Parmesan Bruschetta Chicken Bake
This Parmesan Bruschetta Chicken Bake is quickly done in the oven, making it a healthy option when you want something crunchy! It’s then generously topped with a delicious mixture of tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar. A mouthwatering weeknight meal that’s sure to please!
My relationship with Parmesan chicken began almost 14 years ago.
Hubby and I were living the newlywed life; we had just bought a cozy (read: small) cape cod style house across from a lush greenbelt in a secluded cul de sac of only 6 homes. In So. Cal. where land is incredibly pricey, we couldn’t afford to upsize. Instead, we stayed at that cute starter home for 7 years and fixed it up into something sweet. I still think of that yellow house with fond nostalgia.
After all, it was there by that bay window that overlooked roses and lilies where I cranked out batches of Parmesan chicken while watching Friends. Which, on a tangent, is still my fave sitcom of all time. Nothing will ever top that iconic show. I mean, we all knew which Friend we most related to…
Anyways. For the past 7 years, we’ve been living across the country…from Zone 10 down to Zone 4. Maybe even Zone 3; I don’t want to know. Garden Fanatics, you feel my pain.
I mean, it’s late April and snowflakes fell from the big cold sky today. The only silver lining would be if the first mosquitos of the season got axed.
But I digress. Back to the chicken.
Even though we are miles away from my first real kitchen, I still adore Parmesan chicken. Except now it’s a more grown-up version; I’ve graduated from tossing jarred spaghetti sauce over the chicken and towards a balsamic infused tomato-basil sauce. But no worries; it’s still laugh-out-loud easy.
We take boneless chicken breasts, coat them in a flour-Parmesan mixture, and bake to perfection. The baking part takes much less time than most people would guess – 20 minutes in my oven.
While the chicken is baking to a gloriously golden crunch, we combine tomatoes with garlic, basil, and balsamic to create a luscious topping for the entire dish.
This Parmesan Bruschetta Chicken Bake is healthy, savory, and so satisfying.
Can it BE any better?
I can’t wait for the weather to warm up enough so we can get fresh basils and tomatoes in the ground! You can bet on some seriously tasty tomato-basil creations when that happens. Stay tuned.
Did you make this?
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Parmesan Bruschetta Chicken Bake
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup grated "powder" Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup dry Italian bread crumbs
- 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, towel dried
For the Bruschetta Topping:
- 28 oz Italian diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 TB olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 ½ TB balsamic vinegar
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F with rack on middle position. Line a large baking pan with foil (or grease it.)
- Place flour in a bowl. Place beaten eggs in another bowl. In a pie dish, combine bread crumbs and grated (powder) Parmesan cheese.
- Place towel dried chicken breasts in a single layer on cutting board. Place plastic wrap over the chicken and pound to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch throughout. Dip each piece in the flour, coating both sides and shaking off excess. Dip into eggs, letting excess drip off. Dip into bread crumb mixture to coat both sides. Place chicken breasts in prepared baking pan in a single layer. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or just until insides are no longer pink; don't over bake.
- While the chicken bakes, prepare the Bruschetta Topping: Combine all topping ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit at room temp until chicken is done. Serve hot chicken with heaping spoonfuls of Bruschetta on top.
- Note: I love serving this dish over thin spaghetti noodles. Feel free to serve it with your favorite pasta, if you like.
Nutrition (per serving)
Source: Chew Out Loud, inspired by Six Sisters’ Stuff
Here are some other fool proof easy peasy Italian dinner recipes for busy weeknights:
- One Pan Gnocchi with Chicken and Spinach: This has been such a hit with my own family and countless others who have tried it since! Every friend who makes this has good things to say; give it a whirl. Even kiddos devour this dish!
- Chicken Cacciatore. I’ve had chicken cacciatore at restaurants and homes, but it’s never tasted as good as this recipe we settled on. This is easy and makes a nice big serving that will feed a crowd.
- One Pot Pizza Pasta. So half of you want pizza and half want pasta. No worries. This one-pot deal has both of you covered. Easy and yummy. Little ones love this dish.
- Penne with Vodka Sauce. Don’t worry, the booze gets cooked off in the heat (so sorry if you didn’t want that.) The entire family will love this creamy, flavorful dish. You’ll love how easy it is to make.
