Receta Chicken Parmigiana Rollatini
As a mother of six, there are so many moments that provide great amounts of laughter, and they are the ones that help balance me against the moments that do the opposite.
During this past week of intense craziness, my sweet three year old provided many comic relief breaks that my sanity needed to keep itself in check. Three year olds are great for that! I was in the midst of a time sensitive work project that wasn't going very well when my baby girl asked me if she could have some cheese. Assuming she meant a cheese stick, I told her to go grab it out of the fridge. When I came out of the office to check on her a few minutes later, this is what I found. How can you not laugh loudly at something like that and take a few minutes to realize that deadlines, work and projects aren't nearly as important as they seemed a few seconds ago?
Thanks to all my kids who provide me with those perfectly timed moments of perspective that I tend to lose on a daily basis. All six of you help keep me in check.
Since apparently my three year old has a love affair with cheese as big as her Mommy's, I knew she would adore these cheesy rollatinis. And she did, along with the rest of the family! In fact, my 9 year old declared that they were her "favorite form of chicken."
Don't be intimidated by the multiple steps of this recipe. It really does go much faster and easier than you would ever think. I gave myself an hour to prep the chicken, thinking that is what I would need, but the prep was done in less than 30 minutes....including time for picture taking along the way.
If you have never had to cut a chicken breast in half, don't worry because it is also very easy. Just be sure your knife is sharp and then get to it! No perfect cuts are necessary here so don't worry about messing up. You will be so thrilled with this recipe and it is gorgeous/delicious enough for entertaining as well!
Chicken Parmigiana Rollatini
serves 6
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 4 lbs
- 8 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of liquid
- 2/3 C part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 egg
- 2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced (I use a microplane)
- 1/2 C italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 eggs, beaten with a dash of milk
- 1 C marinara sauce
- salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Lay one chicken breast on a cutting board with what would have been the skin side up. Place your hand on top, and using a chef's knife, cut the breast down the middle being sure to stop before cutting all the way through. Open the breast so the cut surface is exposed, cover with plastic wrap and lightly pound the chicken to an even thickness. Season both sides of the chicken well with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining breasts.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, half of the mozzarella, half of the parmesan and 1 egg. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper to the mixture. Evenly divide and spread the filling on the inside cut side of the chicken. Roll up the chicken and place it seam side down on the work surface.
3. On a plate, mix together the bread crumbs and the remaining parmesan cheese. Place your 2 beaten eggs with the dash of milk in a small bowl. Dip each breast first in the eggs, then roll them into the breadcrumbs to coat. Place them on your greased baking dish seam side down.
4. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with marinara sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 3-4 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce
**For gluten free, be sure to use gluten free bread crumbs instead!