Ingredients
For Sauce:
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1 (14 1/2 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, with nice and broken up until chunky
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1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
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2 Tbl. basil pesto
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1 tsp. dried oregano
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1/4 tsp. regular ground pepper
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1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes, more if you like it spicy
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1/8 tsp. sugar
Egg Mixture:
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1 extra large egg beaten with 1/2 Tbl. cold water
Breading Mixture:
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1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
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1/3 cup finely grated fresh parmesan cheese
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1/2 tsp. garlic powder
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1/2 tsp. dried oregano
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1/2 tsp. dried basil
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1/2 tsp. regular table salt
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1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
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1/2 tsp. regular ground black pepper
Rest of Ingredients:
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2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded 1/2" thick
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mozzarella and provolone blend shredded cheese, as much as you like (1 1/3 cups or so)
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more grated parmesan cheese, as you like (I didn't measure I just grated right over)
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4 hamburger buns
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4 Tbl. soft butter
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1/2 tsp. garlic powder
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(oil for frying)
Instructions
For Sauce: In saucepan, add stewed tomatoes with the juice, crush tomatoes with your hands. Stir in rest of sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, remove from heat and let rest with lid tilted.Preheat oven to 350º F.In pie dish, beat egg. Whisk in water. In second pie dish (*or doubled brown paper lunch sacks), add Breading Mixture ingredients, stir well (*or shake) to mix.Dip pieces of chicken, one at a time, into egg mixture, left excess drip off, then coat very well on both sides in breading mixture. Place onto a baking sheet. Add more of the breading mixture, patting on to both sides. Let rest.Add oil to large frying pan until 1/2 deep, heat over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Add chicken pieces in batches to hot oil and fry for 5 minutes until deep golden brown on bottom. Turn pieces over and fry other side for 5 minutes, remove to rack lined with several layers of paper towel to absorb oil. Then place onto foil lined baking sheet. Top each with an 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) of sauce. Top each with shredded cheese. (About a 1/3 cup per each chicken filet or however much you want to pile on!) Then grate more parmesan cheese over each. As much as you like.Pop into preheated oven and bake for 5 - 7 minutes to finish chicken and melt cheese. Remove from oven and turn oven up to broil.Butter insides of buns (tops and bottoms) and place onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle each with a little garlic powder, and run under the broiler, watching carefully, and broil until toasted to your liking.Place chicken parmesan filets onto bottom buns, top with lids and serve hot. Enjoy!!