Hey guys! I thought I would hop on here real quick and share one of my favorite recipes! Now that I'm a mom I try and find ONE meal I can cook for the whole fam. There is nothing worse than cooking two different dinners....Who's with me on that???!! And lets be honest we can't be eating the same four meals that our kids eat LOL. This meal is SUPER easy to make and fast and changes things up!!
Ok..so whenever I go out to dinner I am such a sucker for Chicken Arugula Salad. I love the balsamic, fresh tomatoes and the fact that it has some greens in it. So freaking good. Its definitely a "healthier" option when eating out. However, I don't love the fact that its made in the frying pan...so I thought to myself..hm. I can totally make this at home. Just without the extra grease!
The trick is that I throw it in the oven which gives you crispy chicken without the oil! WIN! And...you can give the kids the SAME crispy breaded chicken. I mean, who doesn't love breaded chicken? You can enjoy your Arugula salad...and Give the kids some ketchup, BBQ, or hot sauce (if they're old enough to like sauces, my two toddlers just eat it plain) and bingo...you have a meal for the whole fam. If you want extra credit, you could honestly cut the chicken into smaller pieces for the kids so they look like nuggets! Steam some veggies on the side for them and donezo. You have dinner in 30 mins...and a majority of the time its in the oven which means time to do something else..like play with the kids, clean up, un -wind from work..whatever it may be.
Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts (however many you need)
4 cups Arugula
Breading:
1 cup Breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs (I like Edward and Sons)
1 egg
2-3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Topping:
1/2 tomato (the firmer the better)
chopped onion
Balsamic Vinegar to taste
Olive Oil to taste
*I've been pretty loose with the amounts of the above only because everyone is different in terms of how much they prefer. If you love onion, use a 1/2 of an onion. If you don't like it as much, use a 1/3 or 1/4 of an onion. Same with the parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar(I'm obsessed..so I use a ton), and olive oil.
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pound the chicken breasts so they are flat (this is super important. It cuts down on the cooking time). Put a sheet of parchment paper on a oven safe baking sheet.
2. Crack the egg and whisk in a bowl. Place the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a separate deep dish or bowl.
3. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs making sure the breast is covered with the crumbs. Place on the parchment paper on baking sheet. Repeat until all breasts are on the baking sheet. Cook for 10-12 mins per side. Flip when they reach your desired "crisp level."
4. While the chicken is cooking, rinse the arugula. Chop the onion and tomato. Place all three in a large bowl.
5. When chicken is complete, take out of oven to cool. Add your balsamic vinegar and olive oil to the salad.
6. Serve Arugula salad over the chicken. Enjoy :)
xo
Alex