This recipe was not originally developed by my family, but we have certainly used it. The original recipe is copyright McCormick & Co, Inc. 1994. The recipe that I cooked for this blog post was adapted from the McCormick recipe, but is not identical to it. I increased the amount of breading, as the original recipe does not provide nearly enough to thoroughly coat 4 “modern-sized” chicken breasts. I also increased the ratio of Parmesan cheese to bread crumbs, and adjusted the seasonings slightly. Finally, I made some mild edits to the recipe directions for clarity.

I chose to serve this recipe over spaghetti squash, as a low-carb alternative to regular spaghetti. I cooked the squash following these directions from About.com (which I also wish I could edit for clarity!). In short: slice squash in half lengthwise, place rind-side up on a baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow to cool, and run a fork through the squash flesh to separate. One average squash makes 4 generous servings.

This recipe is so tasty! The chicken is moist and flavorful, and the mild sweetness of the spaghetti squash matches well with the flavor of the tomato sauce. As simple dinners go, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper.

Dip each chicken breast in the beaten egg.

Then, dip each chicken breast in the bread crumb mixture to evenly coat.

Place the chicken on a greased baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, turn, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature should measure at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit).

While the chicken is still on the baking sheet, spoon tomato sauce over the chicken and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake for another 3 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Serve on a bed of spaghetti, or spaghetti squash.

Serves 4.

Click here for a print-friendly version.