Presto Parmigiano

It's Friday night and that means it's Rachel's turn to make dinner!  I envision relaxing on the sofa while the kiddo happily creates her masterpiece, then tucking into a tasty meal on par with the delicacies I typically dish up myself.  This always ends up being slightly less relaxing for me than I anticipate, what with constantly having to help her find a utensil or an ingredient, incessantly worrying about whether she's about to catch the house on fire, and endlessly answering a million and one inquiries about the tenderness of the pasta or the internal temperature of properly cooked pork.  It usually takes her a lot longer than I expect it to, and it never turns out quite as good as I hope, but gradually she is learning to create a great meal all by herself!

I normally require her to come up with her own ideas, but this recipe I intended to make yesterday and never did, so she happily took the reins when she found out how easy it was going to be.  All she had to to was toss a few ingredients in a pan, let it bake awhile, and voila! Homemade chicken Parmesan!

Chicken Parmesan Casserole
link to original recipe
Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 40 min
Serves 6

2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Red pepper flakes, to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
1 (6-oz) package garlic croutons (smaller cubes are best)
  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in the bottom of a 9 x 13 in pan.  Top with the chicken.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Top chicken with the pasta sauce and basil.  Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella and one ounce of the Parmesan evenly across the top.  Add the croutons then the remaining cheese. 

Bake, uncovered, for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is done(155 degrees.)  

476 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!