Description
Easy and baked chicken parmesan without breading.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 (16-ounce) bottle light Italian dressing
- 1/2 cup light ranch salad dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 1/4 cups shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 3 tablespoons dried basil, divided
- 3 tablespoons dried oregano, divided
- Fresh basil for garnishing (optional)
For the marinara sauce:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 (8-ounce) can of tomato sauce
- 1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
Instructions
- Combine Italian dressing, ranch dressing, olive oil, and 3 tablespoons minced garlic 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 refrigerator to marinate overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400°F. In a shallow bowl, mix 2 cups parmesan cheese with parsley and 1½ tablespoons basil and oregano (each).
- Spray a large baking dish or baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray (or brush with some olive oil.) Using tongs, remove chicken breasts from the bag one by one and dip in the cheese and spice mixture until thoroughly coated. Then place chicken in a single layer in the dish.
- Insert the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Now let’s make the sauce. In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat up the oil over medium-high heat, sauté onions and remaining garlic until tender and onions are translucent.
- Add tomato sauce and tomato paste to the pan. Stir until smooth. Then add the remaining oregano and basil, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. (At this point, if the sauce looks too thick for your liking, add some chicken broth or water to thin.)
- Reduce heat to low; allow to simmer for the remainder of the baking time until you need it.
- When the chicken has baked 20 minutes, remove from oven. Pour the sauce over the chicken, then top with 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Put the baking dish back into the oven for 10 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Dish and garnish with fresh basil if desired. Serve over your preferred vegetables or pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
Some store-bought Italian salad dressing and ranch dressing may contain gluten. Pay attention to the ingredient label and choose gluten-free ones when purchasing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 322
- Sugar: 9.7g
- Sodium: 1325mg
- Fat: 20.7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2g
- Carbohydrates: 17mg
- Fiber: 4.3g
- Protein: 11.9g
- Cholesterol: 17mg
