Chicken Little...

     Boneless skinless chicken breasts are a Weight Watcher staple which I usually enjoy grilled.  After much prompting from my husband (answering, "How about chicken parm?" whenever I asked for his dinner input) I decided to try to improve my oven "fried" chicken breasts.  The simple recipe for crispy chicken breasts I came up with would never be mistaken for fried chicken breasts but are (at least to my mind) delicious and moist and a great accompaniment to pasta (or spaghetti squash) and marinara or with my Easy Ratatouille.  The following recipe is for two breasts so just double or triple the crumb recipe as needed.

Crispy Baked Chicken Breasts

Crumb Coating Recipe: 

• 1/4 cup Ian's Panko Breadcrumbs (or any Panko equaling 2 Points per 1/4 cup)
• 1/3 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (rubbed and crushed between your palms)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil (rubbed and crushed between your palms) 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

In Addition:

• 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon light butter, melted
• 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella (to equal 2 Points) 
• Cooking Spray
• A meat mallet

Breast on right is flattened.

Putting it Together:

     Preheat oven to 400 F; convection is fine.  Combine the crumb ingredients in a large, flat-bottomed bowl or pie pan; set aside.  Trim any visible fat from breasts and place a long piece of plastic wrap on a flat, washable cutting board.  Place the breasts, side by side (leaving ample space between them) on top and fold over the plastic wrap to cover them.  Using the flat end of a meat mallet gently pound the breasts on the thickest parts until they seem nearly a uniform thickness.    

Don't forget to season the chicken!

     Brush the breasts with the melted light butter, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and press buttered side onto crumb mixture, one breast at a time.  Place crumb side down and repeat process on remaining sides.

     Place on a baking sheet (with low sides) which has been sprayed with cooking spray, spritz the breasts lightly with the spray (I use olive oil cooking spray) and bake in a preheated 400 F oven for approximately 10-15 minutes; sprinkle with the mozzarella 3-4 minutes before done.    

   Recipe Builder has estimated 15 Points for the 2 chicken breasts (10 ounces raw chicken, total), making for a total of 7 Points per serving.  In the above photo I served the chicken with a quick vegetable sautee and Barilla marinara sauce over spaghetti squash for 4 additional Points.  It was a delicious and filling meal costing me 11 Points.