Zucchini Parmigiana

Anything parmigiana is great in my book!

Ingredients:

3 zucchini, cut into long slices 1/4″ thick

1 cup Marinara sauce

Fresh basil leaves

Grated Italian cheeses

Prosciutto slices

Directions:

Preheat the oven to convection 350..

Place the cut zucchini slices in some cold salted water for about 20 minutes.

Drizzle some olive oil on the zucchini slices and grill until cooked.

Place some marinara sauce at the bottom of a casserole dish.

Place a layer of the zucchini slices on the bottom of the dish.

Spread some more marinara sauce. Add a few basil leaves. Add some prosciutto slices. Top with cheese.

Repeat the layers and end with the cheese on top.

Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until it starts to brown.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Stuffed Chicken Parmigiana

I’ve always loved chicken parmigiana, and this is a little bit of a twist on it! It’s delicious and fairly easy to prepare, as long as you have some delicious marinara sauce to go with it!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Flour for dredging

1-2 eggs, beaten

1 c breadcrumbs

1 c. marinara sauce

1/2 parmesan cheese

2 T. basil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cut a hole into each chicken breast large enough to hold the mozzarella cheese.

Stuff the mozzarella cheese inside the cavity.

Dredge the chicken breast in the flour, then pass it through the eggs, finishing up with the breadcrumbs.

Heat some olive oil in a pan until the pan is very hot. Add the chicken breasts and brown each side well.

Place some tomato sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Place the browned chicken breasts on top of the tomato sauce. Spoon the rest of the sauce over each breast. Top with some Parmesan cheese and sliced basil.

Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the chicken breasts are cooked through.

Eggplant & Chicken Parmigiana

I am always a sucker for any kind of parmigiana and am always looking for different ways to make it. This is perfect if you have some leftover chicken (usually from a rotisserie chicken that I bought at Safeway!).

Ingredients:

8 oz. cooked chicken, cut into tiny pieces

1 eggplant, skinned and sliced into thin rounds

6 oz sliced mushrooms (I used designer mushrooms)

1 c Marinara sauce

Mozzarella cheese, grated

Parmesan cheese, grated

Italian spices

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Peel and slice the eggplant. Place them on a cookie sheet and salt each side. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes. Dab off the water and place them on a greased cookie sheet.

Put them in the oven for 15 minutes, turning them over once.

While the eggplant are in the oven, sauté the sliced mushrooms in some olive oil until they are tender. Season with a bit of pepper. Set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350.

Grease a 9″ casserole dish. Place the eggplant slices in a single layer in the bottom of the casserole dish.

Top with the cooked chicken. Add the Marinara sauce. Add the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle some Italian spices.

Repeat with another layer of eggplant, chicken, cheese, and spices. Top with the sautéed mushrooms.

Place the dish in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes.

 

Meatball Parmigiana

Looking at the picture, it looks like a pizza! But really, it was a plate full of medium sized meatballs covered with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese…and it was delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground veal

1/2 lb. ground pork

4 minced garlic cloves

1/4 c. chopped parsley

1 c. bread crumbs

1 c. grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

2 cups marinara sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Mix together the meats, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, eggs, and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Season with preferred seasonings. Form the meatballs (not too large – about 1 inch in diameter) and set aside.

Heat oven to 395.

Pour some sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Position the meatballs all around. Cover the meatballs with the remainder of the sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil and cook in the oven until the meatballs are cooked through (about 45-50 minutes). Be careful taking the dish out of the oven as the sauce may have boiled over.