Three Cheese Summer Squash Pasta Bake

 Normally we plant way too many yellow squash and zucchini plants each year. This year we cut way back. Two zucchini and three yellow squash plants. Then they went batshit insane. We're getting about 900 pounds of produce daily. There's only so many pints of pickled zucchini and squash you can make. There's only so much zucchini bread. I wound up finding a really good recipe for a squash/zucchini pasta in a cream sauce. A real banger of a recipe. Then the book I found it in got put away. When I went to look for it, it was gone. Completely gone. Nobody could find it. Much swearing was done. That didn't help. I wound up just saying screw it and making it up myself. I ended up making a pretty tasty alfredo-style sauce that worked really well in a bake. The Wife was much impressed. It was declared a great success and we all had pickled limes. Then Beth got Scarlet Fever and died...Sorry, I drifted into Little Women there. 
Give it a spin and tell me what you think, as long as it's flattering. As always, notes are in blue. 

Three Cheese Summer Squash Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini, cut into 1/4" cubes (about 4 cups)
• 2 yellow squash, cut into 1/4" cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup seeded and chopped red banana (or bell) peppers
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cups fresh basil, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound of pasta of your choice
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta to a little harder than al dente (basically short the time by a couple extra minutes. The pasta is going to cook in the oven with the sauce for a while and you don't want it to get super soft.)
2. Preheat oven to 375F (190C, Gasmark 5) 
3. In a large, oven proof pot, heat the oil over medium heat (we used our trusty 6 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven. If you don't have an oven safe pot, you'll just have to transfer everything to a greased Pyrex baking dish before putting it in the oven)
4. Add the zucchini, squash, peppers, onion, and garlic. Sauté about 4 minutes.
5. Add the tomato and sauté another 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste
6. In a saucepan, add the cream, cheeses, garlic powder, and pepper flakes. Heat on medium heat, stirring regularly so as not to scorch anything.
7. When the cheeses are completely melted into the sauce, add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Pour the sauce into the pot with the vegetables. Add the pasta and toss to coat everything. Put the pot in the oven for 12 minutes (this is where you'd transfer everything to a baking dish first, if your pot isn't oven safe)
9. Remove from oven and toss to make sure everything is evenly coated. 

Good Times were had by all. 
Except Beth. She died from Scarlet Fever. 

BONUS LINK TO RECIPE VIDEO:

The Wife's Eggplant Parmigiana and Meatball Casserole

Note: the following post is from The Wife

This past summer, our garden yielded more eggplant than we could reasonably expect to eat.  Apparently, my coworker was having the same problem, and she started bringing in eggplant for me.  I have a hard time turning down free produce – even when I already have an overabundance of it.  Week after week, I made my recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana (omitting step 9) and then bagged and froze it.  The deep freeze was jam-packed.  The same coworker’s husband had a stroke early in the school year, and the staff put together a meal train to assist them.  I figured it was only fitting to return some of the eggplant from whence it came, so I threw this recipe together as my contribution to the meal train.    

The Wife's Eggplant Parmigiana Casserole

Ingredients

• 3 freezer bags (quart size) of pre-made eggplant parmigiana (Vague, I know.  One layer of the casserole uses approximately 12 average-size eggplant slices.  If you were making the eggplant parmigiana on the same day, I would guess you would need 3 medium eggplants.)

• 48 oz. pasta sauce (The first time, I used The Husband’s pasta sauce because we had it on hand.  When I made this recipe for a staff lunch, I purchased Prego’s Italian Sausage and Garlic sauce.)

• 1 bag (18 count) frozen meatballs (whatever style you prefer)

• Grated Parmesan cheese

• 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1.  Add frozen meatballs to pasta sauce and heat through.  Once meatballs are cooked, halve them.  (I suppose you could also halve them while they are still frozen – whatever works.)

2.  Preheat oven to 375F (190C, Gasmark 5)

.

3.  In a standard 9 x 13 casserole dish, lay your first layer of pre-made eggplant parmigiana.

4.  Place a dozen meatball halves at regular intervals across the first layer.

5.  Spoon pasta sauce over the first layer; spread so all eggplant slices are completely covered.

6.  Lightly sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

7.  Cover with 1/3 of shredded mozzarella.

8.  Repeat steps 3-7 twice more.

It should look something like this before going into the oven

9. Bake for 25 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

10. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Good times!

My Father's Lasagna

     My Dad was always fun to watch in the kitchen. He never used a printed recipe. He just sort of played it loose and fast and hoped for the best. One of his classics was lasagna. For whatever reason, he never used crumbled Italian sausage. Ever. It was always the links. In lasagna, he'd just slice it up and layer it in there. It was so good. He never actually taught me the recipe. I learned it by watching him, then tinkering with things until it was just right. It's not a terribly labor intensive recipe, but you need to be careful to not overcook the pasta before layering it. If you do, it's going to be a real bitch to work with. Try it and tell me it's not a great lasagna. Seriously, don't do that. I don't want your criticism.

My Father's Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 box lasagna noodles
• 1 pound Italian sausage links(sweet or hot, doesn't matter)
• sliced pepperoni
• 1 lb ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• pasta sauce of your choosing (we used home made from our Meatballs and Red Sauce recipe)

Directions

1. Brown the sausage and slice into 1/2" rounds. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta a couple minutes less than the directions on the package.
3. Take a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Lay three noodles down the length of the pan, slightly overlapping.
4. Drop twelve tablespoons of ricotta at equal intervals (4 dollops on each noodle)
5.  Lay a slice of sausage on each dollop of ricotta. Cover with a thin layer of the shredded mozzarella. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the entire layer.
6. Lay down another layer of pasta and another 12 dollops of ricotta. Instead of sausage, this time put down pepperoni. Put down another thin layer of mozzarella and a layer of sauce.
7. Repeat step 5.
8. Lay down a final layer of pasta. Over this, thinly spread a layer of ricotta. Lay alternating sausage and pepperoni over the top. Add a final layer of sauce. Finish with a healthy layer of mozzarella. 
9. Bake at 375F (190C, Gasmark 5) for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubble. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so to let everything set up.

UPDATE: Here's the video for the recipe!

Good Times!

Bean and Broccoli Pasta Casserole

Every now and then it's fun to throw together ingredients and see how it turns out. This is one of those instances where I threw a bunch of "safe" ingredients together. There was really no way to screw this combination up. It's a simple, hearty casserole. It easily becomes vegetarian by leaving out the beef. It's flexible, too. There's nothing stopping you from swapping chicken in for the beef and adding in some hot sauce for a Buffalo style casserole. Anyways, we liked it and that's all that counts.

Bean and Broccoli Pasta Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 lb. mostaccioli
• 1 lb. frozen broccoli, defrosted
• 1 - 15.5 ounce can white (cannellini) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups pasta sauce 
• 1 cup ground beef, cooked and drained (optional)

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions, then drain.
2. Combine all other items besides the reserved cheese with the pasta and mix. Spread evenly in a baking dish. Top with reserved cheese.
3. 375F for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is golden brown and bubbling.

Good times!

Three Cheese Chicken Spinach and Pasta Bake

     There's been a can of spinach in my pantry for a couple of years now. It sat quietly towards the back. It wasn't bothering anybody. It had to be dealt with. I wound up using it in this recipe I dug out of one of the myriad cookbooks I buy from school fundraisers. I need to stop. The books are overpriced and generally only involve recipes that call for gallons of canned cream soups. This is one of the less offensive recipes, mildly doctored to ensure some flavor. In its defense, it comes together quickly and doesn't use a terribly frightening amount of sodium. As always, notes and changes are in blue.

Three Cheese Chicken Spinach and Pasta Bake
via Kraft Easy Cheesy Meals

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked (bah. Regular one grain pasta)
• 1 package, (9 ounces) fresh spinach leaves (none on hand. Not even frozen. Wound up using a 14.5 ounce can of spinach, drained. Popeye would be proud)
• 1 lb.boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 jar (14.5 ounce) spaghetti sauce (I used my standby recipe for red sauce. I also only used about 9 ounces)
• 2 ounces Neufchatel, cubed (nice to see people finally using this stuff instead of regular cream cheese)
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Bronzeville Rib Rub from The Spice House

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C, Gasmark 5)
2. Cook pasta as directed on package. (If you're using fresh spinach), add spinach to the boiling water at the last minute. If you're using the canned, hang on a second.
3. Cook and stir chicken and basil (and Rib Rub, if you're using it) in a large, nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray on medium-high heat for 3 minutes (we did a shade over 5. Nobody wants salmonella.) Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes (if you're using the drained canned spinach, it goes in now); bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel.
4. Drain pasta, return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Load into 2 quart casserole or 8" baking dish. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 3 minutes more or until cheese is melted. 

Good times!

Meatball Sub Casserole

     Sometimes it's not about how a recipe looks. I know many of the food bloggers out there cringe at my photography. Most people know by now I don't find it that important. I want the food to taste good, not be photogenic. That leads me to this recipe I came up with. If you don't put sauce on the top, it looks like fake vomit. If you put the sauce on top, it looks like fake vomit with red sauce. I'd like it noted I took the high ground here and did not post a picture of fake vomit for comparison. Enough talk about vomit, let us talk of this fine casserole. I attempted to combine the flavors of a meatball sub into a casserole. I think I got pretty close. The combination of beef and red sauce come together well with the herbed stuffing mix. It's not spot on, but very reminiscent of a meatball sub. Granted, this hasn't really been a ringing endorsement. This is a tasty casserole and we wound up gladly eating all of it. As always, notes are in blue.

Meatball Sub Casserole

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef (I used 80-20%)
• 1 6-ounce box herbed stuffing mix
• 1 can (10.75 ounce) tomato soup (use two cans if you want a more squishy casserole)
• 8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 pint red sauce of your choice (I just whipped up a simple one with tomato sauce, garlic, basil and oregano. Use a jar or can of sauce if you're feeling lazy)

Directions

1. Combine ground beef, onions and peppers. Cook in a skillet until beef is browned. Drain grease (Unless you're a huge fan of lots of grease and a super soggy casserole, then by all means, leave it in)
2. In a large bowl, combine meat, onion and peppers with stuffing mix and the tomato soup. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to a 13"x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread it into an even layer. Pour red sauce over the top. 
3. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. 

That's not fake vomit, that's Good Times!

UPDATE: Here's the video for this recipe!

The Wife's Eggplant Parmigiana

Note: the following post is from the wife.

Okay, The Husband has posted several pictures of this, and I promised to type up the recipe…quite some time ago. This is one of my favorite meals to make with eggplant, mostly because it’s one of the only ways I can get my husband to eat said vegetable. I also feel it’s an improvement on Olive Garden’s eggplant parmigiana because the eggplant isn't squishy.

Eggplant Parmigiana
via The Wife

Ingredients

(assuming you’re only serving 2, but this is easily doubled)

• 1 large eggplant (Of course, this is subjective. I grew what I considered to be a pretty large eggplant this summer, but then I saw one at a farmer’s market that put mine to shame…)

  

  This little fellow seems fairly shameless.

• 1 egg
• ½ cup bread crumbs (I use Italian style, but I also supplement with Italian herbs. In a pinch, you can use regular bread crumbs.)
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil (You might want to add more of these herbs if you are using regular vs. Italian style bread crumbs.)
• Salt and pepper to taste (I actually use a Tuscany Blend of salt and pepper)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Slice eggplant into ¼ - ½ inch rounds and soak in salted water for at least 30 minutes to remove bitterness. (I tend more towards the ¼ inch slices. Any thicker and my husband won’t eat them.)
2. Preheat oven to 375F.
3. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and a tablespoon of water.
5. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, herbs, and salt and pepper.
6. Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture allowing excess to drip off. Then dip in bread crumb mixture and coat well. (This can get really messy. I highly recommend removing any rings before performing this step – unless you’re a fan of bread crumb-caked jewelry.) Place eggplant slices on baking sheet.
7. Bake slices 20-25 minutes, until golden-brown on the bottom.
8. Flip slices and bake for another 20-25 minutes.
9. Remove cookie sheet and top each slice of eggplant with a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella. Return to the oven for approximately 5 minutes – until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I like to serve this with a side of pasta and top the whole dish with pasta sauce.

Good times!

Sausage and Mozzarella Stuffed Whole-Wheat Ravioli

     Every now and then I completely lose my mind. Last Sunday was one of those times. I decided on a fairly large-scale Italian dinner. All from scratch. Monday I talked about the meatballs and sauce. Today we're going to look at the pasta end of the meal. I've always wanted to make whole-wheat pasta and I happened to have five pounds of whole-wheat flour in the pantry. I dug around in the manual for my Kitchenaid pasta sheet roller and found a recipe for the pasta. That was the base for my ravioli. The directions assume you have a Kitchenaid mixer. If not, you're going to be doing the mixing and kneading entirely by hand.

Sausage and Mozzarella Stuffed Whole-Wheat Ravioli

Ingredients
Pasta

• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

• 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Filling

1. Cook sausage in pan until browned, drain excess grease
2. Reduce heat to low, add cheese and stir until cheese has melted throughout the meat. Set aside to cool.

Pasta

1. Place eggs, water, whole wheat flour and salt in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater Turn to speed 2 and mix 30 seconds.
2. Exchange beater for dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead for 2 minutes. Remove from bowl and hand knead for another 2 minutes. Divide dough into eight pieces before processing with sheet roller.
3. Attache the pasta sheet roller and start running the dough through. You're looking to work the dough to Roller setting 5. This is about 1/16" or so if by hand. (This dough will fight you in the sheet roller. The first couple of passes on the widest setting will still tend to shred the dough. You need to work it fairly thin before it will pass through without tearing. You're going to be doing a lot of folding and re-feeding. I hope you didn't have any other plans for the afternoon).

   

   You're going to end up with several sheets that hopefully look like this.

4. Lay out a sheet of rolled out pasta on a cutting board. Put a teaspoon of filling at regular intervals. You'll be able to get about 6 or so ready on a sheet. 

   

   This is what you should have in front of you.

5. Take a brush and dip it in some water. Paint water around the filling on the sheet. Lay another sheet over the top and press it into place. 

   

   Reference photos are proof that I care about you.

6. Get a ravioli cutter. The only reason I own one is that my wife's cousin gave me one when I mentioned I didn't own one. She's funny like that. If you don't have one, just cut it with a knife, then go around the very edge with the end of a fork to gently push the edges together and give it those fun little notches around the edge.

   

   Confession time. The wife is doing all the grunt work in these pictures. 

7. Get a big pot of water going at a rolling boil. Throw in some salt. It's pasta, don't be shy. In batches of six or so, toss the ravioli into the water. Cook them for 3-5 minutes depending on how done you want them. (We planned on finishing ours in our sauce, so we only cooked them for 3 minutes. They also freeze very well if taken out at this time.) Remove from water with slotted spoon and place in colander to drain off excess water. 

   

   Dramatic action shot.

8. At  this point, we took a cookie sheet and put down a layer of wax paper. We laid a single layer of ravioli, then another sheet of wax paper, another of ravioli...you get the idea. These wax paper sheets can then be loaded into freezer bags and put in the freezer for long term storage. You can heat them up in boiling water, cook them in sauce, or even microwave them to heat them up. This recipe will make about 60-70 ravioli. 

Good times!

Monday Recipe: Oven Gratin Potatoes via Pol Martin

     You can't go wrong with potato dishes for a kitchen on a budget. There's just so many different ways to make them. They can be side dishes or the main dish. One of my favorite ways to have potatoes is as a gratin. It's a great side for just about any meat. This particular recipe comes from a Pol Martin cook book that I go to quite often. It's a fast and easy recipe that we doctor up with some melted mozzarella across the top.

Oven Gratin Potatoes
(vial Pol Martin's Supreme Cuisine)

Ingredients

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced, set in cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon savory
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella 
• salt
• butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Drain potatoes and dry well. Place in bowl.
3. Mix savory, cayenne, white pepper and parsley together. Add to potatoes and mix.
4. Rub baking dish with garlic clove. Butter dish generously and arrange potato slices in layers. Season with salt, if desired.
5. Mix eggs, milk and cream together. Pour over potatoes. Bake in oven for 40-50 minutes. Add shredded mozzarella during last 10-15 minutes of cooking. 

Good times!

Recipe Monday (on Wednesday) Fried Polenta With Mozzarella and Shrimp

     Well I missed my Monday post and nobody noticed, which is sort of discouraging. However, for the two people who actually read this blog, I shall plod ahead and post a recipe that I threw together for an appetizer for Christmas dinner. It went over pretty well. Nobody spit it out or got sick, so I'm calling it a success. Here  it is:

Fried Polenta with Mozzarella, Shrimp and White Truffle Oil

Ingredients

• 1 tube firm polenta
• Mozzarella cheese, sliced
• A dozen or so shrimp, peeled, cleaned and de-tailed. 
• White truffle oil
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Slice polenta into 1/4" slices, set on paper towel to absorb excess water
2. Preheat oven to 350F
3. Heat some olive oil in a pan
4. Fry polenta in oil until lightly brown on both sides (about 3-5 minutes per side)
5. Put polenta on greased cookie sheet.
6. Put a slice of mozzarella and a shrimp or two on each slice of polenta
7. Drizzle white truffle oil over the top of each piece
8. Put sheet in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 10-12 minutes)
9. Optionally you can put a dollop of marinara on each slice as well before heating

Good times and Happy Holidays!

Sriracha Stuffed Banana Peppers

     I know I've been on a Thanksgiving kick for the past couple of weeks, but I wanted to get this recipe out there. I made it once to burn through some spare peppers and it was a hit. We made a bunch of these yesterday and have frozen them for later use. It is super simple for use as an appetizer or side dish. You can swap the pork with pretty much any ground meat. Feel free to swap out the cheese, too. Pepper jack cheese would give even more kick to this recipe. As always, any notes (there won't be changes since this is entirely my recipe) will be in blue.

Sriracha Stuffed Banana Peppers

Ingredients

• A dozen or so large banana peppers (use Hungarian Wax peppers for a little extra kick)
• Bottle of Sriracha sauce
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Cut the tops off the peppers and carefully core out the seeds and pith
3. Brown the pork in a frying pan on the stove top (I sadly realized that if I didn't specify stove top, somebody was going to throw the pork in the oven and hope for the best). Drain excess grease.
4. Add shredded cheese to pork and mix until cheese is melted

   

   This is the consistency you're looking for.

5. Put a squirt of Sriracha in each pepper (use more or less according to how big of a stud/wuss you are)
6. Pack the pork/cheese mixture in each pepper until just barely overfull
7. Put peppers on a greased cookie sheet
8. Put tray in oven and cook until peppers start to get soft and/or char (about 15-25 minutes)
9. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes

These also freeze well for later use. Simply stop at step 6 of the directions and store in a freezer bag or container.

I originally didn't have an actual photo of the dish, so I provided this whimsical picture of
 beloved  British animated character Peppa Pig.

Good times!

Nutritionally Irresponsible Cooking: The ALDI Fishwich

     Once again I delve back into my apartment days for another horrifyingly irresponsible meal that was served with alarming regularity. The wife and I knew it was bad. It couldn't be anything but. However, we loved it. It was hot, crunchy, cheesy and decadent. It was the ALDI fish sub. Cobbled together entirely from items available at ALDI, the Fishwich was truly a force to be reckoned with. It's no Burger King Whaler (people under the age of 20 have no idea what I'm talking about), but it was a gastric bludgeon.

Am I the only one who still misses these?

     We stopped serving these about five years ago after an unfortunate incident where I did not cook the fish quite long enough. The aftermath is still something we don't like to talk about. Suffice it to say we challenged the plumbing that night.

Good times!

Ingredients

• 1 loaf garlic bread
• 4 frozen breaded fish fillets
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2-4 tablespoons tartar sauce (depending on how much you like)

Directions:

1. Cook fish fillets according to package directions
2. Put cheese on open garlic bread and cook according to package directions
3. Put fish on cheesy garlic bread
4. Slather with tartar sauce
5. Eat and get wretchedly ill

Nutritional Information (Approximate if you eat the whole sub):
Calories: 2290
Fat: 122.17g
Sodium: 4554 mg

Escalope of Chicken (from Gordon Ramsay)

     They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so the first recipe I'm posting is pinched directly from Gordon Ramsay. While many of Gordon's recipes are horrifically expensive to make, he does acknowledge the less affluent cooks. He has a number of very simple, yet wonderful recipes.

     If you use less expensive frozen bagged chicken breasts it can really cut down on costs. I normally keep an eye on the local market (County Market in Illinois) for sales. I can often find beautiful, fresh, bone-in chicken breasts for as little as $1 a pound. That's worth the small hassle of deboning. In the end, this recipe will end up costing in the range of $2.50-$3.00 a serving assuming you have the staples (milk, flour, oil, breadcrumbs) on hand. It can be even less if you have a garden like us and can just wander outside for the tomatoes and basil.

     The sauteed green beans on the side are my own original recipe. I'll share that later. Enjoy!

Escalope of Chicken (via Gordon Ramsay)

Ingredients

  

        4 chicken breasts, boned, skinned & pounded thin

•  Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2oz. plain flour
• 6oz. dry breadcrumbs
• Olive oil
• 4oz. shredded mozzarella
• 2oz grated Parmesan
  

For the tomato sauce

• Olive oil
• 2 shallots (or 1 red onion)
• 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
• Approx 9 oz. cherry tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh basil to garnish
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Season the chicken fillets on both side with a little salt and pepper. Lightly beat the eggs together with the milk. Dust each chicken breast in flour, then dip in the beaten eggs and finally coat in the breadcrumbs.
3. Sauté the escalopes in a little hot olive oil until golden brown - approximately 2 minutes on each side. Drain the cooked chicken on kitchen paper, then remove to a baking tray.
4. To make the tomato sauce heat some oil in a heavy based pan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and basil. Allow the tomatoes to soften. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon a little tomato sauce over each escalope. Top with 1 ounce of grated mozzarella, and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Bake in the oven for approximately 8-12 minutes (thicker chicken breasts will add cooking time. I've had some take as long as 20+ minutes), until the chicken is cooked (internal temperature of 165 degrees and the juices run clear) and the cheese is melted and golden.