Jacqueline Casey 
This was my go to “fancy” meal of my 20s that I would make for a special occasion, but really it’s so easy and good, it’s now part of the usual rotation. I’ll be honest, I find a lot of time when I follow a “30 minute” recipe I look at the clock and can never make it just 30 minutes (is it just me?). I swear this is tried and tested and it takes me well under 30 minutes. So with some prepping and organizing beforehand, which I’ll list in the tips, I think you will be able to!
Options, Substitutions and Tips!
- I used grape tomatoes, but you could use cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes or even beef steak tomatoes diced into uniform bite sized pieces.
- I used Ciliegine-aka those little mozzarella balls. Any fresh mozzarella can be substituted, but I would not recommend using shredded or packaged mozzarella.
- My favorite breadcrumbs are 4C Seasoned Breadcrumbs. I use these breadcrumbs for virtually any recipe needing breadcrumbs. Because they are seasoned with herbs, spices and pecorino romano cheese, I do not need any extra seasoning. If using plain breadcrumbs, you will want to add 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder and possibly 2 tsp of parmesan/romano cheese. You can add and then mix right in your breadcrumb bowl prior to dipping your chicken in.
- Set up-Before cooking the chicken, I make a little assembly line with the chicken on a cutting board, the egg/water bowl, and then the breadcrumb bowl next to the griddle/pan.
- I highly recommend using a meat tenderizer, which not only makes the chicken extremely tender, but also ensures that each piece is uniform in it’s thickness so they cook around the same time. This will help to not overcook any pieces. If you do not have a meat tenderizer, I’ve seen some pretty cool substitutions like placing the chicken in a ziplock back and then using a heavy bottom pan to pound the chicken.
- The cooking time will depend on your temperature and the thickness of your chicken. You could always use a meat thermometer if you’re not sure and are nervous of overcooking. Insert the meat thermometer into the middle of the chicken, it should read 165 degrees to be fully cooked.
- The next tip for making this meal under 30 minutes is to prepare your salad while the chicken is cooking. I set out 4 plates (or however many I need) and then to each plate add salad, red onion, tomato and mozzarella. Then I just wait until the chicken is finished cooking and top each plate with the chicken and drizzle a little of balsamic dressing on top.
- Leftovers will last 4 days in the refrigerator. The breaded chicken breasts freeze extremely well. I’ve cooked big batches of just the breaded chicken breast, waited for them to completely cool then placed in a freezer-friendly ziplock bag to use within 3 months. To defrost, they can be moved into the refrigerator overnight or for 24 hours and then reheated. They really taste just as good as when they are cooked fresh, especially when you add them to the fresh salad, mozzarella and tomatoes. I recommend just freezing the chicken and then picking up the tomatoes, mozzarella and salad when you plan on reheating the chicken.
Chicken Caprese
This version of Chicken Caprese uses thinly sliced breaded chicken breasts, ciliegine, tomatoes and red onion with the finished product drizzled with balsamic vinegar, all served on top of a bed of mixed greens.
- Griddle or Large Frying Pan, Meat Tenderizer
- 1.5-2 lbs Chicken Breast
- 1 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs (*If using plain breadcrumbs, see notes)
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1 large Egg
- 1/4 cup Red Onion (Chopped)
- 10 oz. Ciliegini/Mozzarella Balls (Fresh Mozzarella can chopped and substituted)
- 10 oz. Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
- Olive Oil for frying
- Balsamic Vinegar for topping
- 1 5 oz. package Spring Mix Salad
Set up work station of cutting board for chicken, 1 bowl for egg/water mixture and 1 shallow dish for breadcrumbs. Line these up next to Griddle or Large Frying Pan.
In the bowl add egg and water and give it a few mixes until combined.
In the shallow dish, add all your breadcrumbs.
If using regular chicken breast (not thinly sliced), slice chicken breasts. Cover chicken with plastic wrap then with Meat Tenderizer, pound each slice so they are all even in size, about 1/4 of an inch.
Drizzle olive oil on griddle or in frying pan. The amount of olive oil will vary based on how non-stick your cookware is and how crispy golden you want your chicken to be. My griddle is fairly non-stick so I use about 2 TBSPs which I find will coat the chicken and give it that nice crispy golden outside, but not be too greasy. Turn Griddle to 325 degrees or frying pan to medium-high heat.
Take each piece of chicken and first dredge in the egg bowl, then pat both sides in breadcrumbs until covered. Next transfer to your griddle or frying pan. Repeat this step with each piece of chicken. If using a frying pan, depending on the size you might have to cook in two batches.
While chicken is cooking, chop red onion, halve your tomatoes and depending on the size of your mozzarella chop so it's about the same size as your tomatoes.
Flip chicken after about 4-5 minutes or when side is golden brown. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, remove and set aside.
Begin assembling your plates with a quarter of your salad, tomatoes, mozzarella and red onion. Add 1-2 pieces of chicken and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Repeat this step 4 times.
