Are you a fan of HGTV? If so, then you know who Joanna Gaines is. Not only do she and her husband Chip do television shows, have a whole complex of stores and eateries in Waco, Texas, and a magazine, but Joanna also has a couple of cookbooks to her name. This recipe is from her latest book, Magnolia Table Vol. 2. There are many good recipes in the book, but I thought I would give this one a try. Very easy and very delicious! I did add some mozzarella to the cheese topping at the end.
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 25 minutes
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 6 to 8 ounces each)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 sleeve (40) buttery crackers, crushed
- 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat pounder or heavy skillet to pound them to a 1-inch thickness to even them out. Season the chicken evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. (Barbara’s note: I purchased thick sliced chicken breasts, not cutlets, and didn’t need to do anything with them. They were thinner than 1-inch, but I thought they were perfect!)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and garlic salt until combined. In another bowl, combine the crackers and ½ cup of the Parmesan. Dredge each chicken breast in the egg mixture, then in the cracker mixture, and set the chicken aside on a plate.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of the chicken and cook until the cracker coating is crispy and golden brown, 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Remove to a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken breasts.
- Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through or an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup Parmesan, the lemon juice, and mayonnaise.
- When the chicken is done, smear it with the mayo/Parmesan topping and turn on the broiler. Broil until the cheese is bubbling and golden, about 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the parsley, if desired, and serve with pasta and marinara sauce.