Chicken Parm Hero Food

THE BEST CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut two 12-inch sheets of plastic wrap.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, making 4 roughly equal pieces; they should look like large chicken tenders. Place one sheet of plastic on a clean cutting board. Put one chicken piece in the center of the plastic and top with the other sheet of plastic. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken, one piece at a time. Liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Put the flour in a pie plate and dredge the chicken 1 piece at a time, turning to coat and packing the flour into the crevices. Shake to remove any excess and return to the rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Whisk the breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk the milk and egg in a medium bowl until combined. Dip the dredged chicken into the milk mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Then pack the seasoned breadcrumbs firmly onto the chicken. Very gently
• shake off any excess and return to the rack. Refrigerate uncovered at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat 1/3 cup of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook until very fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, basil and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the tomatoes are very tender and the liquid has reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Smash the tomatoes with a potato masher until almost smooth; it's ok if it's a little chunky. Season with salt.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cutlets and cook until the coating is golden brown, about 1 minute per side; the chicken will not be cooked through. Transfer to the foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer 3 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
• Arrange an oven rack directly under the broiler and preheat to high. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart. Top each cutlet with 2/3 cup of the sauce and spread evenly to coat. Sprinkle each cutlet with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Broil until the cheese melts and starts to brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and transfer to the remaining sauce. Gently stir until the sauce coats the pasta. Transfer the spaghetti to a serving dish and top with the chicken. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and serve with torn basil.

CHICKEN PARM PULL-APART SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2 cups, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Meanwhile, flatten the chicken tenders using the base of your hand; season with salt and pepper. Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Dip the chicken in the flour, then in the egg, shaking off the excess, then in the breadcrumbs to coat. Heat 1/2 inch of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning, until golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.
• Trim the ends off the bread loaf. Cut the bread on an angle into 12 slices, leaving the bottom of the loaf intact. (You can position chopsticks along the long sides of the bread to keep from cutting all the way through.) Transfer to the baking sheet.
• Combine the butter, grated garlic, 2 tablespoons parsley and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread between the bread slices and on the ends of the loaf.
• Fill every other bread slice with tomato sauce, starting with the first slice. Stuff each sauce-filled slice with a chicken tender and a mozzarella slice; spoon more tomato sauce around the chicken. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the loaf.
• Bake until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted, 15 to 18 minutes. Pull apart or slice into individual sandwiches. Sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve with the remaining tomato sauce.

CHICKEN PARMESAN HERO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400. Dip chicken in egg, then in bread crumbs, coating well.
• 2. In a 13x9 glass baking dish, arrange chicken. Bake uncovered 20 minutes.
• 3. Pour ragu pasta sauce over chicken, then top with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. To serve, arrange chicken and sauce on rolls.

CHICKEN PARMESAN HEROS

Steps:

• Make tomato sauce:
• Heat olive oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomato purée, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare chicken:
• Gently pound chicken breasts to 1/3-inch thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap using a flat meat pounder or a rolling pin. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir together flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl, then stir together bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano in another shallow bowl.
• Dredge chicken slices in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in bread crumbs until evenly coated. Transfer chicken to sheets of wax paper, arranging slices in 1 layer.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Heat vegetable oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then Fry chicken 3 pieces at a time, turning over once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.
• Arrange bottom halves of bread loaves on a large baking sheet and tops on another large baking sheet, all with cut sides up. Spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce on each top and bottom. Divide chicken between bottom halves. Top each (open-faced) sandwich with 1/4 cup tomato sauce and one fourth of mozzarella.
• Bake open-faced sandwiches in lower third of oven until cheese melts, about 3 minutes. When cheese begins to melt, put tops of loaves in upper third of oven and bake until edges are golden, 3 to 4 minutes (watch tops closely; they burn easily). Put tops on bottoms to make sandwiches, then slice into serving pieces.