Chicken Parmonaise

When I first got married, I was learning how to cook and asked a few of my friends for their favorite recipes. One of my friends shared this simple, fast, delicious recipe with me and it’s become a family favorite. I also like to serve it when we entertain guests because it’s hard not to like this chicken!

I love that it takes me all of one minute to whip together the topping, and only one minute to smother the chicken with the fantastic spread. Usually I pop the baking dish into the oven before my oven is even preheated – that’s how quick this recipe is!

The original recipe called for 1 Tablespoon of oregano instead of the pesto, but I’ve discovered that a spoonful of pesto adds more flavor than any herbs. Basil pesto, sun dried tomato pesto, or homemade pesto each offer the burst of flavor that you’re looking for. Ran out of pesto? No problemo. Substitute with dried basil, oregano and parsley.

Want to add a little kick of flavor? Cajun seasoning is a well-balanced sweet and spicy spice. Paprika sprinkled on top makes this dish seem fancier. And parsley adds a touch of green; because green herbs always make food look more delicious. I’m sure there is some form of psychology behind that.

This dish pairs well with roasted potatoes because you can cook both at the same time in the oven! Simply chunk up potatoes into rough 1 inch cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and rosemary, or salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until done.

I usually steam broccoli or green beans on the side too. (Or, if I’m really pressed for time, I toss in olive oil and spread them out onto the sheet pan with the potatoes. They also roast for the 40 minutes).

If you can’t tell, this Chicken Parmoniase is family friendly, kid-approved, healthy, fast, and absolutely delicious! Don’t have something planned for dinner? I bet you can pull these ingredients out of your fridge and pantry for a quick meal…that’s what I usually do!