4boneless skinless chicken breastsbutterflied and sliced in half to make 8
2tablespoonsolive oil
Kosher salt
¼teaspoonfresh cracked black pepper
1cupPanko bread crumbs
½teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoongarlic powder
1/4cupgrated Parmesan Cheese
Olive oil or vegetable oil cooking spray
1cupmozzarella cheesegrated
1cuphomemade or store-bought marinara sauce
Instructions
Remove the chicken breasts from the refrigerator an hour before you plan to start cooking. This allows them to release some of the chill, and will help them crisp up and cook evenly. It’s not a dealbreaker if you don’t have the time, just expect that your crust may be a bit softer.
Immediately slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise so it opens like a book, and slice into two pieces. You will have 8 pieces of chicken.
Pat the chicken breasts dry and add to a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. (A good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat.) Toss to coat and leave them to sit at room temperature for one hour.
When the hour is up, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, oregano, garlic powder, and grated parmesan cheese.
When your oven is preheated, line a baking sheet with foil then place a wire rack on top and spray with olive oil or vegetable oil cooking spray.
Dredge the chicken breasts by dipping each chicken cutlet into the breadcrumb mixture and fully coating the entire cutlet.
Place your coated chicken cutlets on the wire rack. Spray the top of the chicken cutlets with olive oil or vegetable oil spray, whatever you have. Place in the oven and bake for 20-24 minutes.
Remove from the oven and spoon 1 tablespoon of marinara over the top of each cutlet. Now top with 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella per cutlet.
Bake 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Serve with a green salad and crusty bread, or with pasta.