Kid Friendly Spinach Chicken Parmesan

I do not consider myself a food blogger. You will not find me posting fancy recipes or stunning photos of food. I do like to cook for my family though. During the week it is important that I have a simple and filling dinner. Tonight I looked through my pantry and just started pulling things out to make my own take on a spinach chicken parmesan. I tend to throw things together and then forget what I did, so this time I decided to document the experience and I am glad that I did. As the wife of an Italian man, I had no choice but to learn to cook pasta and sauce. I just typically do not have time to cook a sauce ALL DAY, so I improvise.

Dinner was a hit with my entire family. Even my picky eater daughter ate her entire plate with no complaints! This is definitely something that I will be making more often!

Spinach Chicken Parmesan

I started off by heating up my skillet with olive oil. While that was getting hot, I drenched my chicken breasts in egg wash. I then coated the chicken with Italian breadcrumbs. When the oil was ready, I seared the chicken for about two minutes on each side. I then placed it into a glass pan and set it aside. The oven was then turned on to preheat to 425.

 

While I was waiting for it to heat up, I began working on the sauce. I used a large jar of pasta sauce that I had in my pantry. The kind you use is completely up to you, but I like Mid’s Pasta Sauce. They are actually one of the brands which sent me coupons upon request. Click here to read all about that experience. So I started the sauce by cooking some onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil. I then added the jar of sauce.  I used canned spinach and added it to the sauce. Fresh would work as well. I added salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of sugar. Sugar is actually one of the most important parts of cooking pasta sauce. It cuts down on the acidity of the tomatoes.

 

While that was getting warm, I prepped some tomatoes. This step is optional.I happened to have a fresh tomato so I cut it into large pieces and placed it on a cookie sheet. I drizzled it with some balsamic vinegar and roasted it in the oven for about 10 minutes.

 

Once the tomatoes were out of the oven, I added them to the saucepan. I took a few big scoops of sauce and topped the chicken with it. Then the chicken went into the oven for 20 minutes. The Sauce was left on the stovetop to simmer at low heat. I went ahead and filled up my pot with water for the pasta and put it on the stove. I added salt to my water and waited for it to boil.

 

After 20 minutes was up, the chicken came out of the oven. Parmesan cheese was added to the top and back in she went for another ten minutes. The water was boiling so the pasta was added. The pasta I used was the Ronzoni Super Greens pasta. It seemed interesting. I have been trying to sneak healthier foods into my daughter’s diet, and this pasta seemed to fit the bill.  I used the spiffy pasta pot that I got for a P&G Breast Cancer Promotion one year.  It is pink a the lid had holes to easily drain the pasta without needing a colander. P&G used to do a different promotion every year where you buy $30 in their products and you get a free pink cookware set. Last year they discontinued it though. I am really hoping they bring it back again this year because I always love this promotion.

 

Once my timer went off everything was done! Spinach chicken came out of the oven. Noodles were drained. The sauce was ready. The family sat down for dinner and every bit of it was eaten! There was plenty leftover for my husband to take to work the next day as well. All in all, I would say this recipe was a success!  If you try it, I would love to hear what you think about it.

Spinach Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Serves	4
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	45 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Serve Hot
Region	Italian