chicken parmesan

I made this recipe a couple of months ago after seeing it on my friend Emily's blog. She originally took it from the Sisters' Cafe. I'm a huge chicken parmesan fan, and this one did not disappoint.

Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (approximately 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender and transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Chicken ingredients:
1-2 pounds chicken breasts
2 eggs
Italian style breadcrumbs
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
8 ounces very thinly sliced mozzarella
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Dip the chicken in egg and then in bread crumbs. Heat oil and cook chicken 2-3 minutes on each side. Put chicken on the bottom of a large baking dish (9x13). Put one thin slice of mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan on each breast and half of sauce on top. Repeat. Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with spaghetti, linguine, or fettucine noodles and extra sauce.

Lowfat version: skip breading and frying of the chicken. Place the chicken raw in the dish and do one layer of the cheeses. I don't even measure, I just sprinkle on grated mozzarella and parmesan then top with sauce. Bake a little longer - more like 40 minutes. It is fabulous!

meatballs with cream sauce

This recipe/picture was taken from My Kitchen Cafe. Everything I have tried from this blog has been a total hit. I have a husband who generally doesn't eat leftovers, but this meal is one exception. We have made this recipe twice now, and we prefer to make our meatballs a little larger (about 15 meatballs) and cook them for longer.



MEATBALLS:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3 tablespoons flour

CREAM SAUCE:
2 tablespoons butter
3 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 can chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients EXCEPT the beef and flour. Add beef and mix well. Shape into balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake, uncovered, at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs, bake 8-10 minutes longer or until no longer pink. Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. If using the full can of chicken broth, the sauce doesn't thicken overly much, but it is delicious that way. If you want it slightly thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup. Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce and parsley. Serve over rice or egg noodles.