Chicken Parmesan

1½        cups marinara sauce (store- bought or use recipe for simple tomato sauce on page 26), divided

2½        ounces   parmesan

6           ounces   mozzarella, well-chilled*

4           6- to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½-inch thickness

½          teaspoon kosher salt

½          teaspoon  freshly  ground black pepper

¼          cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

2           large  eggs

1                       recipe (12⁄3 cups) seasoned breadcrumbs (page 18)

¼ to ½ cup olive oil, divided

2                       tablespoons thinly sliced

(chiffonade) basil

*it is best to put the mozzarella in the freezer for about 10, but no more than 15 minutes prior to shredding.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 709 (47% from fat) • carb. 36g • pro. 58g • fat 36g

• sat. fat 12g • chol. 242mg • sod. 1832mg • calc. 579mg • fiber 3g

Active Time: 40 minutes Inactive Time: 15 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 425°F with the rack in the middle position. Spread 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a nonreactive 13" x 9" baking pan; reserve.
2. Insert the fine shredding disc into the work bowl of the food processor. Shred the Parmesan on Low. Remove and reserve. Switch to the medium shredding disc and shred the mozzarella on High. Reserve.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In three shallow dishes, fill each with the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs. Be sure to lightly whisk the eggs together. Dredge the chicken first in the flour, shaking off any excess, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs, being sure that all sides of each piece of chicken are fully coated. Reserve on a clean plate or tray.
4. Put ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, brown the chicken cutlets, in batches, until browned on both sides, adding additional oil as necessary – you do not want a dry pan or the chicken will burn. Transfer the browned chicken to the baking pan on top of the layer of sauce. Note: You are not cooking the chicken through at this point, just browning. It will finish cooking in the oven.

5. Top each browned cutlet with 2 tablespoons of sauce, 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella.

6. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted and the internal temperature of the chicken registers at 165°F.

7. Garnish with the basil and serve.