As "Real Housewife" Melissa Gorga told me when we recently spoke, chicken cutlets have been a longtime staple in her house. And like many, both within and outside of the Italian-American domain, one of the main go-tos for leftover chicken cutlets is the iconic chicken parm.
Gorga goes beyond the realm of the traditional, though, with a really interesting addition: Prosicutto di Parma.
As she told me, "You know what, [my family] love[s] prosciutto in this house, everyone loves it. So I just thought about putting a little twist on it. That was my own little, like, take on like doing something different. I think I have one child that, like, pulls it off? But everyone pretty much loves it. It adds a little bit more flavor, a little bit like that salty feel. And it's just good! It makes it my own, right? It makes it like something different and my family got used to it, so they love that now."
Furthermore, Gorga pairs her chicken parm. with both spinach and spaghetti, adding a little extra to the plate.
"I love sautéed broccoli rabe," she said. "I love sautéed spinach, these are all of my [favorites]: I love greens. I can eat greens all day long. I eat lettuce. I should have been a rabbit because I love greens. I can eat them all day."
Gorga partnered with Rao's Homemade to deliver this delicious dish, utilizing their classic marinara sauce, but as she also said in our conversation, their other sauces are great, too: Swap out the marinara for their arrabiata or even their vodka for a chicken parm. that really colors outside the lines, if you will. Bonus: It's a one-pan meal.
Conversely, use whatever you have on hand! This dish is sure to be a showstopper regardless. And of course, don't forget the sprinkle cookies.
One Pan Chicken Prosciutto di Parmigiana
Ingredients
1 24-ounce jar Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into four 6-ounce portions
1 ½ cups Italian panko breadcrumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces Prosciutto di Parma, shaved thin and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 slices
3 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces (for garnish, about 5 leaves)
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Working in a shallow 9x13 baking dish, pour the olive oil into the baking dish and spread all over the bottom. Set it aside.
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Now, season the chicken breast portions with salt and pepper and set those aside. Create a “breading” set-up for the chicken. You will need a shallow pan for the flour, one for the eggs and one for the breadcrumbs.
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Working in one flow, lightly dredge the seasoned chicken in the flour, followed by the eggs and finally the breadcrumbs. You want to make sure that the chicken is fully coated in each of the items.
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As you finish breading each piece of chicken, place them in the lightly greased baking dish.
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Bake the breaded chicken in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 158F degrees. (the chicken is not fully cooked at this stage.)
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Next, remove the chicken from the oven and cover it with Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce.
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Place 2 slices of the mozzarella on top of each chicken piece and liberally sprinkle the Parmigiano Reggiano over the mozzarella.
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Finally, sprinkle chopped prosciutto over the chicken and cheese and place back into the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F degrees, the cheese is melted and the prosciutto is crispy.
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Carefully, remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
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Before serving, sprinkle the top with the basil leaves. Serve with Rao’s Linguini and sauteed Spinach.
