Chicken Parmigiana
Long gone are the days of trying to get your kids to eat plain, boring vegetables. I still remember my Mother cooking canned spinach on the stove with vinegar and a little lemon and trying to get me to eat it. It had such a strong spinach taste. I hated it.
I created this version of Chicken Parmigiana as a way to get my son to each more spinach when he was growing up. I realized if I could hide the vegtables or add different flavors, he would eat them. Thus, my version of Chicken Parmigiana was born as a disguise to eat more spinach.
Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle has a light spinach flavor. When you mix it with something, you can’t even tell it’s spinach and even I will eat it. When my son was younger and first asked me why the sauce was green, I just said from the parsley and other herbs. Yes, I lied to my son. He never questioned that and ate this every time I served it. He may have known, but he told me he really liked it. He eats vegetables as an adult now. I don’t have to hide that it is spinach anymore. It has just become a family favorite meal. The kids will love the cheese on top.
Note: You can substitute the spinach souffle for creamed spinach, but if you do, mix 1 frozen package of creamed spinach with 1/3 cup of a whipped cream cheese to get the creaminess of the souffle. You also don’t need to mix the spinach souffle with the spaghetti sauce on the bottom. Just layer it on top of the sauce.
My Chicken Parmigiana is a fairly simple recipe. I do not bread the chicken, so consider this a reinvented Chicken Parmigiana recipe.
Place some spaghetti sauce (crushed tomatoes also will work) in the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ inch casserole dish. Layer the Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle over the sauce. Then layer some diced onions and green peppers. Next lay the chicken breast over the spinach souffle. Season with a little salt, granulated garlic (or garlic powder) and freshly ground black pepper. Finally, cover the chicken with a little more sauce and top with a mix of Mozzarella and Provolone cheese. Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 40-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
NOTE: You can substitute skinless chicken tenders for the chicken breast. I remove the tough top part of the tendon if I am using chicken tenders.
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Chicken Parmigiana
A flavorful Chicken Parmigiana with spinach.
Ingredients
- 2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1 package Stouffer's Spinach Souffle
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- 6 chicken breasts, flattened slightly
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- mozzarella cheese
- provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
NOTE: You can substitute skinless chicken tenders for the chicken breast. I remove the tough top part of the tendon if I am using chicken tenders.
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step 2 In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, spread out a layer of spaghetti sauce.
- Step 3 Layer the Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle or creamed spinach (mix the creamed spinach with 1/3 cup cream cheese).
- Step 4 Sprinkle the diced onions and green peppers over the spinach layer.
- Step 5 Layer the slightly flattened chicken breast on top. Season the top of the chicken with kosher salt, granulated garlic and freshly ground black pepper.
- Step 6 Cover the chicken with some additional sauce.
- Step 7 Add a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese. Then layer Provolone cheese over the top.
- Step 8 Bake for 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Step 9 Serve immediately.
