Simple #SundaySupper Chicken Parmesan

Happy Sunday! You know what Sunday means. That’s right, it means it’s time for #SundaySupper. My friend Isabel over at Family Foodie is on a mission to bring back Sunday supper around the family table. I believe in Isabel’s mission whole heartedly. It’s important to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. My family means the world to me. They keep me going through tough times and inspire me to be my best. I don’t know where I would be if it I didn’t have my family to back me up.

I made a simple chicken parmesan for Sunday supper. Today wasn’t the best day to take pictures because of the dreary, rainy weather, but I made it work. As soon as I was finished taking pictures, I turn around to my husband waiting, bowl in hand, for his share of the chicken parmesan. Chicken parmesan happens to be one of his favorite meals. He gets excited when it shows up on the menu.

I made my simple homemade marinara sauce for this meal, but you can just as easily open up your favorite jar of marinara to make it even easier. I make a ton of marinara, separate it into freezer bags, and store it in the freezer for later use. It really comes in handy, and it’s very economical. Plus, it’s tastier than its jarred counterpart.

Make sure you check out some of the other Easy #SundaySupper meals that my fellow foodie friends have cooking up in their kitchens:

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce by Renee from Magnolia Days

Caprese Pasta by Jen from Juanita’s Cocina 

Chicken Popovers by Pam from The Meltaways 

Spicy Bacon Burgers by Lane from Supper for a Steal

Caprese Grilled Cheese by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Simple Ollive Oil Pasta by Carla from Chocolate Moosey 

Nutella Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake by Anuradna from Baker Street 

Soothing Papaya Ginger Lemon Smoothie by Sunithi from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Mini Peanut Butter and Chocolate Trifles by Angie from Big Bears Wife

Mediterranean Marinated Lamb Chops with Spaghetti alla Carbonara by Rashmi from The Primlani Kitchen

I love chicken parmesan because it’s a rustic and hearty meal. It’s guaranteed to satisfy your guests. Plus, you can place the pasta and the chicken in a large serving bowl, set it in the center of your table, and let your guests serve themselves. Trust me, you’ll have a swarm of people fighting over who gets served first.

Add a fresh garden salad, and you have yourself the perfect #SundaySupper meal to enjoy with your loved ones.

Happy eating!

Marinara:

1 green pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2- 28oz. cans crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 tbs. sugar

1 tsp. italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. dried basil (2 tbs. fresh basil)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large sauce pan, heat 2 tbs. of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, green pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until veggies are tender, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, italian seasoning, basil, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat down to low and cover. Cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Use an immersion blender to blend the marinara until smooth. If you like chunky marinara, skip the previous step. Add the parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

Chicken:

6 chicken breasts

2 cups bread crumbs (I used the italian-style variety)

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

4 eggs

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced

1 lb. spaghetti

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Pound out the chicken until it’s about a 1/2-inch thick. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. To a second shallow bowl, add eggs and a pinch of salt and pepper, whisk to combine.

In a large pan, add about 3-4 tbs. of olive oil. Dip your chicken in the egg mixture, then dip it directly in the bread crumb mixture. Coat the chicken really good on both sides. Do this to the remaining 5 chicken breasts. Add the breaded chicken to the hot pan. You may need two pans for 6 pieces of chicken, depending on how big a pan you have. Cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Top each piece of chicken with a generous helping of mozzarella cheese. Transfer the pan, or pans, to the oven. Cook for 5 minutes until the cheese melts and chicken finishes cooking.

Cook your spaghetti following the instructions of the pasta box.

Serve the parmesan chicken on top of the cooked spaghetti and top with marinara and a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy.