Chef Bear's Chicken Parmesan

Chef Bear and I had a wonderful visit and she taught me a thing
or two about cooking. As I mentioned in a previous post, she's a wonderful cook and decided to make Chicken Parmesan while she was here. It was truly delicious and she showed me the secret to cooking with a jarred sauce to make it taste like you made it from scratch and simmered it on the stove all day. BTW, she doesn't measure ingredients; she just tosses in whatever amount she thinks the recipe will like. So I watched her carefully and guesstimated the amounts. Here's her recipe:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 - 3/4 T. dried oregano, plus more for later
• 1/2 - 3/4 T. dried basil, plus more for later
• 1 T. Tone's Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine (okay, I'll admit that we polished off the rest of the bottle while we watched the recipe cook)
• 1 (26 oz.) jar Classico Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic Sauce
• 1/2 cup or so of Italian style bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup, or more, Parmesan cheese
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 1 cup, or more, shredded Mozzarella cheese

Spray a 12-inch chef's saute skillet with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat.

Add the onions and sprinkle them with salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, and 1/2 T. Tone's seasoning. Saute for a few minutes until
the onion goes limp and starts to brown.

Add the garlic and saute for one minute.

Pour in the wine, stir to mix with the onions, bring to a boil and let boil for a minute or two, or until there is no more liquid. (I know this seems like a total waste of good wine but it flavors the onions and sets the foundation for a layered sauce. At least that's what Chef Bear told me.)

Add the sauce and stir to mix with the wine-flavored onions. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 T. Tone's seasoning and stir. Bring to a low boil and let reduce for 15 minutes. (This thickens the sauce and develops the flavor even more. Another tip from Chef Bear. I told you she knows what she's doing in the kitchen.)

While the sauce is reducing and creating a wonderful aroma in your home, pour yourself and your cooking companion another glass of wine. Sip and savor, then preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir the sauce occasionally.

Put your wine glass down and spread the bread crumbs on a dinner plate. Sprinkle on some black pepper, dried oregano, basil, and Tone's seasoning. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix everything together.

Dredge the chicken in the seasoned bread crumb-Parmesan mixture.

Spread some of the sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 glass baking dish.

Put the coated chicken on top of the sauce and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle liberally with Mozzarella cheese and shake on some more oregano. (Chef Bear loves oregano as much as I do.) If there is
any seasoned-bread-crumb-Parmesan mixture left after dredging, sprinkle that on the top, too, then put the chicken in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

While it's cooking, have another glass of wine and enjoy some foodie conversation with your new chef friend.

Chef Bear served this with a baked potato and steamed broccoli.
It was the best Chicken Parmesan I've ever had.

Thanks, Chef Bear, for cooking for me and for your wonderful foodie visit.