I don’t know why it took me so long to add this amazing and delicious easy oven-baked Chicken Parmesan Alfredo to our family’s meal plan rotation! I first tried Chicken Parmesan earlier last spring when our whole extended family celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday. My husband’s sister brought it to share, and it was amazing! I went home and made it within the week. My kids all declared it was a “keeper” recipe and insisted I add it to our meal rotation so they could enjoy it more often. Our family enjoyed the regular recipe many times over the last year.
The History of Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan, also known as Chicken Parmigiana, has a rich history rooted in Italian-American culinary tradition. The dish is believed to have originated in the United States rather than in Italy, despite its Italian-sounding name.
The origin of Chicken Parmesan traces back to Italian immigrants who settled in the United States, particularly in the Northeastern cities such as New York and Philadelphia, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These immigrants brought with them their culinary traditions, which often evolved to adapt to local ingredients and tastes.
Chicken Parmesan Originated from Eggplant Parmesan
The dish likely evolved from traditional Italian recipes such as Eggplant Parmesan (Melanzane alla Parmigiana), which involves layering slices of eggplant with cheese and tomato sauce. As chicken became more readily available and popular in America, it was substituted for eggplant in this recipe, leading to the creation of Chicken Parmesan.
Chicken Parmesan typically consists of breaded and fried chicken cutlets topped with marinara sauce and melted cheese, usually mozzarella and Parmesan. It’s then baked until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. The dish is often served with pasta, such as spaghetti or fettuccine, and garnished with fresh herbs like basil.
Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan Alfredo
While traditional Chicken Parmesan is breaded and pan-fried to get that crispy crust, this easy Chicken Parmesan Alfredo recipe is baked in the oven, saving you a ton of time! Another way this recipe diverges from the regular traditional dish is that it is prepared with an Alfredo sauce instead of a marinara sauce.
One night, about a year after I began making this for my family, my daughter decided to “try something”. On a whim, she made an alfredo sauce for it and that changed EVERYTHING! My kids quickly capitulated, declaring it their new favorite way to eat chicken, second only to their favorite: BBQ chicken. Unfortunately, she didn’t remember how she made it. I recreated her creation with the recipe below.
What you will need:
2-4 chicken breasts. Depending on how large of a crowd you have to feed you may need more or less. I cut each chicken breast in half and then cut each piece crosswise. One chicken breast will give you 4 pieces roughly 1/2 thick. If they are just a little thinner or thicker, that’s okay too. Keep in mind the thicker the piece, the longer it will take to bake. Store-bought breasts may be a little thinner than my farm-raised birds produced, so take notice of how thick your uncut chicken breasts are. I routinely get 17-18 pieces for this dish from 4 full-size chicken breasts. We raised 70 cornish cross meat birds over the summer to help feed our family, and the breasts from those birds are near twice the size of those we purchased at our local grocer.
3-5 eggs. Again, exactly how many you need is dependent on how much you make. When I use 4 chicken breasts, I use 5 or 6 eggs depending on whether they are large or smaller. You will want to beat these before you use them.
1/2 c flour. We are going to coat the individual pieces of chicken in this before we dip them in egg.
1-2 c seasoned bread crumbs. I start with one cup and then add more as needed. This is the last step before placing the chicken on the baking sheet. My favorite is Italian seasoned bread crumbs.
You will also need a baking sheet. When I cook for a crowd (most of the time as we usually have an extra friend or two over), I use my 18″ x 26″ baking sheet. If you are not cooking for that large a crowd, a regular-sized cookie sheet will work. I also line mine with aluminum foil to save wear and tear on my baking sheets and to save time cleaning the mess off the pans. Whoever is washing up the dishes will thank you for this step!
1 c shredded Parmesan cheese. This is where this particular dish gets its name, from the parmesan added to the top during the last stage of baking.
The sauce for Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan Alfredo: What you need
To make this yummy sauce from scratch, you will need the following:
6 Tbsp butter
1/4 c flour. I used gluten-free flour and had great results. All-purpose flour also works great in this recipe too.
3 heaping tsp minced garlic. My family loves garlic and this definitely adds to the flavor. I don’t measure this ingredient, strictly speaking. I just grab a regular teaspoon from my utensil drawer and scoop out 3 heaping spoonfuls to add to the pan.
3 level tsp Italian seasoning. This I do measure (smile and wink!)
3 c milk. For this step, you may substitute dairy-free milk if you wish. The results are the same, but be sure to use an unflavored variety.
1/3 c shredded Italian blend cheese. This is my favorite for Italian dishes as the unique blend of flavors adds depth to the recipes. If you do not have this, mozzarella cheese is also a fantastic option.
Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan Alfredo Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2-4 lean chicken breasts
- 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1-2 c seasoned bread crumbs
- salt and pepper
- 1 c shredded Italian blend or mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 425.
- Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Using a cutting board, slice each chicken breast in half, then slice each half in two crosswise.
- Place the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs each in a separate flat dish. Then set them up side by side, kind of like an assembly line.
- Add the salt and pepper to the flour and mix well.
- Pick up a piece of chicken breast and coat both sides with flour mixture.
- Then, coat both sides of the flour-coated breast with egg.
- Coat both sides of the egg-covered breast with bread crumbs.
- Finally, place the breast piece on the aluminum-covered baking sheet.
- Repeat for the rest of the pieces, adding more beaten eggs or bread crumbs to their respective dishes as needed.
- Once all the breast pieces have been coated, Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Place in the pan in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear.
- While the chicken breasts bake, make the alfredo sauce.
- When the breasts are finished cooking, cover the breasts with the sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
- Return to the oven just until the cheese melts.
To Make the Sauce for Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Alfredo
For the sauce:
- 6T butter,
- 1/4 c flour
- 3 heaping tsp minced garlic
- 3 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3 c milk, 1/3 c shredded Italian blend cheese or mozzarella
Sauce Instructions: melt butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and add milk. Continue whisking until all the lumps are gone and the sauce is smooth. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt/pepper. Continue whisking over medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken. Continue to whisk for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add cheese, continuing to whisk as it melts.
Make it a Meal!
To finish off this awesome easy dish and make it a meal, simply add pasta with extra Alfredo sauce and vegetables of your choice. We added an Italian Vegetable blend and Lentil Salad to our Easy Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan.
