Parmesan Encrusted Chicken with Creamy Marsala Sauce

This was an invention two nights ago in attempt to make your boring chicken breast with side of veggie a little more interesting and tasty. It's a perfect low-carb meal. There aren't too many ingredients here but even boring chicken gets a twist. Hubby and I both loved the sauce which I thought was versatile enough to be used with pasta or even a more bland preparation of chicken so that it was the feature of the dish. The chicken was tasty on its own and the sauce almost got lost - both of these items are great by themselves and so EASY.

Parmesan Encrusted Chicken Breasts

3 chicken breasts with rib meat thawed (use more if you need!)

2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp or more of grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp dried basil

2 tsp garlic salt

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and pour olive oil. Pound chicken breasts into uniform thickness as much as possible. Ensure pan is very hot when you place chicken.

Season one side of chicken breast with: garlic salt, basil, Italian seasoning. Then, sprinkle a generous portion of Parmesan cheese to cover the tops of the chicken. Place each chicken breast carefully (cheese side down) into the hot pan.

As the chicken begins to cook, season the top (bare) sides with garlic salt, basil, Italian seasoning and top with a coating of Parmesan cheese. Do not flip chicken for 5-7 minutes or until you have a deep golden brown crust on the bottom. After flipping, cook another 5-7 minutes and cut to ensure chicken is done.

This results in a juicy flavorful chicken breast, tasty enough to not require a sauce. Would also be delicious as a healthier non-breaded version of Chicken Parmesan with a tomato sauce accompaniment.

Creamy Marsala Sauce

1/3 cup chopped onion

1-2 tbsp Marsala wine

1-2 tbsp capers

3-4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

pinch salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and butter until translucent over medium heat. Add the Marsala and cook for a few minutes. Add the cream and salt and pepper and let thicken slightly. This made enough sauce to spoon over three chicken breasts but this could easily be increased. I didn't actually take measurements of ingredients so taste and adjust to your likings.

We had this with plain green beans and it was a healthy and flavorful low-carb meal, fast enough for a weeknight!