Chicken Parmesan

I've been making this recipe since 2021. I like it because it's very hearty and I can make a lot of it in a relatively short time. I can pretty easily cook 3-4 days of dinners in ~2 hours and they reheat fairly well in the oven. I've made this for friends quite a few times and it's always a hit. Crispy, saucy, and it can be plated very beautifully. Also, this can pretty easily be turned vegetarian by subbing chicken for eggplant steaks, just as tasty!

• Skinless, boneless, thinly-sliced chicken breasts (or eggplant steaks)
• 1 egg per 2 chicken breasts
• 1-2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp flour per 2 chicken breasts
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1-2 cups tomato sauce
• Fresh basil leaves
• Angel hair pasta (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450° F
2. Heat oil in deep pan until a flick of water pops on the oil's surface
3. Mix eggs in a bowl, place breadcrumbs in another bowl
4. Place flour into gallon bag along with chicken, close bag and shake until chicken is evenly coated
5. Dip chicken into egg, breadcrumbs, egg, breadcrumbs, then fry in oil (one breast at a time) about 90s on each side or until golden brown
   • If using eggplant steaks, I suggest scoring the rind such that upon frying, the surface texture will be more pleasing
6. Place chicken onto baking sheet, smother with sauce (I like to leave ~1cm of visible edge on the top), along with critical mass of Parmesan and Mozzarella
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, optionally cooking angel hair to go along with the chicken
8. Top with basil and/or parsley