Everybody has their favorite comfort food. The predictable beef stew over mashed potatoes, Reuben sandwiches and white rice with soy sauce (maybe less predictable!) are on my list. However, chicken parmesan is hands down my go to meal when I’m craving a hot, steaming plate of pure comfort. The problem with comfort food is that usually I’m craving it because I’m exhausted, tired, grumpy, or hung over. When I’m in that state, the last thing I want to do is cook.
Luckily chicken parmesan has been Ryan’s territory ever since he whipped it up one evening as I lay comatose on the couch after my 16th nursing session of the day. Xavier was just a few weeks old and I was having a hard time finding time to heat up food, let alone eat. I remember opening my eyes groggily and seeing crispy chicken covered in mozzarella and tomatoes over a heaping pile of pasta. You know when you are eating a meal and each bite feels like it’s literally putting life back into your system? There is no better meal for that task than chicken parmesan.
Make it one more time before summer gets too hot. There are a million ways to cook it but I find the simplest to be the following:
1) Drench chicken breasts in egg and then bread crumbs flavored with oregano, salt and pepper.
2) Sear in a cast iron skillet and then transfer to an oven with a chunky tomato sauce (made ahead or store bought) and mozzarella.
3) Serve with parmesan and pasta. I like bucatini the best.
OK, this looks especially good to me in India!
ReplyDeleteEggplant parm has a place in my heart recently, so I now get why chicken parm would be up there for you; I had no idea it was so easy to make; maybe Sasha will get it one day.
ReplyDeleteAnd bucatini is hands down the best pasta EVER.