TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN. – 1 HOUR I SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced (half an onion)
- 6 cloves of roughly minced garlic
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 1 can of tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground
For the chicken:
- 2 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced in half creating 4 cutlets
- 3 large eggs, whisked
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 8 oz bag of pretzels
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil for frying
Topping:
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground pepper
For serving: Any buttered pasta of your choice. I tend to use penne and cook the whole box.
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425. Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- Whisk together eggs, 3 cloves of minced garlic, fresh parsley, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add the thinly sliced chicken, coating each piece evenly. Cover and allow to marinate at least 15 minutes while you begin cooking the sauce (or refrigerated overnight if you have time to prep – the longer, the better).
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saucepan over
medium-high. Add diced onions and minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook,
stirring often, until the mixture begins to caramelize. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning. When the mixture begins to bubble, turn the heat to low and allow to simmer while the chicken is prepared. - In a food processor, combine pretzels, onion powder, garlic powder and a pinch of pepper until crumb like. Hand mix the grated Parmesan in and set aside (with the marinating chicken).
- Bring a nonstick skillet to medium heat, adding 1/4 cup of olive oil. Creating an assembly line of three steps, take each piece of marinated chicken and evenly coat with pretzel mixture before adding to the hot oil to fry. Cook each side until golden brown.
- Spread a thin layer of your red sauce into the previously oiled baking dish. Place golden brown chicken on top of the sauce in a single layer, topping each piece with a slice of fresh mozzarella. Add another layer of sauce and top with fresh Parmesan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese becomes golden and bubbly. For extra crisp, turn the oven to broil and let it cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Top with fresh basil and parsley right out of the oven and serve over buttered pasta of your choice.
stephreeds 