Chicken Parmigiana

Parmigiana usually describes a classic Southern Italian dish consisting of sliced Eggplant layered with cheese and tomato sauce. Breaded meat variations (veal or chicken) are common here in the U.S., probably a result of immigration as with most Americanized dishes. While the world parmigiana directly translates to "from Parma" which is a city in Northern Italy, the dish does not derive from Parma cuisine. Eggplants were brought to Italy from Sicily though the south. The Sicilian word "parmiciana" means shutter or shingle and originally the dish was constructed in a shingled manner, so it is thought that the "c" was changed to a "g". In the United States and Canada this is usually served on top of or with a side of pasta. The recipe I use is pretty straight forward, you will need:
4 Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 cups milk
Italian Bread Crumbs
Mozzarella Cheese about 8 ounces
You can use your favorite Spaghetti Sauce or make your own, I have a recipe you can use just minus the Ground Beef, here is a link.
Rinse and pat dry the Breasts, then wrap them in plastic wrap. Use the smooth side of a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin to flatten the breasts in to an even thickness, this helps the meat cook evenly. Next dredge the chicken through the milk and then coat with the bread crumbs. Pan fry the breasts until the crumbs get a nice brown color. Lay the chicken in a greased baking dish, then cover with the tomato sauce. Next add slices of the cheese on top of the Chicken Breasts. I use a fresh Mozzarella cheese, not the hard bricks, but the soft cheese. I think this type of cheese melts better and has a better taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Serve on top of Spaghetti noodles. Garnish with your favorite Garlic Bread. Well that's all for now, let me now what you all think about this recipe and the new way I am trying to do the blog with a little information about the history of the dishes I am making.