My little Mei’s favorite dinner is spaghetti – definitely a childhood classic, but we get tired of eating just plain spaghetti and try to find new variations to try to keep things interesting. But it is one of our go-to meals when we really want to get her eating something if she’s been on one of those toddler benders where she picks at her food for a week, barely eating anything. Really it’s more for our piece of mind than anything, but hey – parenting doesn’t come with a manual. I know, right? Just to spice things up, we told her we were making “Chicken Spaghetti” with LOTS of cheese and that was how we decided to toss together Chicken Parmesan in the Slow Cooker!
The last few times I’ve ordered Chicken Parmesan in a restaurant, I’ve been sorely disappointed. Somehow, I always end up with a pretty flat piece of overcooked or dried out, fried to-death chicken smothered in sauce with the smallest bit of spaghetti noodles chucked in at the end. I mean, why put something like that on the menu? *Le sigh* but fear not! We managed to make ourselves a lovely, thick chicken breast that has plenty of flavor, plenty of sauce and served over a bed of spaghetti noodles.
This time, I tossed together bits that I had on-hand for a quick Chicken Parmesan which has the benefit of flavor and great taste and perfect to enjoy at the end of a busy day. Have it with a glass of red wine for a really comforting meal!
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PARMESAN
INGREDIENTS: Yields 4 Servings
- 2-4 Boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
- 1/2 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
- 1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 egg
- 1 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
- One, 15 ounce jar of your favorite Red Pasta Sauce
- Spaghetti Noodles, cooked according to package directions
- Freshly torn or minced basil, for garnish
Pat dry the chicken breasts, cutting away any extra fat or sinews and set aside.
In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with a fork and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the Italian bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, pepper and salt.
Dip one chicken breast at a time into the beaten egg, coating it all over then dip it in the bread crumb mixture, taking care to coat the chicken breast completely in the bread crumb mixture all over then lay it flat in the bottom of the slow cooker. Repeat with the additional chicken breasts making sure to lay all the breasts in a single, flat layer in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Sprinkle on half of the grated mozzarella cheese over the chicken breasts then cover everything with half of the pasta sauce. sprinkle over the remaining cheese and extra breadcrumb mixture (if you like, optional) and cover with the remaining pasta sauce.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4-6 HOURS.
Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles and a side salad for a perfectly balanced, scrumptious meal!
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