Lighter Chicken Parmesan

After I get back form Walt Disney World, I plan on really starting to watch what I eat (there's really no point while you're on vacation, right?). I've decided to use WeightWatchers.com and see how it works out. WW doesn't have any meeting places close to where I live (I'm spoiled now, living in a small town and think 25 minutes is just too far to go for a meeting, or anything else for that matter) so I'm going to track my points online. I'll try to include the points values for the recipes I post, but I can't promise I can get to every one. I'll also be tracking my weekly workouts which will hopefully be 4 runs and 2 cross trains. I've got the best of intentions don't I?!

Anyway, here's a recipe that's really easy and is a kid-pleaser too. Sorry, I don't have the points value for this dish yet, but the nutritional data is at the bottom of the recipe.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

1.5 pounds boneless chicken breasts (about 6)

1 tsp olive oil

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese

1.5 cups prepared tomato sauce (for a time-saver, I like to use Bertolli or Newman's Own)

1/2 cup egg substitute (or two eggs, beaten)

Preheat oven to 375°. Spread olive oil in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Pat chicken breasts dry and season with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Put eggs in another shallow bowl and set the bowls side by side.

Here's my assembly line:

Dredge each chicken breast in eggs, letting excess drip off, and then dredge in bread crumb mixture. Set each breast in the prepared 13x9 pan.

Bake for appx. 20 minutes until the chicken starts to get lightly browned.

Remove pan from oven. Cover the chicken with the tomato sauce and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is starting to brown.

Nutritional Information (by Nutritiondata.com)

6 Servings

219 Calories

8g Total fat

4g Saturated Fat

26mg Cholesterol

369mg Sodium

18g Total Carbs

2g Dietary Fiber

17g Protein

I like to serve this with a side of pasta and I really like the Barilla Plus line (extra fiber and protein) - but if you're watching carbs, just serve it with loads of veggies!

Enjoy!

Mangia!

I am so proud to be part Italian (although, I think I'm only a quarter or something like that - I still claim the heritage). My great grandparents came over from Siciliy in the 1920's and I still remember going to their house as a kid and just stuffing myself silly. My nonna was probably the greatest cook I ever knew - gosh I miss her! Almost as soon as we walked in the door, she was saying "Mangia! Mangia!" because the table was already piled high with traditional southern Italian food (my favorite was a dish called scachatta - I have no idea how it's spelled, but this is how she pronounced it - which is kind of like a stuffed deep dish sausage pizza. I'll have to make it for you all sometime!). I'm getting hungry just remembering those days.

Well, I don't think this is a traditional food from Italy, but I love it just the same (and just like me, it's descendants had to come from somewhere over there).

I like this recipe because it's easier (and not to mention healthier) than the original in that you don't have to fry the eggplant - you bread and then bake them. Serve it up with some pasta and a salad and dinner's done. Three out of four kids approved of this dish, and I think that last vote was a nay because he wasn't feeling really well. The others ate it up and even Little Miss K, my 3 year old, had seconds!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan from MarthaStewart.com

Mangia bene!