Favorites- Fried Fresh Mozzarella and Chicken Parm

These are two of my all time favorite "special" dinner recipes...

Fried Fresh Mozzarella and Chicken Parm!

Sometimes we make them together but plenty of times I'll make up the fried Mozzarella with some pasta and salad...or as an appetizer when friends come over.

The plate gets devoured.

Cheese.. fried.. c'mon. amazingness.

The Chicken Parm is such an easy meal to make when you have company coming over. You can have all the messy work done with it ready to go..

The chicken parm in the oven! kitchen clean... pasta boiling!

These recipes are low fat, low calories, low everything.........

just go with that. ;)

Once you make this one time you'll be able to cook

without even pulling up the recipe! super easy. 

FRIED MOZZARELLA

(Better than store OR restaurant bought!)

Originally posted here when I discovered the recipe on recipezaar.com

I've changed it up to fit how we like it! Below is the recipe I use.

(not the prettiest photo below..but you get the idea! this wasn't a planned post. ;)

INGREDIENTS:

pack of fresh mozzarella (ball or log)..cut into pieces

2 eggs beaten

2 tablespoons water

3/4 cup panko italian bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon dried oregano (I LOVE this spice. heavy handed with it)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/3 cup flour

pinch or two of salt and pepper

olive oil (for frying)

DIRECTIONS:

--Pull out three bowls.

--In one bowl combine the water and egg.

--In your second bowl but the flour

--In the third, and final bowl, combine the bread crumbs and spices.

--Dip the piece of fresh mozzarella into the egg mixture, flour mixture, egg mixture and lastly in the bread mixture. Place on a plate.

--Repeat till all the cheese is coated.

--Cover the plate of breaded cheese with foil and put in freezer.

This helps the cheese to hold it's shape when fried.

--When you are ready pull out the cheese a little before frying.

--Heat up your saucepan..and then add olive oil.

--Make sure it's hot enough.. (test with a pinch of flour.)

--I put in enough oil to have them soaked but not swimming in it!

You'll get the hang of how much to put in.

--Place your cheese in the pan and brown both sides. make sure not to overcrowd the pan.

--Tongs make this whole frying process easier.

--SOMETIMES I place on paper towels to drain..but sometimes if the cheese is melting already I skip that or you'll have a big ol mess. I don't put in too much oil to begin with.

--EAT UP! You can dip in marinara or spaghetti sauce.

CHICKEN PARM

The ingredients are the same as the fried mozzarella... same idea..

You just need thin chicken breasts.. and maybe a little more

of the dry ingredients depending on how much chicken you are making up!

INGREDIENTS:

Same as Fried Mozzarella

+ Jar of Spaghetti Sauce

+Pasta of choice (sometimes we'll make just chicken parm with thin spaghetti)

+Thin sliced Mozzarella (You could use deli sliced...

shredded mozzarella.. or even the fresh ball/log sliced thin)

DIRECTIONS:

--Bread the chicken and brown in pan, the same way I explained the fried Mozzarella.

--put some of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of your casserole pan

--Layer the chicken, sauce and cheese

--Cover with foil

--Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.. depending on how thin your chicken is!

(The chicken is browned but just needs to be cooked through. I always check occasionally)

--You can remove the foil near the end if you want it a little toasted!

--enjoy!

--Leftovers are great for chicken parm sandwiches!

little tip when covering recipes that are cheesy on top, with foil....

spray the foil with cooking spray before you cover!

GENIUSSSSSS. I know. Can't remember who

told me that trick but it's awesome.

(photo from when I last made lasagna roll ups)

If you are looking for a good dressing to go on salad...

This is our all time favorite in the house.

Enjoy!