet..
Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs..
When oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once..
Ladle the tomato-olive sauce over the chicken and sprinkle w/ mozzarella, parmesan, and basil..
Bake the chicken parmesan in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly..
Serve hot w/ spaghetti..

To prepare homemade breadcrumbs instead of store-bought, try Lucinda's simple how-to. From the book "Mad Hungry" by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books). Chicken Parmigiana Rich, flavorful, and totally satisfying! Break out the good Parmesan for this one, my friends. It's the right thing to do.