Pizza Chicken

This is an oldie but goodie that I’ve made ever since Boy #1 and #2 were small, cute, and agreeable. This was a time long, long ago before they turned into tall, grumbling teenage boys.

Have you ever gone clothes shopping with a teenage boy? Or, I should say, have you ever gone clothes shopping while a teenage boy stands nearby sighing loudly and yawning? Well, you haven’t lived until you do. It’s really, really fun. Yep. Thankfully, the older boys have grown out of this stage, which for boys seems to last from about age 13 until they get a girlfriend. Then all of the sudden they NEED to shop for clothes because apparently the first crumpled tee shirt they find on their floor just won’t cut it anymore {thanks for your help girls}. Take heart, parents of teenage boys. This time too shall pass and the cute, agreeable people will appear once again. Taller and maybe not quite as cute as they once were but more agreeable for sure.

Okay, sorry for the rambling, back to the Pizza Chicken.

It was Boy #1 and #2 who dubbed this dish Pizza Chicken and that is what we have called it ever since. It’s simple, wholesome, and cooks in 40 minutes. Kids will eat anything with “pizza” in the title but this dish is a hit with the little ones AND the big ones alike. It’s a winna!

Cook up your pasta of choice to serve along side it. I used gemelli, but penne or fusilli are also great choices.

The shopping list – An egg, part skim ricotta cheese, a package of sliced pepperoni, grated or shaved parmesan cheese, minced garlic, fresh Italian parsley, salt, fresh ground pepper, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, a jar of marinara sauce, and shredded mozzarella cheese. Pretend that a package of dry pasta is here as well.

Here’s the thing about chicken breasts. You can beat them silly until they are flattened out, or you can do what I’m doing here. Cut into the thickest edge with a very sharp knife.

Continue the cut all the way through the chicken breast…

…until you have cut completely through. Then slice it in half, creating two equal sized pieces.

You started with 3 and you now have 6! Now, if you prefer you can sometimes find the thin cut variety at the store or you can beat the heck out of them between two sheets of wax paper to flatten them out. They will be quite a bit larger if you go this route.

Time to make the filling. Mix together the egg, ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped Italian parsley. Hold on to the remaining Parmesan and parsley for later.

Add the pepperoni slices that you have cut in half. You can easily sub turkey pepperoni here if you like.

Place about 2 tablespoons of filling on the short end of the chicken breast and gently roll it up. There should be enough filling if you’d like to add in an extra piece or two of chicken.

Place the chicken rolls into a 13″ x 9″ pan that you’ve coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Continue with remaining pieces of chicken.

Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over each chicken roll and top with shredded mozzarella, remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, and remaining chopped Italian parsley. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

While the chicken is in the oven, prepare your pasta according to the package directions.

And, we have Pizza Chicken folks.

Serve it up alongside some pasta which goes perfectly with the marinara and yummy filling. Kid friendly, but actually a quite elegant dinner that everyone in my house loves. I hope you all love it too!

Pizza Chicken

Servings: 6 small portions

Ingredients:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, cut in half
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shaved, divided
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 3 thick or 6 thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup prepared marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Pasta of choice, prepared according to package directions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13″ x 9″ pan with cooking spray.

If using thick chicken breasts, slice into each breast at it’s thickest point and continue the cut all the way through, creating two evenly sized rectangular pieces. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine egg, ricotta, 1/4 cup grated or shaved Parmesan, garlic, pepperoni, salt, pepper to taste, and 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley. Mix well.

Place about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filling on the short end of a chicken breast. Gently roll the chicken over the filling and place it, seam side down, in the prepared pan. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Pour the marinara sauce evenly over each piece of stuffed chicken. Top with mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped Italian parsley.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until no pink remains when you cut into chicken. Remove from oven.

Serve with pasta on the side.