Winner, Winner, Cheater Chicken Parmesan Dinner

My husband had a colleague in town and asked if we could have him over for dinner.  "Maybe a few others too."  Super duper.  I love to entertain, but it's kind of easier to do when you know how many you're cooking for.  And the approximate hour that said dinner is to be served, which is another story.  He's not so much a details guy.

So I started thinking about what to serve that would be easy, taste good, and could feed anywhere from a few to a lot of people.  A Crock-pot meal was an option.  Crock-pots had always grossed me out (visions of a pot of CROCK, perhaps?) but my mom forced one on me after I had the twins with a cross between a promise and a threat: "You won't be sorry."  She was right.  Mom?  Mom?  There you go.  Christmas in March.  But maybe let's call it a slow-cooker.

Since the weather turned unseasonably warm a couple weeks ago, however, I've not wanted to drag out my slow-cooking friend.  I looked through my recipe files but nothing much was sounding appealing.  So I went to my friendly internets and it wasn't long before I stumbled upon this.  Chicken Parmesan for people who like short-cuts.  There's no breading and frying.  It's made in a baking dish, can be prepped ahead of time and takes but 30 minutes in the oven.  Ge-ni-us.


Cheater Chicken Parmesan


2 tbsp olive oil 
2 cloves garlic, crushed 
hot red pepper flakes, to taste 
6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (the organic ones tend to be smaller...wonder why? St. Elmo's Fire mother's whisper: "Drugssssss.")  If using regular chicken breasts, (which I do more often than not..not judging) pound out to a uniform thickness and cut in half to fit the dish.  
2 cups marinara sauce (Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil was in our pantry)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 
8 oz mozzarella, shredded 
4 oz Parmesan, grated 
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Chicken, sauce and croutons (croutons!).

All cheesed up and ready for the oven.

Watch the cute chef's video in the link for a step-by-step.  But basically, you throw everything together in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  

Final product:  tender chicken, nice sauciness and good crunch from the croutons. 

I bought large croutons and the only thing I would've done differently would be to buy the little guys or slightly smash the large ones before adding to the dish.  

I prepped this in the afternoon and put it into the oven when I got the call that everyone was on their way.  For a side, I made asparagus and snap peas sauteed with mint and lemon.  I trimmed the peas and washed and cut the asparagus into 1" pieces and had it all soaking.  A quick drain + a hot skillet and they were crisp and done in about 5 minutes.  

The reviews were good, but I knew this was a keeper when I chopped up some of the leftovers and put them in the boys' lunch boxes today.  After school they asked it they could have it for their lunch everyday.  And as they rarely eat much of their lunch at all, that is a crowdpleaser if ever there was one.  

Branches in bloom from a bush in our yard.  I have no idea what this is, but when it blooms?  Gorgeous.  And I don't have to spend money on flowers at the market.  Nice.  The end.