Lemon Romano Chicken

 

I'm a little addicted to Pinterest. Besides being fun to look at, it's such a great way to find new blogs and recipes, like this one that I first saw on Pinterest. When looking at recipes pinned to Pinterest, I always click through to get back to the source so I can make sure the link works, read the recipe, and determine if it's something I'd want to make. Sure, the picture may look good, but you never know what you are going to discover once you go to the source. Luckily this one took me to the blog Cooking Classy.

Just one more note about Pinterest before I move on to the recipe - when you see a recipe, it's not a "Pinterest" recipe. The recipe had to come from somewhere, so give those bloggers some traffic, due credit, and make sure you click through to their site!

I love crispy, baked chicken, and the picture on this blog had my mouth watering. I read through the recipe and knew right away that I would make it.

The original recipe used mozzarella, Romano, and provolone cheeses. I omitted the provolone, mostly because I didn't see shredded provolone on my quick run through the market and didn't feel like going all the way back to the deli (Wegman's is too bit to run back for just one more thing!). Instead I used Parmesan. I also didn't fry the chicken before baking it. Using Panko and turning on the broiler at the end makes it plenty crispy, and also keeps it a bit healthier. 

We both loved this chicken. The addition of lemon zest, oregano, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses to the breading gave it such great flavor - fresh and bright. I used basil for the picture, but then also chopped it up and enjoyed it with the chicken which went so well with the lemon. I served this chicken with simple roasted asparagus and Pasta with Butter, Parmesan, and Black Pepper.

Lemon Romano Chicken
Adapted from: Cooking Classy

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3/4 c Panko breadcrumbs
• Shredded cheeses: mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Lemon wedges for serving
• Fresh basil for serving

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees; spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray
• Season chicken with salt and pepper; set aside
• Beat egg and add flour; in a second bowl, mix the Panko with approximately 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp Romano cheese, lemon zest, oregano, and just a pinch each of salt and pepper
• One at a time, dip the chicken breasts in the egg/flour mixture, and then in the Panko mixture. Place in the baking dish.
• Bake at first for approximately 10 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, mix approximately 1 tbsp of each of the cheeses in a small bowl. After the chicken has cooked for 10 minutes, top each breast with some of the cheese. Continue to cook for approximately 8 more minutes, or until the intrnal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees, turning on the broiler for the last 2 minutes of cooking. (total chicken cooking time is approximately 18 minutes)
• Garnish with lemon wedges and basil. Before eating, squeeze lemon juice onto the chicken.