I wanted to surprise my husband with a delicious meal, so I decided to make a single-pan version of his favorite dish - chicken parmesan but with a twist! It was both fun and easy to prepare and a win-win situation for us.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
1/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp of black pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 T extra virgin olive oil
bocconcini mozzarella balls
1 jar of Raos marinara sauce
handful of freshly torn basil leaves
2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 cup of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the chicken, parmesan, panko, egg, salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Carefully combine everything with clean hands until evenly mixed.
Form the ground chicken mixture into meatballs, each the size of a golf ball.
Insert 2 bocconcini balls in the center of each meatball, taking care to reshape the meatball around the cheese. The bocconcini should be completely hidden from sight.
Steam the broccoli for 5 minutes, without seasoning or adding any oil. When done place aside in a bowl.
Saute the mushrooms in a dry skillet until caramelized, once done place them in a small bowl.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and brown for 6 minutes, turning occasionally to brown the outside. Once the meatballs are browned, remove them from the skillet onto a paper towel-lined plate.
Add marinara to the skillet and the meatballs on top of the sauce. Add the steamed broccoli into the sauce, around the meatballs.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes, until meatballs are fully cooked.
Remove from oven and mix the mushrooms into the sauce. Sprinkle fresh parmesan over the skillet and finish with freshly torn basil.
Enjoy!
