Baked Chicken Parmesan

My mind was in about a hundred different places at any given time last week. I'll give you a little insight to what an hour inside my brain looked like.  Recipes. Blogging. Health insurance. Bills. Focus on the road. Gas. Food. House sitting. Dog sitting. Attend birthday dinner. Work. Cook. Laundry. Can my hair go another day without washing? Gym. Do I have time to start another show on Netflix? No. Travel plans. Should I go back to school? You get the point.

Anyways. When I finally get the chance to sir down and just breathe, I love to make dinner for my boyfriend. It calms me. I can focus all of my energy on making something delicious and making someone happy. So I present to you, a classic Italian dish using my homemade grape tomato sauce.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. linguine or spaghetti noodles
• 1 cup grape tomato sauce, heated up in the microwave or on the stove
• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning 
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Parsley for garnish 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with tin foil that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a  shallow dish mix together the panko, flour, and Italian seasoning. 

Cut the chicken breast in half horizontally, so you have 2 thin breasts. Cover each breast in the melted butter, then coat each side of each breast in the breadcrumb mixture. 

Place on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the chicken with some cooking spray and then bake for 20 minutes. Flip them over and cook another 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the box directions. Place half of the cooked pasta on each plate and top with some of the tomato sauce. Reserve 1/4 cup for the baked chicken. 

Remove the cooked chicken. Top each breast with 2 tbsp. of the tomato sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt. Remove and place each breast atop a bed of the cooked pasta and sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve hot. 

Ummm. Hello gorgeous.