Easy and baked chicken parmesan without breading.
Ingredients
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 ounce) bottle light Italian dressing
1/2 cup light ranch salad dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
2 1/4 cups shredded parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons dried basil, divided
3 tablespoons dried oregano, divided
Olive oil cooking spray
1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
Preparation
1. Combine Italian dressing, ranch dressing, 3 tablespoons minced garlic and olive oil in a large Ziploc bag. Squish the bag around to combine all ingredients. Add chicken breasts to the bag, close and squish until they are well coated in the dressing mixture. Place it in the refrigerate to marinate overnight.
2. When ready to cook, Preheat oven to 400 °F. In a shallow bowl, mix 2 cups parmesan cheese, with parsley, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the basil and oregano (each).
3. Spray a large baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Use tongs, remove chicken from the bag one by one and dig in the cheese and spice mixture, until thoroughly coated in cheese mixture. Then place chicken in a single layer in the dish.
4. Insert the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
5. In the meantime, let’s make the sauce.
6. In a medium nonstick saucepan, spray with olive oil cooking spray (or use 1 tablespoon olive oil). Over medium-high heat, sauté onions and remaining garlic until tender and onions are translucent.
7. Add tomato paste and tomato sauce to the pan. Stir until smooth. Then add the remaining, oregano and basil, salt, pepper and the bay leaf. (At this point, if sauce looks too thick for your liking, add 1 tomato sauce can of chicken broth or water.)
8. Reduce heat to low, allow to simmer for the remainder of the baking time until you need it.
9. When chicken has baked 20 minutes, remove from oven. Pour the sauce over chicken, then top with 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, put baking dish back into the oven for 10 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches to 165 °F.
10. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
11. Serve over your preferred vegetables or pasta. Enjoy!
12. For a gluten-free version, pay attention to the Italian salad dressing and ranch dressing. Choose ones that do not contain gluten.
Credit: Foodista