Garlic Parmesan Chicken Recipe

Here the recipe I use for Garlic Parmesan Chicken, which is originally from Mary Hunt's Everyday Cheapskate (I don't know when it was published, as its a recipe my mom found and passed on to me).

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"Even if you are not typically fond of garlicky dishes, don’t rule this one out. The garlic does a wonderful job of tenderizing the chicken so that it nearly melts in your mouth. My family raves about this, and I’m nearly certain yours will, too. The secret is to make sure you use very fresh garlic. Hint: If you see any green or hints of sprouting, the bulb is not fresh."

Garlic Chicken

4 egg yolks, beaten slightly
6 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into desired portions
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Drop the egg yolks, chopped garlic and chicken breasts into a zip-type plastic bag. Press out as much air as possible and seal. Massage the bag to make sure that the chicken pieces are all well coated with egg and the garlic is well distributed. Refrigerate for at least four hours, up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 400F. Place melted butter in a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish, tipping dish until bottom of pan is coated. In a small mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken pieces in this coating mixture so they are coated well on all sides. Lay pieces in the baking dish in a single layer. Pour any remaining egg mixture over the top.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until no pink remains in the chicken and the juices run clear.

Servings: 4 to 6

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Becky's Notes:

Go ahead and add more garlic! I love the big garlic flavor so I add a LOT. :) Go ahead and refrigerate the chicken for overnight...4 hrs is too little. In fact, feel free to do more than 24 hrs. (This last time I made it, I prepped the chicken with the garlic marinade on Monday night, and didn't have time on Tuesday to cook...so it sat marinading until I made it on Wednesday. Turned out yummy! Did I mention I like the garlic flavor yet? :)

I also tend to split the pepper into half white pepper & half black pepper...though when I'm cooking for a friend of mine who's allergic to black pepper, sticking to white pepper as a substitute is just fine.

I'm having difficulty at present adding in pics to this blog post (not sure why at the moment), so instead of delaying posting this further, I'm going to suggest just looking through my Flickr set of pics while you read the above recipe directions. I took pictures throughout the process of making the chicken, so it should match up. :) If you have questions, please let me know! I've made this enough I can possibly help. (Plus, I've even made this for a large sized crowd...I'm talking like 25-30 people! :).

For Cooking Process Pics (Recipe illustrations!) and the finished/plated food, check out my Flickr Set ("Garlic Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, & Veggies") . http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterbec/sets/72157623314268134/

Enjoy!!

:)