Weeknight Chicken Parmesan with Jammy Cherry Tomatoes
Crispy, golden-brown chicken parm draped in melty mozzarella is now a weeknight possibility thanks to ready-to-eat breaded chicken cutlets from your freezer aisle (you can use homemade, too!). In place of marinara, we cook cherry tomatoes until they burst and get sweet and jammy. Spoon them over the pre-cooked chicken cutlets and pop in the oven until the fresh mozzarella is melty and browned. Serve with a simple green salad and cooked pasta, and you have an impressive weeknight dinner in less than 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray for greasing
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 20 ounces multicolored cherry tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 24 ounces frozen breaded chicken cutlets (8 small cutlets)
- One 16-ounce ball fresh mozzarella sliced
- Fresh basil and parsley leaves for garnish
- Shaved Parmesan cheese for serving
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
- Serve with lightly dressed greens or cooked pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with cooking spray.
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, fresh thyme, honey, crushed red pepper, a generous pinch of salt, and a couple grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine, then cover and cook over moderate heat until the tomatoes have burst, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are juicy and the sauce has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and remove from the heat.
- Arrange the chicken cutlets on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the tomatoes over top and then top each cutlet with 1 to 2 slices of fresh mozzarella. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cutlets are heated through and the cheese is melted. If desired, place the chicken under the broiler until the cheese is beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken parm to plates and top with shaved Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil and parsley and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve right away with a simple green salad or cooked pasta.
Notes
Recipe made using John Soules Foods Refrigerated Breaded Chicken Cutlets.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!