Shelly's Recipe

CHICKEN MOZZARELLA

Category: Chicken

1/2 cup milk
1 cup Italian-style fine bread crumbs
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce, divided use
2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp dried whole basil, crushed
1 tsp dried whole oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Dip chicken breasts in milk, shaking off excess. Dredge in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a large platter (or 2) and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 13x9 inch glass baking dish with vegetable oil. Spread 1/3 of the tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish and set the rest aside for later use.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tbsp of the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Quickly brown each of the chicken breasts, turning only once. Use the second tbsp of olive oil for the second batch. Arrange browned chicken in the bottom of the casserole dish, overlapping as little as possible.

Spoon remaining tomato sauce evenly over chicken, then sprinkle with parsley, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Finish with the mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is heated through and cheese is bubbly and slightly golden. Let chicken mozzarella rest 5 minutes before serving. Serves 8