Creamy Pesto Chicken Parmesan

Anytime we go to an Italian restaurant, my wife looks over the menu, picks something good & then when the server comes…she switches up & orders chicken parmesan. Every. Single. Time.

She likes what she likes. And that’s ok! Since it’s one of her favorite meals, I said why not take it up a notch & make it Creamy Pesto Chicken Parmesan.

Fresh made from scratch pesto. Homemade pomodoro sauce. Golden brown crispy chicken cutlets. And loads of melty mozzarella cheese made this dish top tier. The balance of flavors was incredible & it’s also pretty easy to make! #LetsVibe

Ingredients

Find my Homestyle Pomodoro Pasta Sauce recipe here & my Fresh Basil Pesto recipe here.

Chicken Cutlets

2 chicken breast, split in half & pounded thin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons granulated onion

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Breading

2 cups bread crumbs

1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried savory

Dredge

2 cups all purpose flour

salt + pepper to taste

Egg Wash

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

salt + pepper to taste

Sauce Topping

Homestyle Pomodoro Pasta Sauce

shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

After chicken breasts into two cutlets & pounding thin, seasoning with remaining Chicken Cutlets ingredients in a mixing bowl then set aside

In a separate mixing bowl or shallow dish combine all breading ingredients then set aside

In another mixing bowl or shallow dish combine flour with salt + pepper to taste then set aside

In one more mixing bowl or shallow dish whisk to combine egg wash ingredients then set aside

Using the dry-wet-dry batter method, coat seasoned chicken cutlets in flour, followed by egg wash, then breading, making sure to shake off excess at each step

Use one hand for dry batters and the opposite hand for the wet batter, to avoid clumping

Repeat dry-wet-dry batter steps for each chicken cutlet

Allow battered chicken cutlets to rest at least 10 minutes before cooking

In a large fry pan over medium heat add 1/2 cup cooking oil

Fry chicken cutlets for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown & crispy then set aside

Fry chicken cutlets in batches if needed, to avoid over crowning pan

In a small skillet over medium heat 1 cup Homestlye Pomodoro Pasta Sauce then top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Once cheese is melted & bubbly, carefully pour sauce with melted cheese over cooked chicken cutlets in a serving dish or over Fresh Basil Pesto Pasta with a splash of heavy cream & enjoy!