Beauty Divine

What's more romantic than getting dressed up, dimming lights and eating a delicious meal by candlelight at home? I think this is the perfect way to spend Valentines day. Who needs crowded restaurants, two hour waits, and being overcharged for dinner? Not me. I'm pretty sure this year I'm going to stay home and make Stephen his favorite meal: Chicken Parmesan. It's a little more work than my average mac and cheese meal, but it's so worth it. It's definitely restaurant quality so I had to share it with you!

The pasta:
*Follow the directions on your favorite type of pasta. I use farfalle (bowtie) pasta for this meal because it looks fancy and it goes well with a thinner sauce.

The chicken:
*Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet on medium high for one minute.
*Take three-four boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on how much you two eat) and pound them until they are 1/4" thick. Season both sides with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
*Mix one egg and 1/4 cup of milk in one bowl. Then in another bowl mix 1/2 cup of dry bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
*Using tongs, dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture. Coat and place into the skillet.
*Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

The sauce:
*Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder in a saucepan.
*Once butter is melted, stir in 1 can of diced tomatoes.
*If you like a little thicker sauce, add 1/4 cup of ragu.
*Bring to a boil and then simmer on low until chicken is ready.

The cheese:
*Shred 1 cup of of mozzarella cheese. (Or 2 cups if making cheese bread)
*When chicken is ready, top with sauce and enough mozzarella to cover the top. (I sometimes place this in the oven on broil until the cheese gets bubbly.)
*Serve over pasta

The cheesebread:
*Cut italian bread into 1-2" thick slices.
*Top with butter, garlic powder, a little basil or rosemary.
*After seasoning, top with remaining mozzarella cheese (Make sure cheese is really overflowing-you'll need more than you think)
*Bake in oven (350 degrees) for 5-7 minutes or until edges are crispy and cheese is melted.

Add a side salad and some sparkling grape juice in wine glasses and your romantic meal is complete!