Easy chicken parmigiana

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + 1/4 cup for frying
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x 410g tin tomatoes with Basil & Garlic
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 small handful of torn basil leaves
4 free-range chicken breasts, skin-off
plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp milk
1 cup breadcrumbs
60g butter
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Method

For the sauce:

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and cook gently until softened. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.

Add tinned tomatoes, brown sugar and basil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the chicken:

Heat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

Gently pound chicken breasts between two sheets of cling film until they are of even thickness. Coat lightly in plain flour and shake off excess. Combine beaten egg and milk to make an egg wash and dip breasts into egg wash, then coat in breadcrumbs.

Heat frying pan over medium heat. Add ¼ cup olive oil and butter and heat until foaming. Add chicken breasts and cook for 3 minutes on each side.

You may need to cook in batches. Remove chicken when cooked and drain on paper towels.

Top with tomato sauce. Combine cheeses and spread over the top of the sauce. Place on baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Serve with potatoes and a simple salad.

Notes:

Making the chicken an even thickness will reduce the chances of it burning. You may need to adjust the heat as the chicken cooks, as it will drop when the chicken is placed in the pan and then increase towards the end of the cooking time.
If you are unable to buy the these tinned tomatoes, you can replace them with a 1 x 400g tin of tomato puree and add some extra garlic and basil to the sauce.
This recipe was created by Charlie Louie