This riff on classic chicken Parmesan replaces the usual marinara with a luscious lemony cream sauce. We've lightened it up by using half-and-half instead of cream and by coating the chicken in whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, with just-as-delicious results. Serve this lemony chicken dinner with whole-wheat pasta or brown rice.

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¾ cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 4-ounce chicken breast cutlets
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup half-and-half
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place beaten eggs in another shallow dish. Combine panko, 1/4 cup Parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a third shallow dish. Working with one at a time, coat each cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess. Transfer to the egg mixture and turn to coat. Transfer to the panko mixture and turn to coat. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour (it will be cooked later) in a small bowl. Discard any remaining flour, egg and panko mixture.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cutlets and cook, flipping once, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Reduce heat to medium and add another 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the remaining two cutlets and cook, flipping once, until golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake the cutlets until cooked throughout, about 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, wipe out the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, lemon juice and salt to the pan. Bring to a boil. Whisk half-and-half into the reserved 1 tablespoon flour. Add to the broth mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by about half and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. Transfer the cutlets to a large platter. Drizzle with the sauce and top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and parsley.