Chicken Parmesan Poppers
Author: 
Serves: 12 pieces
 
Ingredients
  • 3 large chicken breasts
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut in ¼ inch cubes
  • 1 cup panko
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup egg beaters
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper, divided
  • 1 cup homemade or store-bought marinara sauce
  • Olive oil or olive oil spray
  • Toothpicks
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Using your hand as a guide, butterfly chicken breasts. Pound out until very thin, about ⅛ inch thick. Cut into four equal pieces.
  3. Place one mozzarella cube in the middle of raw chicken and wrap chicken around cheese. Secure with toothpick.
  4. Place flour, egg, and panko in separate bowls. Season flour with ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Add parmesan cheese and remaining salt and pepper to panko.
  5. Coat chicken pieces in flour, removing excess. Coat in egg, remove excess, and then lastly coat in panko, removing any excess crumbs. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.
  6. Place a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet. This will ensure the chicken poppers brown evenly. Spray the rack with olive oil spray. Place poppers on rack. Generously spray chicken pieces with olive oil spray. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes until poppers are cooked through and golden brown.
  7. Remove toothpicks and serve with warm marinara sauce.
  8. Homemade marinara: ¼ onion grated, ½ tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup tomato paste, 1 cup water, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste if you wish. Sauté onion and olive oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat, about three minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe by Cooking for Keeps at https://www.cookingforkeeps.com/chicken-parmesan-poppers-frugal-figure-friendly-fridays/