While scrolling through my Facebook feed yesterday I stumbled upon a Chowhound article about the most popular takeout orders in each state right now. Since everyone is quarantined and restaurants are only open for takeout and delivery (if at all), people are dialing in dinner like never before, and the item they're ordering the most? Chicken Parmesan! That's right - from South Carolina to North Dakota, Ohio to Wyoming, the most ordered meal is good old chicken parmesan. It won the top spot in 11 states! And why shouldn't it get the gold? It's crispy and cheesy and saucy and wonderful. And if you pair it with some pasta, it hits the comfort food trifecta with fried, carby, cheese smothered perfection.
Chicken Parm you taste so good...
My dear friends, there is absolutely no need to order chicken parmesan from a restaurant. It is one of the easiest dinners you can make. And it tastes so much better right out of the oven, instead of reheated in the microwave. You start with the basic chicken cutlet recipe I posted on the blog, (or even with heated frozen breaded chicken tenders if that's what you've got), add a little sauce and cheese, and viola! You've got chicken parmesan. The sauce and cheese are open for interpretation (or dictated by what's left in your refrigerator). We like marinara sauce with a combination of shredded mozzarella and fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana cheese. But you could also use a pre-shredded Italian blend cheese, or sliced provolone, or really any other melty, mild cheese paired with a little grated parmesan style cheese. Since most of us aren't making regular grocery runs anymore, it's the wild west in our kitchens and anything goes. Have fun with it.
Sean calls this a "cheese pull", and it is apparently a very important part of food photography
This is a "no recipe" recipe, so you can really customize it anyway you like. But here's the general idea: Heat your oven to 350 and put on a pot of water to boil for your pasta. Pop open a jar of tomato sauce (from the store or homemade) and add a little to the bottom of a baking dish (13x9 style works for us). Put a layer of your cooked chicken cutlets over the sauce, and top them with more sauce (just enough to get a bit on each piece of chicken but don't drown them). Top that with your melty cheese, enough to cover all the chicken Top that with your grated cheese (parmesan preferred but you can sub Romano if that's all you have). Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the lightly browned. While it bakes, boil your pasta and toss cooked pasta with additional tomato sauce. Top the baked chicken with a little fresh chopped parsley or basil. Serve with the pasta and a salad and dinner is done. No delivery necessary.
That said, if you are comfortable with getting food from "the outside", please support your local restaurants. Most of these family run businesses are really struggling right now and can use all the love they can get. If you're not ready to eat food prepared outside your own kitchen right now, consider buying restaurant gift cards you can use when everything opens up again. Or go to rerf.us and make a donation to support restaurant industry employees during the pandemic. We're all in this together, and we need to help each other as much as possible. And a little chicken parm is good for the soul. Eleven out of 50 states can't be wrong.
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