I've gotten this recipe down to one pan, and two bowls, in under 30 minutes, making this one of the easiest and most delicious baby-friendly meals that requires very little clean up!!
(If you do pasta on the side this becomes a "one pan, one pot, two bowl chicken parm" which is still a win)
Ingredients
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 tsp. garlic powder, divided
2 tsp. Italian seasoning, divided
2 tsp. salt, divided
4 chicken cutlets (works better than breast because they're thin, require no prep work, and cook quickly and evenly)
2 tbsp. butter
1 jar marinara sauce (I think Rao's is the best)
4 slices mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh basil and red pepper flakes for garnish (can also add 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes to the chicken, if you're not going baby friendly)
What to do:
Preheat your broiler to low, and put your rack in the middle (I've tried top rack and it burns the panko too quickly). If I'm doing pasta on the side I start it now, so it can be cooking while I make the chicken.
In a small bowl, combine panko, 2 tbsp. of the olive oil, 1/2 tsp. of the garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. of the Italian seasoning, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, add chicken cutlets and coat with remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil. Season with remaining 1 1/2 tsp. each garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Add red pepper flakes now if you don't need to make this baby friendly and toss to coat everything evenly.
Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high and add butter. Once melted and foaming, add chicken cutlets and cook about 3 minutes per side, until they're golden. No need to cook all the way through; they'll finish cooking in the oven. Transfer to a plate and leave all the butter/drippings/grease in the pan.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add marinara sauce to the pan. Return chicken to the pan and cook until just bubbling, then remove from heat. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella, then parmesan, then breadcrumb mixture. Broil for about 6 minutes, until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are browned and crispy. Remove from oven and garnish with basil and a more grated parm.