Chicken Tender Parmesan

Things You’ll Need

• Chicken Breasts
• Thin Spaghetti
• Italian Bread Crumbs
• Fresh Parsley
• Fresh Basil
• Eggs
• Milk
• Flour
• Mozzarella
• Parmesan Cheese
• Garlic
• Brown Onion
• Olive Oil
• Peanut Oil
• Tomato Paste
• Crushed Tomatoes
• Brown Sugar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Spices (Crushed Red Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Oregano, Basil)

Tip #1 Start your sauce early, needs time to simmer!

Start by taking heating olive oil in a medium pot on medium flame. Mince up generous amount of garlic, half a brown onion, and add into pot. Let them soften before adding in a can of tomato paste along with the spices listed above. Mix it up!

Tip #2 When simmering sauce stir it up every 5-10 minutes!

Now add cans of crushed tomatoes until the sauce it at desired thickness (For me it took about 1 1/2 large cans). Now add in about two tablespoons of brown sugar and place heat on low.

Tip #3 Make sure to use a plastic of glass cutting board when working with raw meat!

Take large chicken breast and remove all the fat and tidbits off of it. Next carefully cut into tenders as seen below. Trying to get them to be the same size.

Next place chicken tenders in a large plastic bag and add in salt, black pepper, olive oil, your choice of vinegar (I used lemon garlic balsamic), and parsley. Shake it up and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Tip #4 Remember stir the sauce!

Next place a large pot of salted water on medium heat, cover, and begin to bring to a boil. Now prepare pesto; place garlic, basil, Parmesan, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and crushed red pepper into food processor, blend, and set aside.

Now begin to set up the breading materials. First take Italian style breadcrumbs, and mix in Parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh parsley. Set onto plate. Next take flour and season with salt and pepper, set aside on plate. Finally mix together eggs and dash of milk in medium bowl.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Now take each tender and first dredge in flour, next into egg wash and let excess drip off, followed by bread crumbs. Place onto baking sheet and repeat process for the rest of them.

Heat peanut oil in a large pan and fry tenders until golden brown on each side. Then bake in oven for about 10 minutes. At this point throw the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Strain and mix it up with the pesto.

Add on mozzarella cheese let it melt, garnish with fresh basil, and serve with a side of your delicious marinara sauce.

Serve the spaghetti on the side!

Suggestions:

• Serve with a nice glass of Merlot, it will compliment the marinara!
• A nice alternative to standard chicken parm.
• Pour the sauce on instead of dipping, it could get messy.

For this recipe and more check out my blog at Everythingbutfish.tumblr.com =) Enjoy!