Creamy Lemon Chicken Parmesan

This riff on classic chicken Parmesan replaces the usual marinara with a luscious lemony cream sauce. This recipe is lightened up by using half-and-half instead of cream and by coating the chicken in whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, with just-as-delicious results. Serve this lemony chicken dinner with whole-wheat pasta or brown rice for a hearty, nutritious meal.

Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

· ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

· 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

· ¾ cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs

· ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

· 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

· 1 teaspoon garlic powder

· 4 4-ounce chicken breast cutlets

· 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

· 2 cloves garlic, minced

· 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

· ¼ cup lemon juice

· ¼ teaspoon salt

· ½ cup half-and-half

· ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place beaten eggs in another shallow dish. Combine panko, 1/4 cup Parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a third shallow dish. Working with one at a time, coat each cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess. Transfer to the egg mixture and turn to coat. Transfer to the panko mixture and turn to coat. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour (it will be cooked later) in a small bowl. Discard any remaining flour, egg and panko mixture.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cutlets and cook, flipping once, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Reduce heat to medium and add another 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the remaining two cutlets and cook, flipping once, until golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake the cutlets until cooked throughout, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, wipe out the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, lemon juice and salt to the pan. Bring to a boil. Whisk half-and-half into the reserved 1 tablespoon flour. Add to the broth mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by about half and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Transfer the cutlets to a large platter. Drizzle with the sauce and top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and parsley.

Nutrition per serving
378 calories; 21 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 31 grams protein; 1 gram fiber; 2 grams sugar; 466 milligrams sodium; 387 milligrams potassium

Recipe by Hilary Meyer, Eating Well Test Kitchen  

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