Monday, December 27, 2021

Classic Chicken Parmesan

 




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is probably my favorite Italian recipe for chicken. What’s not to like about a chicken breast covered with a crispy bread coating smothered in a rich homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese and served with your favorite pasta!

Classic Chicken Parmesan

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
3 large chicken breasts sliced horizontally to make 6 fillets
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons olive oil for frying

Homemade sauce (see below) or Ragu Chunky Onion, Garlic
8 ounces mozzarella cheese sliced or shredded
1/3 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil or parsley

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 
9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.



































 
 

Make your dredging station with 3 shallow pans or bowls.  Place flour in the first shallow dish. Place the beaten eggs in a second dish. Next, combine Panko, Italian crumbs, grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste in a third shallow dish.

Pat each breast dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper before dredging. Dredge chicken into flour and shake to remove any excess.

Next, dip chicken in beaten eggs & then into bread crumb mixture (press to adhere to chicken). 

Preheat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown chicken on each side, about 4 minutes per side or until golden (it doesn’t need to cook through as it will continue to cook in the oven). Once chicken has browned, transfer to plate and set aside.  
 


































 
Place 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish. Add browned chicken on top of the sauce. Top each piece with a tablespoon or two of sauce (I like very little sauce but you can use as much as you like).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Top each chicken breast with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan. Don’t skimp on the cheese!
 























 

 
Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbly and chicken reaches 165 degrees. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve over pasta.

 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For The Homemade Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
14 ounces tomato puree
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1 teaspoon sugar

Heat oil in a medium-sized pot. Fry onion until transparent (about 3 minutes), then add the garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper to taste, Italian herbs and sugar (If using). Cover with lid to simmer for about 8 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.

 
























 
 
Serve:  Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve over pasta.

 

























 
NOTES:

    It’s best to use chicken breasts that are all approximately the same size so that they’ll bake at the same rate.  I usually slice mine in half to make them thinner so they cook evenly and faster.
 
    You can add as much or as little sauce as you like to the chicken. I typically spoon a little over the top, then put more sauce in a serving bowl for other that like more. 
 
      Use whole milk mozzarella cheese  but you could also use a fresh mozzarella cheese or fontina cheese. 
 
  You can make your own sauce or buy a 26 ounce jar of Ragu Chunky Onion, Tomato and garlic.  Or you can use whatever sauce you prefer.  I like Ragu Chunky sauces because I think they taste the most authentic to Italian sauces. 




 


 

 

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Friday, December 24, 2021

Pecan Upside Down Bundt Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Mom's Pecan Upside Down Cake.....OMG this is the best cake ever. I will serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. I will serve it in a dish with a spoon to get every drop. I will serve it with pride because it was her favorite. Who am I serving it to? Me. LOL.  She would be so proud. Easy to make with my shortcuts and it slid right out of the pan and on to the plate. Isn't it gorgeous? Out of this world good!

Pecan Upside Down Bundt Cake

 

Topping

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pecans

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 Cake

1 box vanilla cake mix

3 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

3 tablespoon sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your bundt pan by liberally spraying it with nonstick spray and set aside.

    Pecan Topping

Combine melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt into a medium bowl and whisk until the brown sugar is slightly dissolved. Add pecans and stir until combined. Pour evenly into the bottom of prepared bundt pan and set aside.


 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 


 

 

Cake

Combine cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, water and sour cream in a large bowl and mix according to package directions. Pour batter into prepared pan and on top of the pecan topping. Be sure to spread into an even layer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake in a 350° oven for 40-45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place onto a cooling rack for 10 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After 10 minutes run a knife around the edges of the cake. Then invert your Pecan Upside Down Bundt Cake onto a cake plate and cool completely. If pecans stick to the bottom of the pan just use your fingers to remove them and place them onto the cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Store your Pecan Upside Down Bundt Cake at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Easy Scalloped Potatoes


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

I love potatoes.  Mash them, fry them, baked them… or make a little more fancy potato dishes like Scalloped or Au Gratin.  But as fancy as they might seem, they are not difficult to make.  What’s the difference?  Scalloped potatoes consist of thinly sliced potatoes layered in a casserole dish and baked with heavy cream topped with cheese.  Potatoes au gratin, on the other hand, has grated cheese sprinkled between the layers, resulting in a cheesy, more decadent dish.  I love both!

Easy Scalloped Potatoes

¼ cup butter

1 large onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

¼ cup flour

2 cups half and half or whole milk

1 cup chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 cups Gruyere cheese, freshly grated

3 pounds white potatoes sliced about ⅛" thick

 salt and pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Preheat oven to 350˚F.

To make the sauce, melt butter, onion and garlic over medium low heat. Cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Reduce heat to low. Combine milk and broth. Add a small amount at a time whisking to thicken. The mixture will become very thick, continue adding a little bit of liquid at a time whisking until smooth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Once all of the liquid has been added, bring to a boil over medium heat while continuing to whisk.  Stir in salt and pepper and let boil 1 minute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Next add your freshly grated cheese to the sauce and stir until it melts.   

Assembly 

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour enough sauce on the bottom to just cover the dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Place of the potatoes in the bottom and season with salt and pepper. Pour of the cream sauce sauce over top. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Repeat layers ending with cream sauce. Cover with non stick foil and bake for 45 minutes.

 

 

 


    

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Uncover and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and potatoes are tender. Broil for 3-4 minutes to obtain a golden top. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

 


 

 

 

 

 

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