10 Layer Chicken Parm

Apparently I haven't made my famous Chix Parmesan in 18 months. When I looked up the original recipe I decided to change it up a bit this time. Hence the "10 layer" title. It goes to show that chicken parm is a recipe to keep on the menu radar a bit more often.

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs, whisked and placed in Ziplock bag
2 cups Panko placed in another Ziplock with Kosher salt and Ground pepper
Fresh basil leaves
1 can flavored diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Classico tomato sauce with basil
1 red onion, diced and sautéed
Up to 8 garlic cloves, minced and sautéed
3/4 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
1 - 2 sliced fresh Roma tomatoes
1/2 package Fettuccine pasta, cooked al dente  cooked with 1 TBSP kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Unsalted butter
Oblong baking dish

DIRECTIONS
Get the Fettuccine cooking. When it's done, drain and dollop with 1 TBSP unsalted butter. Put a lid over the pot to keep it warm til the rest of the meal is ready.

Sauté the onions and garlic, adding the mushrooms. When done, drain over paper towels and set aside.

Dredge each breast in eggs, then Panko mixture. Pack the Panko to the chicken. Cook on medium heat with pre-warmed extra virgin olive oil til both sides of each piece is golden brown.

Preheat oven to 350. Layer in the following order and bake tented  with foil for 25 minutes. Uncover and continue baking another 10-15 minutes til cheeses have melted. Serve over Fettuccine.

10 LAYERS from bottom to top:
1.  Spread the diced tomatoes on the bottom of the baking dish
2.  Place the browned chicken breasts over the tomato base
3.  Sprinkle half the mozzarella over each breast
4.  Place several fresh basil leaves on top of each breast
5.  Sprinkle half the parmesan over each breast
6.  Pour the sautéed ingredients over all
7.  Add the Classico tomato sauce plus a generous pinch of kosher salt on top
8.  Add remaining mozzarella
9.  Top each breast with the Roma slices
10. Cover all with the rest of the parm

Beats the other recipe. Juicy and totally yum. 4 paws! 

My Fav Mac

This recipe for a version of white cheddar mac n' cheese was morphed from one the HyVee Grocery chain uses. Once you taste this one, you will throw out all your yellow cheese. This is great on its own or as a side dish. It makes a lasagne-size pan full or you can mix and split in half. The guys in my life love love love this one.

INGREDIENTS

Pkg large elbow macaroni
4 cups sharp White Cheddar cheese, shredded (16 oz.)
8 oz shredded Gruyere cheese
8 oz shredded Asiago or Fontina cheese (both are great)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
4 1/2 cups 2% milk at room temp
1 cup low fat chicken broth
5 TBSP unsalted butter
5 TBSP Wondra
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Boil pasta according to package, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 425. In large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter and stir in Wondra to make a paste. Boil briefly. Slowly whisk in milk and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (be generous) and heat until mixture thickens, about 5 min. Stir frequently. Add 3 cups White Cheddar cheese, 1 cup Gruyere, all the Fontina/Asiago and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Add more salt and pepper now. Whisk well and stir in the pasta.

Pour the mixture into one large baking pan or two smaller pans. Top with remaining cheeses and cover with Panko. Set pan on top of baking sheet to catch any drippings. Bake 30-35 min or til golden. You can also turn off the oven while you finish the rest of the dinner, it will keep nice n warm for 10 minutes at least.

Spot gives this 4 paws because she loves what a sloppy shredder I am. Yum yum for the pieces that land on the floor. I ask you, how many dogs do you know that like Gruyere cheese?

My First Beef Tenderloin

Oh. My. Gosh. After mentioning to a cooking friend that I had never attempted beef tenderloin, she emailed me her recipe. I tweaked it just a bit and have to say this is so moist and tasty you will want to make it more often than is affordable. It's not as expensive as prime rib, but it is right up there. I made this for our anniversary last week.

Serves 4-6 depending on portions.

A day ahead, kosher salt and pepper both sides of 3 lbs beef tenderloin and marinade in a ziplock bag with lite soy sauce

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
Fresh thyme sprigs
3 TBSP unsalted butter
3 shallots, thinly sliced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups merlot wine
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
4 cups low sodium beef broth

DIRECTIONS:
Let beef sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 250. Re-salt and pepper both sides, lay meat on top of fresh thyme in roast pan (let marinate liquid sit in bottom of pan), cover top with more thyme sprigs. Bake for one hour and check meat temperture. Using instant read thermometer, place in thickest part of meat. Continue to bake until temp rea
ds 130 for medium rare, approximately 30 more minutes.

RED WINE SAUCE:
Melt 3 TBSP butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in garlic and shallots until translucent, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Heat turned to high, add the wine and vinegar and boil til syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add broth and heat another 20 minutes. (My friend's recipe called for the sauce to be strained, we didn't do that. It also called for more thyme to go in the sauce. We didn't do that, either.)

We sliced this thin and served it with garlic mashed potatoes, lemony green beens and red-tip lettuce with a vinegrette. I am salivating as I write this.

One of Spot's new fav's! 4 paws for sure.