Recipe Round-up: Chicken Parmesan Rollatini

Have you ever had one of those days? One where you're sure the entire world is out to get you, nothing is going your way, the kids are on their worst behavior, etc., etc.? Yeah, me too. I can usually handle all of that, but then throw in trying to figure out what to do with yet another package of chicken breasts, well, sufficed to say it becomes that proverbial straw to my camel's back. As much as I love to cook, I hate figuring out what to cook as much, if not more.

On a recent day when all I wanted was for Calgon to take me away and never bring me back, I stumbled upon the following recipe. Chicken Parmesan Rollatini. I need you to be aware of something: I'm a sucker for chicken parm in pretty much any form it can take. I've had it on pizza, I've had White Chicken Parm, I've even made a chicken parm pasta. It's truly one of my favorite foods. So I printed this recipe up and showed the kids--and when Debug, my exceptionally (and somewhat irrationally) picky eight year old said, "Oh, Mommy, that's looks super-de-dooper delicious!!", I just knew it would be on my table. So, without further ado, the dish that made my Debug eat tomato sauce and green things (and polenta...)....

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

Chicken Parmesan Rollatini

courtesy of and copyright FoodNetwork Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 14.5-ounce can crushed San Marzano or fire-roasted tomatoes 5 or 6 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 thin (1/8-inch-thick) chicken cutlets (4 ounces each)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 6 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg white
• Cooking spray
• Instant polenta, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Cook the broth, garlic, tomatoes and basil in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; place smooth-side down on a work surface. Sprinkle with the parsley and mozzarella. Starting at the short end, roll up to enclose the filling. Secure with a toothpick.
3. Mix the parmesan and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Put the egg white in another dish and beat until foamy.
4. Mist a cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Dip the chicken rolls in the egg white, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place in the skillet, seam-side down. Sprinkle with any remaining breadcrumbs and mist with cooking spray. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve with the tomato sauce, and polenta, if desired.

Per serving: Calories 355; Fat 14 g (Saturated 7 g); Cholesterol 105 mg; Sodium 848 mg; Carbohydrate 15 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 44 g

I hope you all enjoy this one as much as we did. A small confession: I bought a couple rolls of precooked polenta, sliced it up and gave it a quick sauté in a skillet with some butter and olive oil. Debug thought they were corn cakes--who am I to argue? (^;

Until next time!!
Leila