Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I was terribly busy this week. I had a huge brief due on Friday. Needless to say, cooking wasn't high on my priority list (especially that day I was at my office ordering takeout at 8 p.m.). Well, that ended yesterday at about 3:00 when we sent everything off for filing. I'd been dying to try this chicken & pasta recipe for a while, and decided it was a good night for it. I wish I remembered where I got this recipe - my print-out doesn't have any identifying details. :(

Overall, we both liked it a lot, but there are a few changes I will make next time I make it. I'll note those in italics at the bottom of the recipe.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Source Unknown
Serves 3-ish
Total cook & prep time - about 20 min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup bread crumbs (I think I did about 3/4 cup)
2 TBSP flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I think I did about 1/2 cup)
1 cup milk
Chicken breast strips (about 2 normal sized chicken breasts worth)
2 cups dry bowtie pasta
2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP flour
2 tsp crushed garlic (3-4 cloves)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup Half & Half
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/8 tsp basil (I used one cube Trader Joe's frozen basil)

DIRECTIONS
Prepare pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat.

Mix bread crumbs, flour, & parmesan cheese together. Place milk in a dish for dipping. Dip chicken in the bread crumb mixture, then in milk, and then back in the bread crumbs. Pan fry in skillet until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, melt butter & olive oil on medium heat in medium saucepan. Whisk in flour until mixture is blended. Quickly add garlic & whisk. Add wine & blend (I like to do this in small bits (about 1/8 cup) at a time to help de-glaze the pan). Immediately add Half & Half and sour cream. Whisk together.

When mixture is smooth, add grated cheese until melted and smooth. Sprinkle in basil and stir.

Remove from heat. Spoon sauce over pasta, then place chicken on top of sauce. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.


As I said above, while I really liked this recipe, there are a few things I'd do differently. First, I felt the sauce was a tiny bit too thick. I'd add another tablespoon or so of Half & Half. Second, I'd toss the pasta with the sauce instead of spooning the sauce over the pasta. Finally, I think the Asiago cheese was a bit sharp for this dish - a little too over-powering. I think replacing it with Pecorino Romano or Parmesan would compliment the dish better. Or, perhaps if you really want that Asiago flavor, I'd use 1/2 cup of Parmesan or Pecorino and 1/4 cup of Asiago.

Enjoy!