You ever can’t decide between two different meals, then take the plunge and say, “I’ll just have both”? Well, that’s kind of what happened here. You see, I really wanted to have Chicken Parm, and Andy really (and I mean REALLY) wanted to have pizza. So much so that he was about to speed dial Domino’s, and I was already pulling out the bread crumbs for my half of the meal.
So we put our heads together and brainstormed. . . and then we compromised. Why not have Chicken Parmesan Pizza? Well, besides the excess of calories, and the amazing amount of carbs ready to be ingested with such a meal, we dove head first into making what we hoped (and what became) a very delicious meal.
Turns out that it’s not that much harder than making chicken Parmesan, the only difference is instead of serving it with pasta or a side dish of veggies, it’s coming with bread.
Chicken Parmesan Pizza
1 ball of pre-made, uncooked pizza dough
1 large chicken breast
Canned garlic and herb pasta sauce
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Panko bread crumbs
1 egg
Dry Italian herbs
Olive oil
Fresh basil, diced (optional)
Preheat oven to 375.
Cut chicken into three flat pieces, but cutting it into thin stripes. In a bowl, whisk eggs. In a second bowl, place 2 cups of Panko bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons of dry Italian herbs, mix. Dredge chicken in eggs wash, then place in Panko mix and coat chicken. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Place chicken in pan and cook through until breadcrumbs are browned and chicken is cooked through, about 6-8 minutes total (4 minutes a side).
Remove chicken from pan and after letting it cool for a few minutes, cut chicken into strips, or about 30 pieces total.
While chicken is cooking, roll out pizza dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until dough is hard to the touch but still spongy.
Spoon pasta sauce onto pizza dough, enough to evenly coat the dough. Top with diced chicken, the top that with mozzarella cheese. Add about a 1/4 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese and place in oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Remove from oven, top with basil. Serve and enjoy.
