Mozzarella Chicken

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 5/6/12 - 5/12/12)

I'm running out of brilliant things to say about chicken recipes, sorry!  Chicken, mushrooms, ham, and cheese...you can't go wrong! 

Ingredients:

3 large pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
1/3 C flour
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
dash each of salt and pepper
3 Tbsp +/- vegetable or olive oil
8 oz mushrooms, sliced or chopped
6 slices deli ham
6 slices mozzarella cheese OR 1 1/2 C +/- shredded mozzarella

Directions:
Trim all visible pieces of fat from chicken breasts.  Cut each piece in half (vertically, so that you have two pieces of regular thickness...thanks for asking, Lois!).  Beat together the egg and water.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.  Heat oil in frying pan.  Dip each chicken piece in the egg/water mixture, then in the flour mixture.  Place chicken pieces in hot oil.  Fry 2-3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned (do not cook them all the way through).  Place chicken pieces in a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In the same frying pan (no need to even wash it out), saute the mushrooms, adding more oil if necessary.  Divide mushrooms evenly on top of chicken pieces.  Bake 15-17 minutes at 375 degrees.  Remove from oven, top each chicken piece with a slice of deli ham and mozzarella cheese, and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Options and Tips

• If your kids (or you!) don't like mushrooms, you can easily leave them off one or more chicken pieces.
• Change it up:  try pepperjack, swiss, or sharp cheddar instead!
• Add another layer of flavor by sauteeing the mushrooms in wine and/or adding garlic powder to the oil.
• Regarding baking time:  I prefer to use thinner chicken breast pieces that cook faster.  If your pieces are on the thick side, increase the initial baking time by 3-4 minutes.  Also, if you pan-fry your chicken earlier in the day and then refrigerate it until you bake it, you'll need to increase the baking time by a few minutes.
• Make a wrap with the leftovers...just chop and stuff inside a tortilla.  Warm up in the microwave or just eat it cold.  Top with lettuce, tomato, and your choice of salad dressing if desired.

This recipe, in its original form, can be found on page 253 of Heritage Christian School's "Favorite Family Recipes" cookbook.  I made quite a few changes to the quantities and instructions.