Make ‘Amore!

As a full time medical professional busy running a chaotic Italian household with two children, my mother was always seeking something quick to cook for my family. 

There seemed to be certain characteristics for a meal to be served in the Ralleo household: quick, easy and Italian.  What comes to mind as the flagship quick-fix meal for our household: ‘Chicken Parmigiana.’  I have adapted the recipe slightly to fit the college lifestyle. 

Of course, my mom would give me a good old Italian beating if she knew I was recommending jarred tomato sauce (hers was homemade prior and kept frozen), but it still is delicious, fast, and inexpensive. 

There are several reasons why I love this recipe during the busy school year.  If you are making it for yourself, you will have leftovers for the rest of the week. 

If you are making it for your roommates or a crowd you will most likely not have to clean up the kitchen (it’s only fair), and you’ll definitely receive amicable texts of gratitude begging you to make it for them again. Or maybe that’s just my friends?

The ingredients for this recipe are all ready to add to the dish, meaning there is little prep time (chopping, mincing, etc), which usually takes up a good chunk of time in the cooking process. Here’s your shopping list for the recipe:

1 jar of red tomato sauce

1 lb. chicken cutlets (eggplant for the vegetarians)

1 egg:

½ cup of Italian breadcrumbs:

2 or 3 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil

1 bag shredded Italian cheese blend

Grating cheese (Parmesan, Pecorino, or Asiago)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare egg wash (1 tablespoon of water or milk to one egg).  Immerse chicken into egg wash, and then immediately place in breadcrumbs.  Repeat this process until all of the chicken is breaded. Add oil into a skillet and sauté over medium heat until chicken is brown. 

Keep in mind that the chicken does not need to be fully cooked because it is going into the oven.  Add sauce to the bottom on an oven-safe casserole dish and place breaded chicken on top of sauce until bottom of the pan is covered. 

Spoon more sauce and sprinkle more cheese blend grating cheese over the chicken, along with more sauce.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Garnish with fresh (or dried) parsley.   Serve with simple green salad and garlic bread. 

Depending on what ingredients you already have on hand, you can prepare this meal for under $15.  I'm assuming that most of you don’t have the breadcrumbs but they are great to keep in the pantry for shallow frying, or to sprinkle on top of macaroni and cheese for a little crunch. 

This meal is extremely versatile because you can always substitute the chicken for vegetables.  The taste of pure rustic, homemade, Italian cuisine you are craving without having to pay for awful food and service at an Italian restaurant chain.