crispy parmesan chicken w/ fresh jersey herbs

crispy parmesan chicken w/ fresh jersey herbs

this is one of martha's weeknight recipes but you can vary the flavor by incorporating fresh herbs of your choice.  i added the last of mine brought back from the beach to give an earthy flavor. i chopped up thyme, rosemary, a little mint and some oregano. the parmesan and panko crisped up nicely and i just roasted some mushrooms and brussels sprouts to round out the meal~



prep time: 10 mins
cook time: 30 mins
ingredients:

• 3 large chicken breasts, rinsed, patted dry and cut in half
• 3/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs
• olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 lb mushrooms
• 1/2 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. quarter your mushrooms, trim your brussels sprouts and toss them on a baking sheet with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. get them going in the oven.

combine panko, fresh herbs and 1/4 cup of the parmesan (the rest will top the chicken before you broil it). put your chicken halves in a bowl and combine them with olive oil to coat and salt and pepper to taste. roll each of your chicken breast halves in the panko mixture and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment (presentation side down, you'll flip them a little later). be sure to give them enough space between one another, you don't want to the panko to steam, you want it to cook dry so it stays crispy. repeat with all six and pop in the oven.

your veggies should take about 30 minutes in total to cook. be sure to turn them a couple of times and check the seasoning throughout. chicken halves should only take about 20 minutes total. after the first 10 minutes of cooking the chicken, flip the halves and use the rest of the parmesan to top. when chicken and veggies are almost done, turn your oven up to broil for the last five minutes to crisp your veggie edges and parmesan topping.