Chicken Parm is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It's as much an American classic as a burger and fries or angel food cake. The good news is that Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made from skim milk to start with, so there is no need to replace it with "cheese food" or anything else that's unsuccessfully impersonating the real thing. In this version, thin chicken cutlets are grilled and topped with reduced-fat mozzarella and then sprinkled with breadcrumbs just before finishing the dish for a crispy browned topping.






Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients
  • Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 ounces each) trimmed of all fat, pounded thin
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Salt
  • 2 cups Rocco's How Low Can You Go Low-Fat (page 206) Marinara Sauce , or store-bought low-fat marinara sauce
  • 1 cup drained canned whole plum tomatoes , roughly chopped
  • 1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese , such as Weight Watchers
  • 1 1/2 ounces (about 6 Tbsp.) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs , such as Ian's All-Natural
    • Directions
    Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with olive oil spray and set it aside.

    Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. When the grill is hot, spray the chicken lightly with olive oil spray. Grill until just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.

    Spread a little less than half of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Lay the grilled chicken breasts on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the chicken; scatter the chopped tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the chopped basil, the mozzarella, and the Parmigiano Reggiano.

    Bake the chicken until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle the panko and remaining basil on top, and serve.

    Nutritional Information
    Before: 49g fat, 1,090 calories

    After: 9.3g fat, 332 calories

    39g protein, 20g carbohydrates, 91mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 767mg sodium
    Published 03/26/2010

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