Chicken parm is a classic that I love to make because it's really easy and filling! My mom taught me how to make this recipe and unlike how I do with a lot of recipes, I stick to the script on this one. But if you're looking for something a bit different, check out my spinach parm recipe!

I'm not sure how everyone else makes theirs but we bake ours, although I have occasionally done it on the stove top if i don't have that much chicken but for the purpose of this post I did it just like mama taught me :)

So to get started gather the ingredients above (normally I use mozzarella but I had this in the fridge and it worked just fine) and preheat your oven to 400.

Crack the egg into a bowl and whip it up, dump some breadcrumbs on a plate then cut your chicken into however many pieces you want.

Dip the chicken pieces into the egg then the breadcrumbs, make sure to get it coated nicely

Next, heat some oil in a skillet and brown your chicken but don't cook it through, you just want a browned coating

Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce in a baking dish to just cover the bottom

Lay your chicken pieces in the dish and cover them with more tomato sauce, make sure it's enough for your noodles too. I always use a lot because I like mine really saucy

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and chicken is done. While that's in the oven go ahead and cook your pasta, any kind will do, mine changes every time I make it depending on what's in the cabinet

When your chicken is done remove the aluminum foil and sprinkle cheese over the chicken and put it back in oven, uncovered, just until the cheese melts

Let it cool on the counter for a bit then dig in!

Chicken Parmesan

Serves 2

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

1 can tomato sauce

~1 C mozzarella cheese

2 C pasta

1 egg

3/4 C breadcrumbs

Tonys or salt/pepper

Oil

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 and cook pasta according to directions

2. Crack egg into a bowl and whip. Pour breadcrumbs onto a plate. 

3. Season chicken then dip into egg first then breadcrumbs, make sure to coat evenly

4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown chicken on both sides, but don't cook through 

5. Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce in a baking dish then place chicken in and cover with more sauce

6. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through

7. Remove aluminum foil, sprinkle cheese over chicken pieces and put back in oven, uncovered, until cheese melts

bake chicken food Italian Parmesan pasta

9:09 PM

Fail-Proof Shrimp Scampi

I know I've tried to keep it moderately healthy so far with the recipes but everyone deserves an indulgent meal every so often and this buttery, shrimpy goodness was mine for the week! I can't take credit for coming up with the recipe but I modified it for my tastes so it's kind of its own recipe. I have made this recipe many times with different brands of ingredients and additional stuff thrown in and it always comes out amazing! If you wanna google, the original recipe is called Red Lobster's shrimp scampi but my version actually tastes better than the restaurant to me.

For the most part I stick to the original recipe but I do add a few more seasonings and strictly use moscato because it's sweetness goes perfectly with the tartness of the lemon juice. But you can use any other white wine you like. I usually pair this dish with steamed broccoli and/or a salad but you can totally do garlic bread or cheddar bay biscuits (if you do the biscuits, send me the recipe!!). But anywho, on to the good stuff..
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Like my other recipes this is cooks up pretty quickly, the first thing you want to do is defrost (if you're using frozen), peel and devein

the shrimp. Then get your pasta going, when I'm in the kitchen, I

like to minimize dishes and time, so I steam my broccoli over the boiling pasta. Pasta is optional and can be omitted or substituted with your favorite rice or quinoa if you prefer.

While that's cooking go ahead and heat a skillet with a little cooking oil, toss the shrimp in and cook until pink

Set the shrimp aside and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant but don't let it burn. I sometimes add onions here too but that's only when I'm feeling fancy....or trying to get rid of onions lol

Next add dump the wine and lemon juice in and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half. I usually cook until a little more than half is left because I like my scampi saucy. I also use a whole lemon in my recipe because I love lemon, but you can use half a lemon like the original recipe.

Now you add the italian seasoning plus some pepper, garlic and onion powder because it tastes so good! Mix that up and turn the stove to low.

Next, toss that whole stick of butter into your skillet....yes, it's a lot of butter I know but believe me when I tell you it's worth it!

Let the butter melt, mingle and do it's magic. You can swirl it around a bit to speed up the process like I do.

Once it's all melted throw the shrimp back in, a little salt and let it all heat up for a minute. 

The pasta should be done by now so drain the water out of the pot and dump the scampi on top. Sprinkle some Parmesan (or not if you're still hyperventilating about the butter, it's STILL amazing) on top and feast like royalty!!!

I will say that this time I made it super saucy, which is ok with me but once it was devoured it was hard not to want to drink the sauce lol but I had self control this time. Other than though, which was my bad, it was perfect yet again! I know if you try this recipe it'll definitely become a favorite of yours, like it is mine. 

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For 2 servings I used:

~1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 C cooked pasta

1 T cooking oil

1/2 C of softened butter

1 C moscato (or other white wine)

Juice of one lemon

1 T garlic

1 T Italian seasoning

Salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder to taste

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook your pasta according to package directions, drain off water, leave pasta in pot and set aside.

2. Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 T of cooking oil

3. Cook shrimp in skillet until pink then remove to a plate and place skillet back on stove. Add garlic to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

4. Pour wine and lemon juice into skillet and cook until liquid is reduced by half.

5. Add Italian seasoning, pepper, garlic and onion powder and mix. Turn stove down to low heat.

6. Add softened butter to sauce and let it melt. Put shrimp back into sauce and heat throughout over low for a minute.

7. Pour shrimp scampi into pot with pasta and stir. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired

food Italian lemon pasta seafood shrimp

8:47 PM