Weeknight Chicken Parmesan
with pasta / broccoli
Breading chicken for classic chicken parmesan is messy and time-consuming, so this shortcut version that was first featured in 2020 truly is much more weeknight-friendly. Cook everything in an oven-safe skillet and top it with cheese and panko crust to give it that classic melty / crunchy finish with far fewer steps.
Ingredients
- Cheese, fresh mozzarella - 3 oz, sliced (sub pre-shredded mozzarella)
- Basil - 8 leaves, chiffonade
- Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
- Chicken tenders - 1 lb (sub boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips)
- Marinara sauce - 1 cup (use your favorite store-bought)
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Cheese, parmesan (opt) - 2 oz, grated (plus extra for serving)
- Panko breadcrumbs, gluten-free - 1/2 cup
- Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
- Oil, olive - 2 Tbsp
- Broccoli florets - 12 oz
- Pasta, any gluten-free - 8 oz
Nutrition Facts
Prep
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Broccoli / Garlic - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Cheese (both types) - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Basil - Chiffonade basil.
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Make
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Turn on the oven’s broiler.
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Bring a large stock pot of salted water to boil.
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While water is heating up, heat a large oven-safe skillet with cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders and sear on both sides until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes total. Season chicken on both sides with some salt and pepper as it cooks.
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Move skillet off the heat. Spoon marinara sauce over and around chicken.
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Return to the stockpot of water (which should be boiling by now) and add pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. About 1 minute before the pasta is finished cooking, add broccoli.
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In a small bowl, stir together garlic, Parmesan cheese, panko, Italian seasoning, and olive oil.
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Top chicken and marinara with mozzarella cheese slices and then with seasoned panko. Transfer skillet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and panko is golden, 4 to 5 minutes. (Note: Watch the skillet closely to prevent burning the panko.)
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Drain pasta and broccoli.
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Serve chicken and sauce over pasta and broccoli with basil on top. Serve some extra sauce on the side if you like a saucier pasta. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
30 reviews
This is the best chicken parm I’ve ever had! I love the crispy, garlicky topping on the chicken. We have made this multiple times!
0 HelpfulI used pre-made breaded chicken parm and heated in the oven. I added mozzarella cheese on top and served with gf spaghetti noodles with butter, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Served with Caesar salad instead of broccoli. Delicious. Lost one star for not being healthy.
0 HelpfulUsed breaded chicken cutlets and couldn’t fit them all in the pan in one go. Kind of burnt some while others were still frozen in the middle. That said, Miss 5 loved it. I feel misled at the picture showing a cast iron skillet but I’m not allowed to because of the acidity in the tomato sauce, apparently.
0 Helpful