Chicken Parm Lasagna
Merging two classic recipes: chicken parm and lasagna. Thinly sliced, fried chicken cutlets layered between a simple tomato sauce, topped with loads of mozzarella, and baked until golden and bubbly.
Servings: 6 people
Equipment
- 1 8x8 baking dish or similar in size
- 1 Large frying pan
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cups crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 garlic cloves peeled, whole
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 4 large basil leaves fresh
Chicken
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
- 4 chicken breasts thinly sliced
- 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs seasoned
- 2 eggs whisked
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
- 2 tbsp pecorino romano cheese finely grated
- 1/8 tsp salt
Ricotta Mixture
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 tbsp basil fresh, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley fresh, finely chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the tomato sauce: to a large saucepan set to low/medium heat, add the olive oil. Once warm add the whole garlic cloves and red pepper flakes and let simmer for 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic becomes lightly golden in color. Be sure not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, fresh basil and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium/low for 35-45 minutes.Add salt to taste then remove the garlic from the sauce and discard.Let cool while you prepare your chicken cutlets.
- Prepare the dredging stations: grab two medium sized bowls (big enough to fit the chicken breasts) and add 2 eggs to one and whisk until combined. To the other bowl add the Italian breadcrumbs and pecorino romano cheese and gently toss to combine.
- Prepare the chicken: slice each piece of chicken in half and then pound out very thin. Dip one chicken cutlet into the beaten eggs, ensuring both sides are fully coated. Allow any excess egg to drip off.Transfer the cutlet to the bread crumbs and press lightly to coat both sides enitrely.Transfer the cutlet onto a plate and repeat the process until you have no chicken remaining.
- Fry the chicken cutlets: to a large saucepan set to medium/high heat add the vegetable oil. The oil is ready for frying when it begins to glisten and a wooden spoon inserted into the oil makes small bubbles.Fry the chicken (working in batches to avoid over crowding the pan) and fry until browned on each side. About 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool while you fry the rest of the cutlets.
- *At this point - preheat your oven to 375 °F.
- Assemble the ricotta mixture: add the ricotta, basil and parsley and mix until well combined. Transfer the ricotta mixture into a piping bag (optional).
- Assemble: to your baking dish spread a thin layer of tomato sauce onto the base. Add a layer of chicken followed by more tomato sauce and lightly sprinkle with grated pecorino romano cheese.Pipe small quarter-sized dollops of the ricotta mixture evenly over the sauce, then sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella. Repeat until all the chicken has been used up, finishing with mozzarella on top.
- Bake: cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until warm throughout. Remove the foil and broil for the last 2-3 minutes.
- Rest: for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
When removing the chicken from the egg mixture, allow any excess to drip off before coating. This helps keep the breading mixture as dry as possible and prevents clumping.
It is important to slice the chicken very thinly. To make this easier, freeze the chicken breasts until partially firm—about 3 hours—then slice while still slightly frozen. This method allows for thinner cuts. Once sliced, let the chicken fully thaw before beginning the breading process.
You may need to trim a few extra pieces of chicken to fill any larger gaps when layering.
Nutrition
Calories: 866kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 204mg | Sodium: 1341mg | Potassium: 1354mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1254IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 458mg | Iron: 6mg
